Music

While Justin Bieber stays busy recording the long-awaited follow-up to his 2021 Justice album, his backing gorup, We the Band, dropped their debut single on Friday morning (June 13). The Earth, Wind & Fire-esque slow-burn R&B jam “One & Only” showcases the group’s smooth, soulful vocals and retro ’70s funk style. The slick accompanying performance video was directed by Zev York in collaboration with Nick DeMoura, who was the choreographer and creative director for JB’s 2023 Believe world tour.

The group consisting of bassist/vocalist Harv, DJ Tay James, guitarist/vocalist Julian Michael, drummer Devin “Stixx” Taylor and keyboardist Dr. O backed up Bieber on his 2015 Purpose world tour as well as his 2022 Justice world tour, which prematurely ended in Sept. 2022 after the singer revealed that he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and suffering from partial facial paralysis.

According to a release announcing the song, Tay James met Bieber in 2009 after graduating from college, snagging a gig as the singer’s official DJ, followed by bassist Harv taking on the role of music director in Bieber’s live band, which he filled out with Taylor and Michael. In 2021, Harv co-wrote and co-produced Bieber’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Peaches.”

We The Band recently signed with the Avex Music Group and the group is working to finish their as-yet-untitled debut album, which, according to a release announcing the signing will include unnamed “special guest appearances.”

“This has been a dream of ours for many years now,” the group said in a statement. “To create our own music that represents who we are as musicians with the support of a global powerhouse like Avex is incredibly exciting for all of us. We can’t wait for our fans to hear what we’ve been working on.”

At press time no additional information was available on Bieber’s next studio album, which the singer has been teasing for much of the past year via videos and pictures from the recording studio.

Check out the “One & Only” video below.

While Jonas Brothers fans await the release of the sibling band’s Greetings From Your Hometown studio album on Aug. 8, they can keep their summer cool with a live LP that dropped on Friday (June 13). Live From the O2 London is a 24-track collection recorded at the iconic London venue last year, featuring such beloved hits as “Sucker,” “Only Human,” “Waffle House,” “What a Man Gotta Do,” “Year 3000” and “Burning Up.”

Along with those bangers, the album ends with a cover of the Cranberries’ 1993 hit “Dreams,” and also features the unreleased ballad “When You Know” from their upcoming LP. In addition, the career-spanning live album opens with the 2023 song “Wings,” and makes pit stops at “Summer Baby,” “Vacation Eyes,” “Play My Music,” “Fly With Me,” “Paranoid,” “Walls” and “Only Human,” as well as including “Cake By the Ocean” from Joe Jonas’ side band, DNCE.

In an Instagram post earlier this week, the trio promised that the live album’s tracklist features songs from “the early days, unreleased music from our upcoming studio album, and a ton of favorites in between.” They added, “Getting to capture the energy from these shows on Nick’s birthday in London last year was something special and we can’t wait to share it with you all.”

This year has been all about celebrating the trio’s 20th anniversary as a band, which, so far, has included the release of the singles “Slow Motion” and “Love Me To Heaven,” as well as the massive JONASCON gathering at New Jersey’s American Dream. The band will hit the road for their North American Jonas20: Living the Dream stadium tour slated to kick off on Aug. 10 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Listen to Jonas Brothers Live From the O2 London LP below.