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AJR is transitioning into just JR for 2025. The sibling trio took to social media on Tuesday (March 4) to announce that member Adam Met will be stepping away from live performances throughout the year to focus on his climate efforts. “We’re so proud of what he’s doing in this space,” the band wrote in […]
Ye has sparked outrage with his antisemitic hate speech, and we’re breaking down the timeline of his commentary and actions. We also take to the streets of LA to find out how the people feel. Do you think Ye will come back from this? Let us know in the comments below. Guest 1: ‘College Dropout’ […]
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After three decades in the rap game, Hip-Hop legend Busta Rhymes is still out here showing he can go bar-for-bar with whoever you consider your GOAT and from the look of things, he’s going to continue to cook up some marvelous sh*t to feed his fans and his seeds.
Dropping off some new visuals to “Letter To My Children,” Busta Rhymes uses footage from his classic music videos to spit his bars while he walks around his manor and wonders when he’s going to his much deserved Verzuz battle. Truth be told, who can go up against Busta Rhymes track-for-track? Jay-Z? LL Cool J? Q-Tip? It would have to be another Hip-Hop legend of that caliber to even have a chance.
Elsewhere Don Toliver finds himself in an interesting situation and in his clip for “No Pole” DT pulls up to an empty parking lot in the dead of night to find a woman treating a lamp post like a stripper pole about 30 feet in the air. Pretty impressive we must say.
Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Icewear Vezzo, Stunna Gambino, and more.
BUSTA RHYMES – “LETTER TO MY CHILDREN”
DON TOLIVER – “NO POLE”
ICEWEAR VEZZO – “MINNESOTA”
VONTEE THE SINGER – “TIME”
STUNNA GAMBINO – “ARMED N DANGEROUS”
LUCKI – “BAD INFLUENCE FREESTYLE”
BABY RICH – “DEAD WRONG”
SHENG – “KING KONG”
When programmers gathered for the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville Feb. 19-21, they heard a scintillating version of the national anthem.
Tigirlily Gold, the Academy of Country Music’s reigning new duo/group of the year, delivered it with a fierce confidence, the kind of assurance that — based on the enthusiastic response — impressed a room full of hard-to-impress professionals. Considering that the duo had just released a new single, the timing was probably advantageous.
“We got such great feedback from that, and there were a couple of people who said they had tears in their eyes afterward,” Tigirlily’s Krista Slaubaugh says. “I’m just glad we were able to do a good job and kick off that week really strong, but I definitely don’t think it hurts.”
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That current Tigirlily single is an anthem in its own right, a celebration of small-town America built on casual acoustics and spacious imagery. And, as it did with “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Tigirlily sings “Forever From Here” like it means it.
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“This song, for me personally, is the most connected I’ve ever felt to a song,” lead vocalist Kendra Slaubaugh Olson says. “I met my husband in our hometown of Hazen, N.D. We’ve been together for 15 years, married for over five, and when we wrote that song, I think I listened to it 100 times that night. I’m not kidding you — probably 100 times. I just felt so connected and so emotional about it. And just really felt like, for the first time, Jared and I had our song. It was a really beautiful moment.”
The title might have been “Forever From Here,” but the phrase that drove it was “harvest season.” It’s a major reason the song resonated so strongly with her.
“Krista had the title ‘Harvest Season’ in her notes for forever,” Kendra says. “Obviously, being from the Midwest, it’s a huge part of where we grew up. Our grandparents both farmed, and harvest season is just one of the most beautiful times of the year. It’s fall. The air is chilly, everybody’s combining. It’s very fruitful, so we really wanted to paint that picture.”
Krista floated “Harvest Season” a few times during 2024, but it didn’t feel like a natural phrase to end a chorus, and it never quite landed. However, when the duo held a short writing retreat with songwriter-producer Pete Good (“We Don’t Fight Anymore”) at the Santa Barbara, Calif., home of songwriter Shane McAnally (“Body Like a Back Road,” “Coming Home”), “harvest season” found its place. They locked into a breezy guitar foundation as they started the third song of the trip on Dec. 3, and Krista reintroduced the title. McAnally thought it was interesting, but he suggested it belonged in the middle of the chorus instead. He even whipped out a melody to go with it. They talked further about what North Dakota was like and started to shape a direction that paired a rural setting with a relationship.
“You’re painting this big open space in this beautiful scenery and geography,” says Good, who hails from South Dakota. “Somebody said that you can ‘just see forever,’ like, ‘Oh, I can see forever both with my eyes and also with my heart.’ ”
It set the tone for the verses, populated almost entirely by references to a stable, warm relationship and images from nature. “We used geese in a song, which I never thought we would use,” Krista notes.
The pre-chorus looked above the birds — “God turns on the stars” — pulling together multiple elements in the “forever” theme. “The most stars you’ll ever see in your life is looking up at a Midwest sky and just feeling so small compared with everything out there,” Kendra says. “To me, it’s like God painted that picture of the stars in the sky, because there’s no other explanation for that kind of beauty.”
As that pre-chorus eased into the chorus, they encountered the day’s biggest challenge: settling on an opening line for the sing-along section. They sifted through several options, ultimately embracing a phrase that places the adjective in the wrong spot: “I can see a house with the shutters blue.”
“A part of me knew it’s got to be ‘shutters blue,’ ” Krista says. “ ‘Shutters blue’ is weird. It’s just going to catch people.”
A passing mention of a prairie rose in the second verse further enhanced the sense of location, and of personal history. “I did a report on a prairie rose in fourth or fifth grade, and it really stuck with me that that’s the state flower of North Dakota,” Krista says. “So there’s a little bit of nerdiness to the song, which I really love as a songwriter.”
Santa Barbara is quite different from North Dakota, but writing in a room that opened to a large lot helped with the outdoorsy nature of the “Forever” lyric, especially since December falls in the harvest season for some of McAnally’s fruit trees.
“I think I ate about 15 oranges writing that song,” Good says. “I can’t pull oranges off a tree in Nashville, so when I was out there, I just couldn’t stop eating oranges.”
They built a simple work tape with vocal, two guitars and a drum loop, and the Tigirlily team got excited about “Forever” when it heard the results. The act recorded the instrumental tracks on Dec. 16 at Sound Emporium’s Studio A in Nashville. The first couple of run-throughs didn’t fully cut it, so an outdoor feel was captured by setting up a single microphone, campfire-style, with five musicians gathered around it: Drummer Evan Hutchings joined Krista and Sol Philcox-Littlefield on acoustic guitars, Todd Lombardo grabbed a banjo, and keyboardist Alex Wright took over on mandolin.
“That was the DNA of that particular session,” Good notes. “It’s just that breezy, acoustic sound.” Krista joined Good to produce the vocals, and she encouraged Kendra to keep her lead part light.
“I was standing on my tippy toes and smiling as much as I can — this is how I know to make it sound easy,” Kendra says. “That actually sometimes is harder for me to do than to sing a powerful song.” Krista added harmonies later, applying a high note first, then adding a low note beneath Kendra’s lead in key spots, particularly on the chorus and on a scorching “wi-i-i-ld” passage in verse two.
Jenee Fleenor also overdubbed fiddle, taking a solo and threading some choice shimmering notes at the end of the bridge. In the end, the personal tone and catchy chorus of “Forever From Here” helped it beat out a couple of other recordings to become the next single. Monument released “Forever” to country radio via PlayMPE on Feb. 13, and it’s already being embraced by dozens of stations, creating a sense that it could become the duo’s biggest single to date. Tigirlily Gold is cautiously considering what kind of success the recording might harvest.
“If this song goes No. 1,” Kendra says, “I’m definitely painting my shutters blue.”
Madonna and Guy Oseary hosted their annual Oscars afterparty on Sunday night (March 3) and, as usual, the event brought together winners holding their trophies as well as some of the biggest names in Hollywood. The Queen of Pop took to Instagram to share photos from the star-studded event, featuring behind-the-scenes getting ready pictures, snaps […]
Congratulations are in order for Snoop Dogg‘s only daughter Cori Broadus and her fiancé Wayne Duece, who recently welcomed their first baby. “The princess arrived at 6 months. I’ve cried and cried, I’ve compared and compared, blaming myself because I wasn’t able to give her all that she needed. But no matter what God always […]
Save this storySaveSave this storySaveNew albums are getting announced and released constantly. It’s tough to stay on top of it all. So that’s where we come in. Pitchfork is tracking notable new music releases with our guide to upcoming albums. In the coming months, there will be big new releases from Bon Iver, Lady Gaga, Lucy Dacus, Rico Nasty, Blondshell, Model/Actriz, Destroyer, Charley Crockett, the Horrors, Black Country, New Road, My Morning Jacket, Sasami, Djrum, Japanese Breakfast, DJ Koze, Perfume Genius, Deafheaven, Throwing Muses, Yung Lean, Beirut, Garbage, William Tyler, Tunde Adebimpe, Lil Wayne, Little Simz, and plenty more artists. This guide features streaming and digital release dates and will be updated regularly.As always, see some of our favorite albums and songs in the Best New Music section. Plus, catch up every Saturday with 10 of our best reviewed albums of the week. Sign up for the 10 to Hear newsletter here.March 7Alabaster DePlume: A Blade Because a Blade Is Whole [International Anthem]Bob Mould: Here We Go Crazy [Granary Music]Hamilton Leithauser: This Side of the Island [Glassnote]Harto Falión & Evilgiane: The Hurtless [Surf Gang]Jason Isbell: Foxes in the Snow [Southeastern]Kedr Livanskiy: Myrtus Myth [2MR]Lady Gaga: Mayhem [Interscope]Lust for Youth & Croatian Amor: All Worlds [Sacred Bones]Marina Zispin, Bianca Scout & Martyn Reid: Now You See Me, Now You Don’t [Scenic Route]Neil Young: Oceanside Countryside [Reprise]Sasami: Blood on the Silver Screen [Domino]Star 99: Gaman [Lauren]Takuro Okada: The Near End, the Dark Night, the County Line [Temporal Drift]Tobacco City: Horses [Scissor Tail]Tokimonsta: Eternal Reverie [Young Art]The Tubs: Cotton Crown [Trouble in Mind]Vundabar: Surgery and Pleasure [Loma Vista]New music releases for Friday, March 7, 2025, include: Lady Gaga: Mayhem [Interscope]
March 14Charley Crockett: Lonesome Drifter [Island]Circuit des Yeux: Halo on the Inside [Matador]DJ Elmoe: Battle Zone [Planet Mu]Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins (20th Anniversary Edition) [Polyvinyl]Throwing Muses: Moonlight Concessions [Fire]Whatever the Weather: Whatever the Weather II [Ghostly International]March 20Hiroshi Yoshimura: Flora [Temporal Drift]March 21Dutch Interior: Moneyball [Fat Possum]The Horrors: Night Life [Fiction]Japanese Breakfast: For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) [Dead Oceans]Lonnie Holley: Tonky [Jagjaguwar]Lucy Liyou: Every Video Without Your Face, Every Sound Without Your Name [Orange Milk]My Morning Jacket: Is [ATO]Phil Cook: Appalachia Borealis [Psychic Hotline]Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco: I Said I Love You First [Interscope]Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith: Defiant Life [ECM]YHWH Nailgun: 45 Pounds [AD 93]Young Widows: Power Sucker [Temporary Residence Ltd.]New music releases for Friday, March 21, 2025, include: Japanese Breakfast: For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) [Dead Oceans]
March 28Alison Krauss & Union Station: Arcadia [Down the Road]Aya: Hexed! [Hyperdub]Backxwash: Only Dust Remains [Ugly Hag]Bryan Ferry: Loose Talk [Dene Jesmond]Cactus Lee: Cactus Lee [Western Vinyl]Deafheaven: Lonely People With Power [Roadrunner]Dean Wareham: That’s the Price of Loving Me [Carpark]Destroyer: Dan’s Boogie [Merge]DJ Python: I Was Put on This Earth EP [XL]Great Grandpa: Patience, Moonbeam [Run for Cover]Lucy Dacus: Forever Is a Feeling [Geffen]Perfume Genius: Glory [Matador]Sandwell District: End Beginnings [The Point of Departure]Spellling: Portrait of My Heart [Sacred Bones]Unrest: Perfect Teeth (30th Anniversary Edition) [4AD]Yukimi: For You [Ninja Tune]April 4Barker: Stochastic Drift [Smalltown Supersound]Black Country, New Road: Forever Howlong [Ninja Tune]Craig Finn: Always Been [Tamarac]David Longstreth, Dirty Projectors & Stargaze: Song of the Earth [Nonesuch/New Amsterdam]DJ Koze: Music Can Hear Us [Pampa]Djo: The Crux [AWAL]Elton John & Brandi Carlile: Who Believes in Angels? [Interscope]Florist: Jellywish [Double Double Whammy]L.A. Witch: Doggod [Suicide Squeeze]Marlon Williams: Te Whare Tīwekaweka [self-released]The Ophelias: Spring Grove [Get Better]Penelope Trappes: A Requiem [One Little Independent]Scowl: Are We All Angels [Dead Oceans]Sleigh Bells: Bunky Becky Birthday Boy [Mom + Pop]The Waterboys: Life, Death and Dennis Hopper [Sun]New music releases for Friday, April 4, 2025, include: DJ Koze: Music Can Hear Us [Pampa]
April 11Bon Iver: SABLE, fABLE [Jagjaguwar]Kali Malone: The Sacrificial Code [Ideologic Organ]Ken Carson: More Chaos [Opium/Interscope]Röyksopp: True Electric [Dog Triumph]April 12Jeff Bridges: Slow Magic, 1977-1978 [Light in the Attic]April 18Beirut: A Study of Losses [Pompeii]Julien Baker & Torres: Send a Prayer My Way [Matador]Quickly, Quickly: I Heard That Noise [Ghostly International]Tunde Adebimpe: Thee Black Boltz [Sub Pop]New music releases for Friday, April 18, 2025, include: Tunde Adebimpe: Thee Black Boltz [Sub Pop]
April 25Broncho: Natural Pleasure [Broncho Worldwide]Djrum: Under Tangled Silence [Houndstooth]Nazar: Demilitarize [Hyperdub]Sumac & Moor Mother: The Film [Thrill Jockey]William Tyler: Time Indefinite [Psychic Hotline]May 2Blondshell: If You Asked for a Picture [Partisan]Car Seat Headrest: The Scholars [Matador]Eli Winter: A Trick of the Light [Three Lobed]James Krivchenia: Performing Belief [Planet Mu]Jenny Hval: Iris Silver Mist [4AD]Model/Actriz: Pirouette [True Panther]PUP: Who Will Look After the Dogs? [Little Dipper/Rise]Sextile: Yes, Please. [Sacred Bones]Yung Lean: Jonatan [World Affairs]New music releases for Friday, May 2, 2025, include: Model/Actriz: Pirouette [True Panther]
May 9Deradoorian: Ready for Heaven [Fire]Little Simz: Lotus [AWAL]Mclusky: The World Is Still Here and So Are We [Ipecac]May 16Pelican: Flickering Resonance [Run for Cover]Rico Nasty: Lethal [Fueled by Ramen]Spill Tab: Angie [Because Music]Tune-Yards: Better Dreaming [4AD]May 23Sparks: Mad! [Transgressive]May 30Garbage: Let All That We Imagine Be the Light [Stun Volume]Yeule: Evangelic Girl Is a Gun [Ninja Tune]June 6Lil Wayne: Tha Carter VI [Young Money/Republic]Nadah El Shazly: Laini Tani [One Little Independent]New music releases for Friday, June 6, 2025, include: Nadah El Shazly: Laini Tani [One Little Independent]
HARD Summer is coming back this August with a whopping lineup. Announced today (March 4), the two-day dance fest will be headlined by Colombian star Feid, Australian house force Dom Dolla, Canadian star Kaytranada, hard-driving French producer Gesaffelstein and hard techno titan Sara Landry.
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Additionally, the fest features a load of dance stars including Marlon Hoffstadt, Crankdat, The Blessed Madonna, Loco Dice, James Hype, Deorro, I Hate Models, Gordo, Nico Moreno, Tape B playing b2b with Mersiv, Jamaican legend Sean Paul and rap icon Juvenile. See the complete lineup below.
Produced by Insomniac Events, HARD Summer will take place at Hollywood Park, the 300-acre entertainment complex adjacent to SoFi Stadium. 2025 will mark HARD Summer’s second year at the site. Tickets go on sale March 7.
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The festival’s debut at Hollywood Park last summer resulted in a rash of noise complaints in the area, with the Following the noise complaints, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. wrote that “city authorities engaged the event promoter and the venue and implemented several critical adjustments to each stage and established enhanced monitoring plans for overall sound and bass levels. Additional sound engineers were strategically positioned in areas of concern…and were promptly dispatched to make necessary adjustments in real time.”
This year, HARD Summer will again put on its “Pre-Game” initiative, for which HARD partners with local establishments to bring them into the festival. In years past, this has meant on-site activations with L.A. institutions including Randy’s Donuts, Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, Sweet Red Peach, Sunday Gravy and Carnitas El Artista.
Local businesses can apply here to inquire about partnering on this year’s edition of the project.
HARD Summer 2025
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The Alchemist has made beats for legends like Nas, Mobb Deep, and The LOX and has found himself in the middle of memorable rap beefs like Lil Kim versus Foxy Brown and Drake versus Kendrick Lamar. However, there a still several legends he never got a chance to work with. Explore Explore See latest videos, […]
Fatherhood hasn’t always been an easy journey for Jelly Roll, especially at the start. That’s because the country star was incarcerated when he first welcomed his now-16-year-old daughter, Bailee, with whom he had to fight hard for a relationship once he was released.
In an interview with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett on the trio’s Smartless podcast episode posted Monday (March 3), Jelly opened up about the “very slow” process of building a bond with Bailee after he got out of jail, back when his daughter was only about 2 years old. “Her mother, at the time … rightfully so [because I was] a f–king criminal, wouldn’t let me see her,” recalled the “Save Me” singer.
“So I had to go to court,” he continued. “I had to get supervised visits through the courtroom … I just had to keep going to the court every six months and going, ‘Look, I’m continuing to prove I’m changing.’ Music, being famous, wasn’t even a thought then. I just wanted to be a good dad.”
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Jelly — who is also dad to an eight-year-old son named Noah — now shares full custody of Bailee with his wife, podcaster Bunnie XO. “She’s got one of the highest GPAs at her high school,” he boasted of his firstborn on the podcast. “She’s a dual enrollment kid and is a junior going to college.”
The CMA Award winner ultimately served over a year with seven months of probation for an aggravated robbery he committed when he was 16. Years later, when he was 23, he was incarcerated again for drug dealing. It was during the latter time served that Jelly learned from a guard of his daughter’s birth, something he called “the most honest accountability and self-reflection moment of my life” on the podcast.
Jelly previously opened up about the epiphany in a 2023 interview with Billboard. “I’ve never had nothing in life that urged me in the moment to know that I had to do something different,” he said at the time. “I have to figure this out right now.”
The interview comes about five months after the release of Jelly’s album Beautifully Broken, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The star is currently on a headlining tour in support of the album, after which he’ll embark on a joint stadium trek with Post Malone in April.
Listen to Jelly’s full Smartless interview below.