Author: djfrosty
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First the good news. Adam Levine confirmed on Monday night’s (April 7) Tonight Show that Maroon 5 will be be back in our ears this year. The bad news is that, for now, the details are a bit fuzzy. “I am gonna confirm the rumors are true,” Levine said to huge shouts from the studio […]
In Monday night’s (April 7) episode of American Idol, Jelly Roll returned to the franchise as its first-ever artist-in-residence, offering support, wisdom and one unforgettable surprise during one of the most intense rounds yet.
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With 42 contestants still vying for just 20 remaining spots in the Top 24, the singers faced an overnight duet challenge that tested their stamina, chemistry, and vocal control.
Jelly Roll, who has become one of country music’s biggest breakout stars, didn’t just coach from the sidelines — he helped elevate the emotional stakes of the episode. After contestants Breanna Nix and Rylie O’Neill bonded over their shared experiences as mothers and performed Brandon Lake’s Christian worship anthem “Gratitude,” Jelly Roll paused the judges’ feedback to surprise them with a live FaceTime call from the songwriter himself.
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“That was the most gorgeous version of ‘Gratitude’ I’ve ever heard,” Lake said.
Carrie Underwood, visibly moved, praised both women. “I know how difficult it is to come into the entertainment industry and bring your faith with you. It is a brave thing to do… I want to tell you that I’m proud of you guys.”
Only one could move forward, and while both performances struck a chord, the judges advanced Breanna Nix into the Top 24, prompting her to collapse to the stage in tears.
Elsewhere, controversy stirred as Baylee Littrell — son of Backstreet Boys’ Brian Littrell — advanced despite a shaky performance alongside standout vocalist Keilene. While Keilene delivered a powerful version of “Shallow,” the judges focused on Baylee’s ability to perform with a partner.
“It was not a unanimous decision,” Underwood warned him. “So moving forward, I need you to step it up.”
The final Top 24 includes Thunderstorm Artis, Ché, Breanna Nix, Slater Nalley, Olivier Bergeron, and more. Their next stop? Hawaii’s Aulani Resort, with performances airing April 13 and 14 on ABC.
Speaking to Billboard during a recent sit-down interview, Jelly Roll said, “Hollywood Week is even more chaotic than what you see on TV. The episodes are pretty chaotic, but the camera can’t catch all of the chaos.“
“I love it because it reminds me of the music business. It’s real. They’re not hazing these kids. This is stuff that happens in our business all the time. I can’t wait for the world to see this – the show brings me in when the kids are picking their head-to-head songs, so I am in the trenches with these babies. I watch them pick their songs. I give them advice and I catch them picking their partners. Some of them probably picked the wrong partner,” he shared.
Britton Moore stepped into unfamiliar territory during The Voice Season 27 Knockouts — and came out with a win.
The 21-year-old Texan, known for his pop-leaning vocals, embraced his country roots on Monday’s (April 7) episode with a soaring, heartfelt rendition of Zac Brown Band’s “Free,” drawing major praise from all four coaches.
Moore, who originally turned four chairs in the Blind Auditions with Coldplay’s “Yellow,” delivered a masterclass in control and tone, earning him the Knockout win over teammate Ari Camille.
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“There’s this youthful beauty and this clear gorgeous tone,” said coach Michael Bublé following Moore’s performance. John Legend added, “It was like pitch-perfect, but also you made some really great stylistic choices.”
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Coach Kelsea Ballerini was so impressed with his precision that she joked, “Every note is so crisp and perfect, it’s almost like you’re self-auto-tuned.” Legend jumped in with a laugh, calling Moore “God-o-tuned.”
Coach Adam Levine, who had to make the final call between Moore and Camille, didn’t hold back in his praise. “You just sing the living crap out of everything you sing,” he told Moore, ultimately declaring him the winner of the round.
In a feel-good twist, John Legend used his only steal of the round to keep Camille in the competition, bringing her back to his team for the Playoffs.
Moore’s Knockout performance marked his first time singing country on the show, despite growing up in Texas with a strong appreciation for the genre. His version of “Free,” originally released on The Foundation in 2008 by Zac Brown Band, stayed true to the original’s spirit while infusing his smooth vocals and gentle grit.
The young artist has impressed week after week this season. During the Battles, he delivered a haunting version of Radiohead’s “Creep,” with Bublé exclaiming, “You hit that top note!” and Legend calling his vocal power “stunning.”
As Tracy Chapman reissues her debut album on vinyl for its latest anniversary, the acclaimed musician has opened up about her preference of avoiding streaming services.
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Speaking to the New York Times this week, Chapman was asked about her current listening habits, admitting that while she does still indeed check out new music, she doesn’t “listen to as much as [she] used to.”
“I’m maybe going to date myself now, or someone’s going call me a Luddite, but I don’t stream music,” Chapman explained. “I only buy music in physical form. Artists get paid when you actually buy a CD or the vinyl. That’s important to me. So to some extent, it limits what I listen to, because it’s a physical commitment of going out into the world and finding things, but I still do go out.”
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Chapman’s comments come about at a rather pertinent time in her recent career. Over the past 15 years, her debut single “Fast Car” has experienced massive success on streaming platforms thanks to covers from names such as Michael Collings, Jonas Blue, and Luke Combs.
In the case of the latter, the track topped the Adult Pop Airplay, Country Airplay, and Hot Country Songs charts, while peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100. It also won both single and song of the year at the Country Music Association Awards, making her the first African American woman to take home a CMA award.
In June 2023, it was determined that the track had generated $500,000 in global publishing royalties across the previous three months. In February 2024, it was noted that Chapman’s performance at the Grammys resulted in a total of 949,000 official on-demand U.S. streams the day following the performance. Digital sales, meanwhile, exploded 38,400% from a negligible amount to nearly 14,000. Earlier this year, it was announced that the original track had surpassed more than one billion streams on Spotify.
Notably, despite rises in the appetite for physical media, Chapman’s original song had long been far more accessible on streaming services as opposed to the more popular vinyl format. Part of that inaccessibility was what led to the recent reissue of her debut self-titled 1988 album on vinyl for its 35th anniversary (though it officially arrived on the 37th anniversary).
“We might have talked about it at 25 years or 30 years, and then it just seemed like, ‘OK, this is a moment to do it because people have this renewed interest in vinyl and obviously this record was so extremely important to me and my career as a songwriter,’” Chapman told Billboard recently.
Alongside her discussion of streaming services, Chapman was also asked about the current artists she appreciates, ultimately pointing to “all the young women in all their variety, doing their things” at the recent Grammys, specifically looking toward Chappell Roan and Charli XCX.
“It’s not music that I would make, but I appreciate that we’re in this moment where there’s a path for artists like that, and they can even have success,” Chapman noted.
Close to 65 years since he rose to fame as the drummer for English rock icons The Beatles, Pete Best has announced his retirement.
83-year-old Best’s retirement was announced on X (formerly Twitter), with his brother Roag confirming that the drummer will no longer be performing as part of the eponymous Pete Best Band going forward.
“Well what an absolutely wonderful ride we’ve had. However, everything comes to pass,” Roag noted. “My brother Pete Best has announced today he is retiring from personal appearances and performing with the group. His daughter has informed me it’s due to personal circumstances.”
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Pete himself acknowledged his retirement, reposting the original announcement and adding, “I had a blast. Thank you.”
Best’s association with The Beatles began in the late ’50s when the Quarrymen – which comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ken Brown – approached his mother Mona to perform at her Liverpool venue, the Casbah Coffee Club. The Quarrymen evolved into The Beatles in 1960, and following brief stints with Tommy Moore and Norman Chapman, the group recruited Best as their drummer ahead of launching a residency in Hamburg, Germany in August of that year.
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After two years with The Beatles, Best was ousted by manager Brian Epstein in favor of Ringo Starr. Various stories have circulated as to the reason for Best’s dismissal, though his alleged lack of ability, his chemistry within the band, and his purported attractiveness have since been raised as possible explanations behind his firing.
Following his time with the band, Best performed with other bands including Lee Curtis and the All-Stars and The Pete Best Combo, which notably attempted to capitalize on Best’s prior work by releasing an album titled Best of the Beatles.
Best reflected on his time in the band as part of the 2002 book The Beatles: The True Beginnings. “I’ve never thought that it was a bad thing that I was in the Beatles. I’ve always looked back on that, regardless of what happened, as being two very exciting years. We conquered frontiers. We grew in musicianship. It was a privilege to be part of the band.”
Best later enjoyed a successful career in civil service, raised a family, qualified for early retirement, and made millions from the Beatles’ Anthology One album, which featured 12 tracks on which he drummed.
The Pete Best Band is currently scheduled to perform at the Liverpool Beatles Museum on Aug. 23, though it’s currently unknown if Best’s retirement from the band will impact the planned appearance.
J-Hope lit up L.A. this past weekend with his “Hope On the Stage” concert, and we’re taking you inside what you might have missed out on. Keep watching for a full experience of J-Hope’s tour! What did you think of J-Hope’s concert? Let us know in the comments below! Tetris Kelly: We’re taking you to […]
When one door closes, another one opens in the world of romance. Mark Hoppus learned that after going on an unsuccessful date with Melissa Joan Hart. The Blink-182 rocker opened up about the dinner with the Sabrina the Teenage Witch star in his upcoming memoir, Fahrenheit-182, according to People. In the book, he says the […]
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Since getting his start in the game just over a decade ago, actor Rome Flynn has been steadily rising in the world of Black Hollywood. From his Emmy-winning performance in the daytime soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful, to more recent recurring roles on hit dramas like Dear White People, Grey’s Anatomy and Chicago Fire, the 33-year-old ladies man has been a fan-favorite on the small screen for the past 11 years and counting.
Of course, most would agree that his star truly started to shine when he joined the cast of ABC’s dearly-missed suspense drama, How to Get Away with Murder, after guest starring in the Season 4 finale as Gabriel Maddox, rising to series regular for Season 5 and the final sixth season.
He and series star Viola Davis always had great scenes together.
RELATED: My First Time – Go Grizzly Remembers His First Hit Production
Flynn joined us this week for “My First Time” to take a quick journey back about seven years or so to when he first met his EGOT co-star. Most people might find it hard to form a sentence, or on the opposite end wouldn’t be able to stop giving praise to The Woman King actress. For this guy though, he was more or less concerned with respecting her prefix by deciding on whether to call her “Mrs. Davis” or keep it casual with a simple “V.” Thankfully the latter option proved to be her preferred choice, and now we can only hope Romie-Rome and V come together again soon for another project or, dare we say it, a HTGAWM reboot? Here for it!
Watch actor Rome Flynn on this week’s “My First Time” below to hear his ‘When Harry Met Sally’ moment of meeting Viola Davis on the set of How To Get Away With Murder:
My First Time: When Rome Flynn Met Viola Davis
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Shakira continues being unstoppable! The Colombian superstar announced on Monday (April 7) four additional dates for her historic Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour in Mexico, once again surpassing her own record with a total of 26 concerts in the Latin American country. The new cities hosting her shows are Tijuana, Hermosillo, Chihuahua, and Torreón, according to promoter OCESA.
“Due to the enormous demand and the cultural impact Shakira has in Mexico, four new dates have been added to the artist’s return in August. This second leg of her tour in the country will take her to new territories, reaching every corner to reconnect with her ‘pack’ and meet her fans where they are,” the promoter said in a press release.
Consequently, Shakira will bring her show to the northern part of the country, performing on August 11 at Estadio Caliente in Tijuana, Baja California; on August 14 at Estadio Héroes de Nacozari in Hermosillo, Sonora; on August 17 at Estadio UACH in Chihuahua; and on August 20 at Estadio Corona in Torreón, Coahuila.
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After making history with seven consecutive sold-out shows at Estadio GNP Seguros, the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour will return to Mexico City for another four concerts at the stadium on August 26, 27, 29, and 30, for a total of 11. This will make Shakira the first artist to achieve such a number of dates at this major venue (formerly known as Foro Sol).
Shakira, who has been adding dates to the tour as tickets continue to sell out, now ties the record of seven dates at Estadio GNP Seguros with Grupo Firme, who are set to give their eighth show there on June 28.
The success of her monumental stadium trek has led the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer to top Billboard‘s Top Tours chart in February, when she kicked off the tour in Brazil, making her the first Latina solo artist to achieve this feat. Shakira’s tour has left an indelible mark across Latin America, gathering more than a million attendees, according to OCESA.
The Barranquilla-born artist was also named by Billboard as the No. 1 star among the Best 50 Female Latin Pop Artists of All Time last month.