Music News

06 Nov 2022

Dolly Parton Congratulates Taylor Swift for Making Hot 100 Chart History: ‘That Is Sensational’

Dolly Parton took a moment outside her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction to praise a fellow female superstar, Taylor Swift.

Speaking with Access Hollywood on the Rock Hall red carpet, Parton was asked to comment on Swift’s historic feat last week of being the first artist to claim the entire top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, led by the Midnights single “Anti-Hero” at No. 1. Swift’s Midnights also blasted in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with the biggest week for any release in seven years.

“I love her,” said Parton, who was inducted into the Rock Hall Saturday night (Nov. 5) with the help of P!nk.

“I saw that on the news and I think that is sensational,” the country icon said of Swift making Hot 100 history. “And congratulations to her — Taylor. I think she’s spectacular. Great writer, and I love how she presents herself. She’s always been such a pro. I’ve admired her all these years.”

During Parton’s speech at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, she teased an upcoming rock album. She also treated the audience to a new rock song that had her declaring: “I still got rock and roll down in my country soul.”

Parton spoke of her rock album on the red carpet as well, telling Access Hollywood, “I did Elton John‘s song and I did ‘Open Arms’ — I got Steve Perry gonna be singing wtih me on that. Steve Tyler, I’m hoping [to ask] … Hopefully I’m gonna just ask all the girls and the guys to sing with me.”

Watch the interview clip below.

06 Nov 2022

Harry Styles Cancels More Shows: ‘I’ve Been in Bed With the Flu’

Harry Styles’ concerts this weekend were postponed due to the flu.

After rescheduling Friday night‘s (Nov. 4) show at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles “due to a band illness,” Styles made more changes to his tour schedule on Saturday and explained that he is the one who is unwell.

“Towards the end of the show on Wednesday I started feeling ill and I’ve been in bed with the flu ever since,” Styles wrote on Saturday in an Instagram Story. “I’ve been doing everything I can to be able to sing tonight, but I’m leaving the doctor now and I’m devastated that it’s just not possible. Until very recently I haven’t had to postpone a show due to illness in the 12 years I’ve been touring. I’m so sorry to do it, and if there was anyway I could do the show I would.”

He added, “I’m sorry this news is coming so close to show time, but it was my sincerest hope to be able to play for you tonight. I know several of you have planned trips to LA to see the show, and it means the absolute world to me.”

Styles said that his concerts on Nov. 5, 6 and 7 are postponed until Jan. 26, 27 and 29 in 2023. “Everything else will play as planned,” he noted.

He’ll be at the Forum, where he’s been for a mini residency as part of his Love On Tour, through mid-November: The remaining L.A. dates are currently set at the venue for Nov. 9, 11, 12, 14 and 15. Keep up-to-date with his tour dates here.

Styles’ Love On Tour is in support of Harry’s House, his Billboard 200 chart-topper that features the hit single “As It Was,” which was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 15 weeks.

06 Nov 2022

Mimi Parker, Vocalist and Drummer of Low, Dies at 55

Mimi Parker, the vocalist and drummer of rock band Low, died on Saturday (Nov. 5) following a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 55.

The Duluth, Minn.-based group, which also includes Parker’s husband and bandmate Alan Sparkhawk, confirmed the sad news through its official Twitter account on Sunday.

“Friends, it’s hard to put the universe into language and into a short message, but she passed away last night, surrounded by family and love, including yours,” Low tweeted in a statement. “Keep her name close and sacred. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

In recent weeks, Low announced the cancellation of upcoming concert dates in the United Kingdom and Europe while Parker continued treatments for her cancer. She was diagnosed with the disease in December 2020.

“There have been difficult days, but your love has sustained us and will continue to lift us through this time,” Sparkhawk wrote in an Instagram post on Oct. 7. “With tears, we say thank you and hope to see you soon.”

Parker was born and raised in Minnesota, and her mother was an aspiring country singer, the vocalist and drummer previously told Chickfactor. Parker first played drums in her high school marching band, and began dating her future husband Sparkhawk during junior high school, according to NPR.

Sparkhawk and Parker, both practicing Mormons, formed Low in 1993 with original bassist John Nichols. The band, which featured other rotating members throughout the years, would later become a standout name in the “slowcore” rock sub-genre. Low’s 1994 debut album, I Could Live in Hope, received critical acclaim, and the act went went on to release 13 albums during its nearly 30-year career.

Parker is survived by her husband, Sparhawk, and their two children, Hollis and Cyrus.

06 Nov 2022

Billie Eilish & Boyfriend Jesse Rutherford Make Red Carpet Debut at 2022 LACMA Art + Film Gala

Billie Eilish made her first red carpet appearance with new boyfriend Jesse Rutherford at LACMA’s 11th annual Art + Film Gala.

The pop star, 20, and lead singer of The Neighborhood, 31, stepped out wearing beige Gucci pajamas and were cozily wrapped in a giant Gucci blanket during the star-studded event, which was held at the Los Angeles County Museum on Saturday (Nov. 5). Gucci has been a longtime sponsor of the gala.

The musical couple’s red carpet debut arrived days after they went Instagram official. The “Bad Guy” singer took to the social media platform on Nov. 1 to share her first photo as a couple with rumored love Rutherford amid her Halloween celebrations.

Eilish tucked a snapshot with Rutherford at the end of a spooky slideshow captioned “life is craaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy…happy halloween,” with a clown emoji followed by a jack-o-lantern and happy face surrounded by hearts. In the photo, Eilish is dressed as a baby with her blonde hair framing her face in ringlets, while Rutherford transformed himself into an elderly man, possibly making reference to the pair’s 11-year age gap.

Prior to Saturday’s LACMA event, Eilish shared a passionate plea encouraging her fans to vote in the upcoming election on Tuesday (Nov. 8).

“I want to explain why I am voting this year and how important I think it is you for vote to,” she said in a video post on Instagram. “Our rights, our freedoms, and our futures are on the line, and if we don’t show up, there is a good chance we will see a national ban on abortion, with no exceptions.”

On Nov. 8, Eilish will take part in the 2022 #iVoted Festival, with the Election Day webcast also featuring performances by Run the Jewels, CNCO, Rise Against, The Revivalists, OK Go, Lake Street Dive and more than 400 other artists.

06 Nov 2022

Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter Shares Emotional Tribute Following Brother Aaron Carter’s Death: ‘My Heart Is Broken’

Nick Carter is breaking his silence following the death of his younger brother Aaron Carter.

The Backstreet Boys star took to social media on Sunday (Nov. 6) to share a heartbreaking tribute to his late sibling, who died on Nov. 5 at the age of 34.

“My heart is broken. Even though my brother and I have had a complicated relationship, my love for him has never ever faded,” Nick Carter wrote on Instagram alongside a photo gallery of childhood photos with his brother.

“I have always held on to the hope that he would somehow, someday want to walk a healthy path and eventually find the help that he so desperately needed. Sometimes we want to blame someone or something for a loss, but the truth is that addiction and mental illness is the real villain here.”

Through the years, the relationship between the two was turbulent, complete with love and support but clouded with accusations and, eventually, a restraining order. See a full timeline of their rocky relationship here.

Nick Carter concluded his emotional message, writing, “I will miss my brother more than anyone will ever know. I love you Chizz. Now you can finally have the peace you could never find here on earth….I love you baby brother.”

Aaron Carter’s manager confirmed the singer’s death to Billboard on Nov. 5. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department also told The Hollywood Reporter that a suspicious death took place at his address, but did not confirm the identity.

Aaron Carter’s self-titled debut album was released in 1997, and it was followed by 2000’s Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It), which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. He went on to release three more studio albums. The singer also worked in scripted and reality television, with highlights including an appearance on Lizzie McGuire, starring alongside his siblings on House of Carters, and competing on Dancing With the Stars.

Other musicians who paid tribute to Aaron Carter following his passing included singer and actress Hilary Duff, legendary songwriter Diane Warren, musician Tyler Hilton, pop group New Kids on the Block, and many others.

See Nick Carter’s tribute to his brother on Instagram below.

06 Nov 2022

Steve Lacy Performs ‘Bad Habit’ & ‘Helmet’ During ‘Saturday Night Live’ Debut: Watch

Steve Lacy brought his low-key charm to Saturday Night Live on Nov. 5.

The 24-year-old singer-guitarist performed two songs from his second solo album, Gemini Rights, during his musical guest debut on the NBC sketch comedy series.

Lacy, the breakout solo star who originally gained fame as a member of alt-soul band The Internet, opened with his slow-burning hits “Bad Habit” and closed with “Helmet.” Sporting his Batman-esque signature shades and wearing a shiny white button-down emblazoned with the letter “S,” the artist strummed away at his electric guitar with the help of a backing band on both tracks.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Lacy is fresh off a major career high, earning his first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. About three months after the release of Gemini Rights in July, the album’s lead single “Bad Habit” ascended to the top of the Hot 100, where it remained for three weeks until being usurped by Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy.”

The “Dark Red” singer’s SNL debut arrived one week after Jack Harlow took on double duty, serving as both the evening’s host and musical guest on Oct. 29. The next episode of SNL will feature returning host Dave Chappelle with musical guest Black Star on Nov. 12.

Watch Lacy’s SNL performances below, and see the full episode on Hulu here. The streaming service is currently offering a 30-day free trial, which you can sign up for here. The show is also live streamed on Peacock.

06 Nov 2022

Dolly Parton On Being Inducted Into the Rock Hall of Fame: ‘I’m a Rockstar Now!’

On Saturday night (Nov. 5), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted its 2022 class in grand fashion. Inductees included Dolly Parton, Eminem, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Lionel Richie and Carly Simon. Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are also joining the Rock Hall with the “award for musical excellence.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

P!nk had the honor of inducting Parton, delivering a moving speech in which she called the evening “one of the most magical nights I’ve witnessed in the history of me being in music.”

She walked the audience through Parton’s groundbreaking career, especially as it pertains to being a woman not only in entertainment but in America. P!nk highlighted the hits that speak most to not only Parton’s truths, but universal ones, from “Coat of Many Colors” to “9 to 5,” the latter of which she even briefly belted the chorus of.

“[Dolly is] one of the greatest storytellers of our time… of all time,” P!nk continued.

As Parton walked on stage to accept her honor, she and P!nk — both dressed head to toe in sparkles — exchanged a warm embrace before Parton joked, “I’m a rockstar now!”

In a speech of her own, Parton teased her upcoming rock album and even treated the audience to her as-yet-unreleased new rock song… in which she emphatically declares: “I still got rock and roll down in my country soul.”

And while a host of friends helped perform hits in Parton’s honor, the final sequence of both her set and of the night was the best, in which almost every inductee — and a few special friends — joined forces for a winding rendition of “Jolene.”

The 2022 ceremony is the first time in the Hall’s 37-year history that six female acts — Benatar, Parton, Simon, Cotten, Robinson and Annie Lennox (as part of Eurythmics) — were inducted in one class. 

The show will air on Nov. 19 on HBO.

06 Nov 2022

John Mellencamp Decries Antisemitism At Rock Hall Induction: ‘Silence Is Complicity’

While inducting entertainment lawyer Allen Grubman — the famed attorney for artists including Bruce Springsteen and Mariah Carey — longtime friend and client John Mellencamp took a moment to make his words count.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Before welcoming the “true mensch” to the stage to accept his honor, Mellencamp said, “Allen is Jewish, and I bring that up for one reason: I’m a gentile, and my life has been enriched by countless Jewish people.”

“I cannot tell you how fucking important it is to speak out if you’re an artist against antisemitism,” he continued. “I don’t give a f–k, I don’t care [what you are]. Here’s the trick: Silence is complicity. I’m standing here tonight loudly and proudly with Allen, his family and all of my Jewish friends and all of the Jewish people of the world.”

“F–k antisemtisim, and f–k anybody who says anything in that manner.”

Mellencamp’s comments come on the heels of antisemetic comments made by Kanye West in the past weeks, resulting in him being dropped from countless partnerships.

Grubman — along with Jimmy Iovine and Sylvia Robinson — was the recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which took place this year in Los Angeles, will air Nov. 19 on HBO.

06 Nov 2022

Aaron Carter’s Career Timeline: From ‘Crush on You’ and ‘Aaron’s Party’ to Broadway, TV and ‘Love’

Aaron Carter died on Nov. 5, 2022 at the age of 34. The singer and younger brother of Backstreet Boys‘ Nick Carter passed away at his Los Angeles home.

Although Carter more recently made headlines for what went on his personal life — he was often open about about his struggles with substance abuse and mental health, and had several stints in rehab — his career that spanned more than two decades saw him release five studio albums, with the first dropping in 1997 when he was just nine years old. Over the years, Carter’s career also took him to Broadway and both scripted and reality television.

Below, revisit the highlights of Carter’s career timeline — from first single “Crush on You” to the hits that appeared on Billboard‘s charts to the final studio album released before his death, plus the various other entertainment credits on his résumé.

05 Nov 2022

Diane Warren, Tyler Hilton and More React to Aaron Carter’s Death: ‘This Is Heartbreaking’

Aaron Carter, who rose to fame as a child pop star with hits like “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq,” died at the age of 34 on Saturday (Nov. 5). In the wake of his death, fellow artists and television stars paid tribute to Aaron, the younger brother of Backstreet Boys‘ Nick Carter.

Carter’s manager confirmed his death to Billboard on Saturday. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department also told The Hollywood Reporter that a suspicious death took place at Carter’s address but did not confirm the identity.

“Fame at a young age is often more a curse than a blessing and Surviving it is not easy. RIP Aaron Carter,” legendary songwriter Diane Warren wrote on Twitter.

Carter’s self-titled debut album was released in 1997, and it was followed by 2000’s Aaron’s Party (Come and Get It), which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. He went on to release three more studio albums: Oh Aaron (2001), Another Earthquake! (2002) and Love (2018). Carter also worked in scripted and reality television, with highlights including an appearance on Lizzie McGuire, starring alongside his siblings on House of Carters and competing on Dancing With the Stars.

“No…. This @aaroncarter news is heartbreaking… this kid had such a spark,” wrote musician Tyler Hilton. “Known him for years and always really liked him, he was warm and really funny. Loved putting on a show and he was good at it. Ill find some pics of us and post more later… damn RIP budddd.”

See the reactions to Aaron Carter’s death below.