Music News

Luke Bryan & His Son Gave Katy Perry a Proper ‘Country Education’ During Hilarious FaceTime Call

For Santa Barbara, Calif., native Katy Perry, Luke Bryan‘s country twang takes some getting used to.

During his recent appearance on Audacy’s Rob and Holly show, the “Knockin’ Boots” singer shared a funny story in which he was FaceTiming his 14-year-old son, Thomas, while on set at American Idol, where he and Perry appear as judges. “So Katy’s listening to me talk to my 14-year-old, and he goes, ‘Dad, do we have any doe pee around here?’ which is doe urine,” Bryan recalls. “But, watching Katy Perry try to figure out what the hell me and my son were talking about, she was like, ‘Did your son just ask you do you have any dope around the house?’ I said, ‘Katy, he’s asking for doe pee,’ and she goes, ‘Like urine from an animal?’ I was like, ‘Yes, what’s  we use to bring the big bucks in.’”

He added with a laugh, “I feel sorry for her and Lionel [Richie] and the country education that they have to get from me.”

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Earlier this year, Bryan discussed his friendship with Perry on Good Morning America, revealing that the two have a “fun friendship.” The country superstar also admitted that he also has a budding bromance with the “Roar” singer’s fiancé. “You know, she’s really a little jealous because she believes that Orlando [Bloom] might have a little man crush on me,” he said with a laugh. “Orlando came into Nashville and I had all these outdoor activities planned for him, so me and Orlando, our love is strong.”

Matty Healy & Ross MacDonald Share a Sweet Kiss During The 1975 Concert: ‘Luckiest Girl in the World’

With over 20 year of being in a band, The 1975 has nothing but love and admiration for one another. So much so, they sometimes share and showcase their love for each other through public displays of affection.

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During The 1975’s San Francisco show at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Tuesday (Nov. 29), love was in the air by the time fan favorite track “Robbers” rolled around in the band’s set, which saw frontman and lead singer Matty Healy stealing a brief, yet passionate smooch from bassist Ross MacDonald during the famous pause in the song’s dramatic outro.

“And I’ll shoot him if it’s what you ask / But if you’d just take off your mask/ You’d find out everything’s gone wrong,” Healy sings, before pulling in MacDonald for the kiss and playfully pushing him away to belt, “Now everybody’s dead/ And they’re driving past my old school.”

MacDonald seemed to enjoy Healy’s affections, taking to Instagram later on Tuesday to share a cinematic snap of the moment to his account, captioning it, “The luckiest girl in the world.” Fans were understandably in awe of the moment, with one user commenting they “don’t know if I’m jealous of you or matty” and another fan stating they “wish i was matty healy for once in my life.”

Healy and MacDonald’s kiss is just one of many antics that have occurred during the band’s At Their Very Best tour — last week, the vocalist kissed a fan onstage, also during “Robbers,” and in previous stops during the North American trek made waves for eating raw meat onstage.

The 1975 has a total of seven dates left in the North American leg of its At Their Very Best tour, with stops in Portland, Seattle, Toronto and more before concluding on Dec. 17 at Pittsburgh’s UPMC Events Center.

See MacDonald’s photo and fan captured moments of the kiss below.

Why Shakira Remains the Queen of World Cup Music

Twelve years after its release, Shakira‘s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” has made its debut on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, peaking at No. 46 on the tally dated Dec. 3. On the Billboard Global 200, it debuted at No. 96.

This is no coincidence.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is currently taking place in Qatar and, as ever, fútbol fans have pivoted toward songs and anthems that they’ll have on repeat throughout the international soccer event.

The Colombian singer’s trilingual “Waka Waka,” featuring Freshlyground — which served as the official FIFA song in 2010 for the World Cup that took place in South Africa — captured fans globally thanks to its irresistible joyful and upbeat style powered by an Afro-fusion and soca-influenced beat. Plus, the track’s earworm chorus helps too: “Tsamina mina, eh, eh / Waka waka, eh, eh / Tsamina mina zangalewa / This time for Africa.” Back then, it peaked at No. 2 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart and No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.

She performed “Waka Waka” — plus a medley that included “She Wolf” and “Hips Don’t Lie” — during the 2010 World Cup opening ceremony. This year, fans were hoping that, if anything, Shakira would release a song for the World Cup, and even spread rumors online that she was set to perform at the opening ceremony. It was also reported incorrectly by other outlets that she was supposed to perform.

In reality, Shakira was never scheduled to appear at the World Cup, but she didn’t need to perform or even release a new song in order to be part of the festivities. The resurfacing of “Waka Waka” makes her the ultimate queen of World Cup music, as it becomes the only official World Cup song or anthem from previous years to appear on the Billboard global charts.

Shakira’s World Cup debut was in 2006, when she performed “Hips Don’t Lie” during the World Cup’s closing ceremony in Germany. And after South Africa, Shakira returned to the soccer world in 2014 for the World Cup in Brazil, for which she released “La La La,” featuring Carlinhos Brown.

But “Waka Waka” is a song you can’t escape. And it’ll go down in history as one of the most memorable World Cup songs — along with Ricky Martin‘s 1998 “Cup of Life.” We can all probably agree with the YouTube user who commented on the “La La La” video: “If Shakira could make all the World Cup songs, the world would be a better place.”

Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie Mourned by Sheryl Crow, Garbage & More: ‘Songbird Forever’

Christine McVie died on Wednesday (Nov. 30) at age 79, and the music community immediately took to social media to honor the late Fleetwood Mac lyricist.

While McVie’s bandmates released a joint statement announcing her death, both Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood penned individual tributes to their friend on their personal Twitter accounts. “Part of my heart has flown away today.. I will miss everything about you Christine McVie,” the drummer wrote, in part, while Nicks shared a handwritten note using lyrics from Haim’s 2019 single “Hallelujah.”

“I am so sad to hear of Christine McVie going on to heaven,” tweeted Sheryl Crow. “The world feels weird without her here. What a legend and an icon and an amazing human being. RIP.”

Garbage was one of the first acts to react to the news, writing, “Gutted to learn about the passing of Christine McVie. Just gutted. Songbird forever.”

John Taylor shared his thoughts on behalf of Duran Duran, tweeting, “So so sad to hear about Christine McVie an artist I held dear and close to my heart. One of the greatest all time songwriters, singers, and band members, she radiated both purity and sass in equal measure, bringing light to the music of the 70s. RIP,” alongside a black-and-white portrait of the prolific singer-songwriter.

As one-fifth of the iconic band, some of Fleetwood Mac’s greatest songs written by McVie included “Songbird,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “Little Lies,” “Don’t Stop” and many more.

Read more tributes to McVie’s memory from Diane Warren, Bret Michaels, Ann Wilson and others below.

SZA Unveils Cover Art for Long-Awaited ‘S.O.S.’ Album

On Wednesday (Nov. 30), fans got closer to receiving SZA’s long-awaited sophomore album S.O.S. when the TDE singer unveiled the project’s cover art on Instagram.

Donning a football jersey with S.O.S. stitched on the sleeve, SZA sits on the edge of a diving board planted over a large body of water. 

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Earlier this month, SZA released her newest single, “Shirt,” which debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Along with doling out another high-charting single, SZA recently covered Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue. In the cover story, she questioned her longevity in music and where she sees her career going forward.

“I feel like music, in this capacity, I don’t see longevity,” she admitted. “I like to create, I like to write, I like to sing, and I like to share. But I don’t know if chasing after superstardom or whatever I’m supposed to be doing right now is sustainable for me or for anybody. I’mma take a good swing at it, and I’mma give ’em my absolute best.”

Since her 2017 opus Ctrl, SZA’s road to S.O.S. has been a long one. Despite remaining tight-lipped about her pending release, she strung together a bevy of one-off singles, including “Good Days” and “I Hate U.” Both songs enjoyed considerable success on the Hot 100, peaking inside the top 10 at No. 9 and No. 7, respectively. “I only do what I want to do,” SZA revealed in her cover story, “and this makes me feel free and safe and unrestricted.”

This weekend, SZA is set to be a musical guest on Saturday Night Live with Keke Palmer serving as the show’s host.

Check out the album cover of SZA’s S.O.S. below. 

NCT DREAM Share Their 7 Favorite Moments From New ‘In a Dream’ Movie: Exclusive

After NCT DREAM stole the show during their first U.S. performance at KCON 2022 in Los Angeles earlier this year, the K-pop boy band is connecting with international fans once again with the release of their In a Dream movie. The full-length film will go into Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung’s world both on and off stage as the group prepares and performs their largest concert to date in South Korea’s massive Olympic Stadium.

Throughout the two-hour feature, fans will get live performances, rehearsal footage and intimate interviews in which the seven members discuss one another and also see themselves on screen as they read and watch messages from their NCTzen fans filmed on site. Beyond that, viewers can take in In a Dream via special ScreenX, 4DX, and 4DXScreen experiences, which offer multisensory effects for viewers.

“We are thrilled to release NCT DREAM’s first movie all around the world,” Jongryul Kim, CEO at CJ 4DPLEX, said in a statement. “Also, we are pleased to continue our relationship with Trafalgar Releasing and to partner for the first time with SM Entertainment to bring NCT DREAM’s movie to cinemas worldwide. NCTzens all around the globe now can enjoy the concert performances and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage on the big screen, especially in our special formats — ScreenX, 4DX, and 4DXScreen.”

Ahead of In a Dream‘s release, Billboard got some exclusive reflections from NCT DREAM about the moments from the film they loved and want NCTzens to look out for the most. From the must-see arrangements to sound and facial details, here’s a primer from the septet before you head to the theater for the November and December screenings.

The Killers, Muse & The Lumineers to Headline 2023 Shaky Knees Festival

Shaky Knees is celebrating its 10 year anniversary in 2023, and the festival announced its jam-packed lineup on Wednesday (Nov. 30) for the three-day event.

The Killers, Muse and the Lumineers are set to headline the Atlanta festival, with additional performances by Greta Van Fleet, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Tenacious D, The Mars Volta, Hozier, Flaming Lips, Manchester Orchestra, Grouplove, Phantogram, Father John Misty and many, many more.

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The 2022 Shaky Knees festival, as usual, brought high-profile acts including Green Day, Nine Inch Nails and My Morning Jacket to take over Atlanta.

The 2023 iteration of Shaky Knees festival will take place May 5 to 7 at Central Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Ticket presale begins Friday (Dec. 2) at 11 a.m. ET here, with ticket tiers available on a first come, first serve basis due to limited capacity. A general ticket onsale will be announced following the presale if there are remaining tickets.

See the full lineup below.

Stevie Nicks Mourns ‘Best Friend in the Whole World’ Christine McVie With Haim Lyrics

Following news that Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie died on Wednesday (Nov. 30) at age 79, her bandmate and longtime friend Stevie Nicks took to social media to mourn the loss of the musical legend.

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“A few hours ago I was told that my best friend in the whole world since the first day of 1975, had passed away,” she shared in a handwritten letter posted to Twitter, alongside a tender photo of the duo. “I didn’t even know she was ill… until late Saturday night. I wanted to be in London; I wanted to get to London – but we were told to wait. So, since Saturday, one song has been swirling around me in my head, over and over and over. I thought I might possibly get to sing it to her, and so, I’m singing it to her now. I always know I would need these words one day.”

Nicks then wrote out the lyrics to a verse and the chorus from Haim’s Women in Music Pt. III track, “Hallelujah,” in which Alana Haim details the feeling of finding out that her own best friend had died. “I had a best friend but she has come to pass / One I wish I could see now / You always remind me that memories will last / These arms reach out / You were there to protect me like a shield / Long hair, running with me through the field / Everywhere, you’ve been with me all along / Why me? How’d I get this hallelujah?” Nicks wrote out the lyrics.

The 74-year-old star signed off her poignant note by writing, “See you on the other side, my love. Don’t forget me.”

McVie’s family shared the news of her death via a statement posted to Facebook, which noted that she passed away at a hospital “following a short illness.”

Fleetwood Mac also shared a band statement, in which they wrote, “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure. She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her.”

See Stevie Nicks’ full tribute to Christine McVie below.

Enter ‘Thee Hottieverse’ at Home: Megan Thee Stallion’s Performance Now Available Through Your VR Headset

Megan has gone Meta.

Just in time for the holidays, you can watch Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion‘s “Enter Thee Hottieverse” performance from the comfort of your home, thanks to AmazeVR bringing the show to the Meta Quest App Lab store.

The VR tour, which took place in-person at AMC theaters — selling out shows in 15 cities from April to July of this year — marked the first of its kind and expanded the scope of touring for artists. For its comeback, the show is revamped with interactive user features and an exclusive behind-the-scenes video.

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Coming in at $6.99, the virtual concert ticket is far cheaper than watching the “Savage” rapper perform in person ($400 VR headset not included) and comes to your living room, so no concert outfit necessary. Interested users are able to download the AmazeVR app for free and try one song before purchasing the full show.

“The Enter Thee Hottieverse VR Concert Tour gave fans the chance to connect with Megan Thee Stallion in a new way,” says co-CEO and co-founder for AmazeVR, Steve Lee, in a statement. “Now, our at-home VR concert is the next step in sharing this experience with those who weren’t able to join us on tour.”

During the pre-recorded show, Megan serves a number of looks in her performance of four songs assisted by backup dancers, including “Savage,” “Body” and “Kitty Kat.” The singer appears to be up-close and personal, without the front-row seats.

Kelly Clarkson & Dolly Parton Offer a Sneak Peek at ‘9 to 5’ Duet Rehearsals

Dolly Parton and Kelly Clarkson have teamed up for a performance of the country icon’s 1981 hit “9 to 5” on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and offered a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of the rehearsals when Parton visited the show’s set.

“I love Kelly. I love your show,” Parton tells the show’s music director Jason Halbert in a clip released Wednesday (Nov. 30). “Y’all do a great job.”

For the performance, the music team recreated the signature typewriter sound from the original and brought in a horn section. Meanwhile, the clip shows Clarkson and Parton showing off their vocal talents, sharing harmonies and showcasing their fanship of one another.

Earlier this year, Parton and Clarkson released a studio version of their collaboration of the song, which premiered in the documentary Still Working 9 to 5. For their upcoming performance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, they melded the new version with the original for a one-of-a-kind performance.

Music luminary Parton wrote the working-class anthem for the 1980 movie of the same name, which she also starred in alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

Parton’s original “9 to 5” spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1981, becoming one of her biggest hits, alongside her Kenny Rogers collaboration “Islands in the Stream,” which also spent two weeks atop the chart in 1983.

Earlier this year, Clarkson honored Parton by performing “I Will Always Love You” during the 57th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Watch the behind-the-scenes clip of “9 to 5” from The Kelly Clarkson Show below. The performance airs on Thursday (Dec. 1).