Music News

06 Dec 2022

Omar Jose Cardona Flies High With Dramatic Celine Dion ‘My Heart Will Go On’ Cover on ‘The Voice’

Omar Jose Carona earned an enthusiastic standing ovation from The Voice coaches on Monday night (Dec. 5) when the former Orlando theme park singer soared above the competition by taking on one of the biggest, trickiest pop songs in the karaoke handbook.

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Tackling Celine Dion‘s Titanic ballad “My Heart Will Go On,” Cardona began his performance in a whispery falsetto, showing off his poise and stagecraft by easing into the song’s swell as the string section behind him added a sense of majesty. Wearing a glittering black jacket, the 33-year-old cruise ship veteran capped the soaring segment by hitting a gigantic, elongated “on” as fireworks rained down behind himand coach John Legend jumped to his feet.

Host Carson Daly said it was worthy of the the season finale for the show’s 22nd season and panelist Gwen Stefani said the performance was so scary good it couldn’t be real. “I’m pretty sure he was lip-synching on that one,” she joked. “There no way that was real.” Her husband had to agree, adding, “All across America right now old men are getting up off their easy chair and picking up their toupee.”

In advance of next week’s finale, the night also featured Team Camila Cabello’s Morgan Myles singing Lady Gaga’s “Always Remember Us This Way,” Team Blake’s bodie sing Halsey’s “Without Me,” Bryce Leatherwood take on Justin Moore’s “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” and teenager Brayden Lape cover Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know.” Team Legend’s powerhouse Kim Cruse ripped “Summertime” from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Parijita Bastola took on Sia’s “Unstoppable” while Team Gwen’s Justin Aaron sang Cynthia Erivo’s “Stand Up.” The top 8 also teamed up for Whitney Houston duets to promote the upcoming Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, which premieres on USA on Dec. 23.

Watch Cardona’s appearance below.

06 Dec 2022

Beyoncé Features Fans in ‘Hive Certified’ ‘Break My Soul’ Video to Celebrate Going Platinum: Watch

The Beyhive has listened to “Break My Soul” enough for it to officially reach Platinum status, and now Beyoncé is returning the love. To celebrate the milestone of Renaissance‘s splash-making lead single, the 41-year-old superstar dropped a “Hive Certified” music video Tuesday (Dec. 6) featuring clips of fans strutting their stuff to the track.

The new video opens with a hilarious clip of one fan tricking his mom and sister by saying he doesn’t like “Beyonce’s new song.” “Get out of here before I break your soul,” the fan’s mom angrily replies, while his sister stares in disbelief.

Then, videos of Beyhive members of all ages and all corners of the internet dancing solo, in pairs and in groups to “Break My Soul” cut in and out. Some boogie in kitchens, some on top of beds, some outdoors on rooftops and some at their work desks.

“BREAK MY SOUL is Certified Platinum,” reads the video’s description. “Thank you so much for all the love and for releasing the wiggle.”

According to the RIAA, the single reached the one million units milestone mark on Nov. 30.

“Break My Soul” was first released back in June, heralding the impending arrival of Bey’s highly, highly anticipated Renaissance album, which dropped the following month. It peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and maintained its reign there for two weeks, marking the Houston native’s eighth career No. 1.

The house-inspired track receive almost instant critical acclaim upon its release, and in November, it snagged 2023 Grammy nominations for record of the year, song of the year and best dance/electronic recording.

Watch Beyoncé’s Hive Certified “Break My Soul” video below:

06 Dec 2022

RM Gets Stuck in Time in ‘Still Life’ Music Video: Watch

Fans wondering when a second video from RM‘s Indigo would be released did not have to wait long. On Tuesday (Dec. 6), the BTS rapper dropped a visual to accompany “Still Life (with Anderson .Paak),” which quite literally sees the K-pop idol suspended in time.

RM starts off the video sitting in a train, reading from a journal. But as soon as the song’s lyrics kicks in, the setting around him starts to freeze — first the outside landscape and people on the train, then an empty coffee cup, and then figures of himself as he moves through the train and raps the poppy track. The series of events appear to be a dream as a train attendant asks him if he requires assistance; the still landscape and people on the train begin moving again.

The Indigo album cycle has been a whirlwind so far for the BTS star. The video for the album’s lead single “Wild Flower” arrived with the 10-song set, and hours later, he appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series to perform tracks from the album.

Speaking about Indigo on Suchwita, Suga of BTS’ sit-down talk show, RM said, “It’s been 15 years [since we started pursuing music] and yet in a sense, this is my first album. So after 15 long years I finally have a chance to prove to myself in the form of a solo album. That’s what I felt.”

RM also added that he was happy to have the chance to make a statement about who he is as an artist now on Indigo, because “to be honest, in my Mono album, I had doubts and concerns for about half the songs in there, but I don’t think that’s going to be the case for this album.”

Watch the video for “Still Life” above.

06 Dec 2022

Morgan Wallen Extends 2023 Tour With More Concerts

Morgan Wallen‘s stacked 2023 tour just got even busier, with the singer-songwriter adding 14 new shows across 13 cities to his massive 2023 One Night at a Time World Tour, making for back-to-back nights at 10 stadium shows.

The outing will visit 26 stadiums, plus arenas, amphitheaters and festivals over four countries and two continents. The tour launches overseas March 15 with concerts in New Zealand and Australia (featuring HARDY), before the trek returns to the United States starting April 14 with a show at Milwaukee’s American Family Field (also featuring HARDY).

The tour will also visit New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Boston’s Fenway Park with Parker McCollum, before concluding Oct. 7 at Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash. ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman will open shows across all tour dates, U.S. and internationally.

Wallen also recently released the three-song sampler One Thing at a Time, which includes the tracks “One Thing at a Time,” “Tennessee Fan,” and “Days That End in Why.” He also has a new single at country radio, with “Thought You Should Know” residing in the top 20 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.

New 2023 Tour Dates include:

  • April 14: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
  • May 19: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  • June 1: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
  • June 8: Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
  • June 14: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
  • June 22: Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
  • June 29: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
  • July 6: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
  • July 14: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
  • July 19: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
  • Aug. 17: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  • Sept. 14: Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON
  • Sept. 15: Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON
  • Oct. 3: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC

06 Dec 2022

BigHit Warns ARMY There Will Be No ‘Official Event’ Marking Start of BTS Member Jin’s Military Service

BTS‘ management company BigHit posted a friendly note to ARMY on Monday (Dec. 5) thanking the band’s hardcore fans for supporting the group while offering them an update on member Jin’s pending mandatory military service. The 30-year-old singer is slated to begin his stint on Dec. 13 as the first member of the seven-man group to enlist, and BigHit warned ARMY that there will be no “official event” to mark the day.

“Jin will fulfill his required time with the military by enlisting in the army. Please note that we will not be holding any kind of official event on the day of his recruitment,” read a note from BigHit posted on the fan community Weverse site about the upcoming big day for the group’s eldest member. “The entrance ceremony is a time to be observed by military personnel and their families only. In order to prevent any issues that might occur from crowding, we ask fans to please refrain from visiting the site. Instead, we ask you to keep your heartwarming words of support and farewell in your hearts.”

In addition, BigHit advised fans to not get “adversely affected” by buying unauthorized tour or product packages that illegally use BTS’ intellectual property in an attempt to capitalize on Jin’s military hitch. “Our company will take necessary action against any attempts at commercial activity making unauthorized use of such IP,” read the note, which ended with a kind thank you for ARMY’s unwavering devotion.

“We ask for your continued love and support for Jin until he finishes his military service and comes back,” it read. “Our company will also strive to provide every support he needs during this time.”

“Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October,” read a previous statement from BigHit that month, which noted the group will reconvene around 2025 after all their respective military enlistments are concluded. “He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.”

All able-bodied male South Korean citizens must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months, though the length of service may vary. Draft begins in the year they turn 18, but men may postpone it until age 28. In December 2020, the South Korean National Assembly passed the so-called “BTS law” to allow K-pop entertainers to postpone the service until the age of 30, with a recommendation from the culture minister.

In the midst of BTS’ hiatus, Jin scored his first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 in November when his single “The Astronaut” debuted at No. 51 in its first tracking week.

06 Dec 2022

TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Halle Bailey, Wiz Khalifa & More to Perform at ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’

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We’re officially in the final month of 2022 and, as usual, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest is ready to ring in 2023 with a bang.

ABC and dick clark productions announced on Monday (Dec. 5) the jam-packed lineup of performers for this year’s event, which will take place at Disneyland, Los Angeles, New Orleans and, of course, in New York City’s Times Square.

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The pre-taped celebration at Disneyland Resort will include performances by Rockin’ Eve co-host Ciara, Fitz and the Tantrums, Maddie & Tae, Shaggy, Ben Platt, Aly & AJ, Halle Bailey, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Bailey Zimmerman and Lauren Spencer Smith.

Over at the Los Angeles party, hosted by D-Nice, Wiz Khalifa, Finneas, Armani White, Betty Who, Dove Cameron and Nicky Youre will all take the stage. In New Orleans, co-host Billy Porter will perform a medley of his hits.

18-time host Seacrest will return to Times Square for the festivities, joined by Liza Koshy. Jessie James Decker will also join the duo in NYC as the Powerball co-host for her fourth consecutive year. 

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023 airs live on Saturday (Dec. 31) starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. ABC programming, which includes shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Abbott Elementary and more, can also be viewed on Hulu. If you’re not subscribed, Hulu is currently offering a free 30-day trial to test out the platform.

Monthly subscriptions start at $6.99 for the ad-supported plan, or $12.99 to stream ad-free, but there’s a price hike coming next month. Beginning Oct. 10, Hulu’s commercial tier will cost $14.99 a month and the commercial-free tier will increase to $7.99 a month.

06 Dec 2022

Bailey Zimmerman’s ‘Fall in Love’ Becomes First Debut Hit to Top Country Airplay Chart in 2022

Bailey Zimmerman‘s “Fall in Love” becomes the first rookie single to top Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart in 2022. The song, released on Elektra/Warner Music Nashville/WEA, jumps from No. 5 to No. 1 on the survey dated Dec. 10, up 16% to 26.5 million audience impressions in the week ending Dec. 4, according to Luminate.

The track – which Zimmerman co-authored with Gavin Lucas and Austin Shawn, who also solely produced it – marks the first Country Airplay leader for a freshman single since the chart dated Oct. 23, 2021, when Elvie Shane’s “My Boy” reached the summit.

“Two years ago, I quit my job to make music and now we have a No. 1 song,” says Zimmerman. “All I got to say is God is good and I’m very thankful for country radio and all the fans that support me and my music. Love y’all a lot!”

“Fall in Love” is the first single from Zimmerman’s debut collection Leave the Light On, which arrived on Top Country Albums at its No. 2 peak in October. The set has spent its first seven weeks in the top 10, ranking at No. 8 on the Dec. 10 tally with 17,000 equivalent album units earned Nov. 25-Dec. 1.

The 22-year-old from Louisville, Ill., worked at a meat processing plant and on a gas pipeline, among other jobs, before segueing to a career in music. He gained traction by posting videos on social media and now boasts 1.8 million followers on TikTok.

In September, Zimmerman made history when he became the first act to place three career-opening entries in the Hot Country Songs top 10 simultaneously, since the chart began as an all-encompassing genre ranking in October 1958, as “Fall in Love” accompanied “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Where It Ends.”

On the Dec. 10 Hot Country Songs chart, “Fall in Love” pushes 7-5 for a new best. It collected 7.2 million official U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads in the latest tracking week.

Meanwhile, “Rock” ranks at No. 9 on Hot Country Songs after it opened at its No. 2 best in June. It drew 10.8 million clicks and sold 1,000 in the latest frame. The song also rises to a new No. 44 high on Country Airplay (1.6 million, up 18%) and is now being promoted as the radio follow-up to “Fall in Love.”

‘Whiskey’ Straight Up

Nate Smith scores his first Country Airplay top 10 as his initial entry “Whiskey on You” pushes 12-10, up 8% to 18.2 million in audience.

The single, which Smith co-penned, ranks at No. 13 on Hot Country Songs after it reached No. 11 in October. It corralled 4.8 million streams and sold 1,000 downloads in the latest tracking week.

Like Zimmerman, the 23-year-old Smith, from Paradise, Calif., also scored early success on TikTok prior to signing to Sony Music Nashville’s Arista Nashville roster in November 2021.

Bryan Does ‘Good’

Zach Bryan scores his first No. 1 on Country Digital Song Sales as “The Good I’ll Do” blasts in atop the list. It sold 5,000 downloads Nov. 25-Dec. 1. The song is Bryan’s second top 10 in as many appearances, after “Something in the Orange” hit No. 4 in November.

06 Dec 2022

Judd Family Files Notice to Dismiss Lawsuit Over Naomi Judd Death Records

The family of country singer Naomi Judd on Monday filed a notice to voluntarily dismiss a lawsuit that sought to block journalists from accessing the police investigation records surrounding her death.

Judd died on April 30 at her home in Tennessee at the age of 76. Her daughter Ashley has previously said that her mother killed herself, and the family said she was lost to “the disease of mental illness.”

Judd’s family filed a petition in Williamson County Chancery Court in August seeking to seal the report of the death investigation. The petition said the records contained video and audio interviews with relatives in the immediate aftermath of Judd’s death. Releasing such details would inflict “significant trauma and irreparable harm” on the family, the petition said.

The notice filed on Monday said the family is now willing to have the lawsuit dismissed. In part that is because the journalists who requested the police records are not requesting photographs of the deceased or body cam footage taken inside the home. The notice also said a state lawmaker is introducing a bill that would make death investigation records private where the death is not the result of a crime.

The voluntary dismissal is subject to approval by a judge.

Judd, 76, killed herself with a gun on April 30 at her home in Tennessee. “We have always shared openly both the joys of being family as well its sorrows, too. One part of our story is that our matriarch was dogged by an unfair foe,” read a statement from the family in August. “She was treated for PTSD and bipolar disorder, to which millions of Americans can relate.”

06 Dec 2022

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat Roasts Kanye West at Kennedy Center Honors: ‘He’s Too Antisemitic Even For Us’

There is nothing funny about Kanye West‘s repeated amplification of antisemitic tropes and hate speech over the past month. In a series of interviews and media appearances, the artist who now goes by Ye has made a series of comments denigrating the Jewish people, culminating last week with an appearance on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ show in which Ye stated “I like Hitler.”

But if there is one person who has the unique ability to transform hate into hilarity, it is Sacha Baron Cohen. The acclaimed comedian — who is Jewish — appeared at this weekend’s Kennedy Center Honors in the guise of his belovedly profane, offensive-to-everyone dopey journalist character Borat Sagdiyev to pay tribute to honorees U2.

Kazakhstan’s least reliable source of news took the stage and expressed genuine confusion that President Biden is the current White House resident. “I know the president of U.S. and A is here. Where are you, Mr. Trump?” Borat asked according to a transcript of the appearance from The Guardian.

“You don’t look so good,” Borat said to Biden. “Where has your glorious big belly gone? And your pretty orange skin has become pale… But I see you have a new wife. Wawa-woooah! She is very erotic. I must look away before I get a Bono.”

But the sharpest barbs from the comedian whose work skewers hate and intolerance with even more absurdly hateful, intolerant punchlines that shine a sharp satiric light on xenophobic and homophobic hate speech went all-in on Ye in the wake of the rapper’s latest exile from Twitter for posting an image of a swastika last week.

“Before I proceed, I will say I am very upset about the antisemitism in US and A. It not fair,” Borat said. “Kazakhstan is No 1 Jew-crushing nation. Stop stealing our hobby. Stop the steal! Stop the steal! Your Kanye, he tried to move to Kazakhstan and even changed his name to Kazakhstan-Ye West. But we said: ‘No, he too antisemitic, even for us.’”

In a classic Borat bit, Cohen then sang a brief parody of U2’s “Without or Without You,” with the lyrics switched up to “With or Without Jews,” as titters erupted in the crowd and he asked, “What’s the problem? They loved this at Mar-a-Lago. They chose Without Jews.”

West, who does not appear to be promoting any projects at the moment, has been on a month-long media tour of right-wing media outlets in which he has unashamedly denigrated the Jewish people while also praising the murderous Nazi regime. The disgraced MC whose once-massive music and fashion portfolio has gone into free-fall since he began spouting antisemitic and racist statements continued his bizarre hate tour on his Instagram feed on Sunday when he made what was couched as a joke about Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s ethnic heritage.

“Am I the only one who thinks Elon could be half-Chinese?,” West asked. “Have you ever seen his pics as a child?” Musk was born in South Africa to a Canadian mother and South African father and it was unclear what West was referring to in questioning the billionaire Space X/Tesla founder’s ethnicity. 

Without mentioning Ye by name, President Biden issued a pointed statement on the dangers of antisemitism and the embrace of Nazis on Friday in the wake of West’s Hitler praise on Jones’ show. “I just want to make a few things clear: The Holocaust happened. Hitler was a demonic figure,” Biden tweeted in a statement. “And instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting antisemitism wherever it hides. Silence is complicity.”

The strongly worded statement from Biden starkly contrasted with the recent scene at Donald Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago resort, where the twice-impeached president hosted Ye as well as far right activist and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who is also known for spewing antisemitic rhetoric. Also present at the lunch that Trump hosted on the high-visibility patio at his golf club was Ye’s apparent 2024 presidential campaign manager — who has reportedly since been fired — professional right-wing troll Milo Yiannopoulos, who has been blocked from most major social media platforms for his slurs against Islam and feminism, and his embrace of antisemitic figures.

West’s doubling and tripling-down on hate speech comes just months after the Anti-Defamation League — which tracks anti-Semitic behavior nationwide — reported a 34% rise in anti-Semitic incidents in 2021 (to 2,717), which averaged out to more than seven such incidents per day.

06 Dec 2022

Metallica Warn Fans About Crypto Cons Tied to New Album: ‘These Are Scams’

Metallica warned fans on Monday (Dec. 5) that crypto scammers are trying to capitalize on the exciting news of their new album single and tour by posting fake giveaway offers. “In the wake of last week’s exciting news of our new song, new album, and new tour, unfortunately the ugly side of social media made an appearance. Many of you have let us know about YouTube channels and live streams, as well as websites, claiming to offer Metallica Crypto giveaways in conjunction with last week’s announcement,” they wrote.

Last week, the long-running metal legends announced the release date for their 12th studio album, 72 Seasons (April 14, 2023), as well as blitzing new single, “Lux Æterna” and dates for their massive 2023 world tour.

“Let’s be as clear as possible. These are scams,” the band continued. “They’re being streamed on fake YouTube channels posing to be ours and all pointing to websites that we do not run. Please remember – all of our official social media channels are verified. Always look for official verification before believing something wild and crazy to be true. We thank all of you who have been vigilant in reporting these live streams to YouTube and to us… please don’t let up!” They also included links to all their official social media sites and the r/Metallica Reddit channel is also keeping keeping an eye on the scammers who have employed phony account names and URLs to lure fans with promises of doubling their Bitcoin investments.

According to a report, a 51-year-old man told police he was scammed by a fake account into transferring approximately $25,000 in bitcoin to an unknown suspect via a fake Metallica YouTube account.

See Metallica’s post below.