Music

25 Oct 2023

Dream Theater Reuniting With Founding Drummer Mike Portnoy for 16th Studio Album

Dream Theater are getting the band back together. The Grammy-winning prog rockers announced on Wednesday (Oct. 25) that founding drummer Mike Portnoy will be back in the fold when the group head back into the studio soon to work on their 16th studio album and first with Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings.

“I understand Dream Theater’s decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time,” said drummer Mike Mangini, who took over for Portnoy in 2010. “As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor.”

Dream Theater was formed in Boston in 1985 by Portnoy, bassist John Myung and guitarist John Petrucci when the trio were enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Portnoy said he was “overwhelmed with joy to be returning home and reuniting with my brothers! There is so much shared history between us all… so many memories, so much music… to think we’re coming up on 40 years since this journey began! The idea of creating new music together is so exciting and I absolutely cannot wait to hit the road and get to play live for a whole new generation of fans that weren’t ever able to see this lineup before…There’s no place like home!!” 

Myung said it feels great to get back together with Portnoy more than four decades after the group’s formation. “I am excited to see what this next phase of Dream Theater creates for the future,” he said. “I wish nothing but the best for Mike Mangini for all the blood, sweat and tears he put into DT during his 13-year tenure with the band.”

In Portnoy’s absence the group released 2011’s A Dramatic Turn of Events, a self-titled 2013 album, 2016’s The Astonishing, 2019’s Distance Over Time and 2021’s A View From the Top of the World, for which they won a Grammy in 2022 for best metal performance for “Alien.” The band– which also features singer James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess — recently wrapped the first Dreamsonic tour, a prog-rock package tour that also featured Devin Townsend and Animals As Leaders.

See the reunited band below.

25 Oct 2023

Lainey Wilson, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney Among Initial Round of CMA Awards Performers

The two most-nominated artists at this year’s CMA Awards are also among this year’s initial round of performers.

Lainey Wilson, this year’s leading contender with nine nominations, and Jelly Roll, with five nominations, will both perform during the 57th annual CMA Awards, which airs live on Nov. 8 on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

The star-studded lineup will also feature one of this year’s co-hosts, two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner Luke Bryan, as well as performances from Megan Moroney, Little Big Town, K. Michelle, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton and newly-inducted Country Music Hall of Fame member Tanya Tucker.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Though Jelly Roll is a first-time CMA Awards performer, he will have two performance slots during CMA Awards night, opening the show with his Billboard No. 1 Country Airplay hit “Need a Favor.” Later in the telecast, he will join forces with R&B performer K. Michelle to perform a tribute to The Judds, offering up the duo’s signature hit “Love Can Build a Bridge.” Jelly Roll, K. Michelle and The Fisk Jubilee Singers recorded a version of “Love Can Build a Bridge” as part of the upcoming The Judds tribute album (A Tribute to the Judds) is out on Oct. 27.

Wilson — who earned her first nomination in the coveted entertainer of the year category this year — will perform “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”

Meanwhile, Bryan will celebrate his more than two dozen No. 1 Country Airplay chart-toppers, offering a medley of hits including “Play It Again” and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).”

Three-time nominee Chris Stapleton will also pull double-duty as a performer this year, offering his new single, “White Horse,” and teaming with Carly Pearce (up for female vocalist and musical event of the year) to perform their duet “We Don’t Fight Anymore.”

Little Big Town will join Tucker for a performance of her debut 1972 hit “Delta Dawn.” Meanwhile, Old Dominion (who are up for vocal group and music video of the year) and Megan Moroney (up for new artist and song of the year) will perform their collaboration “Can’t Break Up Now,” featured on Old Dominion’s recent Memory Lane project.

The CMA Awards will be co-hosted by Bryan and NFL legend Peyton Manning. Additional performers and presenters will be revealed in the coming weeks.

25 Oct 2023

Try Not to Lose It, But Eminem Now Serving Up ‘Mom’s Spaghetti’ Sauce in a Jar

Eminem is dropping a hot new joint on Thursday (Oct. 26). It is not, however, the one his fans were looking for. The MC revealed on Tuesday that he’s taking the “Lose Yourself” brand extension beyond the Mom’s Spaghetti restaurants he’s opened in his hometown of Detroit and New York.

“From the D 2 ur kitchen [spaghetti emoji] #momsspaghetti sauce is droppin 10/26,” he tweeted alongside a video cued to “Drop the Bomb On ‘Em” from his 2009 Relapse:Refill album. The clip featured jars of the spaghetti sauce falling through the sky and smashing on a traditional red-and-white checkered tablecloth accompanied by the message, “The sauce is dropping.”

Fans love anything Shady does, but the comments on the tweet said it all, with one writing, “DROP THE ALBUMMMMMMM,” with another seconding that emotion, “You drop album, I guy the sauce, deal” and a third lamenting, “This is not what we meant when we said drop the album.”

Mom’s Spaghetti is, of course, an homage to the iconic first verse of Em’s Oscar-winning 2002 song “Lose Yourself” from his film debut, 8 Mile, in which he raps, “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy/ There’s vomit on his sweater already, mom’s spaghetti.”

After opening the first Mom’s in D-Town in Sept. 2021, Em brought the chain to L.A. for a Super Bowl pop-up in Feb. 2022, then set down roots in New York in November of that year. The sauce news was sweet (or spicy, we don’t know the recipe yet), but what commenters really seemed to want was news on the follow up to 2020’s Music To Be Murdered By, which featured collabs with Ed Sheeran, Juice WRLD, Don Toliver, Q-Tip, Anderson .Paak, Young M.A. and many more.

Em’s sauce

Check out the Mom’s Spaghetti sauce ad below.

25 Oct 2023

CMT Bows New Franchise, ‘Smashing Glass: A Celebration of the Groundbreaking Women of Music’

CMT will salute pioneering women artists with CMT Smashing Glass: A Celebration of the Groundbreaking Women of Music, a new franchise that premieres Nov. 15. 

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

R&B legend Patti LaBelle and country icon Tanya Tucker are the first two recipients. They will be honored for breaking down barriers by artists they’ve inspired before each recipient will perform. The acts participating in the salutes will be announced shortly.

“We’re beyond excited to bring this electrifying and empowering new franchise to life by honoring iconic women who’ve fearlessly smashed glass ceilings and kicked in doors, holding them wide open for past, present and future generations,” said Margaret Comeaux, CMT’s senior vp  of production, music & events and executive producer, in a statement. “Both Patti and Tanya deserve to be celebrated for continuing to set the industry gold standard with boundary-breaking crossover success, bold, uncompromising lives and careers, and creating timeless music and impact that remains as powerful and relevant as ever.” 

cmt smashing glass

Courtesy Photo

LaBelle, who began her career in the early 1960s, is best known for such hits as “Lady Marmalade” (with her group LaBelle), and as a solo artist with “You are My Friend,” “New Attitude” and “Stir It Up.” The multiple Grammy winner has also made her mark as an actress in such film and TV projects as A Soldier’s Story, A Different World and Out All Night.

Tucker, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame earlier this month, was still a teenager when she began topping the charts in the ‘70s with songs like “Delta Dawn” and ”Would You Lay With Me.” She experienced a career resurgence when her 2019 album, While I’m Livin’ won the Grammy for best country album.

Additionally, CMT Smashing Glass will posthumously pay tribute to a trio of women artists with “Moments of Respect” performances that will salute Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Sinead O’Connor: “Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, who forever altered the path for women with her legacy of demanding ‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T,’ the ‘Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner, who empowered the world with her resilience, and Sinead O’Connor, who broke the traditional ‘pop star’ mold and used her life and music to illuminate the world’s burning issues,” added Patizia DiMaria, executive producer.

In addition to Comeaux and 21st Floor Productions’ DiMaria, the rest of the all-female production team includes director Lauren Quinn, who also serves as an executive producer with DiMaria and Michelle Mahoney. Jackie Barba and Heather D. Graffagnino are executives in charge of production, Leslie Fram is executive in charge of talent and Suzanne Bender is talent producer. 

“CMT Smashing Glass is a grand finale to a landmark 2023 which we dedicated as our ‘Year of the Woman,’” said Fram, who is CMT’s senior vp of music and talent. “Kicking off in January with a milestone 10th anniversary of the Next Women of Country  (NWOC) franchise, we celebrated female voices across all programming and events—from our women-led headliners at CMT Music Awards and ‘Equal Play’ honoree Shania Twain, to bi-monthly NWOC artist showcases and the greenlight of our CMT Defining series, we remain dedicated to ‘Equal Play’ and advocating for the trailblazers of the past, superstars of the present and the future voices in our format.”

25 Oct 2023

Nicki Minaj Pushes Back ‘Pink Friday 2’: ‘It Will Come Out on My Birthday’

Nicki Minaj shared some good news/bad news with Barbz on Tuesday (Oct. 24). The good news is that her anticipated Pink Friday 2 album has a new release date that is super special to the rapper and her fans. The bad news is that instead of next month it’s now Dec. 8.

Minaj originally scheduled the album for Oct. 20, then re-scheduled it for Nov. 17, but in a message to fans she explained why she’s re-shuffled the deck again. “I have never in my life been so in love with something that I’m working on,” she said of the album that has been five years in the making, but which she explained had been delayed because she had writer’s block during her pregnancy and didn’t want to say “freaky” stuff.

“So this entire album will be the biggest gift I have ever given humanity thus far,” she promised of the LP that will make people “fall in love immediately.” First off, she said, the date change was because her longtime consigliere, Lil Wayne, is releasing a joint album with his pal 2 Chainz, Welcome 2 Collegrove, on Nov. 17, and just like he would never drop on the same day as Nicki, she is doing the same. “The new album date for this incredible body of work that I am so proud of is on a very special day to me and to the Barbz,” she said in a lengthy Instagram live video.

“It will come out on my birthday,” she added. “Pink Friday 2 I am so happy to announce will be out on my birthday, Dec 8th.” She had two other announcements as well, revealing that she has a new fragrance (also called Pink Friday 2) coming out on Dec. 13 and Dec. 26 through Amazon and J.C. Penny, respectively.

In September, while hosting the 2023 MTV VMAs, Nick previewed a new, untitled song from PF2 after previously teasing the sci-fi cover of the album.

The last time Minaj pushed the album she didn’t explain the reason, though at the time she promised on X (formerly known as Twitter) that the delay was because of “some really exciting news that I’ll share with you guys @ a later time.”

Pink Friday 2 is the follow-up to Minaj’s 2018 sophomore album, Queen.

See Minaj’s announcement below.

25 Oct 2023

Cardi B, Niall Horan, Anitta & More to Perform at TikTok in the Mix Event

TikTok is continuing its foray into the music world by announcing TikTok in The Mix, its first-ever live global music event for fans.

Cardi B, Niall Horan, Anitta and Charlie Puth are all set to headline the event, which will take place on Dec. 10 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. Additionally, rising stars Isabel LaRosa, Kaliii, LU KALA and Sam Barber will perform as part of TikTok’s emerging artist program, TikTok Elevate. For those unable to attend the event in person, In the Mix will be streamed globally via TikTok Live.

“I really love my TikTok fans and I’m very excited to be able to bring The Show to the TikTok In The Mix event,” Horan said in a press statement. “I’m also very much looking forward to performing in such a special venue and putting on an amazing show for all the fans that will be present on the day and also all the fans that will be watching from all over the world live on TikTok.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Paul Hourican, global head of music operations at TikTok, added, “No other platform mixes music, culture and creativity like TikTok. Our vision is to bring the mix of the For You Page to life for fans at the venue and around the world. We’ve got the best artists, the best production team and the biggest music-loving community all in one place.”

In the Mix is an all-ages event, with tickets available to purchase exclusively on TikTok. Fans who follow the headlining artists on TikTok are able to receive a special code allowing them to purchase tickets presale tickets on from Friday (Oct. 27) at 9 a.m. PT. Tickets go on general sale starting Thursday (Nov. 2) at 9 a.m. PT. For more information, search for “In the Mix” on TikTok or visit the event’s website here.

25 Oct 2023

Olivia Rodrigo Freaked out Jimmy Kimmel’s Kids on the School Run: Watch

The celebrity game is an easy one to play. Spot a celebrity, earn yourself a point. The brighter the star, the more points in your bag.

They might not know it yet, but Jimmy Kimmel’s kids won the celebrity game during a school drop-off one morning when they spotted Olivia Rodrigo on the side of the road, and the “Good 4 U” star got in the car.

The moment was, naturally, caught on camera for Kimmel’s late night show, airing Tuesday night, Oct. 24.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Posing as a hitchhiker, thumb out, Rodrigo gave the kids the surprise of their young lives when she scored a ride.

“You know Olivia, we listen to your music on the way to school all the time,” Kimmel announces to his passengers, two of whom are totally star-struck in the back: nine-year-old Jane and six-year-old son Billy.

After some miles had passed, and some back-and-forth questions, the Rodrigo tunes crank up for some Kimmel family karaoke. And why was she hitching? Surely you saw it coming. Rodrigo doesn’t actually own a drivers license.



Kimmel kept the motor running, as Rodrigo made her way to his show for a proper Q&A.

The triple Grammy Award winner, three-time Billboard Hot 100 leader, and two-time Billboard 200 champ stopped by to talk house hunting, her fear of ghosts, and the contents of her bag of “President Biden goodies.”

Fame is tricky, even for Rodrigo’s folks. Her dad “brags to his co-workers” about Olivia’s success, her mom is “modest and shy” and she’s “very coy” when asked about her daughter.

Rodrigo, like many of us, is fluent in profanity. When writing songs and whether to insert four-letter words, “I think about it often,” she explains. “I love using a swear word when I think it’s tasteful and necessary.” When penning some Guts tracks, she was “swearing all over them” and had to “pare it back.”

None of those four-letter curses appear in “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” which Rodrigo performed for Kimmel’s audience.

Watch below.

24 Oct 2023

Here’s Why ‘The Notebook’ Casting Director Wants Britney Spears to Have an Acting Comeback

Britney Spears could easily have a second career as an actor, says casting director Matthew Barry.

Earlier this week, Barry released Spears’ 2002 audition tape for the critically acclaimed film The Notebook, in which Spears is seen expertly delivering her lines and crying on que. Barry tells Billboard that Spears was “incredible” in her audition and, as Spears details in her memoir The Woman in Me, the decision came down to her and Rachel McAdams, who ultimately landed the role of Allie Hamilton opposite Ryan Gosling.

According to Barry, Spears took the audition very seriously and asked if she could work with him and his partner Nancy Green-Keyes prior to meeting with the director.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

“She wanted to get it right,” says Barry. “We really worked with her to guide her since we’ve worked with [director] Nick Cassavetes. I’d worked with him for 15 years and knew everything he was looking for.”

She was the only actress to request additional time with Barry and his partner, who also saw Jessica Biel, Mandy Moore, Claire Danes, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Bosworth and Jamie King for the role.

Spears work ethic following her feature film debut in the Shonda Rhimes-penned Crossroads was “phenomenal,” says Barry. “She was so determined. The thing I was most impressed with is that she came with no entourage, not even a driver. She just came in on her own, sat in our office and went over the scenes.”

According to Barry and Spears’s memoir, which was released Tuesday (Oct. 24), she very much wanted the role despite her reservations about acting again. “I think Britney felt she was not as trained as an actress,” says Barry, who explains that he decided to release the video now – after more than 20 years – to give her a “little more positive reinforcement” and to “show her fans that she was really fantastic.”

When Spears got the opportunity to audition with Gosling, Barry says the two hit it out of the park. They ran their scenes together, and it wasn’t until afterwards when the casting directors and Cassavetes were informed they were on The Mickey Mouse Club together years earlier. “It was a great reunion,” says Barry. “Ryan was part of the [casting] process and he was OK with either Rachel or Britney.”

Spears wrote in her memoir that her music career is on an indefinite hiatus: “Pushing forward in my music career is not my focus at the moment. Right now it’s time for me to try to get my spiritual life in order, to pay attention to little things, to slow down.”

With a break from music, Barry says Spears could easily make a creative comeback through acting. Given her Instagram videos of dancing, Barry believes “she still wants to perform. She’s trying desperately to express herself.”

As a casting director, he says it’s his job to turn over every rock and reach out to pop stars like Spears in 2002 (or Taylor Swift who he reached out to earlier this year to star in another Cassavetes film – he says her team turned her down with the international tour approaching).

“I honestly believe [Spears] can [make it in acting],” says Barry. “Come work with me, I’ll whip her into [acting] shape in a month.”

24 Oct 2023

Taylor Swift Teases Potential ‘From the Vault’ Lyrics Ahead of ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Release

Taylor Swift is just days away from releasing 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and she teased what appears to be lyrics from one of her “From the Vault” tracks on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday (Oct. 24).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The IG Stories snap featured handwritten lines in a notebook that read, “Let’s fast forward to 300 takeout coffees later / I see your profile and your smile on unsuspecting waiters.” While Swift did not indicate what the words are from, Swifties on Twitter believe that they are lyrics from one of the Vault tracks.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is out on Oct. 27 and will feature all 16 original and bonus tracks from the 2014 album, plus the previously revealed “Vault” tracks including “Is It Over Now?,” “Now That We Don’t Talk,” “Say Don’t Go,” “Slut!” and “Suburban Legends.”

Surprisingly, there are no features on the current track list, shutting down rumors of a potential collaboration with Nicki Minaj or even Harry Styles.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be Swift’s fourth “Version,” since announcing her re-recording project in 2019. The previous three all logged time at No. 1 on the Billboard 200: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) with one week in 2021, and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with two weeks in 2023.

24 Oct 2023

Jennifer Lopez Has a Blast Dancing to Adele & Usher in Las Vegas

Jennifer Lopez took over the Las Vegas strip over the weekend, and the “Waiting for Tonight” singer shared highlights from the concerts she attended on Instagram.

The superstar attended Usher’s My Way residency first, and in the clip posted to social media on Monday (Oct. 23), she’s seen dancing to his 2004 hit, “Burn.” The next day, Lopez attended Weekends with Adele, belting her heart out to songs like “Someone Like You” and “When We were Young.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Adele even gave her a shoutout onstage. “Love you, JLo,” the “Easy on Me” singer announced into the mic. “Until Next Time Vegas…” Lopez captioned her post, which you can see here.

JLo is no stranger to a Vegas residency, as she had her own at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino from 2016 to 2018. The residency notched over $1 million in ticket sales, according to the venue.

Speaking of Las Vegas, back in July, the singer/actress dropped a 20-second preview of her ode to Ben Affleck and their Sin City wedding, “Midnight in Vegas.” “Then you whispered in my ear/ Said, ‘let’s get out of here’/ We can disappear tonight/ What about a midnight trip to Vegas?/ Just me and you, baby/ Throw the kids in the back of the pink Cadillac/ And us in the bathroom changing,” she sang in a selfie lip synch video posted to her On the JLo page.