State Champ Radio Music News
Page: 2222
Adam Lambert stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night (March 1) to perform his take on Culture Club‘s “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.”
Wearing a bold zebra-print suit, the American Idol alum serenaded the crowd, singing “In my heart the fire is burning/ Choose my color, find a star/ Precious people always tell me/ That’s a step, a step too far.”
Originally released by Boy George and co. in 1982 as their debut U.S. single, the new wave ballad peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and was followed by other top ten hits off Kissing to Be Clever like “Time (Clock of the Heart),” “Church of the Poison Mind” and “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya.” The following year, the band earned their first No. 1 hit with “Karma Chameleon.”
Lambert’s rendition, meanwhile, is included on his new covers album High Drama, which also features bombastic re-imaginings of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World,” Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero,” Billie Eilish’s “Getting Older” and more.
While accepting an award at the 2023 Creative Coalition Spotlight Initiative Gala in January, the Queen + Adam Lambert singer looked back on the homophobia he faced coming off his breakthrough on Season 8 of American Idol, deciding to be “be as gay as I f—ing can be. And be flamboyant and be wild, and if it gets me into trouble, it gets me in trouble, but I’m not going to back down from it.”
Watch Lambert’s performance of “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” on Fallon above.
Phoebe Bridgers has been named one of Time‘s 2023 Women of the Year alongside Quinta Brunson, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett and more.
The list of 12 total honorees was announced Thursday morning (March 2), with individual interviews celebrating each woman’s distinctive accomplishments posted on the publication’s website. In hers, Bridgers’ advocacy for women’s reproductive healthcare was highlighted, with the 28-year-old indie rock star recalling a moment she spotted a young fan being ushered out of a venue by her parents after she condemned the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade during a concert last year.
“I hope it makes a difference,” Bridgers said. “I hope those parents are going to lose the battle with that kid’s opinions and belief systems.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The “Motion Sickness” singer’s work as owner of Saddest Factory Records and one-third of supergroup Boygenius — whose debut album arrives later this month — was also spotlighted by Time, along with Bridgers’ upcoming stint of shows as an opener on Taylor Swift’s Ticketmaster-crashing Eras Tour. “I try not to think about it that hard or I’ll freak out,” she confessed.
Speaking on the songwriting that earned her four Grammy nominations in 2021, Bridgers said that some of the most life-changing advice given to her came from a surprising source: Ryan Adams. In 2019, Bridgers accused the 48-year-old rock musician and label owner of being emotionally abusive and controlling, alleging instances of inappropriate sexual encounters in a New York Times exposé (details of which Adams called “misrepresented,” “exaggerated” and “outright false”).
“Strangely, well, not strangely—life is complex—Ryan Adams sent me a really long email once about how I needed to write the truth, because it’s the only thing that’s interesting about me,” Bridgers said. “The more honest I am, the world just keeps opening up for me.”
Adam Sandler fans have one more chance to see him on tour. On Thursday (March 2), the singer-comedian announced that he has added another leg to his Adam Sandler Live tour that will see him make seven additional stops throughout the United States this spring.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“One more week of fun? Let’s do it!” the three-time Grammy nominee wrote on Instagram, captioning a photo of the tour’s official poster that features him playing a guitar to an excited crowd.
The new leg of the tour begins on April 13 at New Jersey’s Prudential Center and will make stops in Philadelphia, Buffalo, Detroit, Louisville and Cleveland before concluding on April 21 at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena.
Fans looking to secure tickets can do so through Live Nation’s presale starting on Thursday (March 2) at 12 p.m. local time. Tickets will then go on sale to the general public starting on Friday, March 3 at 12 p.m. local time via Ticketmaster.
Before hitting the road, Sandler will star opposite Jennifer Aniston in Murder Mystery 2, which premieres March 31 on Netflix.
See Sandler’s list of tour dates — and official poster for the trek — below.
ADAM SANDLER LIVE TOUR DATES:
Thu April 13 — Newark, N.J. — Prudential Center
Fri April 14 — Philadelphia, Penn. — Wells Fargo Center
Sun April 16 — Buffalo, N.Y. — KeyBank Center
Mon April 17 — Detroit, Mich. — Little Caesars Arena
Tue April 18 — Louisville, Ky. — KFC Yum! Center
Wed April 19 — Cleveland, Ohio — Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Fri April 21 — Baltimore, M.D. — CFG Bank Arena
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” is back on the Billboard charts following a performance of the song during the audition rounds of the new season of American Idol.
The song returns to Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally dated March 4 at No. 23. (Older songs are eligible to appear on Billboard’s multimetric charts if ranking in the top half and have a meaningful reason for their resurgences.)
In the Feb. 17-23 tracking week, “Simple Man” earned 3.6 million official U.S. streams, a 4% boost, and sold 1,000 downloads, up 189%, according to Luminate.
The latter count also allows the song to hit the Rock Digital Song Sales survey at No. 11.
Country singer Colin Stough performed the song on the Feb. 19 season premiere of ABC’s American Idol. Since its upload, the audition has been watched more than 1 million times globally on YouTube. Stough got a golden ticket to advance in the competition.
“Simple Man” was originally released in 1973 on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut album, (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd). Although not promoted as a single, the tune has become one of the band’s most enduring compositions, with more than 100 weeks spent on Billboard’s Rock Streaming Songs chart and 25 tallied on Rock Digital Song Sales. It has drawn 1.8 billion in cumulative radio audience and 875.4 million official on-demand U.S. streams and sold 2.2 million downloads through Feb. 23 (dating to the inception of Luminate data in 1991).
Farm Aid co-founder John Mellencamp will join farmers, ranchers and farmworkers from across the U.S. on Tuesday (March 7) when they descent on Washington, D.C. for the Rally for Resilience: Farmers for Climate Action. According to a release from Farm Aid, the march is intended to send a signal to Congress to make climate change a policy priority as lawmakers begin work on the 2023 Farm Bill.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“As a Farm Aid board member, I’ve been to Washington a few times to ask for farmer voices to be heard. I hope on March 7, members of Congress hear farmers and ranchers loud and clear,” said Mellencamp in a statement. “If we want a better world, it starts with us. Farmers know this. They have the tools and know-how to better our climate future, but they can’t do it alone. Policymakers — and all of us — need to support the solutions they can deliver.”
Indiana-bred Mellencamp is slated to speak and perform at the rally on Freedom Plaza, where farmers will share their personal stories about how climate change has affected their crops and communities, as well as offer insight into how sustainable agricultural practices such as organic production and rotational grazing can help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. The release also noted that speakers will encourage Congress to include support for Black, Indigenous and people of color producers in the upcoming Farm Bill.
Click here for more information on the Rally for Resistance.
Mellencamp revealed his plans to attend the event in September before last year’s annual Farm Aid benefit. “[Willie Nelson] and I made the effort” to testify before a Congressional subcommittee in the 1980s on behalf of family farmers. And he left convinced that “the government … doesn’t care about you, doesn’t care about anything but greed,” Mellencamp said of his and fellow Farm Aid co-founder Nelson’s longstanding efforts to get officials in Washington to pay attention to the precarious plight of the nation’s farmers.
“So it’s going to take good people like you,” Mellencamp told the audience of farmers and activists at the pre-concert event. “I’m going to come to Washington, D.C., because politics today in the United States has gotten so far out of hand. We’ll get a school bus and we’ll all go down together.”
The outpouring of love for 2023 Woman of the Year SZA at Wednesday night’s Billboard Women in Music Awards was the perfect example of the celebratory, overjoyed mood at the ceremony.
Not only did SZA have a very enthusiastic Coi Leray hyping up her many accomplishments this year and beyond — including her 10th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with her latest album, SOS — but she also had a surprise video message from fellow superstar Lizzo, singing her praises (literally): She started the pre-recorded message by singing her favorite SZA song, “Warm Winds” from 2014’s Z.
“You are the real deal. You are such a genuine human being, a genuine artist, a poet, a songwriter, an emoter who’s a once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-generation talent,” Lizzo said, adding, “We don’t deserve you!”
SZA was one of many honorees at the Billboard Women in Music Awards, and below we’re remembering our favorite moments from the night. See the best moments from Lana Del Rey, TWICE, Rosalía and more here:
Kim Petras in the Crowd
Image Credit: Rich Polk/PMC
In addition to performing her latest single “Brrr” and being presented the Chartbreaker Award, Kim Petras was the MVP of the YouTube Theater crowd. She flitted among the VIP tables next to the stage to rub elbows with the other powerhouse women in attendance — including fellow German superstar Heidi Klum, who made sure to give Petras a hug before leaving the show – and danced enthusiastically for each intimate performance, especially the show-ending number “Moonlight Sunrise” from K-pop nonet TWICE, as you can see below.
Rosalía Gets Real About the Life of a Producer
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/PMC
The importance of receiving the first Women in Music Producer of the Year Award was not lost on Rosalía, and she used her speech to both encourage more women to join the field but also to not sugarcoat the reality of life in the studio. “A producer’s job is a job in the shadow. … It’s not very fun – whoever tells you otherwise, they’re lying. It’s 15 hours a day, nonstop maybe, working on a sound. It comes from love, it comes from obsession maybe, and that’s why you stay in that small-ass room with no windows while everybody else around you is at home, just chilling, eating something nice, laughing, having sex, living life, just regular human cool sh–.”
Doechii: A Star Is Born
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/PMC
If you went into Wednesday’s ceremony not knowing Doechii’s name, you definitely know it now. The Rising Star Award winner made the most of her time on the YouTube Theater stage, ripping through a frenetic mash-up of her songs “Persuasive” and “Crazy” and dancing with the energy of an arena or stadium show vs. to the 5,000-ish people lucky enough to be in the room. She performed so hard, in fact, that one of her shoes couldn’t survive the spectacle, so the first female TDE rapper had to limp over to the microphone to accept her award from her mother, Celesia Moore. “Girl, I done danced my shoe off!” she said with a laugh to kick off her speech.
A Bad Bunny Surprise, All for Ivy Queen
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/PMC
When an introduction started for Billboard’s top artist of 2022, the crowd started murmuring about who could be the hitting the stage, but once the intro mentioned Puerto Rico, everyone knew: Bad Bunny was surprising the crowd. And it was all for reggaeton pioneer Ivy Queen, whom Bunny presented the Icon Award to with an all-Spanish speech. He said he is the artist he is today because he has a part of Ivy Queen in his musical DNA. “She gave me the strength to be myself and to work double,” he said. “As a fan of reggaetón, I’ve waited a long time for this moment, and I think that 2023 is the time where more female reggaeton artists exist, and I’m sure it’s because of the root that Ivy planted a long time ago.”
Lainey Wilson Is All ‘Heart’
Image Credit: Rich Polk/PMC
Country star Lainey Wilson might have stripped down her top five Country Airplay hit “Heart Like a Truck” for the Women in Music stage, but she didn’t strip away any of her impressive vocals for the performance, even sustaining one big power note in the chorus. And she also didn’t strip away any of her signature style, wearing a wide-brimmed black hat and gold-lamé spandex bell bottoms. “This sh– is not for the faint of heart,” she said later in her speech. “All the women who are coming on this stage and in this room here tonight being honored can testify.”
The Sisterhood of Latto & Chloe Bailey
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/PMC
We knew they were collaborators, teaming up on “For the Night” last year, but now we also know what good friends Latto and Chloe Bailey are. Bailey presented Latto with the Powerhouse Award – calling her “a force to be reckoned with,” “an icon for young women everywhere” and “the personification of a powerhouse” — and the rapper squeezed the singer’s hand during her whole speech.
Becky G Comes Home
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/PMC
Becky G was born and raised in Inglewood, Calif., so she was extra emotional to receive the Impact Award in her hometown. She talked about how she made a promise to her family and fans in her breakthrough “Becky From the Block” song (her interpretation of Jennifer Lopez’s “Jenny From the Block”). “The promise wasn’t that I wouldn’t leave where I came from, but that I would take where I’m from wherever I go,” she said, explaining that as a Mexican-American, a “200 percenter,” she often feels not American enough for the U.S. and not Hispanic enough for Mexico. “Where we come from, that will always be in our hearts, but where we go, that’s up to us.”
Lana Del Rey Is ‘Happy’
Image Credit: Rich Polk/PMC
Accepting the Visionary Award from last year’s Billboard Woman of the Year Olivia Rodrigo, Lana Del Rey said she didn’t “exactly have a long-term vision at all, but if you were curious, I am very, very happy.” That hasn’t always been the case, as the quintessential sadgirl singer described a much less friendly time in the music industry when she first started. “I feel like being happy is the ultimate goal, so I did it,” she concluded.
TWICE Pandemonium
Image Credit: Rich Polk/PMC
Of all the moments and all the performances, there was nothing more showstopping than the sheer volume and enthusiasm of the TWICE fans in the YouTube Theater. Host Quinta Brunson made a running joke out of it, including telling the audience she wanted to try something and then whispered “TWICE” into her microphone, causing the fans to scream on cue. The nine-piece girl group accepted the Breakthrough Award from certified ONCE Sabrina Carpenter, with Chaeyoung saying during their speech: “This title Breakthrough Artist proves that if you confidently push for your dream, people who support you will always be your team, you will break through.” According to the vocal crowd on Wednesday night, they’ve definitely broken through in a big way.
Broadway’s Funny Girl starring Lea Michele has a few months to prepare for its final curtain call. On Thursday (March 2), the production’s official Instagram account shared that the show’s final performance will take place on Sept. 3.
“Hey, gorgeous! We’re having so much fun with you on Broadway, we’re sticking around until September 3rd! Don’t miss @leamichele, @raminkarimloo, @grimeystepz, and @tovahfeld! Get your tickets now. #FUNNYGIRL,” the musical’s official Instagram account tweeted.
The news of Funny Girl‘s final performance date comes amid a series of Broadway musical closures in recent months — Almost Famous, KPOP, Beetlejuice, Take Me Out and A Strange Loop all played their final performances between December and February. Funny Girl has managed to consistently pull in numbers, and in December, broke broke a box office record at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway after grossing $2 million across eight shows in December. The earnings marked Funny Girl as the first production to do so since Mean Girls, which previously held the record with a $1.99 million gross.
Michele joined the revival musical in Sept. 6, 2022, following the departure of Beanie Feldstein. During the former Glee star’s run, the production has brought in between $1 million to $2 million per week. On Billboard‘s Cast Albums chart, Funny Girl currently sits at No. 3 and has nine total weeks on the chart. The set previously peaked at No. 1.
Up next for Funny Girl is a tour starting in Providence on Sept. 9, which will make stops in Atlanta, Detroit and more. “Additional tour cities and casting information will be announced at a later date,” the musical’s official website reads.
See Funny Girl‘s announcement below:
Kim Petras would do unholy things to work with Madonna. While walking the red carpet at Billboard‘s 2023 Women in Music event Wednesday (March 1), the night’s Chartbreaker honoree gushed about her love for the Queen of Pop — who introduced Petras and Sam Smith’s performance at the Grammys in February — and revealed her hopes to work together in the future.
“I’m such a huge fan,” Petras told Entertainment Tonight. “I don’t know how good of a friend I can be to her because I’m just like, Confessions [on a Dance Floor], Ray of Light changed my life!’ Every time I see her, I just talk about her music and how much it means to me, but it’s just been the most incredible thing for me to get respected by Madonna, and for her to even know anything about me.”
When asked if their newfound friendship but someday turn into a collab, the “Unholy” singer said, “I would die to.” “I would die to have Madonna on anything, or be on anything Madonna, so yeah, absolutely,” she added.
Later that evening, Petras performed her latest single, “Brrr,” for the Women in Music crowd at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater before accepting the Chartbreaker Award, a moment that made her the first transgender woman to be honored at the annual event. “Growing up, I would question what rooms I would be put into and what boxes I would be put into — and I’m grateful it’s this one,” she said during her acceptance speech.
In January, the German dance-pop star became the first transgender artist to win a major category Grammy award when “Unholy,” her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 duet with Sam Smith, took home best pop duo-group performance. While accepting the Grammy, Petras gushed, “I don’t think I could be here without Madonna.”
Later that night, the “Material Girl” singer herself introduced Petras and Smith before their performance of “Unholy.” “So now, speaking of controversy, it gives me great pleasure to introduce two incredibly talented artists who have risen above the noise, the doubt, the critics into something beautifully unholy,” Madonna said. “Here are two Grammy award winners, Sam Smith and Kim Petras.”
Pulp bassist Steve Mackey has died at age 56. The Britpop band’s singer, Jarvis Cocker, confirmed the news on Thursday (March 2), writing on Instagram, “Our beloved friend & bass player Steve Mackey passed away this morning. Our thoughts are with his family & loved ones.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
At press time there was no additional information on the cause of death or the illness that struck the musician who joined the group in 1989 and first apepared on their 1992 album Separations.
Mackey’s wife, stylist Katie Grand, announced the news on her Instagram page (which is private, but was reposted on Mackey’s page), writing, “After three months in hospital, fighting with all his strength and determination, we are shocked and devastated to have said goodbye to my brilliant, beautiful husband, Steve Mackey. Steve died today, a loss which has left myself, his son Marley, parents Kath and Paul, sister Michelle and many friends all heartbroken.”
Grand called Mackey the “most talented man I have ever known,” as well as “an exceptional musician, producer, photographer and filmmaker. As in life, he was adored by everyone whose paths he crossed in the multiple creative disciplines he conquered. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the NHS staff who worked tirelessly for Steve. He will be missed beyond words. The family has asked for privacy at this time.”
The “Common People” group first formed in 1978, fronted by bespectacled singer Cocker and released their debut album, It, in 1983, followed by 1987’s Freaks. Mackey joined in time to appear on 1992’s Separations, the precursor to the group’s 1994 breakthrough, His ‘n’ Hers, which crystallized the band’s slack disco rock sound delivered via louche anthems about sex, social class and a lust for life.
But it was 1995’s Different Class that proved to be their shot across the bow of the then burgeoning Britpop movement that also encompassed bands such as Oasis and Blur. The record debuted on the UK charts at No. 1, scored Pulp the coveted Mercury Music Prize and spun off what is the band’s best-known hit, “Common People.” Mackey also played on 1998’s This Is Hardcore and the group’s studio swan song, 2001’s We Love Life.
Pulp went on hiatus after Life‘s release until 2011, when they reunited for a run of festival gigs and a number of shows and appearances that lasted through early 2013, before once again going on hiatus. Last year, Cocker announced that the group would reunite again this year for more dates — which are slated to kick off on May 26 in Bridlington, UK — with Mackey announcing on Instagram in Oct. 2022 that he planned to continue working on other projects and not join the group on the road.
“Wishing Candy, Nick, Mark and Jarvis the very best with forthcoming performances in the UK and also an enormous thanks to Pulp’s amazing fanbase, many of whom have sent me lovely messages today,” he wrote at the time.
In his memorial post, Cocker included a picture of Mackey hiking in the snow-covered Andes mountains from a 2012 South American tour. “We had a day off & Steve suggested we go climbing in the Andes. So we did. & it was a completely magical experience,” Cocker wrote. “Far more magical than staring at the hotel room wall all day (which is probably what I’d have done otherwise). Steve made things happen. In his life & in the band. & we’d very much like to think that he’s back in those mountains now, on the next stage of his adventure. Safe travels, Steve. We hope to catch up with you one day. “
See Grand and Cocker’s posts below.
In its third week on the chart, PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs list dated March 4.
In the Feb. 17-23 tracking week, “Liar” earned 33.7 million official U.S. streams, an 8% gain, according to Luminate.
It’s the first non-holiday song to rise to No. 1, rather than debuting there, since Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” which spent its first week at No. 1 on the tally dated Aug. 13, 2022, its fourth frame. Between “Habit” and “Liar,” Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” reached No. 1 for the first time on the Jan. 7 survey, and all other rulers during that span were either returning No. 1s or debuted atop the list.
“Liar” started at No. 4 on the Feb. 18 ranking (20.2 million streams) and rose to No. 3 on Feb. 25 (31.1 million) before its coronation.
It’s both PinkPantheress’ and Ice Spice’s first No. 1s on Streaming Songs, coming in both’s first appearance on the chart. They’re the first to reach No. 1 with their first song to appear since Kim Petras, whose “Unholy,” a co-lead with Sam Smith, debuted at No. 1 in October 2022.
As previously reported, “Liar” is the first No. 1 by multiple acts all achieving their first leader with an initial entry since “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from Encanto, credited to Carolina Gaitan, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto cast.
Concurrently, “Liar” rises 4-3 on the multi-metric Billboard Hot 100, a new peak.
Released Feb. 3, the new edition of “Liar,” which adds Ice Spice on vocals, follows the original’s Nov. 30 premiere.
