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As the controversy surrounding Belfast hip-hop trio Kneecap continues to swirl, former Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon has weighed in on the debate.
Lydon, who fronted the pioneering U.K. punk band from 1975 until 1978 and on their numerous reunions until 2008 as Johnny Rotten, made his comments in the wake of the myriad controversies faced by Kneecap in recent weeks.
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However, while speaking to Good Morning Britain on Wednesday (May 8), the program’s host brought up a recent incident in which Kneecap issued an apology for archival footage which showed the group allegedly calling for the death of British MPs (members of parliament).
Filmed at a London gig in November 2023, it appears to show one member of the band saying: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” At the time, the Conservative Party – also known as the Tories – were in government with a large majority.
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“If you’re advocating the death of another human being, then you have no cause whatsoever,” Lydon said in response to the incident. “You are my enemy from here on in for the rest of your mediocre existence. You shouldn’t be talking like that, you shouldn’t be making enemies of your fellow human beings. Other than that, maybe they need a bloody good kneecapping!”
In the context of the matter, ‘kneecapping’ – the term from which the trio take their name – refers to how Northern Ireland paramilitaries would take the law into their own hands during The Troubles by inflicting injuries on those accused of criminal or antisocial behaviour, usually with a gunshot to the knee.
Lydon also commented on Kneecap’s apparent attempts to generate controversy in the modern age by claiming they’re taking cues from the Sex Pistols’ playbook. “I think they’re following what they think is the Sex Pistols route,” he added. “It’s helpful, isn’t it, when you get the Financial Times propping you up.”
Kneecap made global headlines following their appearance at the Coachella festival in April, where they projected strong anti-Israel sentiments during their set – sentiments which they had claimed were censored during their first weekend appearance.
“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” the projected messages read. “It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.”
The backlash to Kneecap’s comments were swift and varied, with Sharon Osbourne calling for the band’s work visas to be revoked ahead of another North American tour later in the year, while the trio would soon split with their booking agent, Independent Artist Group.
Lydon has been rather prolific in terms of public comment in recent weeks, having recently taken to disparaging the nascent version of the Sex Pistols which have been touring with Frank Carter on lead vocals, and distancing himself from any potential reunions with his former bandmates.
“Not after what I consider their dirty deeds, let them wallow in Walt Disney woke expectations,” he said in response to the notion of returning to the role of vocalist. “They’ve killed the content, or done their best to, and turned the whole thing into a rubbish, childishness, and that’s unacceptable.
“Sorry, I’m not going to give a helping hand to this any longer, as far as I am concerned, I am the Pistols, and they’re not.”
The Final Jeopardy clue on Jeopardy! on Wednesday (May 7) seemed to be way too easy, but not one of the contestants got it right. The category was The Grammys. The clue: “Best New Artists at the 7th Annual Grammys, this band would be nominated the next six years, but not again until the 39th and 67th events.”
The champion wrote down “Who is the Marine Marching Band,” which was incorrect. The ensemble has never even been nominated for a Grammy.
A challenger wrote down “Springsteen,” which ignored a key part of the clue that it was a “band.” And while Bruce Springsteen has been recording for more than 50 years, the clues indicated a 60-year span of Grammy ceremonies. The Boss hasn’t been around quite that long.
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The second challenger, you figure, has to get it right. He wrote “The Rolling Stones.” As host Ken Jennings pointed out, that was closer, but still not right. To the Grammys’ eternal shame, The Rolling Stones weren’t even nominated for a Grammy until the 1979 ceremony, when they were up for album of the year for Some Girls. And they don’t satisfy another part of the clue, either: They have never been nominated more than two years in a row. But they did win best rock album earlier this year for Hackney Diamonds.
The correct answer, of course, is The Beatles. They won best new artist at the 1965 ceremony, were nominated every year from 1966-1971, and then were nominated again in 1997 (when they won a total of three Grammys for The Beatles Anthology and “Free as a Bird”) and earlier this year (when they won best rock performance for “Now and Then”).
If the contestants had just muttered “Help!” when they saw the clue, and realized they were in trouble, that might have led them to the correct question.
OK, so, these three contestants were not Grammy experts, and perhaps not die-hard Beatles fans. Still, they did very well in other categories during the two rounds of play. This just goes to show that we all have our strong suits and other areas were we draw a blank.
Billy Idol lands his first top 10-charting effort ever on Billboard’s nearly 34-year-old Top Album Sales chart, as his new album Dream Into It debuts at No. 7 on the May 10-dated chart. The project is the iconic rocker’s first full-length studio project in over a decade, since 2014’s Kings & Queens of the Underground.
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Dream Into It also debuts on the Vinyl Albums (No. 19), Indie Store Album Sales (No. 21) and Independent Albums (No. 41) charts.
Elsewhere in the top 10 on the Top Album Sales chart, the latest releases from Ghost, Grateful Dead, d4vd, Tucker Wetmore, Goose and Viagra Boys all debut in the region.
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Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.
Dream Into It sold 6,500 copies in the United States in the week ending May 1, according to Luminate – largely driven by physical purchases (about 2,500 on vinyl and 3,500 on CD). Digital download purchases comprised about 500 copies.
Dream Into It is Idol’s 10th charting title on the Top Album Sales chart, which began in 1991. In that span of time, he had previously gone has high as No. 12 with the 2021 EP The Roadside.
Idol has a long history on Billboard’s charts, including a dozen charting titles each on the Billboard 200 (dating back to 1981) and Billboard Hot 100 songs charts, as well as 16 entries on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
Also on the latest Top Album Sales chart, rock band Ghost nabs its second No. 1 with its best sales week ever, as Skeletá debut atop the list with 77,000 copies sold. Grateful Dead’s latest archival live set, Dave’s Picks Volume 54: Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, MD – 3/26/73, bows at No. 2 with 19,500 copies sold. It’s the 46th top 10-charting set for the act on Top Album Sales. Rounding out the top three is d4vd’s new Withered, starting with 14,500 copies – the first top 10 and best sales week for the act.
Tucker Wetmore’s What Not to debuts at No. 4 with 7,500 (his first top 10 and best sales week), Kendrick Lamar’s former No. 1 GNX slips 3-5 (nearly 7,500; down 7%), Goose gets its first top 10 and best sales week with the start of Everything Must Go at No. 6 (7,000) and Viagra Boys round out the debuts in the top 10 as Viagr Aboys bows at No. 8 with 6,500 (the first top 10 and best sales week for the act).
Closing out the top 10 are two former leaders: Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet slips 2-9 (nearly 6,500; down 24%) and Lady Gaga’s MAYHEM falls 4-10 (5,000; down 23%).
Smokey Robinson has denied shocking new claims of sexual assault, saying through his attorney that the “vile, false allegations” are merely “an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon.”
In a statement Wednesday (May 7), lawyer Christopher Frost says he will “fiercely defend” both Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances, against the $50 million lawsuit claiming the R&B legend raped four different housekeepers over the course of nearly two decades.
“As this case progresses, the evidence (the crucial element that guides us) will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 million dollars, to be exact,” writes Frost.
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Frost says he plans to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit and address “numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity as well as issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies and relationships between the plaintiffs and others.”
The lawyers who brought the case did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.
The statement comes one day after Smokey and Frances Robinson were sued in Los Angeles state court by four of their former housekeepers. The employees, suing anonymously, say Smokey Robinson forced them to have oral and vaginal sex in his bedroom dozens of times between 2007 and 2024.
The housekeepers claim Frances shares blame because she did nothing to stop the alleged abuse, despite knowing that her husband had a history of sexual misconduct and that he’d previously struck settlements with assault victims.
The lawsuit also says the Robinsons paid their employees below minimum wage, and that Frances Robinson created a hostile work environment replete with screaming and “racially-charged epithets.”
The settlements cited in Tuesday’s lawsuit have not been previously reported, and there’s no apparent record of prior sexual assault lawsuits against Smokey Robinson. This means that, if legitimate, the deals were likely struck confidentially and outside of court.
But the legendary R&B singer and recording executive is no stranger to the courtroom. In 2023, Robinson testified at a federal jury trial over claims that he stiffed a former manager out of nearly $1 million.
The jurors largely sided with Robinson, finding that former manager Eric Podwall was not entitled to touring profits under his contract. Podwall won just $2,000 for an unpaid record advance after the more than six-year-long legal battle with Robinson.
Lainey Wilson, Reba McEntire & Miranda Lambert sit down ahead of the ACM’s and share how they came together to create their new collab, “Trailblazer.” They share how Brandy Clark, Dolly Parton and more influenced the song, producing and recording together and more!
Are you excited for “Trailblazer?” Let us know in the comments!
Melinda Newman:
I wanna start by just asking how the song came together.
Miranda Lambert:
The first conversation was an idea that we could write a song for all of us to sing together, right?
And you brought up Brandy because we all love her so much.
Reba McEntire:
Love Brandy Clark.
Miranda Lambert:
Yes.
Reba McEntire:
Her writing, her singing, everything about her.
Miranda Lambert:
Yeah, so we went to my back porch and-
Lainey Wilson:
Yeah, we were like, okay, we’re gonna get to do a song with Reba. So what kind of song do you think that like, what do we write, you know?
Miranda Lambert:
And she was on set, so we were calling her and trying to FaceTime and figure out, like, what’s the right message for this, this trio, like, what do we really want to say in a three minute song? Because it felt really important to all of us, I think.
Reba McEntire:
And I had texted with Brandy the day before, giving her some ideas, and then when I finally got to hear it, I was ecstatic. Thrilled to pieces, and Brandy said that was the fastest she’s ever written a song because they gelled so well together.
Lainey Wilson:
We were just having a conversation about how both of y’all have influenced me, and how it’s just it’s kind of like passing the torch and blazing trails for each other. And so it’s just like, you know, generation after generation it’s going to continue. Well, we got to keep blazing those trails for the next ones.
Keep watching for more!
[Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the winner and runners-up revealed on Wednesday night’s (May 7) season 13 finale of The Masked Singer.]
In a season that has featured the unmasking of a mess of music stars — including Edwin McCain (Nessy), Method Man (Stud Muffin) and Flavor Flav (Space Ranger), plus actors Matthew Lawrence (Paparazzo), Candace Cameron Bure (Cherry Blossom) and James Van Der Beek (Griffin) and boxer Oscar De La Hoya (Fuzzy Peas), among others — when the confetti rained down on Wednesday night’s (May 7) Masked Singer finale, it was no surprise who came out on top.
Pearl shone the brightest on a night when she reigned supreme over the other three finalists — Boogie Woogie, Coral and Mad Scientist — after a season of dominating the competition with a perfectly executed mix of pop, R&B, rock, Latin and soul songs.
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If you were really paying attention to the clues this season, Pearl’s identity was plain to see. There was talk of a “tough exterior” you had to break through to find the treasure inside, making her own way by playing shows in discount stores and dive bars, Elvis, a bowl of cherries and Aphrodite, goddess of love. She also noted she grew up in a tiny town, split before finishing high school to work in a bar and said that when she started doing what she does, it launched a movement that opened the doors for many others.
The guesses were all over the place, with judge Robin Thicke thinking Melissa Etheridge, to Rita Orr tossing out rockers Pat Benatar and Joan Jett and always-wrong Ken Jeong wildly swinging with certainty that Madonna was under the mask (she wasn’t). Meanwhile, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg’s guesses over the season leaned country, including Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Kacey Musgraves — which turned out to be the right kind of lean.
There’s a very good reason Pearl came out on top, beginning with her gritty, emotional cover of Lesley Gore’s 1963 empowerment anthem “You Don’t Own Me,” which Thicke praised for being “sultry and swaggy,” with a touch of soul and grit. Proving her versatility, she also spread that grit on The Outfield’s 1986 rock anthem “Your Love,” then pivoted again with a hip-swiveling take on Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine’s 1985 classic “Conga.” Other highlights included a killer cover of Dolly Parton’s 1977 pop country No. 3 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Here You Come Again,” a rock pivot for Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and an impressive run through the Whitney Houston ballad “Saving All My Love For You.”
She secured the win with Wednesday night’s cover of KT Tunstall’s 2004 rocker “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” which sounded so much like it could have been one of her own songs that Jeong called her the “Meryl Streep of Masked Singer.” Her final song, The Pretenders’ epic ballad “I’ll Stand By You,” soared and, seemingly, locked in the season 13 crown for none other than country star Gretchen Wilson.
Her victory came over Boogie Woogie (Andy Grammer), Coral (Zombies‘ Meg Donnelly) and Mad Scientist (Florida Georgia Line country star and solo singer Brian Kelley).
The singer — whose breakthrough, Grammy-winning 2004 single “Redneck Woman” sat at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks — spoke to Billboard before her win about why now was the right time to do the show, how the flashy costume switched up her public persona and why she didn’t sing a song from her all-time favorite rock band.
This show had you doing more choreo than I imagine you’re used to, so much hip shaking and gyrating. Was that weird to you, or did the costume help alleviate any nerves?
The costume helped with everything. When I stepped into the costume, I was transformed, I became Pearl. All of the different sides of Gretchen Wilson that I’ve never felt comfortable enough to show just took the forefront in the costume. I saw it as an opportunity to show the world there’s a lot more to me than this redneck y’all keep talking about.
What as it about that sparkly costume that appealed to you? You usually are a black T-shirt and jeans kind of woman, and it’s so girly. [For the record, Wilson was wearing a black T-shirt and one sparkly, rhinestone-studded blue glove during our Zoom.]
It was just all of the things I’ve never felt comfortable to do as a grown woman. I took it and ran with it. It’s an uncomfortable costume. You don’t feel all that pretty in it because you’re mostly just sweating. But when you happen by a mirror and see it you’re like, “ooh!,” you just can’t help yourself. I thought it was really good exactly because of that: Everybody just thinks of a plain Jane, girl next door type of thing, and I thought this costume was perfect because it was so opposite of what anybody would ever think they’d see me behind.
You’ve had a wild ride in the music biz, scoring five top 10 singles on the Billboard country charts and then jumping to your own label, so I’m curious: What did you want to prove on the show?
I had some post-COVID health stuff, I’m a long-hauler. I’ve got medications I’ll have to take for the rest of my life — high blood pressure, asthma — these are all things I didn’t have right before COVID. I also was dancing with a 6-year-old boy at a wedding, spinning, spinning, spinning, then I lost myself and I shattered my ankle and my leg, so I spent eight months in a wheelchair in a cast. So all of this was happening to me the last couple of years and it really got me to the point where, health-wise, my weight, I was thinking, “I might be done. It could be over for me because I’m not sure I’ll be able to breathe out there and do this thing as a living anymore.” So when this opportunity came, it was a moment for me to go, “All right, I’ve struggled, I’ve got the weight down, the medication is helping and if I say yes to this and I can go do this then I can do anything.” If I can do this, I can do a 75-minute show in Yuma, Arizona, in August outside.
Your sound was so versatile on the show, from rock to country, pop, Latin and R&B. Why was that a priority for you?
First of all, because I could. I grew up in bar bands. When I was 16, I was in three to four bands all at once, and it was always covers, so I got my start like, “How much can I sound like this one?” That was sort of a hidden gem in my pocket that I had, being able to transform my voice.
You didn’t do a song by your favorite band Heart, though. Why not?
Like any show, only a certain number of songs they have clearance for, so it wasn’t like I could go in there and say, “I want to sing ‘Barracuda’ by Heart.” There was a very good chance they wouldn’t have been able to clear it. Also, had they brought me a Heart song, I would have said no because it would have been a dead giveaway. I felt we got really close with show opener [Big & Rich’s] “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” — those are two of my very best friends. How do they not know that that’s me? I tried to pick songs I love, but also songs my audience would not typically think it would be me singing.
Speaking of which, was it fun to sing “Pink Pony Club” with Rita Ora on the finale?
There’s a song I’ve never heard! Never heard it [before I sang it] and never heard it since. Let me just say [throws up prayer hands]: Nothing against the song, it’s just not my thing.
How cool was it to get that message from your daughter on the last night? Did she know it was you on the show?
In the beginning, I told almost no one. I told my publicist, I had to tell my mom because I have four dogs and she had to come take care of them. The show decided to involve my daughter and her new husband, so that’s how she got on it, otherwise she wouldn’t have known. I’m really glad they did because keeping this secret from her felt wrong not having her involved in the moment.
Your Pretenders cover tonight made Ken cry! That must have felt good, right?
I didn’t remember that! I haven’t seen the final episode yet. I don’t know what my favorite performance is because I haven’t seen them all yet. I was impressed with the “Conga” because that was so far outside of what I normally do, but my friends are all liking “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” and that was my least favorite. I was thinking, “What did I just do? I just chose a song that is going to lose me the competition. Where do I go with this vocal?” I had to be creative and jump an octave, or two, because this song doesn’t go anywhere! I think I did go three octaves in that song.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have launched an official inquiry into the event ticketing business at the urging of President Donald Trump, the agencies announced Wednesday (May 7).
As part of the inquiry, “the agencies invite members of the public to submit comments and information on harmful practices and on potential regulation or legislation to protect consumers in the industry,” according to a press release. Anyone “impacted by anticompetitive practices in the live concert and entertainment industry” will have 60 days to submit comments to Regulations.gov, with the comment period concluding on July 7.
After the comment period closes, the agencies state they will “use the information in their preparation of the report and recommendations directed by President Trump” in his Executive Order 14254, also known as Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market. Signed by the president during a March 31 meeting in the Oval Office with musician Kid Rock in attendance, the order directed the Attorney General, along with the Secretary of the Treasury and the chairman of the FTC, to submit a report identifying “recommendations for regulations or legislation necessary to protect consumers” in the industry, including by enforcing the Better Online Tickets Sales (BOTS) Act.
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Passed in 2016, the BOTS Act gives both the DOJ and the FTC broad power to crack down on scalpers who illegally use automated technology to skirt the restrictions placed on high-demand ticket sales and prevents scalpers from buying up the best seats to flip for profit. Yet since its passage in 2016, the BOTS Act has only been used once to prosecute scalpers who knowingly break the rules put in place to make ticket buying fairer and more equitable.
“Competitive live entertainment markets should deliver value to artists and fans alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division in a statement. “We will continue to closely examine this market and look for opportunities where vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws can lead to increased competition that makes tickets more affordable for fans while offering fairer compensation for artists.”
Added FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson, “Many Americans feel like they are being priced out of live entertainment by scalpers, bots, and other unfair and deceptive practices. Now their voices are being heard. President Trump has sent a clear message that bad actors who exploit fans and distort the marketplace will not be tolerated. The FTC is proud to help deliver on that promise and restore fair and competitive markets that benefit ordinary Americans.”
The inquiry comes as several ticketing bills work their way through Congress, most notably the TICKET ACT, which passed the House of Representatives on April 29 and also includes language calling for the enforcement of BOTS Act.
“Illegal bot use runs rampant in the ticketing industry because the FTC has only brought one enforcement action since the use of bots was banned in 2016,” read a statement from Stephen Parker, executive director of National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), shortly after the April 29 passage of the TICKET ACT in the House. He added, “We hope Congress does not miss the opportunity to ensure these laws are actually enforced in the future.”
Brad Arnold, singer and drummer of the Mississippi-based rock band 3 Doors Down, announced Wednesday (May 7) that he’s been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer.
“Got some not-so-good news for you today,” Arnold said in a video posted to social media, revealing that he’s fighting clear cell renal cell carcinoma and that it’s metastasized into his lung.
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Due to Arnold’s diagnosis, the band is canceling its upcoming summer tour, with dates that were set to begin next week in Florida and continued through August.
Arnold said that he’s leaning on his faith through the medical battle (“I have no fear. I really, sincerely am not scared of it at all.”) and asked for prayers from his fans. “I’d love for you to lift me up in prayer any chance you get. And I think it’s time for me to go and listen to ‘It’s Not My Time’ a little bit.”
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He also referenced the 2008 3 Doors Down song “It’s Not My Time” in his Instagram caption, writing: “Thank you for all the memories so far. Now, I believe ‘ITS NOT MY TIME’ is really my song. This’ll be a battle so we need our prayers warriors! Thank y’all for being the best fans in the world. We love y’all!”
Arnold’s comments section was filled with a who’s who of his musical peers, with Creed’s Scott Stapp writing, “If anyone has the FAITH and STRENGTH to face this fight, it’s YOU brother. … I think I can speak for all of us, we are lifting you up in prayer right now believing without doubt for your total healing! I love you bro.”
Chris Daughtry added, “Sending you love my brother,” with Gavin McGraw commenting: “May God bless you brother. Showing us how to conquer the darkness with light.”
“Man I hate to hear that Brad. Praying for ya brother,” Jason Aldean wrote, with Sara Evans saying, “Will be praying for you every day!”
During their early 2000s heyday, 3 Doors Down scored 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including three top 10s: 2000’s “Kryptonite” (No. 3 peak), 2003’s “When I’m Gone” (No. 4) and 2003’s “Here Without You” (No. 5). They also scored two No. 1 albums on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart: 2005’s Seventeen Days and a self-titled project in 2008.
Cazzu expands her ruling on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 as her chart-topping single “Con Otra” adds a third consecutive week atop the ranking (dated May 10). It’s the second-longest command of the year, after La T y La M’s “Amor De Vago,” featuring Malandro de América, dominated for 12 weeks between January and April (the latter holds at No. 4 for a second week).
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Cazzu also adds her 19th entry and fourth song of her No. 4-peaking album Latinaje, as “Mala Suerte,” bows at No. 76.
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Back in the top 10, Beéle, Westcol, and Ovy On The Drums’ “W Sound 05: La Plena” holds steady at No. 2 for a second week, while Emilia, TINI, and Nicki Nicole’s “Blackout” maintains its No. 3 position.
Brazilian Dennison de Lima Gomes, better known as DENNIS, scores his first entry and top 10 on the the Billboard Argentina Hot 100, thanks to the remix of “Motinha 2.0,” with Luísa Sonza and Emilia, which debuts at No. 5, the Hot Shot Debut of the Week.
“Motinha 2.0” gives Sonza her second top 10. Her first arrived also through an Emilia collab, as “Bunda” reached No. 3 in March. Plus, Emilia continues with the second-most top 10s since the chart launched in 2018, after Maria Becera’’s 29 top 10s to date.
The week’s Greatest Gainer honors belongs to Lali and Miranda!, whose pop duet “Mejor Que Vos,” vaults a staggering 38 spots, leaping from No. 52 to No. 14.
Five other songs debut on the chart, starting with Oro600, Pablo Chill-E, Duki and Quevedo’s “Nena Sad (RMX)” which arrives at No. 25.
Elsewhere, Lali places two simultaneous entries: “33,” with Dillom, opens at No. 29, while “Loco un Poco,” with Turf, starts at No. 88. Plus, Rodrigo’s “Amor de Alquiler (En Vivo)” debuts at No. 58.
Lastly, Uruguayan rock band La Vela Puerca, makes it Billboard Argentina Hot 100 debut with “Zafar” at No. 86.
When Rascal Flatts and the Backstreet Boys hit the stage at the ACM Awards on Thursday night, look for their medley to contain a few surprises. “We close out with ‘Thriller,’” bassist/singer Jay DeMarcus jokes to Billboard.
Maybe not, but they will sing a combo of BSB and Rascal Flatts hits with the two groups relying on their trademark harmonies. Rascal Flatts guitarist/vocalist Joe Don Rooney had nothing but praise for their new duet partners following rehearsal.
“They’re just such great singers and their melodies are so good,” he tells Billboard. “They know how to stack them. It’s like a wall of vocals. It’s really, really cool and really an amazing, powerful sound.”
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The medley will include “What Hurts the Most,” Rascal Flatts’ 2006 Hot Country Songs No. 1 that the Backstreet Boys perform with the trio on Life Is a Highway: Refueled Duets, a June 6 collection of remakes of Rascal Flatts’ most-loved hits that pairs the trio with such artists as Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson, as well as Jonas Brothers on their new single “I Dare You.”
Rascal Flatts came back following a five-year hiatus for their 25th-anniversary tour, which kicked off a few months ago and lasts through the summer. Following the break, they admit it took them a little while to get their sea legs back. “It took me a couple of weekends,” DeMarcus says. “Definitely the first weekend I got out there, I was winded, and I was like, ‘I gotta get my show legs back.’ My back hurt.”
“He’s like, ‘Are you guys sore at all?’” lead singer Gary LeVox adds.
As the trio revisits their hits in concert, some have taken on new meaning as the years have passed. “When we cut ‘My Wish,’ I didn’t have kids, so now that my kids are 13 and 15, it means a whole different thing to me now when I sing that song,” DeMarcus says. “I think that for all of us, different seasons of life make different songs mean different things.”
“I think what really did it for me was ‘Bless the Broken Road,’” LeVox says. “It’s a moment in the show where just the three of us are up there. It’s a special moment in the show.”
For Rooney, it’s “I’m Moving On.” “It’s very special to me and has taken on a new life in my life. I’ve been through a lot the last five years,” says Rooney, who has been sober for three years after being arrested for DUI in 2021 and going through a contentious divorce. “These guys said, ‘Get out there and sing “I’m Moving On” by yourself.’ It’s been tough. The first couple of weekends, I was extremely nervous, but it’s very heartfelt. I mean everything I say and I just really thank God so much for my life I have right now.”
Their Backstreet Boy pals are set for a Las Vegas residency at Sphere coming up in July, and Rascal Flatts admit that sounds pretty sweet to them. “We’ve had a couple of [Las Vegas] residencies. We were three years at the Hard Rock, two at the Venetian,” LeVox says. “Setting up one time is really nice. That’s really convenient.”
“I wasn’t allowed back in Vegas for a couple of years. I think they’ve lifted that now,” jokes DeMarcus before seriously adding of Sphere dates, “I think anybody would want to play there, you know. It’s a wonderful thing, but it’s a whole other thing for us. You have to spend so much time putting creative into building the show and making sure all the content fits. It’s very expensive to build all the content.”
Rascal Flatts, who are up for group of the year at the ACM Awards for the first time since 2017, are coy when it comes to saying if they plan to release an album of new music.
“We’re trying to take it a step at a time,” DeMarcus says. “We’ve just kind of been thrown back into the deep end, but we really loved being on tour. We really loved cutting the duets record. We’re going to do some more shows this summer, and we’re still talking about what the future looks like. We’re really excited about what lies ahead for us, but we really haven’t made any definite plans yet. I would hate to say never. If we find the right kind of song and we feel compelled to cut it, we have the freedom to do that. So you never know what’s gonna happen.”
