Music News

12 Jan 2024

Yeah! Usher Rewinds It Back, Gets Support From LeBron, J Balvin, Jung Kook in Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Teaser

Take that, rewind it back, Usher is about to make the Super Bowl go smack! This year’s Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show star dropped the trailer for what promises to be a super-hype game break on Friday morning (Jan. 12).

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The first look at what Usher has in store came via a one-minute hype video taking viewers on a kaleidoscopic trip through 30 years of Ush. It opens with a gospel choir singing “Peace Up,” as various other fans second that emotion over a church organ and the choir adds “A-town down” in a tribute to the clip’s soundtrack song: 2004’s smash with Lil Jon and Ludacris, “Yeah!”

After a woman says “take that and rewind it back,” the camera rolls into the past to 1998, after Usher’s second album, 1997’s My Way, blew the singer up into a global superstar thanks to such hits as “You Make Me Wanna…” and “Nice & Slow.” The clip even includes some old video of a pre-fame, teenage, babyfaced Usher smiling in the studio as a group of double-dutching girls reveal that “Yeah!” is their favorite song.

The song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks in 2004 bubbles up and gets reworked by a marching band, subway flutist, teenage string quartet, late night diner beatbox crew, pianist and pal J Balvin — who recreates the famous oven door meme — amid footage of Ush killing it on stage. Another friend, BTS singer and “Standing Next To You” collaborator Jung Kook makes a brief cameo, along with NBA superstar LeBron James, who also can’t help singing along to the hit’s indelible chorus.

The clip ends with Usher, 45, standing against a red background wearing shades and an open-to-the-navel shirt black shirt and matching gloves as he swings his signature U pendant around his neck framed by the words “One performance. 30 years in the making.”

Usher announced he was taking on the iconic gig in September, saying in a statement, “It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before. Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”

The inaugural Apple Music-sponsored Super Bowl Halftime Show took place last year with Rihanna setting new viewership records as she unveiled her second pregnancy during a performance. Usher will bring his hits to the stage in Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium for this year’s game on Feb. 11 as he gets ready to release his upcoming ninth studio album, Coming Home, on Feb. 9. The big game will air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+, NFL+ and Vix.

Watch the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show preview below.


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

11 Jan 2024

Lil Nas X Resurrects Himself on New Single ‘J CHRIST’: Stream It Now

After going to hell and back (literally) during his last album cycle, rapper and pop provocateur Lil Nas X is ready to walk through the Pearly Gates.

On Friday (Jan. 12), the singer unveiled his long-awaited new single “J CHRIST,” a pounding pop-rap track that sees the “Call Me By Your Name” singer reveling in his own comeback — much like the “MAN WHO HAD THE GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL TIME” Jesus Christ, as Lil Nas X described him.

Lil Nas X wrote and directed the official music video, which arrived at midnight and features the artist in various roles — playing hoops, as a cheerleader, in the gladiatorial ring, and strapped to the cross.

“Is he up to somethin’ only I-I know?/ Is he ’bout to hit ’em with the high-igh note/ Is he ’bout to give ’em something vi-iral,” he sings on the slick chorus, before later declaring that “B—h, I’m back like J Christ.”

“J CHRIST” marks Lil Nas X’s first official release in over a year — his last release, the League of Legends collaborative anthem “Star Walkin’,” released in September 2022.

The release comes on the heels of a major marketing push from the “Industry Baby” singer, who spent much of the week promoting the single through a series of viral posts. In one string of TikToks, Lil Nas X joked that he was releasing new gospel music independently, while threatening to “expose y’all favorite artists” with his new song. An Instagram post, meanwhile, saw the singer post a fake acceptance letter to Christian college Liberty University, telling his followers that “not everything is a troll” (representatives for the university have since said that they did not admit Lil Nas X for the fall 2024 semester).

The rapper drew intense criticism in the run-up to releasing “J CHRIST” for his use of religious iconography, with commentators claiming that he was “mocking” and “disrespecting” Christianity.

Lil Nas shut down the claims in a tweet, saying “Jesus’s image is used throughout history in people’s art all over the world. I’m not making fun of shit. yall just gotta stop trying to gatekeep a religion that was here before any of us were even born. stfu.”

Watch Lil Nas X’s “J CHRIST” below:

11 Jan 2024

Here Are the Lyrics to Ariana Grande’s ‘Yes, And?’

On Friday (Jan. 12), Ariana Grande made her return with the late-’80s-inspired single “Yes, And?”

Dripping with confidence, the upbeat song serves as the lead track for Grande’s anticipated seventh album, which she started teasing online in late December.

The single is built upon the cheeky title, as Grande sings of healing and being done with caring for other people’s projections. “Yes, and?” she asks repeatedly, begging listeners to question why they care so much to comment on her life — and, hopefully, reducing such actions in the future.

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Here are the lyrics to Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?”

in case you haven’t noticed
well, everybody’s tired
and healing from somebody
or something we don’t see just right
boy come on put your lipstick on
(no one can tell you nothing)
come on and walk this way through the fire (don’t care what’s on their mind)
and if you find yourself in a dark situation just turn on your light and be like

“yes, and?”
say that sh– with your chest
and be your own f—in’ best
friend say that sh– with your chest
keep moving like “what’s next?”
“yes, and?”

now i’m so done with caring what you think
no i won’t hide underneath your own projections or change my most authentic life
boy come on put your lipstick on
(no one can tell you nothing)
come on and walk this way through the fire (don’t care what’s on their mind)
and if you find yourself in a dark situation just turn on your light and be like

“yes, and?”
say that sh– with your chest
and be your own f—in’ best
friend say that sh– with your chest
keep moving like “what’s next?”
“yes, and?”

my tongue is sacred
i speak upon what i like
protected, sexy, discerning with my time
your energy is yours and mine is mine
what’s mine is mine
my face is sitting i don’t need no disguise
don’t comment on my body, do not reply
your business is yours and mine is mine
do you care so much whose ! i ride

“yes, and?”
why
why?
say that sh– with your chest
and be your own f—in’ best
friend say that shit with your chest
keep moving like “what’s next?”
“yes, and?”

11 Jan 2024

Ariana Grande’s ‘Yes, And?’ Single Is Here: Stream It Now

Ariana Grande is back — and she has some things to say.

On Friday, Jan. 12, the pop star returned with her inquisitive and gleaming new single “Yes, And?” The song serves as the first taste of Grande’s forthcoming seventh album.

Inspired by late ’80s dance-pop production, the catchy track is made all the better by Grande’s unshakeable confidence and comfort in her own skin. “Yes, and? Say that s— with your chest, and, be your own f—ing best friend,” she instructs, seeming to lead by example.

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The overall message is loud and clear: she’s seen the comments, and she’s not taking s— from anybody.

“I’m so done with caring what you think, no I won’t hide underneath your own projections or change my most authentic life,” she sings in a soft and syrupy sweet tone, evoking a “kill ’em with kindness” energy.

And later, during a spoken word interlude, Ari even declares: “Your energy is yours and mine is mine…don’t comment on my body, do not reply.”

And while her message is firm, the upbeat and retro production is less so, helping drive home Grande’s laid back, carefree attitude. Written and produced by the pop star alongside Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh, the thumping and rallying chorus is prime for a dancefloor — there are even elements that call back to Madonna’s “Vogue,” which could very well be a tease to the album’s overall sound).

Yesterday, on Thursday, Jan. 11, Grande released a teaser clip to the song’s visual. It opened with a hand holding a red card that read “AG7.” The other side of the card read: “Your presence has been exclusively requested.”

The clip then cuts to various voices saying things like: “You know, I think I liked her better when her ponytail was a few centimeters higher”; “I mean, who cares if she’s happy? I don’t want happy. I want Ari.”; and ““Well, I read it on the Internet, so it must be true!”

“Yes, And?” is a direct response to such critiques. And in typical Ariana fashion, she leans into one of her greatest strengths: being oh so sweet.

Stream “Yes, And?” and view the single art and below.





Ariana Grande

Katia Temkin

11 Jan 2024

Pentagon Denies Fox News Conspiracy Theory That Taylor Swift Is a Political ‘Asset’

The Pentagon is shutting down one of Fox News’ more bizarre conspiracy theories.

After Fox News host Jesse Watters suggested this week that Taylor Swift could be “a front for a covert political agenda,” the Department of Defense shared a statement on Wednesday (Jan. 9) refuting the claims, according to Politico.

“It’s real. The Pentagon psy-op unit pitched NATO on turning Taylor Swift into an asset for combating misinformation online,” Watters said during the show, sharing a video from a 2019 conference organized by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence, during which a presenter names Swift as an example of a powerful influencer.

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In response, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh referencing Swift’s 1989 hit “Shake It Off” in a statement by noting, “as for this conspiracy theory, we are going to shake it off.”

Singh continued with the reference-filled statement, “But that does highlight that we still need Congress to approve our supplemental budget request as Swift-ly as possible so we can be out of the woods with potential fiscal concerns.” 

While Swift is not a political “asset,” she does important work in encouraging her fans to vote. “Voters gonna vote!” she wrote on her Instagram Story on Election Day. “If you are registered to vote in Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas or Virginia, it’s time to use your voice.”

She also encouraged voters to be informed before arriving. “Find out what’s on your ballot before you arrive to the polls by visiting Vote.org.” Her link takes followers to Vote.org’s See What’s on Your Ballot tool, which gives voters a preview of what will be on their ballots.

The 12-time Grammy winner’s latest Instagram Story is part of an ongoing partnership she has with Vote.org, a non-profit, non-partisan voter registration organization that aims to increase voting behavior and reach underserved and underrepresented voters.

11 Jan 2024

Michael Jackson Biopic Gets Release Date

The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has been dated for a global release on April 18, 2025.

Lionsgate is behind the project, which will be directed by Antoine Fuqua. Jackson‘s nephew Jaafar Jackson will play him in the film about the singer’s life. Universal Pictures has international rights for the film, excluding Japan.

Graham King, a seasoned hand at biopics with the Oscar-winning Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody under his belt, is producing along with John Branca and John McClain, who are the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. John Logan, who penned Gladiator and The Aviator, wrote the script.

According to Lionsgate, the film will cover all aspects of Jackson’s life, though it is unclear how — or even if — it will address the many controversies involving the late music icon, given that the biopic is being made in conjunction with his estate, which has defended him against accusations of sexually abusing children. Those accusations were returned to the public discourse thanks to the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.

The official synopsis for the film reads: “Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.” 

The Minecraft film is currently the other major studio film dated for April 2025. The Warner Bros. movie is set to star Jason Momoa and Jack Black.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

11 Jan 2024

Watch Jelly Roll’s Passionate & Personal Testimony Before U.S. Senate on the Fentanyl Crisis

Jelly Roll found himself in front of a different audience on Thursday (Jan. 11), as the country star, born Jason DeFord, testified in front of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee on the fentanyl crisis.

He spoke on behalf of the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, bipartisan legislation which would implement sanctions to reduce the flow of the drug into communities by enforcing penalties on the bank accounts of cartels and drug suppliers.

Jelly Roll arrived at Washington, D.C.’s Dirksen Senate Office Building with wife Bunnie XO for the hearing titled “Stopping the Flow of Fentanyl: Public Awareness and Legislative Solutions.” 

“I’m guessing most of you didn’t have ‘Jelly Roll testifies at Senate Banking hearing’ on your 2024 bingo cards,” Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said in his opening comments. “But few speak – and sing – as eloquently, as openly, as, shall we say, viscerally about addiction as he does. There is a reason why Americans flock to his music and his concerts. He has a connection with people based on shared pain, shared challenges, shared hope.”

Jelly Roll, who served time in jail for selling drugs and whose songs, such as “She,” address the toll of addiction, spoke passionately about the devastating effects fentanyl has had nationally and in his community. 

“I’ve attended more funerals than I care to share with you all on this committee. I could sit here and cry for days about the caskets I’ve carried of people I loved dearly, deeply in my soul, good people, not just drug addicts,” he said. “Uncles, friends, cousins, normal people, some people that just got in a car wreck and started taking a pain pill to manage it.”

Jelly Roll, noting that 190 people die daily in the U.S. from drug addiction, then got even more personal, bringing committee members into his home. “Now I have a 15-year old daughter whose mother is a drug addict,” he said. “Every day I get to look in the eyes of a victim in my household of the effects of drugs, every single day. And every single day I have to wonder if me and my wife, if today will be the day that I have to tell my daughter that her mother became a part of the national statistic.”

He also addressed his criminal past, adding that he didn’t believe he was hurting people. “I was the uneducated man in the kitchen playing chemist with drugs I knew absolutely nothing about, just like these drug dealers are doing right now when they’re mixing every drug on the market with fentanyl and they’re killing the people we love,” he said. “I believed when I sold drugs genuinely that selling drugs was a victimless crime. I truly believed that.”

He implored the committee to pass the legislation, but to go further and work on the issues that cause addition, not just the dealers, saying, “I truly believe in my heart that this bill, that this bill will stop the supply and can help stop the supply of fentanyl. But in part of being proactive, gentlemen and women and ladies, I have to be frank and tell you all that if we don’t talk to the other side of Capitol Hill and stop the demand, we are going to spin our tires in the mud.”

Also testifying were Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police,  and Christopher J. Urben, managing director, Nardello & Co, and assistant special agent in charge (retired), Special Operations Division, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Watch Jelly Roll’s testimony below:

11 Jan 2024

Teddy Swims Adds the Heat to Taylor Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer’

Teddy Swims brought a “Cruel Summer” to the winter season at the BBC Radio 1 on Thursday (Jan. 10), performing a cover of Taylor Swift’s Lover hit at the Live Lounge.

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The 31-year-old singer put a soulful spin on the track, adding his raspy vocals to the hook. “It’s new, the shape of your body / It’s blue, the feeling I’ve got / And it’s ooh, whoa, oh / It’s a cruel summer,” he sang.

Back in the fall, “Cruel Summer” rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart dated Oct. 28, 2023 — four years after its initial release. With “Cruel Summer,” Swift joins an elite club of artists with 10 or more No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. In response, Swift and her co-writer Jack Antonoff shared their excitement over the accomplishment on Instagram, talking over each other as they thank fans for all their support. “The song that we said was the best song, but we thought, ‘Oh, you know what? This will be our secret best song.’ That’s what we thought,” Antonoff said of “Cruel Summer,” before Swift chimes in: “We just wanted to say thank you so much for making ‘Cruel Summer’ a Hot 100 No. 1, and it’s not even summer anymore. It’s deep fall, I’m wearing a sweater.”

Watch Teddy Swims’ cover of “Cruel Summer” below.

11 Jan 2024

Jo Koy Says There Was No ‘Ill Intent’ in Taylor Swift Joke: ‘I Love Her Work’

Jo Koy is clearing the air amid the controversy surrounding his Golden Globes opening monologue on Sunday night (Jan. 7), in which he made a quip towards Taylor Swift.

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Koy’s joke at the awards ceremony centered around how often the NFL’s cameras cut to reaction shots of the singer when she attends boyfriend Travis Kelce’s games. “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” the comic joked as cameras, naturally, cut to Swift, who reacted with pursed lips before casually sipping from her champagne flute.

“I didn’t understand the Taylor tiff,” the comedian told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday (Jan. 11). “Mind you, that one was just getting rewritten 50 million times, never ran it through, all the way up until we had to walk out. It’s just weird, where do you place it, and we kept hammering it and cutting it down. But the whole intention of that joke was to make fun of the NFL.”

He continued, “It’s like, the cool thing about the Globes is we don’t need to do cutaways for ratings. What hurts the most is me just supporting Taylor, I support her, I love her work. I got nieces that I bought tickets for. There’s no ill intent in that joke. The joke is about the NFL and how they keep using cutaways to [her]. And it’s an obvious reason why. I’m not saying anything that no one’s saying, and it’s obvious what that joke was. It’s about the NFL.”

Koy concluded, “It’s like out of everything that has happened, this is the one you choose to go after. I didn’t understand why because it was fun when I walked out. Robert De Niro was dying, like, and I’m looking at him and his wife was smacking his back and smiling and laughing and he was laughing. And when I did the whole thing about him being 80, he loved it. And that was fun. I was like, man, this guy’s so much fun. And then I did that [Swift] joke and I’m like, what just happened?”

11 Jan 2024

Country Singer Billy Dean Crafts Presidential Campaign Theme Song for Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called on country singer/songwriter and “Only Here for a Little While’ hitmaker Billy Dean to craft the theme song for DeSantis’ 2024 presidential campaign.

Dean co-wrote the theme song, titled “Never Back Down,” with fellow Florida natives Hugh and Cody VanLandingham. DeSantis plans to play the song at all upcoming campaign events.

“I’m a Florida native and resident who has lived the American Dream,” Dean said in a statement. “My dad served in World War II and lost two of his brothers to the cause. They sacrificed their dreams so I could live mine. My dad did not want me to serve the country with guns and bullets, but I can serve with my pen, paper and guitar.”

In addition to his own top five Hot Country Songs hits including “Only Here for a Little While,” “Somewhere in My Broken Heart” and “If There Hadn’t Been You,” Dean was a featured vocalist alongside Alison Krauss on Kenny Rogers‘ 2000 hit “Buy Me a Rose,” which earned a CMA Awards nomination for single of the year. In 1992, Dean was nominated for the Country Music Association’s Horizon Award. Two years later, he was part of the team that won the CMA album of the year honor for Common Thread: Songs of the Eagles (Dean performed and co-produced a version of “Saturday Night” for the album).

On Wednesday evening, DeSantis faced off against former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley during a one-on-one CNN debate in Des Moines, Iowa, just days ahead of the Iowa caucuses.