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For a band that split in 1970, the Beatles seem to be everywhere right now.
Last year, the Fab Four released their final recording, “Now And Then,” which gave the band their first No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay in more than 50 years, a leader on the Official U.K. Singles Chart which extended their record as the British act with the most leaders (18). It was also the longest-ever gap between No. 1 singles for any act, at 54 years.
Then, last week, confirmation that Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 documentary Let It Be would be released for streaming on Disney+ from May 8, restored by Peter Jackson and the Kiwi director’s team.
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The Beatles’ music got another boost — and an update — during the Playoffs of NBC’s The Voice, when Nathan Chester ripped out a classic.
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For the latest episode, which aired Monday night (April 22), Chester gave an acrobatic performance of “Oh! Darling,” which appears on the Beatles’ Abbey Road album.
Chester, looking sharp in a retro, green suit, brought soul to his rendition, delivered high notes with style, and busted out some eye-watering splits. Think prime James Brown.
The Chicago, IL native hones his talents as a professional singer on cruise ships. It shows. During the Blind Auditions, he impressed with a performance of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” earning a two-chair turn.
“I’m always waiting for someone to inspire me, excite me,” coach John Legend said at the time. “When I heard you singing, I turned very quickly because I was like, this man’s got it.”
Guided by Legend, Chester performed Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” in the Knockouts.
And what is Chester comfortable singing? Jazz, opera, golden age of musical theater, funk, soul, Motown, he explained following his Blind Audition. It turns out, he’s just fine with the Beatles. And if he was to make an album, he’d want to bring back “the James Brown-style of Motown.” We got a glimpse of that on Monday night.
Watch below.
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Joel and Benji Madden. Lisa and Jessica Origliasso. Matt and Luke Goss. Tegan and Sara.
Twins, rock stars, standouts. Justin and Jeremy Garcia will be keen to join the crew.
The teenage San Francisco Bay Area brothers have cruised into the Knockouts round of this 25th season of The Voice, with a natural blend of harmonies and wholesomeness.
The 17-year-olds landed their Blind Audition with a cover of One Direction’s “Story of My Life,” catching the attention of coaches Chance the Rapper, Reba McEntire and newcomers Dan + Shay for a three-chair turn (only John Legend was unmoved).
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“From the first time I heard you guys harmonizing, and I found out that it was two people, I was like, ‘We have to turn around. This is amazing,’” remarked Shay Mooney.
Those words of support helped the Garcia Twins choose Dan + Shay as their coaches this season.
In the Battles, the Garcias went up again another Garcia, 19-year-old Frank Garcia, with a performance of “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga.
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Frank delivered in a big way, and advanced. As the twins walked off the stage, defeated, McEntire used her Steal. “I wanted y’all so bad,” she enthused. “I love your harmonies, I love that you’re brothers, and it just sounds so good. I want to work with you so bad. Welcome to Team Reba.”
For these slippery Knockouts, the Filipino American pair performed Callum Scott’s “You Are the Reason,” going up against Team McEntire’s Zeya, who sang “River” by Bishop Briggs.
“Zeya, you did a great job,” coach McEntire remarked afterwards. “I would’ve loved to have seen you stay in one position in that song, but your voice is great. You know that.”
The brothers were involved in another plot twist, this time stepping out of their harmonies and splintering for individual runs. Coach McEntire was first out of her chair for a standing ovation.
“Y’all are cute as a button,” she said. “I thought you did a great job. There were a few little things where I thought you might’ve gotten lost, but congratulations on pulling this off. You did a wonderful job.”
Not only did they not get lost, they’re now on a straight-forward path. McEntire selected the brothers to advance to the Playoffs.
“It was a hard decision because Zeya is so good,” McEntire explained. “But I had to choose Justin and Jeremy because of the uniqueness of their act. Everybody’s a great singer, but we have to have something a little different and going with the brothers was part of my strategy.”
Watch the performance on NBC‘s The Voice below.
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Sometimes life imitates art. Sometimes, Mick Jagger dances to your song about Mick Jagger dancing.
Adam Levine has had that most unusual experience. Last month, video surfaced of the legendary Rolling Stones frontman goofing it up in a bar, grooving along to Maroon 5’s 2011 hit “Moves Like Jagger.”
Jagger, now 80, but showing more moves and juice than most chaps half his age, shared the snippet on his Instagram account, captioned with the comment, “Moves like who!”.
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In the clip, which can be seen below, the British rock hero is clearly having a blast, cutting some of his iconic shapes as the band Splash performs a cover of the song.
When Levine stopped by NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday night (April 10), conversation casually moved to the Jagger video.
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“It’s really surreal,” he tells the late-night host. “It’s just one of those things you’re like, ‘oh my, like how is this possible. What is happening. It’s bizarre.’”
For such a surreal, bizarre, career highlight, few friends thought to share it with Levine. “My mom and like one of my friends sent me the video.” Yeah, he continues, “I was shocked not more people sent it to me.”
When the song originally took shape all those years ago, the mover at the heart of the story was a woman. Then, reckons Levine, he was “the only idiot crazy enough to say that I have the moves like Jagger.” Apparently, it’s a “confidence thing. It’s a swag thing,” says Levine. “He’s the man.”
During his late-night guest spot, Levine also hinted at new music, for which he and Maroon 5 will take an in-house approach, and he discussed the band’s residency in Las Vegas.
“It’s coming,” he says of new works. “For the first time in about 13 years, I’ve decided to take the reins back from the songwriting part of it.” He’s determined that “the ideas come either from myself or the band. So that we’re not going to have any real co-writes. The ideas are coming straight from the nucleus of Maroon 5,” which, he assures, will make the music “sound a like it did in the very beginning. I’m so excited about what’s happening right now.“
The pop group’s seventh and most recent studio album, 2021’s Jordi, peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.
Following a run of 2023 shows, Maroon 5 are headed back to Las Vegas for a new slate of dates in their M5LV The Residency at the Dolby Live at Park MGM theater, a 5,200-capacity venue.
Playing to punters in Sin City, many of whom likely made a choice that night to see Maroon 5, rather than super-fans who saved all their dimes and marked their calendars, was a challenge accepted. “It’s a new type of crowd to conquer,” he admits. “That was a nice challenge” and, ultimately, the dates “injected new life into the way we perform.”
The singer also stuck around for a round of “Wheel of Music Impressions” with Fallon. Watch below.
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Benson Boone’s beautiful year continued Wednesday (April 10), as the breakout artist performed his signature song on late-night TV.
Sporting a smart suit, the Washington singer, songwriter and TikTok standout stopped by NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a rendition of “Beautiful Things.” Lifting from his LP Fireworks & Rollerblades (via Night Street Records/Warner Records), “Beautiful Things” has had an impressive, global ride, logging seven nonconsecutive weeks atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart, five atop Australia’s ARIA Chart, and is on track for a fourth week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart. In the U.S., “Beautiful Things” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. On YouTube, the official music video has passed 100 million views in just two months. For his late night spot, Boone lead a full a full backing band, a taste of the world tour that kicked off last week in Chicago.
“Man,” he told Billboard ahead of his current jaunt, “all I’ve been thinking about is the tour, and I’ll be going some places that I’ve never been before. But after the tour, and after all the shows, I’m really looking forward to just being with my friends. I think we’re gonna go on a trip to Greece and have two weeks and just live my life.”
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The 21-year-old has been a regular on network TV this week. Earlier, he performed his hit for Today, looking relaxed in jeans, jacket and a bandana.
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“It’s definitely been crazy for me the past couple of months,” he told the morning crew. Success is “something you hope for but you never expect. But I’m just grateful to feel heard and to have a song that is out in the world, and everywhere.”
Watch the late-night performance below.
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On a day when America looked up at the heavens, late night TV kept our eyes glued to the screens for an all-heart performance. Late Monday, April 8, Heart, the Rock Hall-inducted band, teamed up with Jimmy Fallon for a performance of Bonnie Tyler’s ‘80s hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” an amusing, hearty tribute to the solar eclipse that captured the attention of millions across North America.
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“We have a special show tonight, Heart is out musical guest and today is, obviously, the solar eclipse. So we thought we have to do what we have to do, we have to sing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart,’” Fallon says at the top.
The musical performance was captured from the rooftop at 30 Rockefeller Center as the Moon passed between the Earth and the Sun, and briefly blotted out our star. Fallon, flanked by the Wilson sisters, wore the appropriate shades and a throwback public school uniform from Russell Mulcahy’s official music video for “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which originally led the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks back in 1983.
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The late night host teased the spot and shared a behind-the-scenes photo Monday afternoon, ahead of the rare cosmic moment.
At up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, the total eclipse was lengthier than the one that caught the eyes of Americans back in 2017, which maxed out at 2 minutes and 42 seconds.
On this occasion, New Yorkers witnessed a partial solar eclipse peak at 3:25 pm, according to NASA.
Fallon is celebrating his own special moment, the 10-year milestone as host of his very own late night show. To celebrate, NBC will broadcast a two-hour primetime anniversary special on Tuesday, May 14.
Watch below.
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Heart wasn’t done with pumping up the audience. The rockers returned, this time in the NBC studios for a rendition of their 1977 classic “Barracuda.” The north American Royal Flush tour will follow, kicking off April 20 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, SC. Watch the “Barracuda” performance below.
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The Voice 2024 has entered the Battles phase. And, for two Team Dan + Shay hopefuls, a fight to the end with a twist.
Karen Waldrup, a Mandeville, Louisiana native, all turbo power, and Ryan Argast, a Plainfield, Illinois man with range and gravel in his voice, were sent into the ring with a cover of Dan + Shay‘s 2023 number “Save Me The Trouble”.
The contestants impressed the coaches with their obvious talent, and earned a few hollers with a smoking hot conclusion. “That was just steamy at the end,” Chance the Rapper remarked.
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“That’s better than the original version,” Dan Smyers insisted.
“That was so good. The energy, the passion, the power coming out of you two,” John Legend said. The rasp in Argast’s voice is his “superpower,” he enthused. Though he’s “mad he didn’t turn” for Waldrup, whose tone and vibrato worked magic. Legend would chose the latter, if he had the option.
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Reba McEntire did turn for Waldrup. “I think you’re fantastic,” she remarked. And there’s a lot of love for the “growl” in Argast’s voice.
That performance was “awesome,” Chance chimed, though the pair had mismatching “energy levels.” Karen, he continued, has a “true talent. It was like there was a storm around you and you were just shining through it.” The Chicago rapper was quietly kicking himself for not turning for her when he had the chance. The final moments of the Battle were “steamy,” he reiterated, and exactly what the cameras adore.
Dan + Shay had the last word. Argast’s “presence on stage is incredible,” claimed Smyers, while Waldrup “rose to the occasion,” belting out a “guy’s song.”
It’s a voice that reminds Mooney of old country, classic stuff he grew up listening to. “I love that sound, it’s very unique.” Argast’s voice, he continued, is “powerhouse.”
With the kind words out the way, a decision had to be made. They chose Waldrup.
Dan + Shay are the newbies on this 25th season of NBC’s The Voice, joined by returning coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend and Chance the Rapper.
Watch the Battle below.
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Books, as we know, shouldn’t be judged by their cover. Ronnie Wilson reminds us not to judge someone by their day job.
On Monday night (March 11), Wilson stepped into the bright lights of NBC’s The Voice’s blind auditions and shone right back with his rendition of Zayn’s “Pillowtalk”.
Wilson’s soulful cover was a showcase of control, range, emotion. The full package.
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John Legend turned first, then Reba McEntire. Though Dan + Shay and Chance The Rapper were clearly enjoying the art, their chairs didn’t budge.
The 28-year-old singer is proud and out, originally hailing from South Carolina, and now calls Atlanta, GA home.
“That was unbelievable,” Shay Mooney remarked after the performance.
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There was more “unbelievable” to come. Wilson pointed to his influences from gospel and “a lot of country music.” And when he’s not he’s blowing minds, he’s counting beans.
Wilson is a full-time accountant, a vocation that no-one saw coming.
In a previous life, Legend too was “crunching numbers, making Powerpoint presentations” as a management consultant, a fun fact he hoped would find a connection with the hopeful. “I know what that’s like,” he articulated.
“You created moments by being creative with the melody, you made the song your own and made it a competition song by the way you did it,” Legend explained. “I just feel like you’ve got fresh taste, great ideas musically and stylistically,” he continued. “I feel like you’re going to do so well on the show.”
Not to be left out, McEntire leaned on her 50 years in the country game. “You have a quality in your voice that just makes a person feel good,” she remarked. “You’re absolutely wonderful.”
In the end, there could be only one coach. Wilson went with Team Legend.
Watch Wilson’s performance below.
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In art, imperfections can create character.
That’s certainly true for Anya True, the teenage singer who stopped by NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday night (March 5) to showcase her talents.
Hailing from Encinitas, CA, the recently-turned 17-year-old performed Stephen Sanchez‘s “Until I Found You” for the season 25 Blind Auditions. Wielding an electric guitar, True threw down country vibes with a vocal style that doesn’t match anything pumping out of commercial radio.
When she nailed an early, sweet run, Chance The Rapper hit the red button, followed immediately by Dan + Shay.
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Reba McEntire and John Legend kept their backs turned.
“That was a flawless performance. I love the vulnerability. You have this Olivia Rodrigo kind of thing going on,” remarked Shay Mooney. “Your voice is just phenomenal. I just love all the little imperfections that you had,” he continued. “They were…character. And they were very purposeful.”
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The country pair stood to show their respect, and maybe secure the singer’s services.
If that wasn’t enough, Shay made a pledge. “I was a good singer, and when I started working with (Dan), it made me a great singer.” Join the team, and “we will take you from being a great singer to an amazing singer. I think you’ve got a shot at winning this thing.”
Dan Smyers chimed in: “I loved your voice when it broke into the falsetto. It was vulnerable in a whisper tone. And then at the end of the performance, you hit those same notes, full voice and I was like, ‘she’s got it all.’”
Did Chance stand a chance after all that? “I think your voice is amazing. I really love all the falsetto and head-voice stuff that you were doing,” he remarked. If she joined his team, his style is to let the artist take the stage, do their thing and he leans in on their influences.
McEntire enjoyed the contestant’s voice and tone, but she’s “not what I’m looking for right now.” Legend heard nerves in her voice, but he’s excited for the youngster’s journey ahead.
True had a decision to make. After all the flattery and the recruitment, it wasn’t a tough call. True chose Dan + Shay.
Watch the performance below.
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Success is not final, failure is not fatal, Winston Churchill once remarked, but it “is the courage to continue that counts.”
Madison Curbelo might not be familiar with those words of inspiration the British wartime prime minister once shared with his compatriots, but she certainly gets the drift.
On Monday night (March 4), Curbelo stepped into the blind auditions for season 25 of The Voice with a guitar, a skinful of courage and a story of failure.
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Hailing from Puerto Rico, now residing in Westfield, Massachusetts, the 21-year-old stood out with her rendition of Ben E. King’s classic “Stand By Me.” Curbelo incorporated Spanish lyrics into her delivery, for a version reminiscent of Prince Royce’s 2011 cover, but very much her own take.
John Legend turned first (and fast). Then Dan + Shay, followed by Chance the Rapper and finally, Reba McEntire. A four-chair turn, and a standing ovation from Legend, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney.
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A clearly ecstatic Curbelo has been here before, but not like this.
The youngster was a contestant on season 20. On that occasion, the 18-year-old sang “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” None of the coaches at the time — Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Blake Shelton, and Nick Jonas — would turn their big, red chair.
Failure is not fatal.
“Confidence is the biggest thing that has changed. And I’ve been writing so much music,” she explained after her latest performance made all four coaches turn. “So I kind of like discovered the sound that I love. And just finding Madison, I think was a big thing.”
Legend admitted he wasn’t a believer back then, but things have changed. “I feel like you’re just ready now. And I love that you say that you found your sound. And you found the way you want to express yourself,” he remarked. He could feel her smile with his back turned, and “every run you did was so tasteful.”
Legend pitched Finding Madison as an album title, getting his sales pitch in discretely.
Dan + Shay set out to recruit the singer. “You radiate light and joy,” explained Mooney. “It’s true, you know when you get told no sometimes in your life I think that pivots you and puts you on a different trajectory. And allows you the opportunity to grow in your moments. Your voice was just flawless.”
Chance weighed in, “you’re an awesome talent. So exciting and fun. You have a really cool energy. It makes me smile just hearing you sing.” He added, “whoever you go with, just think about ways that we can help you in terms of arrangements.”
Curbelo had a decision to make, a choice of four teams. She chose Dan + Shay who, for a moment, gave off the kind of energy that typically beams from a winner.
Watch the audition on NBC‘s The Voice below.
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No one can sing a Journey number quite like the mighty Steve Perry. Or perhaps Gene Taylor.
Hailing from Vernon, New Jersey, now based in Brooklyn, NY, the 33-year-old Taylor has done the rounds of theater and performed for much of his life. Under the bright lights of NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday night (Feb. 27), he showcased his talents for power and glory.
For Taylor’s blind audition, a cover of Journey’s 1978 song “Lights”. Power, glory.
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John Legend turned first, then Dan +Shay, followed by Reb McEntire and, finally, Chance the Rapper, for a four-chair turn and a standing ovation.
“I always love a tenor who can sing those beautiful big notes,” says Legend, “but also you had finesse. It was just so expertly done as a vocalist.” And with that, Legend launched into his sales pitch. Legend would also identify some classic vocal skills in the mix, a fusion of Nat King Cole with rock.
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“Your voice is unbelievable,” says Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay. “I was just sitting back and enjoying the music for just a second.” Dan Smyers chimed in, “so much power, so much control. You’re a star. We could tell you’re a seasoned pro.”
“I thought it was awesome,” reckons Chance. The reason he was last to turn? “It was because I was really arrested by the performance. Your tone is so different, and I was just really into it. And then I turn and see you and you, like, kind of got this southern vibe to you.” The Chicago rapper is convinced Taylor will “go really far” in the 2024 competition, thanks to his “distinct tone.”
If the The Voice fans and coaches didn’t already love the contestant, he made certain of it when he brought his mom on stage.
A minor hit following its release, “Lights” has enjoyed a second life as inspiration blast for Bay Area sporting franchises. Now, perhaps an unexpected lift after its exposure on The Voice.
“The way you were working the crowd,” notes McEntire following the audition, “that was perfect to go with your beautiful voice.”
So, with any doubts over his talents utterly erased, and all coaches rolling out the welcome mat, it was time for Taylor to make a decision. He chose Legend.
The 25th and latest season of The Voice began Monday. Watch Taylor’s performance below.
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