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Nearly a decade ago, as a college senior, rising country singer Kassi Ashton signed a record deal with Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN)/Interscope Records. Now 30 — and following the success of her highest-charting single to date — the California, Mo. native will finally release her anticipated debut album, Made From the Dirt, on Sept. 20.
Foundation
Singer-songwriter Ashton is a study in contrasts: a motorcycle enthusiast who designs and crafts many of her stage and red-carpet outfits from scratch (including for this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards, where she was nominated for new female artist of the year). As a child, she competed in pageants mostly as a vessel for showcasing her music. Even then, her vocal prowess was apparent, thanks to influence from vocalists including Adele, Aretha Franklin and (later) the country-soul of Chris Stapleton. Ashton soon started writing original songs, enrolling at Nashville’s Belmont University to study commercial voice and music business.
Discovery
In 2016, as college graduation neared, Ashton signed a management and publishing deal with Nashville-based Creative Nation. By 2017, she scored a label deal with UMGN in partnership with Interscope. But the ensuing years were spent refining her sound and weathering setbacks, with none of her singles promoted at radio — and no debut album. “I never felt like I should quit,” she says. “When I signed, they wanted me to go straight to radio. I said no because I didn’t have a song I wanted to sing for the rest of my life.” Her first full-length was also delayed by the pandemic in 2020, but in 2022, she finally issued her debut country radio single, “Dates in Pickup Trucks,” followed by “Drive You Out of My Mind.” The two songs built momentum, but this year’s “Called Crazy” has resonated most, rising to No. 32 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. “It came so easy,” she says. “I felt like I was finding a pillar.”
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Future
Nearly a decade after inking her label deal, Ashton will release her long-awaited debut album, Made From the Dirt, on Sept. 20. She teamed with longtime collaborator Luke Laird, as well as Oscar Charles, to craft an eclectic mix of uptempo jams (“I Don’t Wanna Dance”), grungy rock gems (“Son of a Gun”) and a heartfelt tribute to her late grandmother (“Juanita”). “I couldn’t have made this album at 23,” Ashton says. “It would have been rushed and not steady with who I am as a person. I can’t wait to see how what I’ve put energy, time and tears into is connecting.”
A version of this story appears in the Aug. 24, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Shawn Mendes, Anitta, Karol G and LL Cool J are joining the roster of stars slated to perform at the 2024 MTV VMAs live on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m. ET/PT from New York’s UBS Arena.
Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, GloRilla and Rauw Alejandro were the first artists slated to perform at the awards; they were announced on Aug. 12. Benson Boone, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz and LISA were added to the lineup on Aug. 21. Megan Thee Stallion is set to host the show. Katy Perry will receive the Video Vanguard Award and also perform on the show.
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Latin music will be heavily represented on the show, with three performers from the genre (Anitta, Karol G and Alejandro) and a fourth (Cabello) with Latin roots.
Cabello and Mendes performed “Señorita” on the VMAs in 2019 when they were pop’s most photogenic couple, dating until 2021 and briefly reuniting in 2023. This year, they are set to perform separately.
Ahead of the release of his fifth studio album, Shawn, on Oct. 18, Mendes will make a return to the MTV stage for the first televised performance from the album. Mendes has a streak to protect: His first four studio albums all reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Mendes performed on the VMAs three years running: “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” (2017), “In My Blood” (2018) and “If I Can’t Have You” and “Señorita” (2019). Most recently, he performed “Summer of Love,” his collab with Tainy, in 2021. Mendes is a two-time VMA winner.
Anitta is set to bring her signature Brazilian funk to the MTV stage for a third consecutive year with a medley of “Savage Funk” and “Alegria” plus the world premiere of “Paradise” with guest appearances by Fat Joe, DJ Khaled and Tiago PZK. Last year, she graced the stage twice: first with a medley of her Funk Generation hits “Used to Be,” “Funk Rave” and “Grip,” followed by a genre-bending K-pop/Latin crossover performance with TOMORROW X TOGETHER on “Back for More.” In 2022, she performed a medley that included “Envolver,” “Bola Rebola” and “Vai Malandra.” The first Brazilian artist to win at the VMAs in 2022 – best Latin for “Envolver” – Anitta is vying for her third consecutive best Latin win this year.
Karol G is also set to make a return to the MTV stage. Last year, the Colombian star won her first Moon Person – best collaboration alongside Shakira – and made her VMAs debut with a sultry rendition of “Oki Doki” / “Tá Ok.” This year, she’s poised to take home her second Moon Person and her first win in the best Latin category. Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito World Tour became the highest-grossing Latin tour by a woman in Billboard Boxscore history. Her album Mañana Será Bonito made her the first woman, and only the second artist ever, to top the Billboard 200 with an all-Spanish-language album. Her many awards include a Grammy, five Latin Grammys and the title of 2024 Billboard Woman of the Year.
LL Cool J will return to the MTV stage to perform new music from his upcoming album The FORCE, due Sept. 6. Last year, LL was part of the show-closing all-star 50th-anniversary salute to hip-hop – during which he performed his hits “I’m Bad” and “Mama Said Knock You Out.” It was his first VMAs performance in more than 25 years. LL, the 1997 Video Vanguard recipient, performed “Mama Said Knock You Out” on the 1991 show. He also took home his first Moon Person – best rap – for that same hit.
This year will mark the first time the show has been held on 9/11 since the terrorist attack in 2001 made that date infamous. In observance of the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, MTV will again support the nonprofit 9/11 Day, which organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and Tuesday’s Children, which serves the families of 9/11.
The 2024 show will be held just three days shy of the 40th anniversary of the inaugural VMAs at Radio City Music Hall, where Madonna stole the show.
Taylor Swift leads the nominations for the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, with 10 nods. Her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone is second, with nine nods – eight in tandem with Swift plus one for his hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen. They are followed by Ariana Grande, Eminem and Carpenter (six nods each); Megan Thee Stallion and SZA (five each), and LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims (four each).
Other artists with multiple nominations are Anitta, Benson Boone, Bleachers, GloRilla, Dua Lipa and Tyla, with three each; and Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Roan, Charli XCX, Coldplay, Drake, Jelly Roll, Jessie Murph, Jung Kook, Latto, Alejandro, Sexyy Red, Tate McRae, Usher and Victoria Monét, with two each.
Fans can vote for their favorites across 15 gender-neutral categories by visiting vote.mtv.com through Friday, Aug. 30. Voting for best new artist will remain active into the show on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Nominations in social categories will be announced at a later date.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers for the 2024 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba serve as executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.
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Gigi Perez is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist, thanks to her breakthrough viral hit, “Sailor Song.” The track, which Perez self-released on July 26, debuts at No. 98 on the Aug. 31-dated chart from its streaming sum: 5.6 million official U.S. clicks (up 20%) Aug. 16-22, according to Luminate. It also rises 10-9 on […]
Hozier is taking a brief break from the road to rest and recuperate. The “Too Sweet” singer informed fans on Monday (August 26) that he’s been forced to postpone tonight’s (August 27) planned show in Billings, MT at the First Interstate Arena and Wednesday’s (August 28) gig at Casper, WY’s Ford Wyoming Center due to […]
It was the rumor that everyone wanted to believe but nobody could confirm: the final night of the Democratic National Convention was going to feature a very special appearance by Beyoncé. The fantasy was that the singer was going to shock the world and cap the coronation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat party’s 2024 presidential nominee by performing her Harris campaign theme song, “Freedom” in Chicago’s United Center as the balloons and confetti rained down on Harris and her VP pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Only it wasn’t true and never was. It was, however, such a compelling manifestation that even some of the event’s staff were convinced it was happening.
“We never put out anything about Beyoncé. We denied it every time the media asked us — even though, by the way, people on my staff didn’t believe me,” DNC executive producer Ricky Kirshner told The Hollywood Reporter. “I kept getting texts from news organizations saying, ‘When is Beyoncé coming out?’ But come on, we have the biggest star, the Democratic nominee for president. Why would we overshadow that?”
It’s a fair point. Plus, Kirshner, an Emmy-winning veteran of 14 Super Bowl halftime shows and a raft of other live events, who worked with Emmy-winning director Glenn Weiss (Tony Awards, Kennedy Center Honors) to design the four-night spectacle, said they already had a huge task ahead of them after Harris swapped in just four weeks before the event following President Joe Biden’s exit from the race. Coming off a muted 2020 convention that was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Weiss said they were looking for a “big-energy experience,” after throwing out the original script and pivoting to focus the event around Harris.
Weiss said the Beyoncé rumor — which kicked into high gear by the anonymous @Angry_Staffer X account writing, “If you thought the Oprah surprise was big, just wait” — was a perfect example of an internet whisper taking on a life of its own. “And people taking something as fact — literally to the point that people in my booth are saying, ‘Is she coming? You can tell me.’ And I would say, ‘I have no knowledge she’s coming.’ And they would say, ‘No knowledge? So there’s something to know?,’” he said. “It was pretty crazy. But she wasn’t coming. In the end even TMZ [which first reported it] had to issue an apology.”
The rumors spun up so quickly and fervently that a spokesperson for the singer stressed to THR on the day of Harris’ convention-ending acceptance speech on August 22 that “Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there… The report of a performance is untrue.”
While Queen Bey was not in the house, her presence was definitely felt, including on night one when a moving a cappella video cued to her Lemonade track “Freedom,” with narration from Oscar-nominee Jeffrey Wright, was played to help kick-off the proceedings. After Harris unexpectedly jumped into the race last month, the campaign rolled out “Freedom” during the veep’s walk-out at her inaugural visit to campaign headquarters. A full-band album version of the song was also featured in an early campaign video.
Unlike Trump, who has been sued, issued cease & desist orders and strongly-worded requests from artists who don’t agree with his divisive, name-calling rhetoric and who want him to stop using their music during his campaign stops, Beyoncé gave the Harris campaign full approval to use “Freedom.”
In another nod to how important music was to the DNC, Kirshner said that the instantly viral Georgia roll call moment with Lil Jon performing “Turn Down For What!” in the room even took producers by surprise. “It took on a life of its own,” Kirshner said of the high point of the innovative, music-heavy recitation of the delegate count, which had a much more traditional, staid roll-out at the RNC weeks before. “We were just trying to energize the room and we woke up the next morning and it was like, ‘holy crap!’ We actually asked a couple of people from other states if they might want to do something and they didn’t get into it. But Lil Jon just really leaned in.”
Benson Boone and RAYE have been added to the already star-studded line-up for the 2024 Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park. The pair join a previously announced roster of acts that includes Post Malone, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll and Rauw Alejandro.
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“Ending extreme poverty is a responsibility we all share,” said Boone in a statement. “I’m grateful to be involved in Global Citizen’s mission by helping those who are living in extreme poverty. I hope we can all come together to take action and make a real difference in the world.”
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The festival hosted by Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman will also feature special appearances by primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall and Coldplay singer Chris Martin. As part of its portfolio of environmental sustainability efforts, this year’s even will also become one of the first major U.S. festivals to be powered entirely by hybrid energy.
According to a release, the Central Park stage will be powered by the same kind of SmartGrid battery system used to power Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres world tour, including all audio, lighting, video and stage production. Working with Showpower Global B.V. and CES Power, Global Citizen Fest will become one of the first major U.S. festivals to move away from using diesel generators in order to reduce the event’s carbon emissions.
Among the confirmed presenters scheduled to take the stage on Central Parks’ Great Lawn on Sept. 28 are: Antoni Porowski, Bill Nye, Bridget Moynahan, Charlamagne Tha God, Danai Gurira, Eric Adjepong, Gavin DeGraw, Jordan Fisher, Kal Penn, Liza Koshy, Doctor Mike Varshavski, Nomzamo Mbatha, Osi Umenyiora, Rachel Brosnahan, Rhett & Link, Sophia Bush and Vladimir Duthiers.
The group leading the international push to end extreme poverty is once again offering fans free tickets, which can be earned by taking action on the Global Citizen app or on the organization’s site here in an effort to defeat poverty, defend the planet and demand equity.
“Global Citizen Festival has always been about using the power of music and activism to drive real, tangible change. This year, we’re taking bold steps to protect our planet, from powering our stage with clean energy to advocating for Indigenous-led projects that preserve the Amazon and calling for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty,” added Global Citizen co-founder Michael Sheldrick in a statement. “These efforts are about ensuring that the transition to a sustainable future leaves no one behind – whether it’s communities in the Global South or right here in New York. We’re calling on world leaders, businesses, and citizens alike to join us in mobilizing action towards a just transition to clean energy and a safer planet for all.”
Global Citizen will also mark the start of Climate Week with a beach clean-up on Sept. 21 in partnership with the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. Fans can also earn free tickets the the festival by removing trash and marine debris from the shores of Jamaica Bay and documenting the year’s “Dirty Dozen” most commonly found trash items; click here to register and for more information.
Official Global Citizen 2024 merch is available now, with responsibly sourced items made in collaboration with Doja Cat, Alejandro, Aviator Nation and more; click here to see the items.
Among the calls to action for this year’s event is one asking the G7 nations — Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the U.K. and the U.S. — to increase support for anti-poverty programs worldwide, as well as one calling for businesses, governments and philanthropic organizations to protect and restore the Amazon rainforest by investing $1 billion to help support indigenous communities and pledge to set timelines for phasing out coal, oil and gas to ensure a transition to green energy. The third action point is Global Citizen’s plea for world governments to commit at least $5 billion to equitable access to nutritious food, stronger health systems and quality education around the world.
Hell has frozen over, pigs have flown. And the brothers Gallagher are reuniting Oasis.
In a development that, for a decade or more that bordered on fantasy, the “Live Forever” band has confirmed a tour in 2025.
“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised,” reads a statement on the Manchester indie rock juggernauts’ social media channels.
Announced early Tuesday, Aug. 27, Oasis will hit the road in 2025 for multiple dates across the British Isles, including Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, for what will be their “only shows in Europe next year”.
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There’s more to come. “Plans are underway for OASIS LIVE ’25 to go to other continents outside of Europe later next year,” reads an official statement.
Oasis is one of Britain’s most popular rock bands of them all, a border-crossing beast which somehow flew under the radar in the United States.
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Discovered and signed by Alan McGee to the Scottish entrepreneur’s iconic Creation label in the early ’90s, Oasis was the heavyweight of the Britpop scene, the natural born enemy to Blur.
With the release of their 1994 debut Definitely Maybe, the band embarked on a glorious run, during which all seven of their studio albums went to No. 1 on the Official Chart (the 2010 hits collection Time Flies also flew to No. 1). The third of those, 1997’s Be Hear Now, sold more than 663,000 in just three days, a record that stands today.
All told, eight Oasis singles hit the summit in the U.K.
The Gallagher brothers, Noel and Liam, split the band in 2010, and became estranged. At one point, the relationship had turned legal, as their mother openly pleaded for the lads to heal that rift. Both artists would form successful musical careers away from the band that made them household names.
The rumor mill would regularly grind away, but fans were left wanting, waiting for a reunion that seemed either unlikely or impossible. Following reports in the British press, another teaser, this time with an outcome; a clip which dropped over the weekend on the Gallagher brothers’ social pages and the official Oasis page, styled like the band’s logo and hinting that something would happen today at 8am.
Liam fanned the flames on social media of a possible reunion with his brother Noel, who he last performed with onstage in August 2009.
Noel had previously stated he was willing return to the band for £100 million ($135 million), to which Liam responded that he would reunite the band for free.
2025 Oasis Tour Dates
July 4 — Cardiff, Principality Stadium
July 5 — Cardiff, Principality Stadium
July 11 — Manchester, Heaton Park
July 12 — Manchester, Heaton Park
July 19 — Manchester, Heaton Park
July 20 — Manchester, Heaton Park
July 25 — London, Wembley Stadium
July 26 — London, Wembley Stadium
Aug. 2 — London, Wembley Stadium
Aug. 3 — London, Wembley Stadium
Aug. 8 — Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
Aug. 9 — Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
Aug. 16 — Dublin, Croke Park
Aug. 17 — Dublin, Croke Park
Marty Friedman, the former lead guitarist of Megadeth, recently shared a surprising story about how he missed out on a chance to join KISS because he was “too short”.
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In an interview with Sam Ash Music, Friedman, best known for his decade-long tenure with Megadeth from 1990 to 2000, was asked if there was any KISS song he would have liked to play guitar on.
His response revealed a fascinating piece of rock history: “I would’ve wanted to be on any KISS song. I’ll give you a quick story about that – when they were changing guitar players a long time ago, I got a call from KISS’ people.”
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The conversation quickly took an unexpected turn when KISS’s management started asking Friedman a series of questions, seemingly unrelated to his guitar skills.
“They say like, ‘Do you think you’d be interested in auditioning for KISS?’ I’m like, ‘Tell me when and where.’ They came back and were like, ‘We’ve got a couple of questions for you. You don’t have any facial hair, do you?’ No. ‘You got long hair right?’ Right. ‘You’re skinny right?’ Right. ‘And you’re over 6 feet tall?’ and I’m like, ‘What? I’m 5’7 but I’ll have an operation, I’ll do something.’”
Unfortunately for Friedman, his height proved to be a deal-breaker. “They were like, ‘I’m sorry, it’s not going to work out.’ I was so bummed.”
Despite the disappointment, Friedman acknowledged the importance of image for a group like KISS. “I get why they did it. KISS is meticulous about their image, and having a height difference wouldn’t fit the band’s aesthetic.”
This attention to their image was crucial for KISS, one of rock’s most theatrical and elaborate bands. Formed in 1973 in New York City, KISS quickly became known for their blood-spurting, fire-spitting, face-painted performances. The group have delivered numerous hits to the Billboard Hot 100, including classics like “Rock and Roll All Nite” (1975).
This year, the band made headlines again when Pophouse, a Swedish company known for its work with ABBA’s Voyage show, acquired KISS’s publishing, recording royalties, and trademarks. This includes the band’s iconic logo and makeup design.
“We have a lot of plans for KISS,” Pophouse CEO Per Sundin told Billboard in April. Although Sundin says the company bought out the rights owned by frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, they will work with the company to develop the show, which is expected to open in 2027 in a U.S. city that Sundin declined to name.
“We want to keep to the legacy,” Sundin says. “We want to extend it and amplify it for new generations.”
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The rock community is alive with speculation that Deryck Whibley, the lead singer of Sum 41, might be stepping into one of modern rock’s most iconic roles as Linkin Park’s new lead vocalist.
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The rumor has gained major traction this week following cryptic social media posts from both bands, setting fans on high alert.
Sum 41 lit the fuse on Aug. 25, teasing a “Deryck Whibley announcement” scheduled for Wednesday morning (Aug. 28) PST.
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Intriguingly, Linkin Park had launched a 100-hour countdown on their website just a day earlier, set to conclude simultaneously with Sum 41’s reveal. The highly coincidental timing has, of course, fueled intense speculation about a possible connection.
Linkin Park is one of the most successful rock groups from the 2000s, having sold more than 29.4 million albums in the United States, according to Luminate. The band has charted 24 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including three top 10 hits: “In the End” in 2003, “What I’ve Done” in 2007 and “New Divide” in 2009.However, since Chester Bennington’s tragic death in 2017, the band has been without a full-time lead vocalist. Earlier this year, Billboard reported that the band was eyeing a 2025 reunion tour, with sources hinting at the possibility of a female vocalist taking the helm.
Orgy’s Jay Gordon fueled the whispers earlier this year when he mentioned hearing that the band might be bringing on a female singer. However, Gordon later clarified that his comments had been taken out of context, saying, “With regards to this Linkin Park singer thing. I know nothing about any of that.”
Whibley’s connection to Linkin Park runs deep. He performed at Bennington’s tribute concert in October 2017 and later, Mike Shinoda joined Sum 41 on stage at the 2018 Reading Festival for a cover of Linkin Park’s “Faint.”
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However, when asked in 2022 about potentially filling Bennington’s shoes, Whibley was hesitant.
On The Jasta Show, he remarked, “I think that’s an impossible task… I think those are impossible shoes to fill. I don’t know if [Linkin Park is] ever gonna do anything. I have no idea what that’s gonna look like, or who that could be.”
Asked if he would join the band if the opportunity arose, he added, “That is such a non-possibility that it’s too weird to even, like, sort of joke-think about it.”
“I don’t know how someone could fill those shoes,” he added “I think it would be tough.”
Fan reactions to the possibility of Whibley joining Linkin Park have been mixed. On Reddit, one fan expressed concern: “I just worry he’ll be too similar to Chester that he’ll fall short.” Another offered a more optimistic view: “He couldn’t do the super screaming songs but could handle most of the setlist.”
However, there’s also optimism among fans, with one user noting, “Deryck honestly sounds pretty good on [Faint]… interesting.”
Whibley’s life and career are at a pivotal moment, not just due to the speculation about Linkin Park but also because of his recently announced memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell, set to be released on Oct. 8 via Gallery Books.
The memoir chronicles the rocker’s journey through the highs and lows of his life, both personally and with Sum 41.
“Ten years ago, I found myself on the brink of death in a hospital bed,” Whibley said in a statement about the book’s release.
“Surviving that moment, I made a promise to myself: I would fight harder than ever for this band and strive to become the best version of myself. Today, I’m proud to say that Sum 41 is experiencing the greatest success in our career, with our biggest hits on the radio and performing at the largest shows of our lives.”
He continued, “This book is the story of that journey—through the good, the bad, and the really fucking ugly. It’s about how I fought my way back, the battles I faced along the way, and how I turned those struggles into the fuel that powers everything I do now.”
To promote the memoir, Whibley will embark on a U.S. book tour in October, making stops in cities like Jersey City, Boston, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
In addition to his memoir, Whibley and Sum 41 are currently on their final tour, Tour of the Setting Sum, which kicked off earlier this year. The band will perform their largest show to date in Paris this November, followed by their final hometown shows in Toronto in January 2025.
Their latest and final double album, Heaven :x: Hell, has been a commercial success, featuring singles like “Landmines,” which topped Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, marking the band’s first No. 1 single since “Fat Lip” in 2001.
As the clock ticks down to the anticipated announcements, the rock community is on edge. Whether Whibley is about to join Linkin Park or something entirely different is in the works, fans are ready for the reveal.
See Linkin Park’s countdown post on YouTube here.
Sabrina Carpenter is having an incredible year, everywhere. In the U.K., the popstar is aiming to claim her third No. 1 single with “Taste,” the latest release from her album Short n’ Sweet.
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If “Taste” climbs to No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, it will be the third consecutive chart-topping single from Short n’ Sweet, joining “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” which together dominated the charts for 12 weeks earlier this year.
The leader on the midweek chart, “Taste” is a polished pop track that sees Carpenter addressing an ex-boyfriend and his new partner with unapologetic confidence, delivering lines like: “You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you.” With this single, Carpenter effortlessly evolves her sound, bringing a bold edge to the pop style that has defined her success.
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Adding to the song’s impact is its music video, which dropped on the same day as the album’s release, Aug. 23.
Directed by Dave Meyers, the video is a wild tribute to classic horror flicks, particularly Death Becomes Her, and it stars none other than Jenna Ortega, known best for her titular role on the Netflix series Wednesday.
The video is a bloody adventure, as Carpenter and Ortega’s characters go head-to-head in a gory, over-the-top showdown that ends with a surprising twist: the two becoming friends after their shared love interest meets a gruesome end.
And it’s not just “Taste” making major moves across the pond—two other tracks from Short n’ Sweet are also climbing chart. “Please Please Please” is currently sitting at No. 5, and the disco-infused “Good Graces” is on track to break into the Top 10 at No. 10.
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars are also aiming to hit a new peak with their track “Die With A Smile,” which is climbing to No. 6 in the midweek charts.
Meanwhile, Sonny Fodera, Jazzy, and D.O.D are inching closer to a Top 10 breakthrough with their collaborative single “Somedays,” projected to rise to No. 11. Teddy Swims is also on the rise, with his slow-burning hit “The Door” expected to enter the U.K. Top 20 for the first time at No. 18 this Friday
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