State Champ Radio Music News
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Rock, pop, country? You name it, Kelly Clarkson can nail it. On her daytime talker on Thursday (April 3) Clarkson did it again with a soaring cover of the Foo Fighters’ 1999 anthem “Learn to Fly” during the daily Kellyoke segment. With her My Band Y’all band providing muscular backing, Clarkson gave the rock classic a melancholy makeover, injecting an extra layer of longing into Dave Grohl’s lyrics, as well as, of course, busting out one of signature paint-peeling high notes.
“I just had, like, a lot of caffeine and I’m running hot is what’s happening right now!,” a revved up Clarkson told her studio audience after the performance. The singer noted that she had the Foos on her show a few years ago and she talked to singer/guitarist Grohl about “Learn to Fly,” and how she thought the lyrics had so much deep meaning. “He was like, ‘no, I really just wanted to become a pilot,’” she said Grohl told her.
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“I’m still callin’ b.s.,” Clarkson said with a finger wave. “You’re trying to be funny man, but it’s such a deep song! It’s such a cool song! He’s poetic, just lean into it Dave! You could be a pilot and a poet.”
In addition to rocking, out, Clarkson also made some dreams come true for her old friend Tanner Smith from the Netflix dating show Love on the Spectrum, which chronicles the dating lives of autistic adults. She played a clip from the last time Smith was on the show and invited him back to catch up on what he’s been up to and talk about his dating life. She also recalled that last time Smith was on he got a special video greeting from his favorite actor, A Minecraft Movie star Jack Black, after which he set a goal of meeting the energetic star in real life before turning 31.
Clarkson asked Black to make another video for Smith, in which he lamented that he once again could not be there in person because he’s out promoting the big screen video game adaptation. But then, summoning his “insane ninja kung fu powers,” Black burst through the studio doors and ran out on stage into a surprised Smith’s arms.
Smith jumped up, yelling “Jack is here! I’m so happy to meet you! I’m your biggest fan!” bear hugging the actor and introducing him to his younger sister and family in the audience. The sweet moment got even sweeter when the two men bonded over their love of working out, with Smith suggesting he could get Black’s number so they can set up a time to work out together. Black burst out in laughter at the suggesting and high-fived Smith, promising, “this is happening!”
“I love you on the show and I can’t wait for the next season and I’m so happy for you having all this success and time in your life and to meet yo in person is really amazing for me too,” Black said as the two sat arm-in-arm during the lovefest. “Thank you Miss Kelly, thank you so much! This is the best day of my life,” Smith said as Clarkson melted down in happy tears.
Black will host Saturday Night Live this weekend with musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlile.
Watch Clarkson’s Foos cover and Black’s sweet surprise below.
Ariana Grande is back on top of the ARIA Albums Chart — and in spectacular fashion.
The pop star’s Eternal Sunshine rebounds from No. 79 to No. 1 following the release of a new deluxe version titled Eternal Sunshine Deluxe: Brighter Days Ahead. The 78-spot leap marks the biggest jump to No. 1 from within the top 100 since September 2020, when Music From The Home Front soared from No. 83 to the top.
Grande’s original version of Eternal Sunshine spent three weeks at No. 1 in March and April 2024, and this latest return secures her fifth career chart-topper in Australia. She previously hit No. 1 with My Everything (2014), Dangerous Woman (2016), Sweetener (2018), and Thank U, Next (2019).
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Sydney-based singer-songwriter Grentperez celebrates a major career milestone this week, as his debut album Backflips in a Restaurant enters the chart at No. 3. While Grentperez has released four EPs since 2021 and notched three top 40 hits in New Zealand, this marks his first Top 10 debut in his home country.
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Mumford & Sons return with Rushmere, their first new album in nearly seven years and their first without founding member Winston Marshall. The British folk-rock outfit enters at No. 7, adding to a solid run on the ARIA Albums Chart that includes previous peaks with Sigh No More (No. 1 in 2009), Babel (No. 2 in 2012), Wilder Mind (No. 1 in 2015), and Delta (No. 5 in 2018).
Elsewhere, The Darkness land at No. 45 with their eighth studio album, Dreams on Toast. The glam rockers previously charted three albums in the ARIA Top 20, including Permission to Land (No. 17 in 2003), Hot Cakes (No. 15 in 2012), and Pinewood Smile (No. 17 in 2017).
On the ARIA Singles Chart, Alex Warren holds steady at No. 1 for a second week with “Ordinary,” while Chappell Roan climbs to a new high at No. 4 with “Pink Pony Club” — matching the peak of her breakthrough hit “Good Luck, Babe!” from last year.
Grande’s rebound ties into a historical trend: while the 52-week gap between stints at No. 1 is notable, it falls short of the record held by Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell, which returned to No. 1 in January 2022 — more than 2,200 weeks after first topping the chart in 1978.
Flavor Flav is opening up about a recent relapse on his sobriety journey — offering a heartfelt message to fans about struggle, accountability, and healing.
The Public Enemy co-founder and longtime reality TV personality shared the news on Instagram Stories on Friday (April 4), revealing that he briefly relapsed after maintaining over four years of sobriety.
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“I remain authentic to who I am and a large part of the past 4.5 years for me has been my sobriety journey. I think I’ve been an inspiration to many that if I could get sober, anyone can do it,” Flav wrote.
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He continued, “But just when you think it’s easy, it ain’t. I briefly relapsed. I say this to admit my mistake and publicly hold myself accountable. I am a human being who makes mistakes and it doesn’t make me a bad person. I hope those who are around me support my choice to be sober.
He added, “I went back to Day 1, again. Time didn’t stop, my journey continues.”
Flav, born William Jonathan Drayton Jr., has received widespread praise for his honesty around addiction and recovery. His openness has resonated with fans and peers alike, especially in a genre and industry where such transparency can still feel rare.
As the iconic hype man of Public Enemy, Flavor Flav played a pivotal role in shaping the sound and attitude of politically charged hip-hop during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, cementing their place in music history.
In 2020, Public Enemy were honored with the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing their decades-long impact on music, activism, and culture. The group’s work, including groundbreaking albums like It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet, continues to influence generations of artists.
Beyond music, Flav became a pop culture icon in the 2000s through reality TV hits like The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and Flavor of Love, where his chaotic charisma drew in a new wave of fans.
Longtime friends Elton John and Brandi Carlile have teamed up for a new collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?, which the duo recorded over 20 days starting in October 2023. The set arrived via Interscope Records on Friday (April 4). The pair wrote and created the album with John’s long-time co-writer Bernie Taupin and producer Andrew Watt. Who Believes in Angels? features previously released […]
Miley Cyrus is in the swing of her upcoming Something Beautiful album era, and the superstar unveiled her next single from the project, “End of the World,” on Friday (April 4). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Per Cyrus’ Instagram, the 80s-style track reinforces “the project’s immersive, […]
Ed Sheeran has officially pressed play on his next era, dropping new single “Azizam” Friday (April 4). On the breezy midtempo dance track, the British pop star sings, “And if love’s just a game, come and play/Azizam / Meet me on the floor tonight/ Show me how to move like the water/ In between the […]
Mötley Crüe have been forced to cancel an upcoming festival appearance as frontman Vince Neil continues to recover from an undisclosed medical procedure. The Hollywood rock veterans announced on Thursday (April 3) that they would no longer be performing at the Boardwalk Rock festival in Ocean City, MD on May 17 as previously planned. The […]
A Fulton County judge has declined to revoke Young Thug‘s probation after Atlanta prosecutors pushed for his imprisonment over a social media post the rapper made calling a government investigator “the biggest liar,” according to court documents filed on Thursday (April 3). Though Judge Paige Reese Whitaker decided in the rapper’s favor, in a footnote […]
Jack Black is hosting Saturday Night Live for the fourth time this weekend (April 5), and you’d think he’d be a pro by now. However, in a new promo for the show, the School of Rock star gets a little confused as to what “hosting” means.
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In the minute-long clip, cast members Ego Nwodim and Ashley Padilla discuss Black’s odd behavior on set. “I think he thinks hosting SNL is, like, literal hosting,” Nwodim explains. “Like, he’s having people over at his house or something.”
The scene then cuts to various moments in which Black treats studio 8H like his home, demanding that cast member Michael Longfellow take his shoes off before heading to the stage. “Sorry, I’m a stickler,” the comedian says.
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He then repeatedly tells Jane Wickline where the restroom is, offers some more cast members some of his roast for tasting, and makes a call for more ingredients due to the attendance of “more people than I was expecting.”
The clip then cuts back to Nwodim and Padilla, before Black appears behind them, holding a cooking tray. “Oh, great, the asparagus is soggy,” he says before angrily throwing the vegetables in the air. “I am blowing it!”
Black’s last time hosting was 20 years ago, in December 2005. Joining him in this weekend’s episode are Elton John and Brandi Carlile, who will be appearing as the musical guests.
Watch the promo with John and Carlile below, and catch the full Saturday Night Live episode on April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, before it begins streaming on Peacock.
President Donald Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day,” which marked the imposition of tariffs on all U.S. trading partners on Wednesday (April 2), was followed by a bloodbath on Wall Street on Thursday (April 3).
The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 6.0% while the S&P 500 dropped 4.8% — the largest single-day decline since 2020 for both. The Russell 2000, an index of small-cap companies, dropped 6.6% and entered bear market territory, having lost more than 20% of its value since reaching its all-time high in November.
All music stocks except three K-pop companies suffered losses Thursday, with a handful losing 13% or more of their value and most dropping by mid-single digits. Music is largely a service that operates seamlessly across borders and is mostly immune from the tariffs applied to manufactured goods. But investors clearly expect U.S. consumers to face higher prices and an uncertain labor market, which in turn causes people to reduce their spending on everything from everyday household items to more expensive items such as concert tickets and travel.
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The severity of stock declines varied by industry segment. Companies with high exposure to the U.S. advertising market were hit particularly hard, a reflection of brands’ tendency to reduce their ad spending in times of economic uncertainty. In the radio segment, iHeartMedia shares fell 13.1%, Cumulus Media dropped 10.1% and Townsquare Media sank 6.3%. Satellite radio company SiriusXM lost 5.4%. Music streamer LiveOne, which has both subscription and ad-supported offerings, fell 12.9%. PodcastOne, a podcast company majority owned by LiveOne, dipped 10.3%.
Companies involved in live music also fared poorly. Sphere Entertainment Co. fell 13.9% while sister company MSG Entertainment fell 6.8%. Live Nation dropped 6.4%. Secondary ticket marketplace Vivid Seats fell 9.6% and ticketing company Eventbrite sank 4.7%. Sphere Entertainment’s decline was mirrored in other companies that also rely on travel to Las Vegas: Las Vegas Sands Corp. lost 6.7%, MGM Grand International dipped 9.3%, Caesars Entertainment fell 9.5% and Wynn Resorts dropped 10.6%.
Multi-sector music companies — a combination of mainly recorded music and music publishing — fared relatively well. Universal Music Group lost 1.5%. Warner Music Group dropped just 0.7%. Reservoir Media was down 3.5%.
There was also a clear divide between companies that derive the majority of their income within the U.S. and companies that do not. Live music and ticketing companies based in the U.S. fell an average of 8.3% while German concert promoter CTS Eventim fell just 2.4%. Radio companies and LiveOne, which are more subject to the health of the U.S. advertising market, fared worse than Spotify, which fell just 1.2% despite offering an ad-supported tier in the U.S.
The most valuable American companies suffered huge losses as investors gauged the tariffs’ impact on foreign-manufactured goods. Apple shares dropped 9.3%, wiping out more than $300 billion of market value. Amazon, which does brisk business on items manufactured in Asian countries facing large tariffs, fell 9.0%. Meta, which relies on advertising for nearly all of its revenue, also dropped 9.0%.
