Music News

28 May 2025

BTS’ j-hope Prepping New Solo Single, ‘Killin’ It Girl,’ Featuring GloRilla

j-hope is continuing to set up his next era. On Wednesday (May 28), the BTS member and solo star announced that he will drop his upcoming collaborative solo single, “Killin’ It Girl,” featuring rapper GloRilla on June 13. The song and video slated to drop the same day will serve as the follow-up to Hobi’s March hit “Sweet Dreams” — which hit No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — and April’s “Mona Lisa,” which topped out at No. 65 on the tally.

In a release announcing the track, it is described as a hip-hop song “that captures the thrill of falling in love at first sight. Imbued with refreshing honesty, the lyrics depict an infatuation towards a confident and irresistible other.” With “minimalistic” production, the solo effort promises to balance the K-pop superstar dancer/rapper’s rhythmic rap cadence with an “addictive” hook and Memphis MC GloRilla’s “unmistakable delivery and bold charisma.”

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In a recent Billboard cover story the 31-year-old said after his discharge from mandatory South Korean military service — the full group plans to reunite at some point this year when they have all finished their army hitches — he headed straight to the U.S. to work with American producers. “‘Sweet Dreams’” featuring Miguel — an artist I’ve long respected — has a smooth, soulful vibe that feels deeply personal, ” he said. “On the other hand, ‘Mona Lisa’ brings a hip-hop-driven performance energy. Both tracks are easy to connect with, yet they offer a glimpse into the broader, more evolved musical world I’m building. This is just the start — I have plenty more musical experiments in store.”

In addition to the collab with GloRilla, j-hope will also release a solo version titled “Killin’ It Girl (Solo Version),” at the same time. Hobi is currently on his world Hope on the Stage tour, which is slated to hit the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on May 31 and wrap up on June 13 and 14 with two nights at the Goyang Sports Complex in Seoul, South Korea.

28 May 2025

Shaboozey Defends Megan Moroney From ‘Hateful Comments’ After Viral Side-Eye Moment at the AMAs

Shaboozey is coming to Megan Moroney‘s defense after a remark she made during the duo’s American Music Awards presentation landed her in hot water with some viewers Monday (May 26).

In a comment on the “Tennessee Orange” singer’s latest Instagram post Tuesday (May 27), ‘Boozey spoke out against the “hateful comments” Moroney has been receiving since the ceremony and called her “an incredibly talented, hard-working artist who’s doing amazing things for country music.”

His response comes a day after the pair presented favorite country duo/group to Dan + Shay at the 2025 AMAs, during which Moroney read off the teleprompter that the very first act to win the prize had been the Carter family, “who basically invented country music.” (The Carter family is comprised of A.P Carter, Sara Dougherty Carter and Maybelle Addington Carter, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which also refers to them as “The First Family of Country Music.”) 

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In that moment, the “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” singer seemingly gave Moroney a side-eye, with some viewers interpreting his expression as a silent disagreement or protest. Since the show, many people online have pointed out that Black musicians pioneered the genre and, despite being all-too-frequently excluded from history, influenced several of country’s earliest superstars — though some of that discussion has manifested in vitriolic comments on the “Am I Okay?” artist’s profile. 

But in his reply on Moroney’s post, Shaboozey clarified that his reaction “had nothing to do with” his partner on the AMAs stage. “I’ve got nothing but respect for her,” he continued. “I’ve seen some hateful comments directed at her today, and that’s not what this moment was about.”

“Let’s not twist the message,” added the Virginia native. “She is amazing and someone who represents the country community in the highest light!”

Both ‘Boozey and Moroney had big years in 2024, with the former tying Lil Nas X’s record for longest-running No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 after “A Bar Song” clocked its 19th week in the top spot, and the latter earning her first-ever top 10 album on the Billboard 200 with Am I Okay? reaching No. 9 on the chart. But Shaboozey’s success has been particularly meaningful in a genre that has historically struggled to recognize Black artists, even in modern times.

Shortly before commenting on Moroney’s post, the “Good News” musician refocused the conversation on what’s important following the AMAs. “When you uncover the true history of country music, you find a story so powerful that it cannot be erased …,” he wrote Tuesday morning on X.

He added, “The real history of country music is about people coming together despite their differences, and embracing and celebrating the things that make us alike.”

The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media. 

28 May 2025

Metallica’s ‘Black Album’ Certified 20X Platinum By RIAA

Metallica are in rarified air when it comes to album sales. According to a release from the iconic metal group’s publicist, the band’s self-titled fifth album, commonly referred to as The Black Album, has been certified 20x platinum by the RIAA for sales of more than 20 million copies.

The 1991 LP that earned Metallica their first No. 1 album in the U.S. — where it topped the Billboard 200 album chart for four weeks — features such beloved, bombastic singles as “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” “Nothing Else Matters,” “Wherever I May Roam” and “Sad But True.” In addition to blowing the band up into stadium headliners and garnering some of their best-ever career notices from the press, the release noted that the Black Album “remains unchallenged as the best-selling album of the Luminate era, outselling every release in every genre over the past 30+ years.”

It also catapults the group into the rarified air of acts who’ve release an album that has gotten 20x platinum RIAA certification, joining such universally loved LPs as Shania Twain’s Come On Over and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors in the double-diamond club, whose other 20-plus members include Garth Brooks (Double Live), AC/DC (Back in Black), Pink Floyd (The Wall), Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin IV) and Billy Joel (Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2), among others.

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In addition, the release added that Metallica’s 1986 breakthrough third album, Master of Puppets, has reached 8x platinum status on sales of more than eight million copies. The final LP to feature late bassist Cliff Burton, peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 album chart and is considered to be one of the most influential metal releases of all time.

Metallica is in the third year of their M72 world tour, which is slated to hit Northwest Stadium in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night (May 28). The band is also prepping the June 13 release of a deluxe box set of their 1996 Load album, which will feature 245 unreleased tracks.

28 May 2025

Chris Stapleton’s ‘Traveller’ Is No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums of the 21st Century Chart

Chris Stapleton’s 2015 LP Traveller reigns as the No. 1 country album on Billboard’s recap of the first 25 years of the 21st century, as it crowns Billboard’s Top Country Albums of the 21st Century chart. The 100-position ranking is based on performance on the weekly Top Country Albums chart from the start of 2000 through the end of 2024.

Since debuting in May 2015, Stapleton’s Traveller LP has spent a staggering 525 weeks on Top Country Albums (through the chart dated May 31, 2025). Only one other LP has rung up 500-plus weeks on the chart: Willie Nelson’s 1978 collection Stardust (551), dating to the list’s launch in 1964.

Traveller hit the Top Country Albums summit on Nov. 21, 2015, and has dominated for 29 total weeks. (It also topped the all-genre Billboard 200 for two weeks.) Among its hit songs: perennial streaming favorite “Tennessee Whiskey,” which ruled the Hot Country Songs chart for two weeks in 2015, and “Nobody to Blame,” Stapleton’s first of seven top 10s on Country Airplay.

Reflecting the biggest albums in country from Y2K to today, count down the top 10 titles below on Billboard’s Top Country Albums of the 21st Century retrospective, and check out the entire 100-position chart in Billboard’s Greatest of All Time charts menu.

The ranking follows the May 27 reveal of Billboard’s Top Country Artists of the 21st Century chart. Plus, check back Thursday (May 29) for Billboard’s Top Hot Country Songs of the 21st Century chart, with all coverage of Billboard’s 21st Century charts here.

Billboard’s Top Country Artists, Top Country Albums and Top Hot Country Songs of the 21st Century recaps reflect performance on weekly charts dated Jan. 1, 2000, through Dec. 28, 2024. The Top Country Artists category ranks the best-performing acts in that span based on activity on Top Country Albums and Hot Country Songs. (Titles released prior to mid-1999 are excluded, although such entries that appeared on Top Country Albums or Hot Country Songs in that span contribute to the calculation of the Top Country Artists chart.)

28 May 2025

Bono Cheekily Weighs in On Springsteen Vs. Trump Squabble: ‘There’s Only One Boss in America’

For the record, Bono said he has never endorsed a politician for office. But when Jimmy Kimmel asked him on Tuesday night (May 27) where he stood in the ongoing, escalating battle between Donald Trump and Bruce Springsteen, the socially conscious U2 singer said there was only one endorsement he could possibly give.

“I think there’s only one ‘Boss’ in America,” the Irish rock legend responded cheekily in reference to Springsteen’s longtime nickname. The dig at the president came after a recent late night Truth Social rant in which Trump called for a “major investigation” into celebrities who supported former vice president Kamala Harris in her White House bid. “HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?” Trump wrote. “WHY DID HE ACCEPT THAT MONEY IF HE IS SUCH A FAN OF HERS? ISN’T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION? WHAT ABOUT BEYONCÉ? …AND HOW MUCH WENT TO OPRAH, AND BONO???”

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According to Newsweek, there is no official record of any of those artist being paid to perform in support of Harris. In addition, Irish citizen Bono did not endorse a candidate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election and did not participate in any campaign events.

That said, Bono was more than happy to be included in the Trump dump. “To be in the company of Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Oprah, I’d play tambourine in that band,” he told Kimmel, clarifying that neither he nor U2 have ever “paid or played a show to support any candidate from any party. It has never happened. It’s called ‘Truth Social,’ but it seems to be very antisocial and it’s not very true,” he quipped about the president’s social media platform.

He did, however, suspect that his name may have made it into Trump’s rant because he co-founded the non-profit One Campaign, a global non-partisan organization that has raised millions to create economic opportunities in Africa. In the midst of the Trump administration’s unprecedented dismantling of U.S. government agencies — including efforts to completely defund and eliminated the U.S. Agency for International Development — Bono noted that people across the political spectrum, including the many “very religious Catholics and evangelicals and conservatives” who support his organization are “very, very, very angry with the person that they voted into office having demolished instruments of mercy and compassion, like USAID or PEPFAR,” he said.

The latter is a reference to a global initiative launched by Republican President George W. Bush in 2003 that is credited to date with saving 26 million lives of people living with AIDS and and allowing nearly 8 million babies to be born with HIV infection. “They are not happy and there will be trouble,” Bono predicted of the blow-back from Trump’s actions.

While he was happy to weigh in on the American pop-litical back-and-forth, Bono was actually there to promote his new biographical film, Bono: Stories of Surrender, which premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday (May 30). In a rare TV chat appearance, the singer jokingly said the memoir-tuned-one-man-show-turned-film has him playing an “aging rock star on a massive ego trip… It’s quite a stretch.”

He briefly described how the film had him exploring his “rather complicated” relationship with his strong-willed late father, Brendan Robert Hewson, as well as his own struggles to be a good father and son. When Kimmel noted that the film got a nearly 9-minute ovation at its Cannes Film Festival debut, Bono, despite being one of the world’s biggest rock stars, admitted to feeling a sense of imposter syndrome while walking the red carpet at the glamorous French film fête.

In fact, he was somewhat unnerved to even sit with Kimmel, asking actress daughter Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters) for advice, which she dutifully provided. “‘Dad, just bring it,’” she counseled the 65-year-old music legend. “And I’m like, ‘bring what?,’” he replied. “She said, ‘it. It. Just answer Jimmy’s questions. None of the jazz conversation without full stops and commas. Just answer his question, no false modesty.’”

Sage advice indeed. So, when Kimmel asked what’s next for U2, Bono gave a somewhat jazz-less answer. “Oh, oh yes,” Bono said in response to a query about whether the band is recording new music. “We’ve been in a studio. I think you’ve sometimes got to deal with the past to get to the present… in order to make the sound of the future.”

Bono described the sound as that of “four men who feel like their lives depend on it,” noting that “nobody needs a new U2 album unless it’s an extraordinary one. And I’m feeling very strong about it.” The unnamed album would be the follow-up to 2023’s Songs of Surrender, which featured re-recorded versions of 40 of the group’s previously released tracks.

Pumping up the jazz, Bono said the new tracks are songs for the “kitchen… the speedway, the garage… just for every part of your life. Songs to make up to, songs to break up to.” The best news is that drummer Larry Mullen Jr. is back in the fold following neck surgery that kept him out of U2’s residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere in late 2023 and early 2024. “He’s really innovative,” Bono said of the band’s time keeper.

Watch Bono on Jimmy Kimmel Live! below.

28 May 2025

Wet Leg Share Heart Racing Single ‘CPR’ Ahead of Highly-Anticipated Sophomore Album

Wet Leg has shared the second taste of its upcoming album Moisturizer with the LP’s opening track, “CPR.”

The song was released on Tuesday evening (May 27) and follows its live debut at a recent run of live shows. The group – led by singer Rhian Teasdale and guitarist Hester Chambers – headlined two nights at London’s O2 Academy Brixton in the past week, as well as a coveted slot at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sefton Park, Liverpool.

The indie rock song sees Teasdale in the midst of a new romantic passion, though she’s unsure of its ultimate end. “I tied a rope around my waist, I tend to get lost in your eyes/ I took a breath, jumped off the cliff because you told me to,” she sings in the opening lines.

The video was shot in a single take and features the band’s wider lineup, Ellis Durand (bass), Henry Holmes (drums) and Joshua Mobaraki (guitar/synth), who were previously part of their touring set up. Moisturizer will be released on July 11 via Domino Records.

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Speaking to The Guardian, Teasdale explained how the record was informed by her first queer relationship. “It was love at first sight. Literally. It was just an energy. It was just like: oh. Ohhh!,” she said. “Because of course I wasn’t looking for love, in any capacity, at all. But that’s what they say, isn’t it? It always comes when you least expect it.” 

The band kicked off the album campaign with the release of “Catch These Fists,” which they’ve performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Jonathan Ross Show. In the coming months, they’ll take the stage at Primavera Festival in Spain, Glastonbury Festival in England and a number of other European festivals. A massive U.S. headline tour kicks off in September and runs through to October.

Wet Leg’s self-titled 2022 debut landed at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart and at No. 14 on the Billboard 200. They supported Harry Styles extensively on his Love On Tour jaunt and they picked up the best alternative album prize at the Grammys in 2023.

28 May 2025

Rod Stewart Confirms Faces Reunion With Ronnie Wood For Glastonbury 2025 Slot

As anticipation builds for surprise appearances at Glastonbury 2025, Sir Rod Stewart has confirmed that Ronnie Wood will join him for a Faces reunion during his Legends set. In a new interview on That Peter Crouch Podcast, Stewart explained that he was still in regular contact with the Rolling Stones guitarist. The pair were previously bandmates in the late ’60s/early ’70s blues rock band, alongside drummer Kenney Jones.

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“Woody, I do [speak to] a lot,” the 79-year-old said. “Just recently, ’cause we’re gonna do Glastonbury together.” You can listen to the podcast in full here.

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Faces hinted at a comeback last month, with Jones revealing in an interview with The Telegraph that the band had recorded “about 11 tracks” at RAK Studios in London for a new album – which would be their first full-length effort in over 50 years.

“I can’t see it coming out this year. But I can see it coming out next year,” he continued. “Everyone’s doing different things. We do little snippets [of recording] here and there. Then all of a sudden, The Stones are out [on tour] again, Rod’s out again…”

First formed in 1969 through a merger between members of Small Faces and the Jeff Beck Group, Faces existed for six years before guitarist Wood left to join the Rolling Stones, and Stewart continued his burgeoning solo career. The group have released four albums, with 1971’s A Nod Is As Good As a Wink… to a Blind Horse hitting No. 6 on the Billboard 200.

Glastonbury will take place at Worthy Farm, Somerset next month (June 25-29) with headliners The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo. Stewart last performed at the festival in 2002, topping the bill alongside Coldplay and Stereophonics that year.

The “Maggie May” singer will take to the Pyramid Stage on Sunday afternoon for the Legends slot – one of the most coveted in the festival’s history. Previous bookings have included Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Lionel Richie, Kylie Minogue and Diana Ross, with Shania Twain performing in the Legends slot in 2024.

Shortly after he was announced for this year’s event, Stewart said he was “proud, ready and more than able to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury.” He was the first name to be confirmed for Glastonbury 2025, which sold out in under an hour last autumn following the introduction of a new online queuing system.

2025’s edition will mark the final event to take place at Worthy Farm before the traditional fallow year in 2026, which sees the landowner Michael Eavis and his family allow the grounds to recover every four years. The festival will return again in 2027.

28 May 2025

Reneé Rapp Says Her Name Was Designed for Pop Stardom

Reneé Rapp is leaning into her identity, her artistry, and the name she says was designed for the spotlight.

During a new episode of the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler, the singer and actor opened up about her early path to pop stardom, revealing that her mother, Denise Rapp, deliberately gave her an alliterative name to help her succeed in entertainment.

“My mom chose my first and last name to be—well, okay, arguably chose my first and last name to both have R’s,” Rapp said. “She was like, ‘Alliteration, just in case she wants to be a pop star.’ Like before I was born.”

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“She gave you a pop star name just in case, because Reneé Rapp is a huge pop star name,” Poehler responded. Rapp agreed: “It’s a really good one.”

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The conversation also touched on Rapp’s experience publicly coming out as a lesbian while appearing on Saturday Night Live in January. She recalled asking the writers to revise a line in a sketch that referred to her as a “little bisexual intern.”

“At that time I was very publicly bisexual,” Rapp said. “In private, I was talking with my girlfriend and a lot of my friends for the last maybe eight months before that of being like, ‘I actually don’t really feel very bi at the moment. I feel very much like a lesbian and it feels so nice and that word feels amazing.’”

“Labeling yourself publicly is really, really, really empowering,” she added. “And also, I think, can be kind of intimidating.” She described the moment as “pretty c—y” and said it felt “so f—ing good.”

Earlier this week, Rapp debuted a new single titled “Leave Me Alone” during her live performance at the 2025 American Music Awards. The fiery, guitar-heavy track addresses her frustrations with fame and references her exit from the now-cancelled HBO Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls.

“Signed a hundred NDAs but I still say something / Leave me alone, b—h, I wanna have fun / Took my sex life with me, now the show ain’t f—in’,” she sings on the chorus.

“Leave Me Alone” marks the first release from Rapp’s upcoming sophomore album Bite Me, which is set for release on Aug. 1 via Interscope. The album follows 2023’s Snow Angel, which debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 2 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. The title track also reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart.

Bite Me is out Aug. 1.

28 May 2025

John Butler Returns With New Solo Album ‘PRISM’

John Butler is stepping into a bold new era. The ARIA Award-winning musician has officially announced his tenth studio album, PRISM, which is set to arrive Sept. 5.

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The announcement lands alongside the release of the album’s second single, “So Sorry,” out today (May 28).

Marking a significant shift away from the John Butler Trio moniker, PRISM was recorded entirely solo with producer James Ireland (POND, San Cisco), who co-handled instrumentation and production duties. “It’s a big life and the world, in many ways, is in turmoil. Personally, I did a lot of soul-searching and reflecting as this record took shape,” Butler shared in a statement.

“For me, PRISM is a cathartic release, a celebration of going solo, moving away from the John Butler Trio moniker, and yet another sonic stretch as I continue to refine my musical journey. The title reflects the sonic and emotional “bandwidth” I wanted to explore: the whole spectrum of what it is to be human. Love, death, politics, inner and outer turmoil and redemption.”

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Butler added, “On the deeply reflective single, ‘So Sorry,’ Butler explores the long shadows cast by enduring relationships. “You get together as ‘kids’ and if you’re lucky, you learn how to regulate and become adults together. But no one gets out unscathed.”

PRISM is part three in Butler’s ambitious Four Seasons project, following 2024’s Running River (an ambient meditation album) and Still Searching (an all-instrumental LP). Described as both “contemplative and explosive,” the upcoming release promises an eclectic blend of festival-ready anthems, groove-heavy rock, and soul-searching ballads.

Butler performed at Bluesfest earlier this year and is set to kick off a major U.S. tour across June, July and August, with Australian headline dates to be announced soon.

One of Australia’s most successful independent artists, Butler’s accolades include multiple platinum records, ARIA Awards, and several No. 1 albums on the ARIA Albums Chart. His 2018 LP HOME debuted at No. 1 and saw him experiment with expanded instrumentation and electronic textures, paving the way for PRISM‘s continued sonic evolution.

PRISM arrives Sept. 5 and is available for pre-save and pre-order now.

28 May 2025

Jourdan Blue Scores Golden Buzzer With Emotional Performance on ‘America’s Got Talent’ Premiere

23-year-old street performer Jourdan Blue has found himself an instant national fanbase with his emotional audition for the season 20 premiere of NBC’s America’s Got Talent on Tuesday (May 27).

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Blue’s performance of The Script‘s “Breakeven” was one filled with tears and triumph, with the young father’s story of overcoming adversity and terror adding to the euphoria that accompanied his Golden Buzzer-worthy performance.

Per Blue’s own account, he’s a street performer from New Orleans who spends most of his nights performing into the wee small hours in order to support his girlfriend and young son, Jax.

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“Growing up, my mom was a cop, my dad was a lawyer, so naturally I was a rebel,” he explained to the judges ahead of his performance. “I kind of got myself into some trouble and ended up living with my grandpa and he’s a big music listener and that inspired me to get into it.

“I started street performing in New Orleans because I really wanted to just fully dive into it. As you might remember, at the beginning of the year, there was an attack on New Orleans, right on the exact block where I perform. 

“It made me realize that there’s so much more to live for,” he added. “That’s what made me choose AGT. I feel like this is the best way to level up.”

Immediately leveling up with the crowd as he dove into his performance of The Script’s 2008 hit, Blue’s unique voice instantly won over the crowd as it became clear that even the judges were immensely impressed by his rendition.

“I think you are somebody [who] maybe lost their way a little bit, but like you said, through music [you have] now found your way,” explained judge Simon Cowell. “You have such a distinctive voice, you are so cool, and you feed off the audience. They love you and how you made me feel just then was actually amazing.”

“This is season 20,” added fellow judge Howie Mandel. “I’ve seen dreams come true, and I’ve seen lives change right where you’re standing. And that stage and that moment can take you anywhere, and this is just the beginning of where you can go.

“I think you’re a star,” Mandel told Blue after hitting the Golden Buzzer. “I think your name is gonna be on the lips of everybody watching this across the globe.”

Blue was one of two acts to receive the Golden Buzzer on the May 27 episode, with Brazilian dance group Light Wire also receiving the same honor from Cowell.

Watch Blue’s full performance below: