Music News
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This week, it was especially fitting that American Idol airs on Sundays. On the March 30 episode of the show, teenage contestant — and aspiring preacher — Canaan James Hill took the judges to church with his audition for the show, leaving Lionel Richie in particular stunned. Before diving into a soulful rendition of Earnest […]
Miley Cyrus has released the first song and visual from her upcoming album Something Beautiful, unleashing the cinematic “Prelude” on Monday morning (March 31). As indicated by its title, “Prelude” finds the pop star setting up the themes of her May 30-slated LP. As bright shots of shadows dancing over flowers flash in and out […]
One of Kurt Cobain‘s most iconic instruments is about to go on display for the first time in Europe. The Royal College of Music London announced that its “Kurt Cobain Unplugged” exhibit — which opens on June 3 and runs through Nov. 18 — will feature the late Nirvana singer’s rare Martin D-18E guitar, which […]
Five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper Jordan Davis will hit the road again this year, when his 18-city, headlining 2025 Ain’t Enough Road Tour, produced by Live Nation, launches Sept. 11 at Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, Calif. As the “I Ain’t Sayin’” hitmaker prepares for the tour later this year, he says he’s feeling the pressure — in the best way.
“The most pressure I feel as a touring artist is when you announce that new tour and now it’s a blank slate,” Davis tells Billboard, noting his focus is on giving his best to find new ways of bringing his music and live shows to fans who have supported him since the beginning, from his 2018 debut album, Home State.
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“We’re so blessed with an amazing fanbase, truly, the people that have been to 30+ shows and who continue to come and see us and support us,” Davis says. “When I think of a new tour, that’s who I immediately go to, the day one fans. It’s like, ‘How do I do something that they haven’t seen?’ If I can do something that feels new and feels cool to a fan that’s been there from day one, I think I’m going to cover the wide range of fans we’ve picked up along the way.”
The Ain’t Enough Road Tour will make stops in Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York, St. Louis and more, before concluding Oct. 25 in Estero, Florida’s Hertz Arena. Davis will welcome “Hell Is a Dance Floor” hitmaker Vincent Mason as an opener. Also joining him is “Truth About You” hitmaker Mitchell Tenpenny, who previously opened for Davis on his 2024 Damn Good Time World Tour and joined Davis on Luke Combs’ recent stadium shows in Australia.
“Mitchell is a superstar,” Davis says, adding, “Vincent had ‘Hell is a Dance Floor,’ and I could not stop listening to that song. I saw he signed with Universal, where I’m signed and the second I saw that, I was like, ‘I’ve got to get this kid on tour.’ Mitchell and me have a good time and Vincent looks like he’s down to have a good time, too. It’s going to be some great music.”
It was one of those recent Australia shows with Combs and Tenpenny in Brisbane, Australia, that presented Davis with one of his most memorable onstage moments to date.
“There were storms coming in,” Davis recalls. “We were about three-quarters of the way through our show and I kept seeing the lightning getting closer. I thought, ‘I don’t know if we will be able to finish this [set] or not,’ and just then my drummer came through in our in-ears and was like, ‘We have to cut two songs.’ I always end ‘Buy Dirt’ with an a cappella piece. I finished ‘Buy Dirt’ and I’m standing out there like, ‘Ah, I can’t not do this.’ So, I just started singing it a cappella and about that time, it starts pouring rain. I’ve never heard a crowd get that loud in my life, singing every word. It was truly one of the most special moments I’ve had onstage.”
Starting with his 2018 Country Airplay chart-topper “Singles You Up,” Davis has become a radio chart mainstay thanks to songs including “What My World Spins Around” and “Tucson Too Late.” Two of his hit singles have earned song of the year accolades: ACM song of the year winner “Next Thing You Know” and CMA/NSAI song of the year winner “Buy Dirt.” Those songs helped spur his 2023 album Bluebird Days to platinum-selling status, and earlier this year, he notched the No. 2 Country Airplay hit “I Ain’t Sayin’.”
With his new song “Bar None,” he could potentially extend his chart-topping tally. Though Davis is often a co-writer on many of his hits, such as “Tucson Too Late” and “Buy Dirt,” his new song “Bar None” is an outside cut, written by Hunter Phelps, Lydia Vaughn and Ben Johns, with production by Paul DiGiovanni.
“I fell in love with it from the first time I listened to it,” Davis says. “The second you hear the hook, you want to be like, all right, I bet you they’re going to do this. This one surprised me. I didn’t really see it going here. I think about the line, ‘If moving on had a scoreboard it’d say, ‘You and your memory one/ Me and this bar none.’ It gave me a smile, like ‘Well done.’”
He adds, “I’ve always loved being able to kind of twist a hook. That’s one of my favorite things about songwriting, to take an idea and go somewhere completely different with it. It’s something that feels like a song I haven’t done from a production standpoint, even instrumentation-wise, with the banjo part [at the beginning].”
While his new single centers on a vain attempt at drowning heartbreak in a barroom, Davis’ time is devoted to his career and his family — both of which continue expanding as he keeps piling up hit songs, while he and his wife Kristen are expecting their fourth child. Davis says his growing family is looking at moving into a larger home.
Jordan Davis
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“That was actually the first thing, when my wife told me she was expecting, I was like, ‘Well, where are we going to put the nursery?’ So, we’ve started the search for a place with another bedroom.” Davis says they don’t know if the baby is a boy or girl yet, and notes, “We’re just going to wait and find out. We’ve got a girl [daughter Eloise, born in 2019] and two boys [Locklan, born in 2021, and Elijah, born in 2023], which means it’ll probably be another boy, which will increase the gray hairs on my head,” he says with a chuckle. “My boys want another brother, and my daughter really wants a sister.”
Even as he focuses on family and work, that doesn’t mean Davis doesn’t have a favorite Nashville bar he’ll visit on occasion.
“I think my buddy Luke [Bryan]’s got a good [bar] downtown with Luke’s 32 Bridge. My dad loves to come in town and go honky tonk. If he’s in town, we’ll go. That’s one of the few times I’ll hit up Broadway, and we usually always find ourselves at Luke’s.”
See the tour announcement video for the Jordan Davis Ain’t Enough Road Tour, featuring Peyton Manning and Jim Nantz, below:
Pre-sale tickets for the Ain’t Enough Road Tour will be available beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. through Davis’s fanclub The Parish, while tickets for the tour go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. See the list of tour dates for the Jordan Davis: Ain’t Enough Road Tour below:
Sept. 11 – Greater Palm Springs, CA @ Acrisure ArenaSept. 12 – Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at ConcordSept.18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek TheatreSept. 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial TheatreSept. 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta AmphitheaterSept. 26 – Independence, MO @ Cable Dahmer ArenaSept. 27 – St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz ArenaOct. 2 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music HallOct. 3 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at FenwayOct. 9 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank ArenaOct. 10 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate ArenaOct. 11 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO PavilionOct. 16 – Dayton, OH @ Wright State University Nutter CenterOct. 17 – Hershey, PA @ Giant CenterOct. 23 – Duluth, GA @ Gas South ArenaOct. 24 – Savannah, GA @ Enmarket ArenaOct. 25 – Estero, FL @ Hertz Arena
Unlike some other artists, Guster did not cancel their booked gig at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center in the wake of the prestigious venue’s MAGA makeover in which Donald Trump had himself appointed as chairman and filled the organization’s board with loyalists while vowing to fill the stage with “non-woke” musicals such as his favorite, Cats.
In fact, Guster did just the opposite. During their gig on Friday night (March 28), the band staged a subtle protest against the administration’s planned make-over — which has quickly resulted in more than two dozens shows and performers canceling scheduled gigs — by bringing out the cast of Finn, an LGBTQ+ musical whose performances were called off after the Trump revamp.
Finn is a children’s musical that opened to good reviews at the Kennedy Center last year, telling the story of a young shark who “wants to let his inner fish out.” According to a video of the performance , Guster invited out the cast of the musical with trans themes, with singer Ryan Miller explaining, “I have a friend named Michael who wrote the songs for a musical called Finn” in the midst of the band’s show with the National Symphony Orchestra.
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“In the before times they were booked to play here at the Kennedy Center. But as all of you know, things happened, and the show is no longer being presented here,” Miller continued. “As the new administration has made abundantly clear, Finn’s themes of inclusivity, love, and self-acceptance aren’t going to be welcome in this building while they are in control. So tonight our band is here to say our stage is your stage. We are your allies, we stand with the LGBTQ community, and we want you to sing with us. Please welcome the cast of Finn and composer Michael Kooman.”
The six singers from the cast received a prolonged, raucous standing ovation before the performance of Guster’s “Hard Times” and then again after.
Following Finn‘s cancellation at the Kennedy Center — which the venue said at the time was a “purely financial decision” — the show was performed by a cast of Broadway stars for a one-night-only livestream at New York’s Town Hall earlier this month, with a portion of the proceeds earmarked for The Trevor Project. Among the stars who participated in the special event were: Andrew Rannells, Bonnie Milligan, Nikki M James, Kelli o’Hara, Lea Salonga, Michael Urie, Peppermint, Brenda Braxton and more.
To date, more than two dozen events have been canceled by the artists or postponed at the Kennedy Center following the Trump revamp, including shows by Issa Rae, a production of Hamilton, the National Youth Poet Laureate event, Blacks in Wax, as well as shows by Low Cut Connie and Amanda Rheaume, a book event with J. Geils Band singer Peter Wolf and many more.
Morgan Wallen‘s hasty retreat from the stage at Saturday Night Live over the weekend during the traditional credits roll lovefest raised a lot of eyebrows. After performing two songs as the musical guest on the episode hosted by Oscar-winning Anora star Mikey Madison, Wallen whispered something into the actress’ ear and then abruptly walked off […]
Dua Lipa wrapped the Australian leg of her Radical Optimism world tour on March 29 with one last surprise for Sydney fans: a stripped-back duet of “Big Jet Plane” alongside Angus Stone. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The crowd at Qudos Bank Arena joined in on […]
Over 20 country artists have signed an open letter calling on U.S. Congress to continue funding PEPFAR — the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief — and help bring an end to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.
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The letter, drafted by the ONE Campaign and The 2030 Collaborative, was published in the Nashville Tennessean this week and features signatures from major names across country and Americana, including Brad Paisley, Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant, Darius Rucker, LeAnn Rimes, and members of Little Big Town — Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Philip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook.
“America, did you know that you have led the world in saving the lives of 26 million people from HIV/AIDS around the world?” the letter begins. “That’s thanks to a program called PEPFAR.”
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Launched in 2003 under President George W. Bush, PEPFAR is credited with drastically reducing global deaths from HIV/AIDS. The bipartisan initiative has provided antiretroviral medications to more than 20 million people globally, making it one of the most successful U.S. foreign aid programs in history.
But with recent political shifts, the future of PEPFAR’s funding hangs in the balance.
“If Congress decides to cut funding for PEPFAR, people will not receive their medication. The virus will rebound. Infections will multiply. Millions will die,” the artists write. “And, the epidemic will grow exponentially worldwide — including a potential explosion in our own backyards.”
The letter emphasizes both the humanitarian and strategic importance of continued investment in the program: “This isn’t just the smart thing to do — for national security, economic, and public health reasons — this is the right thing to do.”
Also lending support is Dr. Bill Frist, the former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and a Middle Tennessee resident who played a key role in passing PEPFAR legislation.
“PEPFAR is the ultimate example of American exceptionalism and compassion,” he said in a statement. “If we back away from this historic, bipartisan commitment to those less fortunate, we are ceding ground to China… and we are turning our back on a successful diplomatic strategy that has fostered unlikely allies, stabilized nations, and strengthened our place in the world.”
Fans and advocates are encouraged to visit ONE.org to send letters of their own to Congress.
Other artists who signed the letter include Brandy Clark, Brittney Spencer, Cam, Cassadee Pope, Drew and Ellie Holcomb, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland, Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, and Mickey Guyton.
More than 20 years since it became required listening for any mid-aughts music fan, the artists featured on the soundtrack to acclaimed indie film Garden State have come together in Los Angeles for a one-night only affair.
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Initially released in July 2004, Garden State served as the directorial debut for Scrubs star Zach Braff, and earned itself a nomination for the grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Though it avoided much of the Hollywood glitz and glamor, the film developed a cult following, thanks in part to its eclectic soundtrack.
Equally influential and acclaimed, the soundtrack collected names such as The Shins, Coldplay, and Iron & Wine as something of a snapshot of the era’s indie landscape. Ultimately, the soundtrack peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and won the 2005 Grammy for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.
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In October 2024, it was announced a special concert celebration would take place at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater on March 29, with proceeds from the affair going to benefit The Midnight Mission, a homeless shelter and services provider founded in L.A. in 1914.
Promotion for the event promised appearances from (almost) every artist featured on the soundtrack, along with “very special guests” by way of cast member appearances, and on Saturday (March 29), the full anniversary concert came to fruition.
Artists such as The Shins were on hand to perform the likes of “Caring is Creepy” and “New Slang” (which attained widespread fame thanks to Natalie Portman’s character insisting the song will “change your life; I swear”), while Cary Brothers, Bonnie Somerville, Colin Hay, Thievery Corporation, Cary Brothers, and Sophie Barker of Zero 7 also appeared to perform their respective cuts.
A handful of notable absences did alter the dream lineup, however. While pop heavyweights Coldplay weren’t on hand to perform “Don’t Panic,” neither were Simon & Garfunkel available to run through “The Only Living Boy in New York.” In their absence, Laufey and The Milk Carton Kids got up onstage to cover their songs, respectively. Likewise, Iron & Wine paid tribute to the late Nick Drake by adding a rendition of “One of These Things First” to his scheduled performance.
The event also resulted in a couple of rare performances from the likes of Frou Frou and Remy Zero. While Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth of Frou Frou have been active again since 2017, the pair had not performed live since 2019, with the Garden State concert seeing them appear onstage once again.
Remy Zero, meanwhile, broke up in 2010 and reformed exclusively for the Saturday concert. The band largely reunited to play their 1998 track “Fair,” though they also used the opportunity to provide fans with a chance to hear the track “Save Me,” which found fame as the theme to Smallville from 2001 to 2011.
On the non-musical front, the event also featured appearances from both Braff and Portman, while Danny DeVito (an executive producer on the original film), and Braff’s former Scrubs co-stars Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke took to the stage to partake in the festivities and the fundraising efforts.
For those that missed out on the event, the concert will be available to purchase for streaming from April 6. Proceeds from the stream will also be donated to The Midnight Mission.
Longtime REO Speedwagon vocalist Kevin Cronin has taken to social media to share his thoughts on his lack of inclusion in an upcoming one-off reunion event.
Cronin, who has been touring with his own Kevin Cronin Band, addressed a fan on Facebook who noted the singer’s absence from REO Speedwagon’s forthcoming concert in Champaign, Illinois on June 14, responding that organizers of the event could have picked a date when many of the band’s former members were readily available to attend.
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“Instead they chose June 14, 2025, a date where it was public knowledge that I was previously committed to perform with Styx and Kevin Cronin Band in Bend, Oregon,” Cronin wrote. “Bottom line, I am being asked to participate in an event on a date when I can’t possibly be there in-person. And then being falsely accused of turning down the invitation. I am deeply disturbed and hurt by all of this.
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“After all I have done to help build the legacy of REO Speedwagon, I feel I have earned and deserve to be included in any event honoring that legacy. Instead, I have been knowingly excluded.”
Cronin joined REO Speedwagon in early 1972, taking over from Terry Luttrell who reportedly left due to personal issues with guitarist Gary Richrath. Though Cronin was himself briefly replaced by Mike Murphy the following year, he returned in 1976 and remained in the band until their end, performing on tracks such as their two Hot 100 chart-toppers “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling.”
In late 2024, REO Speedwagon announced that they would cease touring as of Jan. 1, 2025. In a note shared to fans, the group explained that bassist Bruce Hall had not recovered sufficiently from previous back surgery and his inability to tour led to “irreconcilable differences” between Hall and Cronin.
REO Speedwagon played their final live performance on Dec. 21 at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, but in March announced they would be playing a special one-off show at the State Farm Center in their hometown of Champaign, Illinois on June 14. Officially titled as an event ‘Honoring the Legacy of REO Speedwagon,’ the show is described as a “concert retrospective featuring special guests & former members.”
Indeed, Hall and Neal Doughty from the final REO Speedwagon lineup are confirmed to attend, as are previous vocalists Luttrell and Murphy. Founding drummer Alan Gratzer and 1969 guitarist Steve Scorfina are also listed as appearing, while a special tribute will be held to late members Gary Richrath and Gregg Philbin.
In his social media comment, Cronin also claimed that the remaining members of the band’s final lineup – who currently perform alongside him in the Kevin Cronin Band – weren’t given the option of appearing at the forthcoming show. “35-year REO veterans Dave Amato and Bryan Hitt were not even shown the respect of being invited to the Champaign event,” he added.
Cronin spoke to Billboard ahead of REO Speedwagon’s final show in December, explaining that the circumstances behind the band’s ending were less than ideal, and admitted there is still a level of acrimony between he and Hall. “It’s kind of like a divorce of sorts,” he explained, “and during a divorce things get a little muddy and things get a little sticky. I wish it could’ve been more amicable, but the minute attorneys get involved it just changes the atmosphere of things.”
“I think it’s unfortunate that some fans were kind of brought into something that I really feel should’ve been kept as a private, personal matter,” he continued. “It’s never thrilling when things are said that are inaccurate and hurtful. My hope is that there will come a time where the dust will have settled. My intention is to ask forgiveness for anything that I’ve done or any hurt that I have caused Bruce. I don’t like to have grudges with people. I like to forgive and be forgiven.”