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11 Mar 2024

Sabrina Carpenter & Barry Keoghan Make Their Public Debut at 2024 Oscars Afterparty

Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan have officially made their public debut as a couple, stepping out together at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty Sunday night (March 10).

Though the “Feather” singer and Saltburn star didn’t pose side-by-side on the red carpet, they did walk it at the same time, occasionally sneaking looks at each other. Videos captured Carpenter, wearing a see-through black gown, exchanging smiles with Keoghan before the two stepped in front of cameras. After they finished going down the line, the Eras Tour opener walked briskly over to the actor and took his hand.

At one point during the party — which went down just after the 2024 awards ceremony wrapped up at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles — the pair snapped a photo together off the carpet, covering the bottoms of their faces with their hands. With Carpenter’s arm around his shoulders, Keoghan flashed his “Sabrina” friendship bracelet.

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Keoghan and the Girl Meets World alum first sparked dating rumors at the beginning of this year. At a recent Taylor Swift concert in Singapore, fans spotted Carpenter running into the Dublin native’s arms after finishing her opening set, wrapping him in a tight hug before walking with him into the wings.

This year, Vanity Fair’s annual afterparty was attended by Justin Timberlake, Usher, Camila Cabello, Ellie Goulding, Kylie Jenner, Ice Spice, Jennifer Lawrence, Sydney Sweeney and more stars. Ahead of the shindig, Jimmy Kimmel helmed the Oscars ceremony, which featured performances from Billie Eilish, Ryan Gosling, Becky G, Jon Batiste and Scott George and the Osage Singers, as well as presentations from Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Bad Bunny and more.

See photos and videos of the couple at the 2024 Oscars afterparty below.

Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter

Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter attend the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 10, 2024 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Dave Benett/VF24/WireImage for Vanity Fair

11 Mar 2024

Sawyer Hill Went Viral on Instagram — And Everyone Wants to Know How

Like many modern artists, Sawyer Hill is constantly scrutinizing the social media platforms that impact music discovery. In January, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter sensed a shift in the digital winds. 

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“I used to scroll through TikTok and my whole feed was musicians,” he says. “And then I started noticing all my videos on Instagram were getting distributed at a way greater rate — for the same video, the ratio of likes to views was way higher on Instagram than it was on TikTok.” 

This was true despite the fact that Hill was treating Instagram Reels as an afterthought at the time — often just re-posting TikTok clips there, as many artists do. “I wonder what would happen if I really put effort into an Instagram video,” Hill remembers thinking. He started promoting his 2023 single “Look at the Time” – a caustic, grungy rocker delivered in somber baritone – on the platform, and it rose to No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 chart in the U.S. in February. 

This sort of breakthrough would be an exciting moment for any musician. Hill’s story has also taken on additional weight at a time when the music industry is casting around for marketing alternatives to the app that’s been ground zero for pop virality for a half-decade now. Some artists are unable to use TikTok to promote their recordings since negotiations between the platform and Universal Music Group fell apart at the end of January.

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Historically, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels have not been able to match TikTok’s impact on streams, so most artists and marketers have not prioritized them to the same degree. (Even with the success of “Look at the Time,” Instagram users’ passion hasn’t led to the type of streaming explosion enjoyed by TikTok favorites like Djo’s “End of Beginning.”) Some optimistic marketers believe that, in a world where TikTok is no longer an option for many acts, artists will finally be able to figure out effective strategies to use elsewhere. It’s like a point guard being forced to tie his right hand behind his back to build strength dribbling with his left.

“Focusing on one or two platforms instead of three could result in better impact,” says Johnny Cloherty, co-founder of digital marketing company Songfluencer.

This climate helps explain why, after “Look at the Time” began to take off on Reels, “all these people on the industry side were like, ‘this is unbelievable,’” Hill says. 

Virality was far from Hill’s mind when he started playing guitar as a kid in Fayetteville, Arkansas, using an instrument abandoned by his brother. By the time he was a freshman in high school, he was good enough to join a band full of seniors. “Whenever they all graduated, they’re like, ‘We’re playing bars now, so you’re either going to do that with us or hit the road,’” Hill recalls. 

The choice was easy: He started playing bars around the age of 15. “I was always hanging out with 30- and 40-year-olds at the bar who were telling me their whole life story,” Hill says. 

But he eventually realized there was a ceiling on the local circuit. “We’ve been playing all these bars for years, and it hasn’t really gotten us very far,” Hill remembers feeling. “We want to play for the masses. And the only real way we saw to do that was through social media.” 

He started with TikTok, since “all music-related things were extremely TikTok-specific at that point.” It didn’t come to him easily. “I started out feeling what a lot of musicians do: ‘These social media platforms are lame, and it seems so fake,’” he says. 

But the imperative to reach a wide audience eventually overruled the cringey moments. “There are people making their careers on these platforms,” Hill says. He wanted to be one of them: “I became borderline obsessed with figuring out these platforms.” 

His first popular video was popular for the wrong reasons; users were making fun of his singing. Hill remained calm. “One day you can have thousands of people in your inbox telling you that you’re the worst thing in the world, and then the next day you have thousands of people in your inbox telling you that you’re the best in the world,” he says. 

His equanimity was rewarded not long after, when he posted a live performance video of “Look at the Time” that was well received on TikTok. (At the time, he had not recorded the song.) After a few more successful videos, Hill caught the attention of AWAL, a label services company acquired by Sony in 2021, where he signed last year. When he turned his attention to Reels earlier in January, he wanted to push “Look at the Time” again because he already knew it was “super reactive.”

Many artists who benefit from a sudden surge of attention on social media and get record deals then have to go and learn how to perform. For Hill, this is not a problem. “I’m so grateful for having spent my teenage years playing all these bars,” he says.  “We’re ready to take advantage of the moment and to go on tour.”

His advice to others hoping to crack the code on Instagram promotion boils down to “try hard” and stay flexible. “They’re pushing musicians like crazy on Instagram for now,” Hill says. “But that can change in one software update.”

11 Mar 2024

Ashanti’s Mother Kind Of Confirms Pregnancy Rumors

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I Love R&B Mondays Hosted By Ashanti

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For months now it’s been known rumored that Ashanti and Nelly are expecting, and though the couple haven’t confirmed the news as of yet, Ashanti’s mother might’ve let the cat out of the bag…sort of.

Recently Ashanti’s mother Tina Douglas participated in an onstage interview with Antoine Edwards and after Edwards congratulated Douglas on her daughter’s rumored pregnancy, Douglas tried to downplay the news saying “There’s been no announcement,” which caused Edwards to apologize and say she thought it was already public. Douglas responded by saying “It is public. Don’t get it twisted, but it hasn’t been officially announced.” In other words, “Thank you, but no comment just yet.”

They tried to catch Ashanti’s mama slippin’ but she ain’t take the bait. Good sh*t Ms. Douglas.

Though the news of Ashanti’s pregnancy has been floating around since December neither she nor Nelly have officially announced the good news. While the two have been taking to social media to show the world just how deep in love they are these days, the “Happy” singer has been sporting loose fitting clothes in most of her posts. A far cry from the thirst traps her fans are used to seeing before she reconnected with Nelly last year.

As to why the two haven’t confirmed the rumors as of yet, that’s anyone’s guess. Maybe they plan to do so in extravagant fashion. Maybe they don’t want to jinx it as many couples choose to keep such news to themselves to avoid the “evil eye” of haters and so forth. Regardless of why they’re keeping everything under wraps, we’re glad the two are out there living their best lives and are potentially going to start a family together.

What do y’all think? Should Nelly and Ashanti just confirm the rumors at this point or keep it private until the kid is born? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

11 Mar 2024

Watch How Bad Bunny’s Star-Studded ‘Acho PR’ Came to Life in New Music Video

For his 30th birthday on Sunday (March 10), Bad Bunny unleashed the official music video for “Acho PR,” almost five months after the track dropped as part of his Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana album. 

In true Bunny fashion, the video came as a surprise to fans when the artist shared the YouTube link on his Instagram Stories. The nearly 12-minute-long clip captures how the star-studded collaboration featuring Ñengo Flow, Árcangel and De La Ghetto came to life in a recording studio in New York City. 

All four artists, joined by some of Bunny’s longtime collaborators including Tainy and MAG, appear in the homemade video, where they are sharing ideas, recording their verses and overall having a good time. “Let’s do this, d–n it — no one is leaving here today,” Ñengo jokes at the beginning of the clip. 

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At the end of the music video, Bunny also shared a recap of some of his latest career highlights — including winning artist of the year at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards — and wraps the clip by announcing two dates in Puerto Rico as part of his 2024 Most Wanted Tour. He’s set to perform June 7 and 8 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.  

“Acho PR” — which debuted in the Hot Latin Songs and Hot 100 charts in October — is an ode to life in the barrio in Puerto Rico, with its parties and its music, its crime and excess. “Real G for life, the movement is still solid […] straight from Bayamón, the most powerful mafia,” the lyrics go in part.

The official video arrived on the day Bunny presented an award at the 2024 Oscars alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Watch the visual below:

11 Mar 2024

Kanye West Working on World Tour With John Monopoly Returning as Manager

Kanye West once claimed that he “can’t be managed” but that’s not the case these days as sources tell Billboard on Monday (March 11) that John Monopoly is back as Ye’s manager.

A fellow Chicago native, Monopoly played an integral role at the onset of West’s career in the early 2000s as his manager.

After splitting for over a decade, Monopoly found his way into the Ye zeitgeist in recent years. Sources confirmed that Monopoly is now West’s manager in an official capacity as the multi-hyphenate showered John with praise and recalled their history during a Vultures private listening event in Los Angeles over the weekend.

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West has been without a manager since parting ways with Izvor Zivkovic in March 2018. Izzy had been Ye’s longtime partner for nearly a decade. Scooter Braun was brought into the fold as a co-manager in late 2015 but they would split in April 2018.

With John helping West, Kanye is putting together a world tour that is set to begin in a few months, sources add. The global trek will feature “full production and performances” as opposed to the listening events Ye is currently playing.

The tour will be Kanye’s first since 2016’s Saint Pablo Tour, which was cut short in November 2016 following West’s hospitalization. Ye appeared to have trouble booking the trek due to his string of recent controversies, but sources say West is “preparing” to hit the road this summer.

The 46-year-old has hit the stage at rare one-off opportunities during the last few years. He joined Travis Scott’s UTOPIA Tour stop in Orlando on Jan. 31 as a special guest. He surprised Rolling Loud fans in 2021 and 2022 when joining Future and Playboi Carti’s sets, respectively.

West’s last full concert came when he performed in December 2021 in support of Larry Hoover’s freedom as he ended his feud with Drake to spread awareness of Hoover’s incarceration for a benefit show at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign are coming off of the independent release of Vultures 1, which topped the Billboard 200 in back-to-back weeks last month.

The duo is currently on the road to Vultures 2 — which was originally supposed to arrive last Friday — as they took over Phoenix’s Footprint Center on Sunday night (March 10) for another listening party before heading to San Francisco’s Chase Center on Tuesday (March 12).

They are slated to debut a live performance of the Vultures series with a joint set at Rolling Loud California on Thursday night (March 14).

Billboard reached out to Ye’s camp for comment.

11 Mar 2024

Dolly Parton Thinks Beyoncé Covered One of Her Country Classics For ‘Act II’ Album: ‘I Love Her!’

Dolly Parton may be the reigning queen of country, but one royal definitely can recognize someone else’s regal game. In the wake of Beyoncé dropping two country songs and making some Billboard chart history along the way, Parton said she wouldn’t be surprised if some of her rhinestone-studded magic dust ended up on Bey’s upcoming Act II album.

“Well, I think she has! I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that,” Parton told Knox News about whispers that Beyoncé collaborated with Parton or at least covered one of the country icon’s most beloved songs on her upcoming eighth studio album, due out on March 29.

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“I love her!” Parton, 78, said about Beyoncé, 42. “She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.” At press time a spokesperson for Beyoncé had not responded to Billboard‘s request for comment on Parton’s claim. Though it’s unknown if the 1973 Parton classic broadside against a woman with designs on her man — which peaked for Parton at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974 — will appear on Bey’s follow-up to 2022’s Renaissance, after her initial excitement, Dolly hedged her bets later in the interview.

The outlet said Parton subsequently added that she’d “heard” and “thinks,” or maybe “hopes” that Beyoncé had taken on the song that has been memorably covered by everyone from Dolly’s goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, to the White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, Lil Nas X, Pentatonix and many more. At the very least, Parton said she’s always wanted Beyoncé to cover “Jolene” and that the two had been in contact in the past.

“We’ve kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great,” Parton said.

Though the track list for Act II has not yet been revealed, the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Texas Hold ‘Em” was one of two country-flecked songs that Beyoncé released on Feb. 11, along with “16 Carriages”; both songs were announced in a Verizon commercial that aired during Super Bowl LVIII Feb. 11.

“Texas Hold ‘Em” has notched three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, which earlier became Bey’s historic first No. 1 on the ranking; prior to its ascendance, no Black woman, or female known to be biracial, had previously led the list.

11 Mar 2024

North West Announces Debut Album ‘Elementary School Dropout’ at Kanye West’s ‘Vultures’ Event

Kanye West isn’t going to be the only musician in the family. His and Kim Kardashian’s 10-year-old daughter, North West, revealed she’s working on her debut album, Elementary School Dropout, in an homage to her father’s acclaimed 2004 LP College Dropout.

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North made the revelation during a Vultures listening party in Phoenix on Sunday night (March 10) when she hit the stage with the rapper — who now goes by Ye — in Vultures merchandise and a fur hat for her “Talking” track on the album.

“And I’ve been working on an album,” she shared, which drew a loud ovation from the crowd. “And it’s called Elementary School Dropout.”

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North’s younger siblings Chicago and Psalm also joined her on the Footprint Center stage in an adorable moment as they held hands and danced to her Vultures song.

It’s likely that Ye will be heavily involved with the creative process for ESD. North is featured on Vultures‘ “Talking,” which debuted at No. 30 on the Hot 100 with 12.33 million official U.S. streams in its first week of tracking.

The Hot 100 entry made her one of the youngest artists to ever appear on the chart as well as the Emerging Artist tally. Kardashian celebrated her daughter’s accomplishment for “Talking” by writing on Instagram Story with a repost of the chart at the time, “My baby!!!!”

Look for North to continue on the trail with her father and Ty Dolla $ign for the Vultures listening-party experiences, which will take over the Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday (March 12).

During a recent event, Ye and Ty played a handful of songs slated to land on their upcoming Vultures 2 sequel, which included “Enemies,” “Believin” featuring Project Pat, “Promotion” featuring Future, “Slide,” “Dead” with Future and Lil Durk as well as fan-favorite “Field Trip/Venom” featuring Don Toliver, Playboi Carti and Lil Durk.

The Vultures duo is scheduled to make a live performance debut with a Thursday night (March 14) set at Rolling Loud California. It’s unclear when Vultures 2 is slated to arrive, as Ye — who has faced criticism and lost business deals due to his hate speech — has teased releasing the project on Yeezy.com for $20 rather than going right to streaming services. It was previously announced for a March 8 release date.

Watch North West’s announcement as well as Psalm and Chicago joining her on stage below.

11 Mar 2024

How Rising Visa Fees Could Stifle New Music Discovery in the U.S.: ‘It’s Grossly Unfair’

After excitedly booking her showcase at next week’s South by Southwest music festival, Zoë Mead, the British shoegaze artist known as Wyldest, tried to land other U.S. club and festival gigs to offset her already-high travel expenses.

To do all this legally, she learned, required getting a temporary work visa costing $460 plus another $2,800 for faster processing. Hiring a lawyer or immigration specialist to file the application would have added another thousand dollars minimum to the bill. “It’s just too risky,” she says. “You have to reject a hell of a lot of things, which is really frustrating.”

And beginning April 1, immigration and visa entry costs for international artists playing festivals, concerts or label events in the U.S. are set to rise even higher.

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The fees for filing “O” and “P” visa petitions — the former covers “individuals who possess extraordinary ability,” the latter “internationally renowned performing groups” and music ensembles of up to 25 people — will increase from $460 to maximum costs of $1,655 and $1,615, respectively. That price includes a $600 Asylum Program Fee, which the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will use to offset the costs of adjudicating cases of immigrants seeking asylum from persecution and violence — a process unrelated to the music business. 

There are, however, reduced rates for visa applications backed by a promoter, agency, festival or record company (the so-called petitioner) with less than 25 full-time employees. For those companies, the new fee is capped at $830 (including a $300 asylum levy). For non-profit petitioners, the total fee is capped at $530. (Crews and traveling production staff also require either an appropriate O or P visa to work in the U.S., while artists invited to perform at official showcase events like SXSW, such as Mead, maybe able to enter the U.S. using an ESTA/Visa Waiver, which costs $21). 

USCIS representatives say the increased fees will cover rising business costs and reduce processing backlogs. They also contend the pricing surge will not affect musicians because promoters, club owners and labels will be paying the fees.

It’s cold comfort for international acts — especially those starting their live careers — who fear those costs will ultimately be passed on to them, making it too expensive for all but established artists to play U.S. dates. “It’s going to have a chilling effect,” says Rita Sostrin, a Los Angeles-based immigration attorney who represents many international acts. “I’m certainly hearing a lot of displeasure from my clients for these higher fees.”

The fear among international artists, especially those at the start of their live careers, is that the extra costs will ultimately be passed onto them, making it too expensive for all but established international acts to play American concert venues and festivals. “That burden of applying for and paying for the visas is shared across the artists, managers, promoters and venues,” says Neeta Ragoowanski, president of the Music Managers Forum U.S., which opposes the fee increases. “It’s going to affect artists’ decisions on how these tours go,” she says. 

Last year, USCIS temporarily paused its plans to increase fees following strong opposition from artist and music-industry advocacy groups such as the National Independent Venue Association and UK Music.

The new fees being introduced April 1 are nominally lower than the non-tiered rises first proposed by USCIS, but still represent “a significant extra burden for touring U.K. bands and artists, particularly for emerging acts that operate on the tightest of margins,” says UK Music interim chief executive Tom Kiehl.

Those margins are being squeezed tighter by the majority of international artists needing to pay out for “premium” visa processing, says Andy Corrigan, owner of U.K.-based Viva La Visa, which specializes in immigration services for music acts and has recently work on U.S. touring arrangement for The Damned and former Spice Girl Melanie C. Premium processing fees rose in February from $2,500 to $2,805 with the time for processing applications increasing from 15 calendar days to 15 business days.

“Almost every band that we deal with has to use premium because the standard processing is so uncertain,” he says. “The whole system is loaded against new and emerging artists. It’s grossly unfair.”

Corrigan says he has lowered his company’s visa fees following the price rises “to try and mitigate the increase in costs for everybody,” but fears that some artists will be tempted to enter the U.S. illegally, without the proper visa documentation in place, as a result of the extra financial burden being placed on them. 

“People have got to take a longer-term view and recognize the value of cultural exchange and music, and not just think that they can squeeze every dollar out of the sector,” says Jon Collins, chief executive of U.K. industry trade group LIVE. He calls USCIS’s January sudden announcement of the rise in visa fees – following a period of consultation – a “fait accompli” that will have a detrimental impact on the health of the U.K. and U.S. grass roots music industry. 

“It just feels like you’re constantly being slapped in the face,” says Mead, who had to turn down an invitation to play a pre-SXSW festival, New Colossus, in New York next month. “It was already expensive, and they put it up even more, and it’s like, ‘how?’”

11 Mar 2024

Which Best Original Song Performance at the 2024 Oscars Was Your Favorite? Vote!

The 2024 Oscars was packed with memorable musical performances, with all five of the night’s best original song nominees taking the stage at Dolby Theatre to represent their respective films Sunday (March 10).

The first best song nominees to perform ended up being this year’s winners: Billie Eilish and Finneas, who contributed the emotional ballad “What Was I Made For?” to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Hours before taking home the award, the 22-year-old pop star sang the whisper-soft track as her brother/producer played piano, earning thunderous applause from audience members such as Ariana Grande, Margot Robbie, America Ferrera and Kate McKinnon.

Later in the night, Becky G stood in front of a blazing backdrop with a choir of children to sing “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot. Jon Batiste played a grand piano as he belted out his emotional ballad “It Never Went Away” from American Symphony, and Scott George and the Osage Singers gathered around a large drum for “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon.

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Closing out the night’s performances, Ryan Gosling got the crowd on its feet for an over-the-top showcase of “I’m Just Ken,” also from Barbie, alongside Mark Ronson — who co-wrote the satirical ballad with Andrew Wyatt — Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir and Guns N’ Roses’ Slash. Wearing a black cowboy hat and pink sparkly suit, the actor began by serenading Robbie, his onscreen leading lady, before hopping onstage for some intricate group choreography complete with backup dancers and cutouts of the famous doll’s head.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the 2024 Academy Awards saw Poor Things‘ Emma Stone taking home best actress for Poor Things and Cillian Murphy winning best actor for his performance in Oppenheimer, which also snagged best picture. The three-hour-plus ceremony also included presentations from Grande and her Wicked costar Cynthia Erivo, Bad Bunny and Dwayne Johnson, Zendaya and, perhaps most memorably, a nude John Cena.

Who had your favorite performance of the night at the 2024 Oscars? Vote in the poll below after rewatching them all here.

11 Mar 2024

8 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Koe Wetzel, Ole 60, Mickey Guyton & More

This week’s collection of new country music features two songs about the sacrifices made in the name of musical ambitions: Koe Wetzel’s “Damn Near Normal” and Sawyer Brown’s “Desperado Troubadours.” Meanwhile, Mickey Guyton turns in a towering vocal performance on a female empowerment anthem and Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton reunites with CCM artist Zach Williams for another shot of soul-dipped inspiration.

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Also, newcomer indie group Ole 60 continues their promising career start with a bluesy, rock-fueled murder ballad, while bluegrass family trio Indigo Roots Band takes on a Bob Dylan classic. Read about (and listen to) all of these below.

Koe Wetzel, “Damn Near Normal”

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Texan Wetzel, known for his spin of outlaw country, grunge-rock and blues, follows up his 2022 album Hell Paso with this nod to road-weary musicians navigating the challenges of being a touring musician — weeks away from home, odd hours — through a mixture of alcohol, weed and various pills. His voice here is raw and jagged, giving song a definitively lived-in feel, while the churning percussion intimates the relentless cycle of the the road. “High highs, rock bottom blows, been six feet deeper than most,” Wetzel deadpans, excavating feelings of frustration and loneliness. Wetzel is known for music that’s unvarnished and unfiltered — sonically and lyrically — and his latest continues living up to that promise.

Mickey Guyton, “Woman”

One of country music’s most powerful female vocalists, Guyton shines on this pop-bending track, one that honors women’s strength, adaptability, resourcefulness, courage and vulnerability. Appropriately released on International Women’s Day (March 8), the song features gospel-flavored background vocals and lithe, bright production that make the song sleek, inspirational and right in this versatile vocalist’s wheelhouse.

Ole 60, “Brother Joe”

This Kentucky six-man band, which has only four tracks available on Spotify, is one of the latest indie country-rock acts to rise swiftly from obscurity to earning a viral hit — with “Smoke & a Light,” from their 2023 EP Three Twenty Four, earning more than three million streams on Spotify. They follow with this grungy, blues-dipped tale, written by the group’s Jacob Young and featuring his burly vocal. Nearly five minutes in length, the song details the devastating aftermath that follows when a small-town pastor’s family is murdered. The group, recently signed with UTA, offers solid musicianship, a willingness to experiment with sounds from psychedelic-tinged rock to more stripped-down fare, and a penchant for detailed storytelling, on both their EP and “Brother Joe.” A promising start for this talented group.

Avery Anna, “Make It Look Easy”

On her latest, Anna goes from her signature “sad girl” country to rage-fueled rock, and proves she can make both look easy in her own right. She notices all the little details that signal her lover is plotting his exit — clothes missing from the closet, the distant look in his eyes. “Your truck’s in the driveway/ Your mind’s on the highway,” she sings. The ragged edge in her voice tops thrashing drums and a sonic thicket of electric guitars that mirror the lyric’s emotional angst. Anna wrote the song with Ben Williams, David Fanning and Andy Sheridan.

Zach Williams with Dolly Parton, “Lookin’ For You”

Country Music Hall of Famer Parton and Southern rock-infused CCM vocalist Williams have already proven their blend of passionate vocals is superb, previously earning a Grammy-winning hit when they teamed up for their 2020 collab “There Was Jesus.” They reunite on this stately piano ballad, his soulful, gruff voice matching the power of her smooth, angelic soprano note for note. “Lookin’ for You” was written by Williams, Tony Wood and Jonathan Smith (Williams and Smith were also writers on “There Was Jesus”).

Sawyer Brown, “Desperado Troubadours”

The title track from the group’s new album (which released March 8) is scaled-back, acoustic-driven tale of guitar-slingers, singers and dreamers and the sacrifices made in the name of chasing musical ambition. Sawyer Brown, having been making music for the past four decades and notching three Billboard Hot Country Songs No. 1s along the way, this group knows more about this sentiment of the rigors, lofty highs and monotonous lows of life on the road than most — as well as the risks and rewards of choosing the life of a musician. “We’ll pass up a sure thing just to gamble on a song,” they sing, later adding, “We’re cowboys and hippies and gypsies at our core.”

Austin Williams, “Can’t Right Now”

In late 2023, Williams’ broke through the social media noise to earn a viral hit with “Wanna Be Saved,” and followed it with songs including “’90s Rap Mashup,” a tribute to rap titans including Dr. Dre, Master P and more. His latest leans back into the style of foreboding, hip-hop-meshed country that has proliferated over the past couple of years. Williams’ voice is strong and taut on “Can’t Right Now” as he sings of betrayal from a relationship that has suddenly and sharply splintered, leaving him feeling the sting. He continually repeats the title phrase, the frustration and hurt in his voice growing with each iteration, and letting the track’s storm build around him as he falls just short of his resolve to forgive.

Indigo Roots Band, “Maggie’s Farm”

This sibling trio, which includes Bethany, Victoria and Daniel Kelley, hail from Southern Georgia. Here, after having performed the song live for a few years, they offer up a bluegrass-revved rendition of Bob Dylan’s 1965 classic tale of working-class defiance. Bethany commandeers some air-slicing fiddle work, with Victoria helming the mandolin and offering a spitfire, slightly dusky lead vocal, supported by Daniel’s solid bass playing, and joined by Seth Taylor (guitar), Ron Ickes (banjo) and Rob Ickes (resonator guitar). The group’s sound is tightly-plaited and fresh, with a dash of polished, commercial country.