Review
Page: 3
Billboard’s weekly must-hear country songs list offers a guide to some essential, recently released country tracks from both signed and independent country and country-adjacent artists.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week, Brett Young offers a romantic new tune, newcomer Lauren Watkins delves into jealousy, Kylie Frey returns with her first new music in a few years, and Austin Burke gets a co-sign from music legend Willie Nelson on a new track. Take a listen to this week’s picks below:
Brett Young, “Dance With You”
Young has made a name for himself with his soulful songs such as “In Case You Didn’t Know” and “Catch.” As his current country radio single, the heartbreak anthem “You Didn’t,” rises up Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, Young returns with a slow jam that’s a surefire wedding-season favorite. On this track he wrote with Jimmy Robbins and Jordan Minton, Young reassures his lover of his steadfastness and support, regardless of where life takes them. Perhaps offering a nod to the 1992 John Michael Montgomery hit “Life’s a Dance,” he maintains that his lover will always be the only one on his dance card.
Kylie Frey, “Red Dirt Cinderella”
Louisiana native and third-generation rodeo-er Frey has notched over half a dozen chart-toppers on the Texas regional charts to date, and she returns with “Red Dirt Cinderella,” her first new music in nearly three years. The song depicts someone who refuses to trade her Luccheses for a life of ballgowns and glass slippers. Instead, in her own nonchalant way, she saddles up and heads out, content to take on life on her own terms. This track’s relaxed vibe finds Frey’s earthy voice rippling over accordion, fiddle and guitar.
Lauren Watkins, “Shirley Temple”
Newcomer Watkins recently inked a deal with Nicolle Galyon’s publishing company Songs & Daughters, followed by signing with Big Loud Records. She recently released two new tracks, “Camel Blues” and “Shirley Temple,” the latter of which is a study in contrasts and jealousy. “Shirley Temple” finds Watkins driven by a man who has fallen for an angelic, straight-laced girl, in contrast to her own straight-shooting, challenging ways. There’s an effortlessly smoky quality to Watkins’ voice, with a style of direct-yet-poetic songwriting reminiscent of Kacey Musgraves or Miranda Lambert. Watkins wrote the track with Galyon and Meg McRee.
Austin Burke, “Crazy, Crazy”
Burke’s latest offering incorporates a 62-year-old country music classic, with revamped snippets of the Willie Nelson-penned 1961 hit “Crazy,” made famous by Patsy Cline. Burke’s song begins with a processed version of two verses from Cline’s chorus (laced in reverb and pitched higher than the original), which gives way to Burke’s crafted verses, both brisk and brokenhearted, about a guy who spends his time day-drinking and overthinking. “To tell you the truth/I’m going crazy, crazy over you,” Burke sings, showcasing the enduring relevance of the decades-old song, but fusing it with a hooky, singalong chorus and revisits the Cline vocal throughout the song. Burke wrote “Crazy, Crazy” with Brandon Day, and earned music legend Nelson’s stamp of approval on the track.
RaeLynn with JUDAH, “Somebody Else”
RaeLynn teams with Judah Akers, frontman for the band Judah & The Lion, on this new track, which features a hooky electro-acoustic melody, a singalong-worthy chorus, and a message of empathy. “We’re all talking, but nobody’s listening,” they sing over a pulsating backbeat, as they plead for less self-centered action and more looking out for those around them. Together, there is a surprisingly natural textural blend to their voices, with RaeLynn’s slightly gritty Texas twang layered over JUDAH’s warm, rough-hewn voice. RaeLynn is set to independently release an upcoming album, Funny Girl, via her own Daisy Rae Productions, on Aug. 21.
With one of the most eclectic albums in reggaeton-pop, filled with ‘1980s and ‘1990s freestyle, house, and Miami bass, Rauw Alejandro delivered an electrifying performance at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Friday (March 24).
The concert, part of his Saturno World Tour, began with hype from the get-go. Earlier in the day, the Puerto Rican hitmaker dropped his joint EP, RR, with new fiance Rosalía. Friday’s show marked the first time fans would see another shade of the performer rock out jams from his experimental reggaeton-pop 2022 album, Saturno.
At 9:00 p.m. ET, a woman’s voice on the speakers queued the audience to prepare for take-off, and the arena began bumping ’90s golden era of dance music like “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic and “Rhythm Is a Passion” by SNAP! They also embraced old school reggaeton from legends like Wisin y Yandel’s “Rakatá” and Daddy Yankee’s “Machete,” including “P FNK R” by Bad Bunny — giving concert-goers a taste of the vibe of what was to come.
Alejandro’s space odyssey opened up with none other than “Saturno,” the freestyle-driven party jam that instantly invigorated the scene with acrobatic dancers flipping across the stage. Then, from the center view, all lights focused on our dance-reggaeton voyager Alejandro, as he elevated slowly to meet his thousands of screaming fans surrounding the stage.
Rocking a silver metallic trench coat and pants combo, with alien-like sunglasses that held over his head, the song transitioned to the hard-hitting “Punto 40,” where the superstar showcased moves for days, joining his dance crew with fancy footwork, bumpin’ and grinding and plenty of throwback styles. A bevy of attendees also set the intergalactic vibe, donning Matrix-like costumes, alien-antenna headbands, and some in full-blown extraterrestrial costumes. This was his eleventh gig which kicked off earlier this month in Tampa, Fla.
Amid neon pink lights decorating the stage à la Black Mirror’s San Junipero, he proceeded to belt out the sweltering, R&B-laden “Nostálgico,” which usually features Rvssian and Chris Brown. He also performed his latest cut which originally features Dominican upstart Ángel Dior. The space cadent then introduced urbano singer/rapper Chris Palace to the stage to sing the upbeat “Gatas.” The rising star sported a colorful set of hair designed like flames, and the crowd welcomed him with a roar of excitement.
“It’s my time in New York City,” he exclaimed. Meanwhile, a gigantic screen hovered over the stage showing an array of retro-styled images like planets, palm trees, and binary numbers.
Hip-hop dance crew Jabbawockeez, who never missed a beat, provided plenty of thrills and chills with their b-boy style moves that went perfectly with the throwback theme of the night.
Although the performer just announced his engagement with the Spanish superstar, the former reggaeton lothario still flirted with the audience, as hordes of screaming females threw their thongs and bras towards him. He picked them up and swung them around to further arouse them. Never forget “Panties y Brasieres.”
Alejandro spanned through numerous smash hits, including bangers “Te Felicito,” “Desesperados,” “Desenfocao’.” His global breakout “Todo de Ti” was remixed to a slower, more electronic-focused beat. But on “Dime Quien????” El Fókin Zorro continued to bring his insatiable vigor and howling vocals to the spotlight. The high-energy banger got every single person in attendance on their feet instantly, with a rhythm accentuated by analog synth-pop and thumping bass that harkened back to 1984’s Footloose. “Party” by Bad Bunny featuring Rauw also built for a triumphant moment, and the romantic and simmering “Museo” revealed one of the most beautiful choreography with statuesque poses — there was even a scene where the Puerto Rican and his backup dancers pulled off a seemingly impossible lean à la Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal.”
The night came to an end by Alejandro teasing the arrival of another guest star, and while screaming fans shouted “Rosalía!” none other than Dominican dembow purveyor El Alfa arrived. The screams got louder to deafening as the two proceeded to sing the high-energy cut “Bésalo,” which was followed by El Alfa’s own mega hit “Los Aparatos.”
“I don’t know if everyone knows but today I released an EP along with the love of my life,” he said and began to croon the words to “Beso,” taking turns with Rosalía’s which resonated from the speakers. Elated cheers filled the arena throughout the evening at Barclays.
With a wide-ranging mosaic of sounds that span across generations and sonic configurations, Rauw Alejandro is truly a musical omnivore who is unafraid to try something different, and that makes him one of the most exhilarating artists of modern Latin pop.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Paul R. Giunta / Getty
On Saturday night (March 18), the New York City stop of Key Glock’s Glockoma 32-city tour celebrated the February release of his highly anticipated Glockcoma 2 album, but it wasn’t without flaws. Pain-staking patience was required to enjoy the show at the the Knockdown Center in Queens as the crew battled massive wait times switching between show openers Tia Corine, Jay Fizzle, Kenny Muney, and the headliner.
However, it wasn’t enough to ruin the overall experience. Each artist dazzled fans with high-energy performances, showcasing why they were handpicked to join the late, great Young Dolph’s independent label Paper Route Empire.
First up to hit the stage was Jay Fizzle, a cousin to the late Dolph, who appeared 40 minutes earlier than expected from the promoted 8:00 pm showtime. Those interested in watching the performance saw the ski-mask-wearing rapper perform “Standin On Top Of Sh*t” and “Hood Rich.”
By this point, plumes of weed smoke filled the air as the crowd waited 30 minutes for Kenny Muney to arrive. Dressed in a purple puffer, the rapper kicked off his set with “Ashtray” before flinging a wad of cash into the air during “Big Muney Sh*t.” He took off his coat to jump in the crowd for a more intimate performance of “Lowkey.”
Tia Corine also performed while fashionably dressed in a gothic outfit with a blonde mullet. Her set started with the hit single “FreakyT,” a fan favorite. Her voice energetically bellowed through the speakers with “FYK” until her DJ ruined her set on “Dipset.” By this time, she was noticeably annoyed but powered through during “Boogie,” “Pancake,” and “Lotto.” The set wrapped with an encore of her opener.
Key Glock’s set was a painful 40-minute wait that involved a complicated stage breakdown as a hypeman repeatedly promised he was “on his way” to the show. Just as the complaints of leg pain echoed across the crowd, the houselights dimmed, and stage lights suddenly turned on, when a focused Glizzock emerged. It was showtime.
His performance formula is simple: don’t talk too much and just let the music do all the work. To say it was a clever strategy is an understatement.
Glockoma 2’s “Chromosomes” opened the show, the first of 20 songs carefully selected from his vast catalog while cleverly themed video graphics flashed in the background. The crowd remained invested as he performed “Work,” “Bottom of the Pot,” and “On My Soul,” but pure fandom erupted when “Jigsaw” dropped. The crowd pushed closer to the stage as a giant white head darted laser beams out of its eyes with smoke. At this point, the audience joined in tandem with Key Glock as both rapped in the chorus for the remainder of his show, including on standouts “I’m Just Sayin,” “Like Key,” “Juicemane,” and “Dough.”
To hear these songs and not see Young Dolph beside him to recite his parts left a void that was felt all night. This cued Glock to take a well-timed break to pay homage to his mentor with “Get Paid,” “Preach” and “Water on Water on Water.” It was the closest anyone could get to experiencing the fallen rapper live on stage again. The crowd celebrated to pay their respects.
Finally, the show was nearing its end as “Mr. Glock” and “White Russian” whiplashed the audience back to high-energy mode, before wrapping with a closer from “Frozone” by the late Big Scarr. The crowd was pleased, proving that Paper Route Empire remains dedicated to upholding Young Dolph’s legacy by delivering high-quality performances. And they did just that.
Carrie Underwood offered fans a “birthday surprise” with her new song, while Tim McGraw offers a reflective new track. Megan Moroney heads to the honkytonk, and newcomer Tony Evans, Jr. delves into heartbreak on his smooth four-song EP.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Carrie Underwood, “Out of That Truck”
Underwood released a “birthday surprise” in celebration of her 40th birthday on March 10, with this track she wrote with David Garcia and Lydia Vaughn. She muses that her former flame will have quite the challenge trying to erase the memory of their relationship — thanks to all the traces of herself left behind in her ex-lover’s stick-shift Chevy, from the scent of her shampoo on the headrest to a strawberry wine stain on the seat.
Thematically, the song shares DNA with one of Underwood’s previous releases, “Ghost Story” — though here, Underwood’s penetrating vocals are framed by free-spirited, ‘90s country-soaked instrumentals. A radio hit contender for sure, and another in a recent canon of songs about reminders of old relationships that linger in pickups, following Tim McGraw’s “7500 OBO” and Dylan Scott’s “New Truck.”
Tim McGraw, “Standing Room Only”
With 29 No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits to his credit, including “Just to See You Smile” and “Something Like That,” McGraw has based his career on sturdy, timeless songcraft.
Along the way, he’s more than proven his prowess at uplifting and reflective songs such as “Humble and Kind,” and “Thought About You.” His latest muses on living life in a way that one’s funeral would be a “standing room only” affair, filled with those lives had been indelibly impacted. The song’s message is similar to McGraw’s Grammy-winning track “Live Like You Were Dying,” with his warm, accessible voice wrapping around a meteoric chorus and a message with an eye on mortality and legacy.
Parker McCollum, “Speed”
Texas native McCollum is poised to add to his arsenal of radio hits like “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved By You” with this ode to living life in the fast lane, complete with blistering guitar work paired with McCollum’s urgent vocal. He tips his hat to his hometown of Conroe in his new track, and acknowledges a youthful, hard-charging musician’s wanderlust and ambition.
“I remember shakin’ my head when my old man told me/ ‘Boy, one of these days you won’t always be so hung up on speed,’” he sings. McCollum teamed with Ryan Beaver for this track, which marks a first taste of McCollum’s upcoming album Never Enough, out May 12 via MCA Nashville.
Tony Evans Jr., Starless
Indie country artist Tony Evans Jr. offers a succinct, four song EP with Starless, produced by Ron Fair with distribution by The Orchard. The collection of tracks center around heartbreak and regret, elevating Evans’s warm, burnished vocal. The set includes the shimmering, harmonica-laced “If You’re Ever in Georgia,” and the uplifting “Need Somebody.” “Kids We Never Had” is the standout cut, as Evans muses about a relationship that never stood the test of time and what could have been, all in exquisite detail.
Gabe Lee, “Eveline”
Four years after releasing his debut single, “Eveline,” Gabe Lee reconceptualizes the song with a slightly more uptempo beat, propulsive banjo lines and sprightly fiddle. Lee’s evocative voice effectively sells this sparsely dreamy update to this song of regret, over the things he’s had to leave behind in a small town.
Thompson Square, “Without You”
Thompson Square’s Keifer and Shawna Thompson have previously released more than a dozen country radio singles and earned two No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits with “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” and “If I Didn’t Have You.” Their latest release is a summer-ready track, featuring propulsive, banjo-fueled instrumentation that lends it an early Keith Urban vibe. Keifer’s gritty vocal is soothed by Shawna’s piercing, pure voice. Together they forge coolly cozy harmonies that perfectly set up this song, which explores who each would be with and without the other tackling life alongside them. Though the couple didn’t write the track (Anthony Olympia, Tim Nichols and Brent Rupard did), they certainly make it their own.
Megan Moroney, “Lucky”
Following her breakthrough single “Tennessee Orange” and the subsequent “I’m Not Pretty,” Moroney is gearing up for the release of her debut album Lucky (out May 5). The opening guitar riff has shades of the opening to Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee,” while the song overall feels a little bit Shania and full-on honkytonk, in a manner that would have sounded right at home on ‘90s country radio. Lyrically, it’s chock-full of quirky lines such as “Tonight my only ambition is to make a bad decision/ ’Cause me, my phone, and the neon’s buzzin’” as she makes it clear to her ex-lover that he’s lucky she’s drinking that night. Moroney wrote the song with Ben Williams, Casey Smith and David “Messy” Mescon.
“My photo the Jordan logo of this rap s—,” raps Nas on 2021’s “YKTV” (shortened to say “You Know the Vibes”), from his Grammy-nominated King’s Disease sequel. Of course, that “photo” is none other than his bunker-buster debut Illmatic, which propelled hip-hop into the future upon its arrival in 1994. Off sheer impact alone, that album certainly makes a strong case for being the definitive emblem for the genre. But for now, on a blustery cold Friday night (Feb. 24) in New York City, the vibes were unquestionably certain for another pivotal occasion: Nas’ first headlining show at Madison Square Garden.
Never mind how long of a journey it’s been to get to this point — the timing for this night was perfect. Nas is hot off the heels of releasing King’s Disease III, the threequel to his Grammy-winning series with super producer Hit-Boy, the quarterback to his wide receiver, all as hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary. That said, Friday’s show was as much a victory for Nas as it was for hip-hop. It was a proud occasion for the sea of generations-spanning fans, from those who remember the first time they heard “Live at the Barbecue” to those who recently tapped in with his recent work. Overall, the Garden couldn’t have been a more perfect venue to host this celebration.
“Live in Madison Square now, we on fire,” a visibly elated Nas hailed, while fire bolted around him during his fiery performance of “I’m on Fire.”
And on fire he was, launching into standout-after-standout throughout his 34-song set. Sticking to the night’s “King’s Disease Trilogy” bill, the Queens rap icon pulled out gems across the trinity-spanning gem, from storytelling favorites like “Blue Benz” and “Car 85” to party-flavored cuts like “Spicy” and “Get Light.” By the time the latter blared through the arena, MSG had practically turned into a park jam as fans throughout the sold-out arena swayed, bopped, and two-stepped from row to row. Like his output over the last two years suggests, Esco refused to let up on the momentum throughout the night. Between the King’s Disease cuts, he also made room for a few records off his 2021 project, Magic, sprinkling in cult favorites like “Speechless” and “Wave Gods” to much fanfare.
The fact that Nas was performing these relatively fresh cuts to a fully-invested audience inside a sold-out Madison Square Garden was truly a moment to behold — something, even he, at times, seemed to be amazed by, sometimes even taking a brief moment to relish the vibe. At one point, he stopped to recollect and then turned the spotlight onto the other half of his winning formula: Hit-Boy.
“I love this brother for bringing the art out of me again,” Nas acclaimed before tapping the producer to join him onstage for the floor-quaking “Michael & Quincy.” Not a soul remained seated, especially as more surprises trickled in.
After performing “Reminisce,” a song that samples a certain Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Nas brought out — you guessed it — Mary J. Blige, who sent the excitement levels through the roof as she performed “You Remind Me.” After running through King’s Disease, he hopped through hits from the rest of his catalog, including Illmatic. You always have to return to Illmatic. This time dressed in an all-orange jumpsuit with a matching skully, wheat construction Timberland boots, and his signature diamond-covered “QB” chain, he dispatched “N.Y. State of Mind.” Subsequently after, he brought out AZ for “Life’s a Bitch,” and one of “my motherf—ing heroes,” Slick Rick, for “Hey Young World.” Embracing the magnitude and momentous occasion of the night, he kept his foot on the gas, running through a medley of tracks — “The Message,” Street Dreams,” “If I Ruled The World,” “Hate Me Now,” “Made You Look” and “One Mic.”
One of the crowning moments occurred while performing “Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park).” He did away with the instrumental for the second verse and delivered a masterclass in mic control, performing the tongue-twisting verse a capella with absolute clarity and supreme breath control. As he took a bow while being showered in the crowd’s adulation, one thing was crystal clear: Nas is still that good.
For the encore, preceded by Nas admitting, “I don’t want to leave yet,” he shifted the energy back to the party spirit that hung high throughout the night. As hands waved and cheers clamored from all corners of the arena, he spun through more hits, including “Hot Boyz (Remix),” “Oochie Wally” and “Owe Me,” before sealing the night with an emotional reminder: “We did it!”
“I can’t believe we threw a rave at Madison Square Garden,” Skrillex announced at the mid-way point of his marathon set at the venue Saturday night (Feb. 18.) in New York City.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Indeed, gazing around around the packed arena — where hanging Knicks jerseys were lit with the flickery glow of the six disco balls spinning for the show — the vibe was vastly more Boiler Room than big room, with loads of fans in sunglasses, fuzzy hats, bunny ears and other ravey paraphernalia altogether giving the arena a loose, festive, familial feel that ramped up in tandem with the music during the five-hour headlining show from Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred again…
Indeed, after a long absence, dance music was back at the Garden for a night that felt ecstatic, historic and rare. Throughout the evening both Skrillex and Fred again.. noted that playing MSG had been Four Tet’s idea, and what a stroke of genius it was, with the show selling out two — yes, two — minutes after going on sale the Wednesday (Feb. 15) prior, after having been announced just earlier that day.
The trio — key figureheads from different generations of dance music who’ve been referring to each other as “brothers” in their recent Instagram posts — played b2b2b from 7p.m. until the house lights came back on at midnight. It was altogether the climax of a week-long commandeering of New York City, with the guys playing small room pop-up shows in Brooklyn and Manhattan on Tuesday and Thursday and on Friday (Feb. 17) pulling a crowd of thousands to Times Square to celebrate that day’s release of Skrillex’s sophomore album, Quest For Fire.
This masterclass of album rollout hype-building began in January with a litany of new Skrillex singles, with the impeccably orchestrated effort reaching a place beyond frenzy last night when, around 10:30 p.m., Skrillex got on the mic to announce “I dropped an album last night, and I dropped another one right now.”
Indeed, the 20,000-person celebration for Quest For Fire incorporated the surprise release of Don’t Get Too Close, the second Skrillex album in 24 hours and his third in nine years, with the pair of LPs coming after the long stretch following the producer’s 2014 debut, Recess. “Surpriiiiise!” Skrillex said upon announcing this second album, which features Justin Bieber, Pink PinkPantheress and Bibi Bourelly among others, and which Skrillex described as “not really as much rave music as something you guys can listen to on the way home.”
This was just one of many high points of the extended affair, with Fred — wearing a black T-shirt and saggy khakis — getting on the mic at 8:15 p.m. to advise a crowd steadily filling out the venue from the pit to the rafters that, “We’ve got four more hours. We’re going to build this thing slow.”
Indeed, the show started with the house lights on, with the scene and sound, as promised, growing darker, louder and more intense (think lots of lasers, the aforementioned disco balls and, inevatibly, a burst of white confetti) as they together played the breadth of Skrillex catalog, from classic collabs like “Where Are Ü Now” with Jack Ü and Bieber and “In Da Ghetto” with J. Balvin, to long stretches of straight-up body pummeling dubstep including the all-time Skrillex classic “Bangarang” (special shout out to everyone in Section 106, rows 1-5, who all headbanged in tandem), along with every track from Quest For Fire, a deeply texturous, sophisticated, heavy, smart, danceable and often euphoric album that’s not only been extremely well received in the 60 hours since its release, but which sounds even better through stadium speakers.
Quest For Fire‘s Lead single “Rumble” — which based on the crowd reaction can be filed as a new classic less than two months after its release — was rinsed at least four times, with plays later in the night trading the “killers in the jungle” lyrics for “Skrillex in the jungle, Fred again.. in the jungle, Four Tet is in the jungle.” The words became a sort of mantra for the show itself and the three artists at its center, who powered the sweaty, loud, often raucous party from a simple set-up located on a slightly raised platform on the floor of the Garden. While MSG famously became an EDM prestige play during the genre boom 10 years ago, Saturday night the vibe was much more pared down from the massive stage setups of old, reflecting the maturation of the U.S. scene itself.
Added to this friend group was Porter Robinson, who came out to play his ecstatic Quest For Fire closer “Still Here (with the ones that I came with)” a sentiment that felt especially special and true given the duration of Robinson and Skrillex’s friendship. (“I love you,” Robinson told Skrillex over the mic, the only thing he said during his appearance.) Everything else from Quest For Fire — particularly “Tears,” “Hydrate and “Inhale Exhale” — sounded tough, rich, massive and the right kind of aggressive. It was especially thrilling when Skrill stretched out the Missy Elliott featuring “RATATA” — winding the crowd up by stop-starting five or so times until letting it play out, to ecstatic effect.
“This is a very special night,” Skrillex announced amidst this long tease. “This night will never happen again.”
But while Skrillex was the reason for the season, it was also very much Fred Again.. and Four Tet’s show. Each of the U.K. producers played their own biggest songs, including Fred’s “Kammy (like i do),” “Strong” and “Jungle” — the latter of which came near the end of the set and created such intense energy rush throughout the crowd that a lot of people were simply just screaming with their hands in the air. Four Tet, dressed first in a pink hoodie and then a pink T-shirt, was playful as always, remixing Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” over percussion-heavy IDM while dropping loads of riddim and U.K. bass, along with his most recent hit “Looking at Your Pager” and his edit slow-build edit of Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever,” which deserves an official release and which saw many in the crowd FaceTiming those who couldn’t be there, with those joining via screen seen dancing in their respective kitchens and living rooms.
It was, as intended, a special night, with the factors leading to show creating a singular energy that everyone in the room could feel — and that Fred, Four Tet and Skrillex seemed acutely aware of throughout the evening.
“A couple of days ago, we were in the Empire State Building just hanging out, and I had to go downstairs to make a phone call,” Skrillex announced at one point. “I knew we had just put the tickets on sale for this show. I thought maybe the day of, maybe we’ll almost sell out — you know, maybe. But then Kieran comes downstairs and he’s like, ‘It’s done. It’s done mate.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean it’s done?’ He’s like, ‘It’s done, all the tickets are done.’ I almost fainted, all the blood rushed out of my face.”
Whether or not this supergroup will continue beyond Saturday night remains to be seen, but the show demonstrated how much cross-collaboration they’ve done over a relatively short time, with Four Tet on Quest For Fire‘s “Butterflies,” Four Tet working on Fred’s “Jungle,” Fred working on “Rumble,” etc. What’s certain is that the NYC takeover and the music that’s powered it has, if only ephemeral, been a meeting of the masters, with Saturday night pulling a Venn diagram of the fans who love them. Many younger fans knew more Fred than Four Tet songs, with others in the crowd dancing more heavily to Four Tet’s output and pretty much everyone in attendance going hard for Skrillex, who 12 years after exploding into the scene, remains one of its best and most beloved artists.
“I want to thank everyone here so much for just being here,” Skrill continued in his speech. “It’s simple, it’s not that deep, we’re just here dancing together. I really like this crowd, everyone here looks really respectful. Everyone’s got room to dance, everyone’s taking care of each other; everyone’s allowing each other to be themselves. We’re all family out here. There’s enough s–t going on in the world. We can have this moment right now and just love each other and appreciate the differences in each other and love each other for the different parts. Fred, Kieran and I are all from different backgrounds, but somehow we made it on the stage at MSG with all you people, and, I don’t know — that’s it.”
Skrillex — who started the night in a black puffer jacket and who by the end was wearing a Skrillex jersey given to him by someone in the crowd along with a towel on his head — then spent the next several minutes just standing on the decks, soaking up the the energy of the arena as thousands of fans held their phone flashlights in the air and cheered for him. One felt truly happy for the guy, who — after previously addressing that he’s had a tough year following the death of his mother– has returned in rare form with an excellent album (two, actually) a sold-out show at one of the world’s prestige venues and backing from a pair of good pals who also just happen to be fellow scene heroes.
Perhaps Skrillex could have done it all on his own, but certainly it felt better and more special to celebrate alongside friends. That same energy extended into the the crowd, where people who’d been strangers at the beginning of the night were seen hugging each other goodbye, grateful to have shared the experience.
The set fittingly wrapped with a mashup of Skrillex’s 2011 “Cinema” remix, Four Tet’s “Teenage Birdsong” and Fred’s “Danielle (smile on my face)” then a Skrillex-led singalong of Fred’s “Billie (loving arms.)” Fred, who spent a good deal of the show dancing on the decks, then got on the mic once more, closing the night with incredulous gratitude.
“Thank you so much for coming out tonight,” he said. “I swear, it is the honor of our lives, thank you so much. We will never forget this. What is going on?”
Before playing his piano ballad “Faithfully” on Journey‘s opening 2023 date at an Oklahoma casino theatre on Friday (Jan. 27), Jonathan Cain told about 3,000 fans: “It’s good to be back. All together again.”
It was a unifying sentiment after months of Journey acrimony. Although the classic rock band sold 296,000 tickets in 2022 and grossed $31.9 million, according to Billboard Boxscore, Cain and his longtime bandmate, lead guitarist Neal Schon, have been battling legally since late October over Schon’s expenditures on Journey’s American Express card and Cain’s participation in an event at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort.
As Journey prepares to return to arenas Feb. 4 in Allentown, Pa., the two-hour show at the Choctaw Grand Theatre in Durant, the first of two nights, was generally harmonious and upbeat.
The sextet’s three focal points — frontman Arnel Pineda, Schon and Cain — dominated the spotlight. Pineda, who replaced long-departed frontman Steve Perry in 2008 and sounds exactly like him, was in constant motion, running, jumping, waving, pointing and leading singalongs. Schon soloed constantly, opening the first song “Only the Young” with a burst of noise on his PRS NS-15 guitar and improvising with hard rock power chords in unexpected ways at the ends of rock radio fixtures “Wheel In the Sky” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” and Cain anchored “Feeling That Way” and “Who’s Crying Now” on his red piano.
Journey’s live formula is simple: play the beloved hits from the ’70s and ’80s, even if Schon and Cain are the only remaining band members from that era. They dispatched with their signature “Don’t Stop Believin’,” which has nearly 1.5 billion plays on Spotify alone, as the third song, then closed with na-na-na-ing, whoa-oh-whoaing and general earworm-rocking with “Wheel In the Sky,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and the finale “Any Way You Want It.”
Relying on a setlist similar to much of the 2022 tour, Journey challenged the crowd in subtle ways, opening with lesser-known hits like “Only the Young,” a 1985 single first released by Scandal, then “Stone in Love,” from 1981’s Escape, later throwing in “Be Good to Yourself,” from 1984’s Raised On Radio, during the punchy, four-song finale. Most experimental of all was Schon, who wore a black denim jacket, an open-collar shirt and several necklaces, and spent much of the night engrossed in his guitars, coming up with different improvisational angles and colors for hits you thought you knew, dabbling in glam rock, metal and even new age music, peaking with a three-minute solo before “Wheel In the Sky.”
Schon and Cain consistently kept roughly 20 yards of distance between them, as Cain, mostly stationary in a dark suit coat, held down stage right with four different keyboards. Schon spoke sparingly, but Cain told the story of writing “Faithfully” on a lonely 1981 bus ride, concluding, “We pay a price for a life like this,” then encouraging the crowd to support the U.S. armed forces. The two cooperated musically, especially on “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” when Cain played boogie-woogie runs and Schon dropped in sympathetic guitar riffs to augment the piano. With the exception of Schon, who sang minimally, all six band members harmonized on vocals, nicely backing Pineda’s impossibly high range on “Anytime.”
With Schon and Cain in separate corners, and drummer Deen Castronovo, bassist Todd Jensen and second keyboardist Jason Derlatka holding down the middle, it was Pineda’s job to enliven the crowd, which he did, energetically and enthusiastically. He was the one member of Journey who seemed happy to be there, jumping on a pedestal and throwing his head back to hit those high notes, patting Schon on the back, fist-bumping Cain, signing autographs as songs were going on and, long after the others had walked off stage, sticking around for crowd selfies. Rock stars may “pay a price” for the rock-star life, but, Pineda suggested, it’s fun, too.
A day before TOMORROW X TOGETHER unleashed their new The Name Chapter: Temptation EP and officially kickstarted a new musical era, the K-pop boy band met with reporters both in-person in Korea and virtually around the world via a global media showcase on Jan. 26. In the hourlong press conference that included the first look at TXT’s new single, music video and stage performance, youngest member HUENINGKAI shared the group’s bold plan to “work hard to make 2023 the year of TXT.” With their most robust music output in months—not to mention the group’s highest amount of album pre-orders ever hinting at a high Billboard 200 debut—The Name Chapter: Temptation has already set TXT in motion to make that dream a reality.
With six entries on the Billboard 200 (the most of any K-pop group other than their BIGHIT MUSIC labelmates BTS), TOMORROW X TOGETHER have shown how their stylized storytelling targeted for their Generation Z is consistently connecting. But the quintet share that Temptation EP was particularly intentional for including the group’s own stories. The group said HYBE founder Bang Shi-Hyuk (who contributed to two of the EP’s five tracks, including the new single “Sugar Rush Ride”) encouraged them to take a heavier hand on certain songs this time to bring their own stories and lyrics. Not only do SOOBIN, YEONJUN, BEOMGYU, TAEHYUN and HUENINGKAI all boast writing credits, YEONJUN crafted melodies for one of the standout b-side tracks “Happy Fools,” marking his first melody contribution for a TXT album. “It made me so proud,” the 23-year-old remarked, “It was rewarding. It inspired me to write even more.”
With a slew of new genres explored, a significant crossover collaboration alongside Coi Leray and some of their career-best lyrics, The Name Chapter: Temptation is starting an excellent year and new music chapter for TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Read on for Billboard‘s ranking of the new tracks.
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Brothers Osborne with The War & Treaty, “It’s Only Rock N’ Roll (But I Like It)”
A pair of duos, Brothers Osborne and The War & Treaty, take on a Rolling Stones classic. It’s part of the upcoming tribute album Stoned Cold Country, honoring the 60th anniversary of the Rolling Stones. TJ’s basement-deep vocal, commingling with the raw, vibrant vocals from The War & Treaty’s Tanya Trotter and Michael Trotter Jr., make for an electrifying, swaggering musical moment. They will perform the song live at the upcoming CMA Awards on Nov. 9.
Maren Morris, Humble Quest: In Rare Form
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Morris is offering fans a new, raw look at seven songs from her album Humble Quest (which dropped earlier this year), including “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” “Tall Guys” and the title track. Accompanying the release is a short film, featuring Morris, accompanied by piano and drums, performing stripped-down renderings of these songs — illuminating lyrics that scour through a range of emotions, from maturing love (“I Can’t Love You Anymore”) to searching for the balance of self-fulfillment (“Humble Quest”).
Bowen * Young, “Dangerous Love”
Former Nashville actress/vocalist Clare Bowen teams with her husband, Brandon Robert Young, to form this new Americana duo. A spectral melody heightens the tension, trepidation and determination in the pair’s exquisite harmonies, as does the fact that the song was written two days after they experienced a harrowing home invasion. A promising release from this new duo.
Hailey Whitters, “New Baby for Christmas”
The onslaught of holiday-inspired tunes is upon us, but “Everything She Ain’t” singer Whitters offers a shining take on this 1957 George Jones track, ably taking on the traditional country melody and fusing it with her own twangy spin. Further capturing the fiddle-drenched, retro vibe of the song, Whitters recorded it at revered RCA Studio A in Nashville, where artists including Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn have recorded.
Mickey Guyton, “I Still Pray”
Guyton’s commanding voice heightens the spiritual element to this piano-based track, which encourages those who are striving through any number of heartbreaks and painful situations. “When it rains it loves to pour/ That’s when my knees hit the floor,” she sings in this comforting mesh of spirit and song.
Brittney Spencer, if i ever get there: a day at blackbird studio
The newly signed Elektra artist releases her new three-song EP, if I ever get there: a day at blackbird studio. Known for songs including “Compassion” and “Sober & Skinny,” Spencer is also an honorary member of The Highwomen, and has opened shows for artists including Reba McEntire and Jason Isbell. She takes no prisoners on the sassy, frank and vulnerable “Better Than Friends,” and offers a relaxed version of The Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away,” her intimate vocal high in the mix and supported by subdued instrumentation. The stately “A Hundred Years Old” is marked by the introspective musings of one learning permanent lessons from a broken heart.
Phil Vassar and Deana Carter, “Brand New Year”
Pianist-vocalist-songwriter Vassar teams with “Strawberry Wine” hitmaker Carter to offer this holiday track, which they co-wrote together with Steve Dorff. This elegant piano ballad is a quietly optimistic toast to an anticipated year of hope, love and goodness, bolstered by their smooth, easygoing vocal collaboration. A polished track worthy of addition to any holiday playlist.
Jason Aldean, “Christmas in Dixie”
Seventeen years into his recording career, Aldean releases his first holiday song, a cover of the 1982 Alabama hit “Christmas in Dixie.” The instrumentation is respectful of the original, though it builds into kind of sleek production Aldean’s records are known for. His warm vocal comes across as capable and comfortable, infusing the lyrics with his signature vocal twang, though the track of course lacks the front-and-center group harmonies that round out the Alabama original. Still, this is an sincere updating of a country holiday classic.