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Julien Baker and Torres debuted their new duet, “Sugar in the Tank,” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, giving audiences a first look at their country-inspired collaboration on Dec. 11.
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Backed by a full live band, the performance introduced audiences to the twanging, heartfelt track that explores the complexities of love and self-reflection.
The song’s lyrics capture an intimate snapshot of vulnerability, with Baker and Torres trading verses and harmonizing on the chorus: “Sitting outside with the engine running/ Just waiting on me to change/ So c’mon baby, put a little/ Sugar in the tank/ I love you all the way.” The poignant delivery was paired with Baker’s banjo and Torres’ guitar.
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The performance marks the latest step in the duo’s ongoing collaboration, which they previewed earlier this year during a Webster Hall performance in New York. The set included unreleased tracks that hinted at the country-inflected direction of their partnership.
On social media, they’ve continued to tease fans, recently sharing a snippet of what appears to be a Western-themed music video, captioning the clip, “Next week… we ride.”
The partnership aligns with several 2025 festival appearances, including stops at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, High Water Music Festival in Charleston, and the Green River Festival.
This collaboration comes as both artists continue to explore new creative territories. Baker, a celebrated singer, songwriter, and guitarist, is renowned for her work as a solo artist and as a member of the indie supergroup boygenius, alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus.
The group’s Grammy-winning debut album the record in 2023 solidified their place in modern music, with hits like “Not Strong Enough,” “Cool About It,” and “True Blue.” On her own, Baker has gained acclaim for tracks such as “Appointments,” “Faith Healer,” and the hauntingly beautiful “Turn Out the Lights.” Her latest solo release, a cover of Belle and Sebastian’s “Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying,” continues to showcase her range and introspection.
The duo’s foray into country-tinged storytelling feels like an exciting evolution for both artists, marrying their lyrical prowess with a genre steeped in tradition. As fans eagerly await their next move, one thing is clear: Baker and Torres are proving that their combined talents are as boundless as the open road.
Watch their performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon here.
‘Tis the season for new holiday hits! On the latest Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are taking their annual sleigh ride through a half-dozen Christmas songs impacting the Billboard charts this year. For 2024, we’re taking a look at Jimmy Fallon and Jonas Brothers’ “Holiday”; Cher’s “DJ Play a Christmas Song” remix with […]
12/10/2024
From chart hits “APT.” and “Number One Girl,” the BLACKPINK star’s debut LP shares intimate experiences amid pitch-perfect vocal performances.
12/10/2024
Bill Wyman, the longtime bassist of The Rolling Stones, has reflected on the passing of his former bandmate Charlie Watts, noting his 2021 passing would’ve been a perfect stopping point for the band.
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Wyman, who succeeded Dick Taylor as the group’s bassist, performed as part of The Rolling Stones’ first stable lineup in 1962, remaining with the band for over 30 years until his departure in 1993. Watts would join the group officially as their drummer in 1963, a role he held until his death in 2021 at the age of 80.
In a new interview with Classic Rock, Wyman looked back at his time in the band and his eventual departure, noting that while Mick Jagger and Watts attempted to get him to stay in the band, his desires for other projects outweighed the prospects of the band. Wyman also added that while he viewed himself as a replaceable member, he felt that the group’s demise would have coincided with the death of Watts.
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“When Charlie left, I thought they would close. I really did,” he explained. “They could replace the bass, but I didn’t think they could replace Charlie, and his charisma, and what a great guy he was, but they went on, which surprised me. I wouldn’t say it disappointed me, but it surprised me.
“I think it would’ve been a good time for them to… But I don’t think they’ve got anything else to do, otherwise they’d do it, wouldn’t they?” he asked.
“I’ve got six different things I’m doing all the time, and I’m so happy doing them, but I don’t think they… Well, Ronnie’s got art, as a second thing… And Mick’s tried to do movies and things but hasn’t really succeeded, and he’s done solo stuff which really didn’t work as well as it should’ve done either. And so they just… It’s just the Stones all the time.”
Prior to Watts’ 2021 passing, The Rolling Stones had last released a new album in 2016, with covers collection Blue & Lonesome following on from 2005’s A Bigger Bang. In 2023, the group returned with their first record of new material in almost two decades, Hackney Diamonds.
While Watts’ drumming was felt on two tracks – “Mess It Up” and “Live by the Sword” – Wyman also made an appearance on the record, performing bass on the latter. Despite having performed live with The Rolling Stones on a handful of occasions, it was his first time recording with the group since 1989.
Currently, Steve Jordan serves as the drummer of The Rolling Stones, having previously performed with Keith Richards‘ X-Pensive Winos when Watts had proved unavailable.
Elvis Costello plans to dive into his back catalog for his upcoming tour, focusing heavily on his early material for the newly-announced Radio Soul! tour.
The tour, which begins in Seattle, WA on June 12 and runs for 17 dates before wrapping up in Miami Beach, FL on July 12, takes its name from an early version of “Radio Radio”, which Costello had written in 1974 as a member of Flip City. Initially inspired by Bruce Springsteen, the final version was issued on 1978’s This Year’s Model and has since been considered one of Costello’s finest works.
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“For any songwriter, it has to be a compliment if people want to hear songs written up to fifty years ago,” Costello said of decision to focus on his early work, namechecking the draft of “Radio Radio” as an example.
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The scope of the tour will see Costello lifting from his first 11 albums, ranging from 1977’s My Aim is True to 1986’s Blood & Chocolate. This period featured some of Costello’s most enduring tracks, including “Watching the Detectives”, “Pump it Up”, “Everyday I Write the Book” and “Oliver’s Army” to name a few.
For the tour, Costello will be joined by The Imposters, which includes Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas, Davey Faragher and guitarist Charlie Sexton.
“[The Imposters are] an ensemble which includes three people who first recorded this music and two more who bring something entirely new. They are nobody’s tribute band,” Costello said. “The Imposters are a living, breathing, swooning, swinging, kicking and screaming rock and roll band who can turn their hands to a pretty ballad when the opportunity arises.”
“If there is an encore and we play, ‘Farewell, OK’, it probably means some of those ‘Early Songs’ will have been performed in your city for the very last time,” Costello concluded. “I don’t want to go back, I want to bring these songs into the present day, once more, in the event they are ever pushed out of the way by the next number that I write.
“You could say time is running out but only time will tell.”
Elvis Costello 2025 Radio Soul! Tour Dates
June 12, 2025 – Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA June 13, 2025 – Keller Auditorium, Portland, ORJune 15, 2025 – Venue TBA, Reno, NV June 17, 2025 – The Masonic, San Francisco, CA June 19, 2025 – Hard Rock Live Sacramento, Wheatland, CA June 21, 2025 – Orpheum, Los Angeles, CAJune 24, 2025 – Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, San Diego, CA June 26, 2025 – Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, NV June 28, 2025 – Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek, CO June 29, 2025 – Bellco Theatre, Denver, CO July 1, 2025 – Uptown Theater, Kansas City, MO July 3, 2025 – The Factory, St. Louis, MO July 5, 2025 – Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN July 7, 2025 – The Peace Center Concert Hall, Greenville, SC July 9, 2025 – Duke Energy Center for the Arts, St. Petersburg, FL July 10, 2025 – Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers, FL July 12, 2025 – Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theatre, Miami Beach, FL
South by Southwest has revealed its initial keynote and the second round of featured speakers for the 39th edition of its annual Conference, scheduled for March 7-15 in Austin, Texas.
Leading the charge is the Conference’s Keynote Speaker, IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna, who will lead From Sci-Fi to Society: The Next Era of AI and Quantum Computing as he looks past the “sci-fi hype” surrounding the titular subjects and instead focuses on their real-world advantages.
“Exploring the benefits of new advances in technology while addressing their potential challenges represents a core part of the SXSW experience we curate each year,” said Hugh Forrest, Co-President and Chief Programming Officer in a statement.
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“We are excited to announce Arvind Krishna as our first Keynote Speaker of the 2025 season. His session on the convergence of AI and quantum computing will cover what this monumental shift in technology will bring to humanity.”
Krishna’s addition to SXSW coincides with the announcement of Featured Speakers, which include founder and Chief Trend Curator at The Non-Obvious Company Rohit Bhargava who will lead the 7 Non-Obvious Secrets Of Understanding People To Predict the Future session; founder and CEO of EMPIRE Ghazi; director and social media strategist Alex Haraus; author, Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, and a Horn Distinguished Professor and Endowed Professor of Public Policy and Public Law at Texas Tech University Dr. Katharine Hayhoe.
The list of speakers also features CEO of Bumble Lidiane Jones; activist and astronaut Amanda Nguyen, WNBA Champion, WNBA Finals MVP, 2x WNBA MVP, 2x Gold Medalist, WNBA Rookie of the Year, and broadcaster Candace Parker; author and music attorney at Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman Donald Passman; and author, speaker, teacher, advisor, podcast host, and futurist Rishad Tobaccowala.
Many of these speakers will also be involved the featured sessions which have also been announced today, which include Spill the Tea: A Strategic Guide to Office Gossip with Contributing Editor at the Harvard Business Review Amy Gallo; Cleaning Up Our Atmosphere: Carbon Removal Prepares to Go Mainstream with Climeworks COO Douglas Chan and the aforementioned Dr. Hayhoe.
This new announcement of speakers complements SXSW’s previously-revealed first round in September, which included Dr. Peter Attia, Johanna Faries, Douglas Rushkoff, and more.
SXSW will take place from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas, with full details regarding their newly-announced speakers and sessions available via their website.
It’s only taken four months for Grupo Frontera to regain its No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart thanks to “Hecha Pa’ Mi,” which jumps 2-1 to lead the Dec. 14-dated ranking. Before the song took the throne, the Mexican-Americans ruled with their Maluma collab, “Por Qué Será?” for one week in August.
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“Hecha Pa’ Mi,” released on the group’s label (Grupo Frontera) Oct. 3, traces its gain to 7.8 million audience impressions earned in the U.S. during the Nov. 29-Dec. 5 tracking week, according to Luminate; that’s a 16% increase from the previous week. The song trades places with “Amor Bonito” by Luis Angel “El Flaco,” as the latter dips 1-2 with a 7% decline in audience for the week.
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While Frontera bags its 11th No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay, the second-most in the 2020s decade (behind Calibre 50’s 12 rulers), with the new arrival, the group achieves its fifth champ in 2024 and extends its record for the most leaders in the calendar year. Let’s look at the artists with the most No. 1s on the radio tally in 2024:
5, Grupo Frontera3, Alejandro Fernández3, Eden Muñoz3, Xavi
Thanks to its 16% surge in audience, “Hecha Pa’ Mi” takes home the Greatest Gainer trophy, awarded weekly to the song with the biggest increase in impressions on the 40-deep chart. Plus, it becomes the group’s first No. 1 song unaccompanied by any other collaborator among its collection of 11 leaders. Further, continued progress among regional Mexican stations pushes “Hecha Pa’ Mi” 5-3 on the overall Latin Airplay chart, for the song’s new peak there.
The song also advances 13-12 on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart despite decreases in the two other metrics that inform the chart. It generated 2.5 million official U.S. streams, that’s a 15 dip in clicks during the tracking period, while declined 33% in digital sales.
“Hecha P’a Mi” went viral in October after the band crashed a wedding to perform the song, surprising the bride, groom and guests. “You won’t believe me,” leading singer Payo said on social media. “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but that gig was more difficult than a concert. I swear, I was more nervous than in a concert.”
Downtown Artist & Label Services struck an exclusive distribution deal with Josa Records in support of its emerging Música Mexicana artist Netón Vega. The agreement covers the global distribution of Vega’s catalog and his upcoming debut album set for release early next year, which will include collaborations with Peso Pluma, Luis R Conriquez, Tito Double P and others. Hits for Vega include “La Patrulla,” “LINDA,” “Presidente” and “Si No Quieres No,” his collaboration with fellow Downtown client Conriquez.
Nigerian artist Flavour signed a joint deal with Warner Music Africa and Africori, which will team up to distribute his future releases. The singer is known for fusing African rhythm, highlife and contemporary jazz and has garnered more than 1.1 billion views on YouTube and sold more than 5 million albums globally, according to a press release.
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Actor, rapper and DJ IDRIS (a.k.a. Idris Elba) signed with Dirtybird Records, which released his latest single, “No Long Talk,” on Friday (Dec. 6) along with an official remix by GAWP.
Gospel singer-songwriter Jonathan McReynolds signed to Motown Gospel/Christian Music Group for the release of his first Christmas-themed EP, Red & Green. He also signed with CAA ahead of his six-city Red & Green concert tour, which launched Dec. 1 in Chicago and is slated to wrap up Dec. 21 in Atlanta.
Metal band Shadows Fall signed with MNRK Heavy and released its first new music in more than a decade with the single “In the Grey.” The group is managed by Scott Lee at SL Managemeent.
Girlpuppy, the musical project from Atlanta’s Becca Harvey, signed with Captured Tracks and released her new single “Champ” on the label.
Eighteen-year-old blues artist Muireann Bradley signed to Decca Records and its U.S. partner label Verve Forecast. The labels will release the Irish singer’s forthcoming debut album, I Kept These Old Blues, on Feb. 28.
Country-folk artist Sam Stoane signed to Wasserman Music in Nashville on the heels of her opening dates for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dylan Gossett and other acts. She’s slated to release her debut album next year.
Scarlet Rae of the indie folk band Rose Dorn signed with Bayonet Records and released the single “Bleu.”
Nashville-based The Band Light signed with Red Van Records and is set to release new music on the label early next year. The group, which is managed by Rachel Inglesino at Jonas Group Entertainment, also just signed a deal with Jonas Group Publishing.
‘Tis Jingle Ball season! The 2024 iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball took over the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Dec. 1, with an impressive lineup of this year’s biggest hitmakers. SZA, Tate McRae, Meghan Trainor, Kane Brown, Benson Boone, Madison Beer, Shaboozey, T-Pain, Paris Hilton and NCT Dream all took the stage during […]
YoungBoy Never Broke Again (a.k.a. NBA YoungBoy) has been sentenced to 23 months in federal prison, according to new documents filed in federal court on Tuesday (Dec. 10), followed by 60 months’ probation following his release. The sentence comes nearly four months after it was reported that the 25-year-old rapper, born Kentrell Gaulden, would plead […]