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Dream Theater‘s Mike Portnoy recently ventured into unexpected territory by reimagining the drumming on Taylor Swift’s chart-topping pop anthem “Shake It Off.”
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As part of Drumeo’s popular First Time series, the legendary prog-metal drummer approached Swift’s infectiously upbeat track with his technical brilliance, creating a fascinating hybrid of pop and prog.
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After hearing a snippet of the song—stripped of its original drum tracks—Portnoy immediately immersed himself in crafting his own interpretation, quipping, “My daughter is going to get a kick out of this … It sounds like something out of Disneyland Japan or something.”
While figuring out how to approach the song, Portnoy commented on its unconventional structure: “It’s like Bob Dylan. It’s all verses, it doesn’t change keys. I don’t even know what to write. I’m just going to jam to it, I guess.” Despite the challenges, he powered through, delivering an impressive interpretation filled with his rhythmic flair.
Despite the playful mismatch of styles, Portnoy maintained his admiration for Swift, adding, “Taylor, I’m really sorry. I still would play with you in a heartbeat, but I wouldn’t do that [drum pattern].”
The unexpected crossover comes as Portnoy gears up for a major moment in his own career. Dream Theater—the iconic prog-metal band he co-founded in 1985 with John Petrucci and John Myung—is preparing to release their highly anticipated album Parasomnia on Feb. 7.
It marks the first record featuring Portnoy since his 2009 departure following Black Clouds & Silver Linings, and subsequent return in late 2023.
“There is so much shared history between us all… so many memories, so much music… to think we’re coming up on 40 years since this journey began!” Portnoy said. “The idea of creating new music together is so exciting and I absolutely cannot wait to hit the road and get to play live for a whole new generation of fans that weren’t ever able to see this lineup before…There’s no place like home!!”
Taylor Swift, meanwhile, continues to shatter records in her own right. Her Eras Tour concluded in December 2024 as the highest-grossing tour of all time, earning $2.2 billion.
Swift also made waves with The Tortured Poets Department, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, spent a career-best 17 weeks at the top, sold 2.61 million equivalent album units in its first week.
You can watch Portnoy tackle Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” here.
It’s four years in a row for Taylor Swift, with the U.S. pop icon dominating Australia’s year-end charts once again, according to data published by ARIA
Swift has once more found her way to the top of the ARIA Top 100 Albums Chart, this time off the back of her massively-successful eleventh album, April’s The Tortured Poets Department. With results undeniably bolstered by her seven local shows as part of the record-setting Eras Tour, Swift is a constant presence in the year-end charts, making up 40% of the top ten.
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While The Tortured Poets Department sits at No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) appears at No. 5, with Lover at No. 7, and Midnights rounding it out at No. 10. Overall, she makes up 11% of the entire Top 100, with original or re-recorded versions of her entire discography (save for her self-titled debut) placed across the top 68 positions. Her 2014 album 1989 doubles up thanks to its original version placing at No. 68.
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It’s not a far cry from the results of last year either, where 1989 (Taylor’s Version) reigned supreme and was joined by the likes of The Weeknd, Morgan Wallen, SZA, and Harry Styles. In 2024, the top ten is rounded out by Billie Eilish‘s Hit Me Hard And Soft, Sabrina Carpenter‘s Short n’ Sweet, The Weeknd’s The Highlights, SZA’s SOS, Wallen’s One Thing At A Time, and Olivia Rodrigo‘s Guts.
The singles chart, however, belongs to U.S. singer-songwriter Benson Boone, whose “Beautiful Things” spent six weeks at No. 1 and has rarely been absent from the top ten since it first debuted. Boone’s success isn’t limited to Australia, with the track having topped numerous charts globally, and peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” holds the silver medal position, with Carpenter’s “Espresso” closing out the podium finishes. Noah Kahan‘s “Stick Season” and Teddy Swims‘ “Lose Control” round out the top five, with Eilish’s “Birds Of A Feather” following closely behind. Irish musician Hozier‘s “Too Sweet” prevents a clean sweep for American artists, however, with his single hitting No. 8.
Swift’s influence also extends to the Singles Chart, with 2019’s “Cruel Summer” hitting No. 9 off the back of its 2023 viral success and single release. Miley Cyrus‘ “Flowers”, which topped the chart last year, also makes a return appearance, albeit relegated to a respectable No. 39.
Of note, however, is the lack of Australian artists that make up the Albums and Singles Charts. In the latter category, just 5% are home-grown, with Vance Joy’s 2013 single “Riptide” leading the charge at No. 24. Cyril’s reimagining of Suzi Quatro’s “Stumblin’ In” can be found at No. 29, while DJ and producer Dom Dolla‘s “Saving Up” splits the field at No. 50. The Kid LAROI closes out the local representation with “Nights Like This” featuring at No. 84, and his 2021 Justin Bieber collaboration “Stay” in at No. 96.
The Albums Charts, however, boasts only three Australian names – with only one being a studio release. While South Australian veterans Cold Chisel can be found at No. 44 with their 50 Years – The Best Of compilation, so too can INXS‘ Diamond-certified The Very Best be located down at No. 81. The Kid LAROI is once again the only point of difference, with his debut album – 2023’s The First Time – hitting No. 67.
Check out ARIA’s year-end singles and albums charts.
Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the Broadway and film juggernaut Wicked, and music supervisor Bonnie Greenberg are set to receive honorary awards at the 15th Guild of Music Supervisors Awards. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, Feb. 23 at The Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
Schwartz is set to receive the Icon Award, which celebrates those who have made legendary contributions to the music and film industries. Previous recipients include Robbie Robertson, Paul Williams, Diane Warren, Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Kenny Loggins and Marc Shaiman.
Schwartz, 76, has won three Oscars, four Grammys, four Drama Desk Awards and a Golden Globe. He has received six Tony nominations, in addition to receiving their Isabelle Stevenson Award in 2015. Schwartz was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009. In addition to Wicked, Schwartz’s other credits include Godspell and Enchanted and the animated classics Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince of Egypt.
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The Legacy Award will be presented to music supervisor Bonnie Greenberg, known for her work on such films as My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Mask and The Hunting Ground. The Legacy Award is bestowed to a music supervisor who has made an impact within the industry over the course of their career. Previous recipients include Allan Mason, Pilar McCurry, Mitchell Leib, Maureen Crowe, Bob Hunka, Joel Sill, Gary Lemel and Chris Montan.
Greenberg began her career as an entertainment attorney. She was a business affairs executive at MCA Records and Paramount Pictures, then pivoted to become a sought-after music supervisor. After getting a master’s degree in clinical psychology, Greenberg pivoted again, turning her attention to documentaries and films that shed a light on issues. She is one of the founding members of the Guild of Music Supervisors.
“The Guild of Music Supervisors Awards is a night of coming together in our community, and we need this more than ever,” GMS president Lindsay Wolfington and vice president Heather Guibert said in a joint statement.
Further information and details about tickets can be found at www.gmsawards.com.
More than 40 years after the formation of New Jersey rock outfit Bon Jovi, the group’s namesake is set to trace the band’s history in an upcoming book.
Fittingly titled Bon Jovi: Anthology, the forthcoming volume is an extensive look into the history of the band, with frontman Jon Bon Jovi penning a 35,000 word account of their four decades of fame, complete with hundred of photographs and memorabilia items from the band’s personal archives.
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“As band members, you share a unique bond that no one else can truly understand, not even family,” Jon Bon Jovi explains in the book. “That brotherhood comes with a long career like ours. We all felt part of something special, trusted each other, and they trusted me. I never let them down. It was always a give-and-take by everybody.”
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Described as “all-access pass to the world of Bon Jovi”, Bon Jovi: Anthology is set for release in June and is available in a limited edition of 1,150 copies signed by Jon Bon Jovi. The book is also quarter-bound in black vegan leather and comes packaged in a handmade black clamshell box with a silver heart and dagger. Additionally, it includes replicas of pins and badges, tour passes, and a special chrome-colored 7″ record which features two as-yet-unannounced tracks.
“I was single-minded. There was no plan B, even before there was an audience,” reads another passage from Jon Bon Jovi. “It was just the feeling that you got singing a song, and then playing in a band. There was something in that electricity, in the sheer sound of loud. There was something about it that captured my imagination.”
Bon Jovi first formed in New Jersey in 1983, releasing their self-titled debut album the following year. Though their first two records charted modestly, they achieved a global breakthrough when third album, Slippery When Wet, arrived in 1986 and gave the band their first No. 1 atop the Billboard 200.
Their 42-year career has since resulted in a total of 16 studio albums, four No. 1 singles, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Bon Jovi: Forever releases in June, with pre-orders available now.
Tommy Lee isn’t fond of artists engaging in self-promotion while the Los Angeles wildfires continue to rage, it seems. The founding Mötley Crüe drummer let his opinions be known in an Instagram post shared on Monday (Jan. 13), where he took aim at those who have continued to plug upcoming products and events while the […]
Paramore‘s Hayley Williams is about to have some familial competition in the music game, with her grandfather releasing his debut album five decades on from its recording.
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Rusty Williams, at 78 years old, will release Grand Man on Feb. 14 thanks to the help of his granddaughter and her bandmates, but his musical journey has been a long time coming. According to a press release, Rusty was a lifelong lover of music, having written songs and joined a band in his earlier years. In fact, his talents even made an appearance on Hayley’s Petals for Armor album in 2020 – providing vocals and piano on the closing track, “Crystal Clear”.
For many, that was likely as far as Rusty’s musical story was going to go. Despite claims that he’d recorded an album back in the ’70s, few were certain the album even existed until “the senior Williams’ old production partner” Frank Morris rediscovered the record.
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“So many people our age are mining these albums for tones and things you can’t even replicate,” Hayley said in a statement. “And Grandat has a way of cutting to the core of a feeling, and not overcomplicating it. Which we tend to do, because the world is hard. It’s nice when you can hear something plain and simple and know that it is true.”
Rusty’s songs hadn’t ventured much further than the Mississippi recording studio where the tracks were first laid down all those years ago. However, Paramore’s Zac Farro put his hand up to ensure that they live on, plotting to release the record by way of his Nashville-based label Congrats Records. “I thought that it was a crime that these songs were sitting there on the shelf,” Farro said.
Ahead of its arrival next month, the album has been previewed by way of the single “Knocking (At Your Door)”. However, despite the long-awaited release of Grand Man, Rusty isn’t hoping for a major career renaissance to come his way.
“I don’t expect anything, and I’m too old to be famous,” he explained. “But I just want to know someone liked what I did, and to be touched by whatever the hell they are listening to. I want people to see how it felt when things were real.
“You write stuff, and you want somebody to get something out of it,” he added. “I just had to wait for a granddaughter and a band with her to really do anything with mine.”
Rusty joins a slowly-growing list of famous relatives who have released albums due to their more famous descendants. In 2023, Lana Del Rey’s father, Rob Grant, issued his debut album Lost at Sea at the age of 69, all while leaning into the tongue-in-cheek “nepo daddy” descriptor.
The Critics Choice Awards — initially scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 12, and then postponed to Jan. 26 due to the wildfires that have devastated the Los Angeles region for the past week — have been postponed again. The ceremony is now set to take place in February, with an exact date to be announced. It […]
Ever since its release in 2015, Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” has become a musical representation of hope for anyone overcoming obstacles or struggling with tragedy.
As the wildfires in Los Angeles continue to devastate the city, Platten took the stage at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Monday (Jan. 13) to perform her hit before the playoff game between the LA Rams and the Minnesota Vikings. “It was such an emotional night. It was so much bigger than me and the song,” she tells Billboard of the moment, which served as a tribute to victims of the fires as well as first responders who are risking their lives to save their city.
Platten and her family are thankfully safe, and were able to return home after a precautionary evacuation. “My heart breaks,” she says. “We know friends who have lost their houses, friends whose schools have burned down. It’s horrifying, and it’s been a really scary experience.”
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During her “Fight Song” performance, Platten switched up the line in the song’s first verse — “I might only have one match/ But I can make an explosion” — to a fitting and more appropriate lyric given the circumstances: “We might have been knocked down/ But I know we’ll keep going.”
“I feel really incredibly grateful for the whole night,” she says. “We can do so many things with tragedy. We can mourn together, and we can cry together — but then there are also times to be strong together. What I felt on stage was, ‘May this song touch people like medicine, may this song be healing.’ I did feel feel a reverberation and an echo in the stadium of that hunger for hope in the midst of darkness. Sometimes music can do what words can’t.”
Platten hopes to continue her message of hope as she embarks on her Set Me Free tour, which kicks off on March 17 in Denver, Colo., and hits multiple cities including Los Angeles before wrapping on May 9 in Orlando, Fla. “It’s freedom, and it’s earned joy, not superficial way of celebration,” she says of the upcoming run of live shows. “It’s the kind of joy where you’ve been through some shit, and you’ve seen pain and you’ve seen tragedy, and you are choosing to stay strong and resilient. We’re all going to sing and dance, but we’re also going to cry and feel our feelings. Hopefully, the whole tour gives people permission to feel everything.”
Watch Platten perform “Fight Song” before the Rams and Vikings game below.
Carrie Underwood is speaking out after receiving backlash following the announcement that she will be performing at Trump’s inauguration. Keep watching to see what she had to say! Tetris Kelly: The internet found out Carrie Underwood would be singing at Trump’s inauguration and it’s causing a roar of online backlash and she’s spoken out. After […]
The new “junk fee” rules passed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to clean up the event ticket industry won’t slow the rising price of concert tickets or reduce the huge fees added by ticketing companies, a group of prominent music agents and managers is warning.
In a letter to the FTC last week, Nathaniel Marro, executive director of the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), said the new rules are “a positive step forward” in cleaning up the business but that they do “nothing to reduce the junk fees buried inside each concert ticket.” NITO is now asking the FTC to expand its ruling to address its concerns.
So-called junk fees, which are added to a ticket purchase by ticketing companies like AXS and Ticketmaster, regularly push ticket fees up 25% to 30%, often without any sign-off from the artist, says Marro.
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“The artist is kept in the dark about how much their fans are being charged in fees for tickets,” Marro wrote in the letter. “We don’t know the fees in advance. Most agents, and artists and managers don’t see the full spread of fees until the show goes on sale.”
Some of the fees also aren’t accounted for during show settlement, Marro added, meaning that most artists don’t know how much revenue ticketing companies are making from their concerts.
Officials with Live Nation pushed back on this claim, telling Billboard that “if an artist team is ever unsure of the venue fees, it’s a simple ask that the venue rental agreement outline it,” adding, “this is never hidden as it’s a standard cost of doing business.”
Marro worries that the FTC’s new requirements that fans be shown the full price of a ticket upfront –instead of first being shown the face value before fees are tacked onto the price at checkout — will make it easier for ticketing companies to add fees to the face value of a ticket while effectively hiding them, resulting in higher ticket prices.
Recent data from Billboard Boxscore shows that ticket prices are rapidly increasing. The average cost of a concert ticket to one of the tours on Billboard’s Year-End top 100 tours chart last year was $132.30, marking an increase of 9.1% from 2023 and a 20.6% increase from 2022. Prior to the pandemic, ticket prices were increasing at a much more sustainable rate of just 3% to 4% a year.
In a statement to Billboard explaining its support for mandatory all-in pricing, Live Nation said that “fans are better off when they focus on the true cost of a ticket, which is the sum of face value and all mandatory fees. There is no basis for obscuring the all-in price on the fiction that artists do not understand ticket fees. That information is never hidden as the NITO comments suggest. It is readily available to artist teams, who also know that most ticket fees go to the venues hosting their events.”