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Jay Ammo, a 29-year-old singer from Clarksville, Tenn., earned the final four-chair turn of The Voice Season 27 after delivering an emotional performance of Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team.”
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The Blind Auditions wrapped up with Ammo securing interest from all four coaches—John Legend, Adam Levine, Kelsea Ballerini, and Michael Bublé—before ultimately choosing Team Legend.
John Legend was the first to turn for Ammo’s performance, praising his vocal tone and delivery. “What a lovely voice you have. It was floating through the room. I was almost thinking you were from Africa because I could hear an Afrobeat kind of vibe. Is that the music you listen to?”
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Ammo, originally from Georgetown, Guyana, revealed that Sheeran’s song resonated deeply with him due to his time serving in the U.S. military in Afghanistan. “Yes, my calm-down song was yours.”
Legend replied, “We have a strong connection musically. Let’s just remember the musical connection that we have, and I would love to coach you.”
Levine, who has landed the most four-chair turns this season, described Ammo’s performance as “ethereal.” “You are very special and magical and singular in that nobody else in this competition is doing that. It gives you this really unique window, which is what this is all about.”
Ballerini also made a strong case for Ammo to join her team, calling him a “creative force.” “You kept the integrity of that song, but you also kept just the right amount of you in it, and that’s artistry.”
The country star was surprised when Ammo revealed he had previously covered her song “Better Luck Next Time.” “Did you now? I didn’t expect that. Now I feel taller and more powerful.”
Bublé, the last to turn, acknowledged some early pitch issues but praised Ammo’s ability to recover. “The second those other chairs turned, your pitch issues subsided. You have a beautiful tone, and you tell a story really well.”
When it came time to make his decision, Ammo selected Team Legend. “Jay’s voice is so cool. He has this kind of lilt to his voice. I really think that Jay has got an interesting musical tableau that he’s working with. We’re going to have a lot of fun picking songs together.”
With the Blind Auditions now complete, The Voice Season 27 will move into the Battle Rounds, where Ammo will compete for a spot in the Knockouts.
Brand New have announced their first public performances in several years, marking the band’s official return to the stage.
The band, led by Jesse Lacey, had previously played a secret “Friends and Family” show in Nashville in December to benefit Make Life Skate Life. Now, fans will finally get the chance to see Brand New on stage again, in their first publicly ticketed concerts since 2017.
Though the band’s social media profiles have remained mostly inactive—with their last Instagram post dating back to October 2017—fans began sharing screenshots of emails they received on March 3, containing presale information for the newly announced concerts, as per LambGoat. The band’s official website also lists the dates and presale details, confirming their long-speculated return.
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The trio of shows will kick off March 26 in Dallas, Texas, before heading to Newport, Kentucky, on March 28, and wrapping up in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 29.
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Lacey, who previously addressed the sexual misconduct allegations against him, admitted in 2017 that he had caused “pain and harm to a number of people.”
The fallout led to Brand New canceling all remaining tour dates, and the band largely disappeared from public view.
During a solo performance at Eastside Bowl in Nashville on March 2, Lacey also publicly spoke for the first time about the passing of his stepson Miles, who died in 2021. The intimate set featured a mix of Brand New tracks and solo material, including a new song titled “Death.”
“I’m not gonna talk too much about this, but me and my wife Andrea lost our son three years ago. His name was Miles, and it was as hard as you can imagine,” he told the crowd. “Grief is a very hard thing to navigate, and I have found that for me, music lessens the poison of it.”
The moment was met with quiet support from the audience, as Lacey expressed gratitude to those who have helped carry the weight of his grief.
In the wake of their loss, Jesse and Andrea Lacey also founded Moms Skate Club, a charity dedicated to supporting mothers in the skateboarding community. Donations to the organization can be made here.
While no word has been given on whether new music is in the works, Brand New’s upcoming shows suggest that the band is testing the waters for a more significant return. With their influence still felt across the alternative and emo scenes, their live comeback is certain to be a major talking point in the months ahead.
Back in 2017, Brand New scored their first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, displacing Kesha’s Rainbow. The group’s Science Fiction, their first new album in eight years.
Garth Brooks will release The Anthology Part V: The Comeback, The First Five Years, the latest installment in his hardbound anthology series, on April 4. Each part covers a specific era of Brooks’ career with the Part V focused on his return to the stage in 2014 after taking off more than a dozen years […]
There’s big changes afoot in the leadership team at Universal Music New Zealand, with longtime Managing Director and Chairman Adam Holt announcing his retirement.
News of the leadership transition was announced by Universal Music Australia & New Zealand President and CEO, Sean Warner on Tuesday, March. 4 (New Zealand time). Holt’s decision to retire comes after 24 years successfully leading the company, and 34 years spent at Universal Music Group and predecessor company Polygram. Holt’s retirement will take effect on April 30, with successors Myra Hemara and Matt Kidd being promoted to Co-Managing Directors, effective May 1.
“Adam’s commitment to our company, our artists, our people, and the greater New Zealand music industry has been nothing short of exemplary,” Warner said in a statement. “Throughout his tenure he consistently promoted a positive culture of both UMNZ and UMA garnering him enormous respect from both employees and artists alike. Adam is a passionate music man, caring mentor and consummate professional, who led from the front and made lifelong friends across the UMG, the artist community artists and with our partners around the world.”
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“Leading the New Zealand company for UMG has been the experience of my life,” added Holt. “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved and the challenges we have successfully navigated over the years, but it’s time for me and the company to start the next chapter. A big thank you to Sir Lucian Grainge and Sean for trusting me with UMNZ for so long, and a huge thank you to the entire Universal Music team across New Zealand and Australia. You are an amazing group of people and I will miss you immensely. Most importantly, thank you to all the artists I have had the honour to serve in my time at Universal. I remain in complete awe of you all.”
“I am thrilled to announce that the current UMNZ General Managers, Myra Hemara and Matt Kidd, will become the new Co-Managing Directors of the company,” Warner continued. “Matt and Myra have incredible experience within UMNZ and have been at the forefront of the changes we have made in New Zealand over the past couple of years, Together, with the support of UMNZ Chief Financial Officer & Commercial Director, Tony Jenks, they will form a strong executive leadership team that will drive a new era of success for Universal Music New Zealand.”
Hemara joined UMNZ in 2006, working on establishing their digital department and strategy upon her addition to the team. In 2017, Hemara was appointed General Manager, taking on the additional responsibilities of leading UMNZ’s international artist marketing and audience development teams.
Kidd, meanwhile, has been with UMNZ for the past 12 years, having begun his career in promotions and public relations before leading their domestic repertoire and business development teams. Since 2017, Kidd’s role as General Manager has seen him focus on exporting New Zealand talent on a global scale.
“Being given this opportunity to lead Universal Music New Zealand alongside Matt is a great privilege and honour,” Hemara said. “The legacy Adam has created for our artists and staff has provided an incredible foundation for Matt and I to build on. I’m looking forward to fostering a culture of connection, creativity and collaboration and delivering even more success for our incredibly talented artists.”
“Thank you to Sean for giving Myra and I the opportunity to lead this great company,” added Kidd. “It’s exciting to take on this new role at a thrilling point in the business, where the landscape and scope for how we can work with and develop our artists is changing dramatically. I’m beyond excited to be a part of the best team in the country and to continue driving excellence and innovation for our artists in New Zealand, and around the world.”
Fans hoping for a future reunion announcement from Hall & Oates needn’t hold their breath, with Daryl Hall claiming such a possibility will never happen.
Hall made his recent comments in an interview with The Times, where he reflected on the “betrayal” he felt from longtime bandmate John Oates that soon led to a lawsuit which split the pair. When asked about whether the enduring pop-rock duo could ever reunite, Hall was concise in his response.
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“That ship has gone to the bottom of the ocean,” he explained. “I’ve had a lot of surprises in my life, disappointments, betrayals, so I’m kind of used to it.” Though he didn’t elaborate on the latter, he did allude to having “been involved with some pretty shady characters over the years.”
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The Hall & Oates dissolution first began back in November 2023 when the pair became embroiled in a legal dispute. Described by Oates as “a very boring business issue,” the crux of the issue began when Hall filed suit against his former partner over Oates’ attempt to sell his half of the duo’s joint venture Whole Oates Enterprises to Primary Wave Music without Hall’s consent.
Though Hall still isn’t able to speak to the specifics of their legal showdown, both men agreed in 2024 that their creative partnership was over.
“John and I did not have a creative relationship for decades; the last song I wrote with John was in 2000 and that was with somebody else,” Hall told Billboard in June 2024. “We toured and we toured and we toured, and it was very restrictive to me, and to John. The real truth of it all is John just said one day he didn’t want to do it anymore. I said ‘OK,’ but the problem is (Oates) didn’t make the parting and breakup easy, and that’s where the difficulties lay and still lay, and that’s all it is.
“I always say I’ve been a solo artist my whole life, I was just working with John, mostly.”
Having first formed in 1970, the Pennsylvania performers rose to fame throughout the ‘70s thanks to albums such as 1976’s Bigger Than Both of Us, which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, and spawned their first single to top the Hot 100, “Rich Girl.”
The duo reached their commercial zenith in the early ’80s, where albums such as Voices, Private Eyes, and H2O all went Platinum, with the latter giving them their highest album peak, hitting No. 3. Across two years, Hall & Oates would chart atop the Hot 100 four times thanks to “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes,” “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” and “Maneater.” They’d nab their final chart-topper with 1984’s “Out of Touch.”
Despite not splitting until 2024, Hall & Oates’ last studio album arrived 18 years earlier by way of Home for Christmas. Their last full album of original material was 2003’s Do It for Love.
As Spiritbox prepare to release their second album, vocalist Courtney LaPlante has gone on record to decry the unapproved release of their latest single.
The news comes just days away from the arrival of Tsunami Sea, Spritbox’s new record which is currently scheduled to drop on Friday (March 7) via the band’s own Pale Chords label and Rise Records. The album has been previewed since September, with the release of first single, “Soft Spine.” In November, this was followed by “Perfect Soul,” and again in February with the release of “No Loss, No Love.”
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Eager fans of the band may, however, have noticed the release of a new single titled “Crystal Roses” appearing on streaming services on Monday (March 3). According to a post shared on social media by LaPlante, issuing a new single in the week of the album’s release was not part of their approved rollout plan.
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“I don’t normally like to air out behind the scenes things like this, but we did not approve putting out another single today,” LaPlante wrote. “None of us were aware this was happening. I am extremely disappointed and only found out about it late last night, by chance. Trying to take it down asap.”
“Crystal Roses” has since been removed from streaming services, with only the previously-released singles available for listening ahead of the album’s official release.
This isn’t the first mishap which has befallen Spiritbox in recent months, with the band having recently been thrust into the spotlight thanks to a case of mistaken identity.
Appearing at the Grammys on Feb. 2 where the band were nominated in the best metal performance category, LaPlante spoke to an interviewer who had mistaken her for Poppy (whose “Suffocate” collaboration with Knocked Loose was up for the same award). Offering a slightly confused look to the off-camera interviewer, LaPlante decided instead to roll with it and continued the conversation as her fellow nominee.
“I am Poppy, and I am really happy to be here, nominated with Knocked Loose,” LaPlante replied slyly. “I really hope we win.”
Noting she had just finished chatting to Judas Priest, the interviewer went on to mention it wasn’t Poppy’s first time being nominated, referencing her nod for “Bloodmoney” in 2021.
“Really happy to be here again, would love to take home the Grammy for Knocked Loose and myself because I would be the first woman to win this award,” LaPlante added. “I actually haven’t looked at [how many women have been nominated previously] but I just always know that it’s time for one of us to win. I hope it’s me, or Spiritbox and Courtney.”
Ultimately, the award was won by French band Gojira, whose performance of “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” (as heard at the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony) was a collaboration with Swiss soprano Marina Viotti and Victor Le Masne.
Carl Dean, a Nashville businessman and beloved husband of Dolly Parton for nearly 60 years, died on Monday (March 3). He was 82 years old.
The news of his death was announced via Parton’s Instagram page, along with a statement from the country superstar. “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,” the statement reads. “Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.”
The statement ends with requests for privacy from the family. A cause of death has yet to be revealed.
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Dean and Parton met outside a laundromat in Nashville as young adults, the same day Parton arrived in Music City at 18 years old to pursue her dreams of a music career (at that point, Parton had released a handful of non-charting singles; she first entered the Hot Country Songs chart with “Dumb Blonde” not long after their marriage).
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“We had the car radio on,” Parton told Billboard of the day she met Dean. “I don’t remember what it was playing, but it was loud and it was rock ’n roll.”
Parton and Dean wed on May 30, 1966 in Ringgold, Georgia. They renewed their vows in Nashville on their 50th anniversary in 2016.
Dean has famously been averse to the spotlight. Only rarely do photographs of the couple emerge, and Parton has said that Dean has only ever seen her perform live once. At various times during her career, she has even had to debunk rumors that her husband doesn’t exist. “A lot of people have thought that through the years, because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all,” Parton told Entertainment Tonight during an interview in 2020.
Parton recently discussed her relationship with Dean during an interview with Bunnie XO on the latter’s Dumb Blonde podcast in December, sharing the secret to their long-lasting marriage. “He’s quiet and I’m loud, and we’re funny,” she explained. “Oh, he’s hilarious. And I think one of the things that’s made it last so long through the years is that we love each other [and] we respect each other, but we have a lot of fun.”
She added, “Anytime [there’s] too much tension going on, either one of us can like, find a joke about it to really break the tension, where we don’t let it go so far. We never fought back and forth. And I’m glad now that we never did, because once you start that, that becomes a lifetime thing.”
Dean is survived by Parton and his two siblings, Sandra and Donnie.
The Oscars might be the biggest night for the film industry, but the 2025 awards show included some pretty epic music moments as well. On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie tells Keith all about her night inside the Dolby Theatre for the 97th Academy Awards, where the Wicked duo of Ariana Grande and […]
The late Joe Cocker is a contender for this year’s class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and Paul McCartney is on his side.
The Beatles star wrote a letter to the Rock Hall — an international voting panel composed of more than a thousand artists, historians and music industry professionals — suggesting that Cocker be chosen for induction. “Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances,” McCartney wrote of the “Woman to Woman” singer in the letter obtained by Billboard. “He sang one of our songs ‘With a Little Help From My Friends,’ a version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative.”
He continued, “All the people on the panel will be aware of the great contribution Joe made to the history of Rock and Roll. And whilst he may not have ever lobbied to be in the Hall of Fame, I know he would be extremely happy and grateful to find himself where he deserves to be amongst such illustrious company.”
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The “Let It Be” singer sweetly signed the note, “Paul (McCartney).”
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McCartney is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honoree, as he was inducted in 1988 as a member of The Beatles and in 1999 as a solo artist.
Cocker, who died in 2014, is a first-time nominee. He’s up for the Rock Hall’s Class of 2025 alongside 13 other musical greats, including Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and The White Stripes.
The Class of 2025 will be revealed in late April, and this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall, with more details to be announced in the coming months.
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As of late Jim Jones has been making all kinds of headlines due to his back-and-forth with his fellow Harlemnites, Cam’ron and Ma$e and even got into a war of words with Wack 100 and now Styles P?! But in true Jones fashion he’ll use this publicity to his advantage and drop off some new work while he’s the topic of discussion.
Coming through with some new visuals to “Back In My Bag,” Jim Jones shows just how big he’s balling these days by flossing enough ice to freeze an Eskimo while showing off some luxury cars that cost enough to feed a small 3rd world country. Say what you want about Jomo, but that man is truly living his best life.
Back in Detroit, Big Sean is back to show everyone he’s still got some work to bubble off himself and in his clip to “Head To The Sky,” Sean takes to the roof of a building in a fancy fur and Roc-A-Fella chain to spit his bars before strolling the streets of his neighborhood.
Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Wiz Khalifa, Lil Tjay, and more.
JIM JONES – “BACK IN MY BAG”
BIG SEAN – “HEAD TO THE SKY”
WIZ KHALIFA – “BURGH BOY FREESTYLE”
LIL TJAY – “APEX”
FRIDAYY FT. MEEK MILL – “PROUD OF ME”
BIGXTHAPLUG – “2AM”
CRISTALE – “VOGUE”
LUH KEL – “MISSING UR LOVE”