Home Blog Page 122

Emerging Singer-Songwriter Lola Bates Commands Attention With Dark, Sultry Debut Single “Girl’s Girl”

0

Lola Bates launches her recording career with “Girl’s Girl,” the first single from her forthcoming debut album ‘Love and Power,’ due spring 2026 on Gravel and Echo Recordings, distributed by Virgin Music Group. Built on a hypnotic groove anchored by electric bass and drums, the track is dark, sultry, and emotionally layered, exploring loyalty, desire, and moral complexity through the lens of a three-person romantic entanglement. It is a bold opening statement from an artist who clearly knows exactly what she is doing.

Bates wrote the song as a direct creative challenge. “When my producing partner was keen on hearing a steady groove track on my debut album, I accepted and wrote ‘Girl’s Girl,'” she explains. “The groove leaves space for the vocal melody and harmonies to weave like a serpent through the song. It’s dark and sexy.” The result is a track that feels both carefully constructed and completely alive, the kind of debut single that reframes every expectation.

The single arrives with an art-forward music video co-produced by Bates alongside director Chandler Clamp and producer Isabel Mesko. Her involvement at every creative level, performance, songwriting, visual direction, signals an artist with full command of her own world. This is not an introduction managed by committee.

‘Love and Power’ was recorded between Bates’ Laurel Canyon studio and the legendary EastWest Studios in Los Angeles. Co-produced by Maxwell Joseph and engineered by Robert Carranza (Jack Johnson, Ozomatli), the album carries genuine pedigree. Executive producer Tyler Bates, whose credits include Jerry Cantrell and the John Wick franchise, co-founded Gravel and Echo Recordings alongside Carranza specifically to bring this project to life.

“A musician, writer, composer, and vocalist,” Tyler Bates says of Lola, “her journey in becoming a unique and authentic artist with the capability to perform at the top of her game, under extreme pressure, is absolutely inspiring.” On the strength of “Girl’s Girl” alone, that assessment holds up completely.

Singer-Songwriter David Nail Bares His Soul on Small-Town Heartbreaker “The Crown”

0

David Nail is back with “The Crown,” a new single that ranks among the most emotionally direct work of his career. Written with Anderson East, the song grew out of a real conversation Nail had about a former classmate from his hometown of Kennett, Missouri, and the weight of that truth is present in every line. It was the first song the two artists wrote together, and it launched a creative partnership that stretched across two-plus years and an entire project.

The lyric cuts straight to the bone. A woman who once wore a homecoming crown, a life that went sideways, and a hometown that still sees her clearly. “Sad and true stories are never fun to write,” Nail says, “so I really wanted this to have an endearing and hopeful aspect to it. I think we achieved that as honestly as possible.” He’s right. The song earns its tenderness without a single false note.

Nail is currently on the road with his “Down To The Studs Tour,” a solo acoustic run through small-capacity venues across the country. No band, no production buffer. Just a guitar, his voice, and the stories behind the songs. For an artist whose catalog is built on emotional weight and plainspoken delivery, this format suits him completely.

The tour runs through late spring with full-band festival appearances in June and July. Dates span from New England through Texas, the South, and up into the Midwest, hitting intimate rooms that put the audience close enough to feel every breath of the performance.

“The Crown” is the kind of song that reminds you why country music, at its core, is built on storytelling that refuses to look away. Nail has never shied from the difficult or the personal, and this one is among his finest.

“Down To The Studs” Tour Dates:

April 8 – Dosey Doe – The Woodlands, TX

April 9 – Tulips – Fort Worth, TX

April 10 – The 04 Center – Austin, TX

April 11 – Sam’s Burger Joint and Music Hall – San Antonio, TX

May 13 – Open Chord – Knoxville, TN

May 14 – The Harvester Performance Center – Rocky Mount, VA

May 15 – The Rex Theater – Galax, VA

May 16 – The Evening Muse – Charlotte, NC

May 20 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA

May 21 – Bird’s Nest Listening Room – Dunn, NC

May 22 – Victory North – Savannah, GA

May 23 – Peace Center, The Mockingbird – Greenville, SC

May 24 – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA

June 13 – Goodhue Volksfest – Goodhue, MN (full band)

July 11 – ND Country Fest – New Salem, ND (full band)

Charlie Puth and Hikaru Utada Deliver Bilingual Gem “Home” Ahead of World Tour

0

Charlie Puth releases “Home” featuring Hikaru Utada today via Atlantic Records, accompanied by an official music video directed by Hunter Moreno. The song arrives weeks ahead of his fourth studio album ‘Whatever’s Clever!’, due March 27. Written for his wife Brooke, who is expecting their first child, “Home” is among the most personal music Puth has released, and it lands with the kind of warmth and melodic precision that has made him one of the most consistent hitmakers in the game. Listen here.

The collaboration is genuinely special. Utada, one of Japan’s most celebrated artists and a figure with serious international credibility, contributed original Japanese lyrics to an English song, a challenge she describes as both surprising and joyful. “It was obvious to me when I first heard the demo that this is a deeply personal song for Charlie that comes straight from his heart,” Utada shares. The bilingual result is one of the most inventive vocal pairings Puth has brought to record.

‘Whatever’s Clever!’ features a remarkable guest list: Coco Jones, Kenny G, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Ravyn Lenae, and Jeff Goldblum all appear across the album’s twelve tracks. The project follows Puth’s Super Bowl LX performance last month at Levi’s Stadium, where he opened the game with a nationally praised rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” backed by a full orchestra and Kenny G.

The Whatever’s Clever! World Tour launches April 22 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, running through a full North American leg before a European and U.K. run in June and July. The tour hits Madison Square Garden on May 29, the Eventim Apollo in London on July 15, and the Anfiteatro di Pompei on July 24, among dozens of stops across both continents.

With 35 billion career streams, four GRAMMY nominations, and nine multi-platinum singles behind him, Puth is arriving at this album cycle with real momentum and something worth saying.


2026 North American Tour Dates:

April 22 – Viejas Arena – San Diego, CA

April 24 – Arizona Financial Theatre – Phoenix, AZ

April 25 – Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA

April 28 – Honda Center – Anaheim, CA

April 29 – Kia Forum – Los Angeles, CA

May 1 – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – San Francisco, CA

May 3 – WAMU Theater @ Lumen Field – Seattle, WA

May 5 – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre – Vancouver, BC

May 7 – Veterans Memorial Coliseum – Portland, OR

May 9 – Maverik Center – Salt Lake City, UT

May 10 – Bellco Theatre – Denver, CO

May 13 – Starlight Theatre – Kansas City, MO

May 15 – Rosemont Theatre – Rosemont, IL

May 16 – The Armory – Minneapolis, MN

May 19 – Fox Theatre – Detroit, MI

May 20 – TD Coliseum – Hamilton, ON

May 22 – MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Boston, MA

May 23 – Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT

May 26 – EagleBank Arena – Fairfax, VA

May 29 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

May 30 – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena – Atlantic City, NJ

June 1 – Spectrum Center – Charlotte, NC

June 3 – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA

June 5 – Hard Rock Live – Hollywood, FL

June 6 – Addition Financial Arena – Orlando, FL

June 9 – Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TN

June 11 – Moody Center – Austin, TX

June 12 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX

June 13 – 713 Music Hall – Houston, TX


2026 European & U.K. Tour Dates:

June 27 – Tinderbox – Odense, Denmark

June 30 – Gröna Lund – Stockholm, Sweden

July 1 – Allas Live – Helsinki, Finland

July 3 – Stavern Festival – Larvik, Norway

July 5 – Stadtpark Open Air – Hamburg, Germany

July 6 – myticket Jahrhunderthalle – Frankfurt, Germany

July 8 – Barts Festival – Barcelona, Spain

July 9 – Mad Cool Festival – Madrid, Spain

July 13 – Olympia – Paris, France

July 15 – Eventim Apollo – London, UK

July 18 – O2 Academy – Birmingham, UK

July 19 – Iveagh Gardens – Dublin, Ireland

July 21 – Usher Hall – Edinburgh, UK

July 22 – Manchester Academy – Manchester, UK

July 24 – Anfiteatro di Pompei – Pompei, Italy

July 25 – Villa Erba – Cernobbio, Italy

July 27 – Budapest Park – Budapest, Hungary

July 28 – Forum Karlín – Prague, Czechia

July 30 – Progresja Summer Stage – Warsaw, Poland


Whatever’s Clever! Tracklist:

Changes

Beat Yourself Up

Cry (featuring Kenny G)

Washed Up

New Jersey (featuring Ravyn Lenae)

“Don’t Meet Your Heroes”

“Home” (featuring Hikaru Utada)

“Hey Brother”

“Sideways” (featuring Coco Jones)

“Love in Exile” (featuring Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins)

“Until It Happens to You” (featuring Jeff Goldblum)

“I Used to Be Cringe”

Live Nation Settles DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit, Caps Service Fees and Opens Amphitheaters to All Promoters

0

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., the world’s leading live entertainment company, announced today that the company has reached a settlement with the United States Department of Justice in the antitrust lawsuit brought by the DOJ. The company has consistently maintained that the DOJ’s allegations were without merit, and a portion of the original claims were dismissed by the court before trial began. This settlement will resolve all remaining matters with the DOJ, without any admission of wrongdoing, and the settlement will be reflected in a final proposed judgement that will be submitted to the court for approval.

Live Nation Entertainment issued the following statement:

“We are pleased to have settled our lawsuit with the United States Department of Justice. Today marks a major step in improving the concert experience for artists and fans throughout the United States. Live Nation is proud to lead the way enhancing this experience with our amphitheaters, which will be open to all promoters, allowing these promoters to decide how best to distribute up to 50% of the tickets, and capping ticketing service fees at 15%. By giving artists greater flexibility in choosing their promotional partners and ticketing strategy while also keeping the cost of a concert more affordable for fans, we are putting more power where it should be – with artists and fans,” said Michael Rapino, President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment.

In addition, Live Nation will be divesting its 13 exclusive booking agreements with amphitheaters nationwide. All owned and operated amphitheaters will continue to be operated by Live Nation as open venues, promoting competition and maximizing show volume.

In ticketing, Ticketmaster will be providing both exclusive and non-exclusive ticketing proposals to all major concert venues, which preserves the rights of venues to seek the type of contracts they preferred over the years while providing the government with restrictions to mitigate their concerns. At the same time, for venues that choose to do so, they may distribute some portion of their tickets through other primary ticketing marketplaces.

“We have never relied on exclusivity to drive our ticketing business, it has simply been the result of having the best products, services and people in the industry. We are happy to take greater steps to empower artists and venues in their ticketing decisions, and are confident we will continue to succeed on the quality of what we deliver,” continued Rapino.

This settlement will also include an eight-year extension of the company’s consent decree with the DOJ, including retaliation and conditioning terms, providing venues ongoing comfort the company does not condone such behavior.

There is no financial component to the settlement with the DOJ. This does not settle the claims of all plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and the company has created a $280 million settlement fund to address the states’ damages claims.
About Live Nation Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

Metal Powerhouse Alissa White-Gluz Unleashes Ferocious New Band Blue Medusa on the World

0

Alissa White-Gluz is done waiting. The internationally acclaimed vocalist and one of the longest-serving female death metal frontwomen in the genre’s history has launched Blue Medusa, an all-new band built entirely on her terms. The announcement landed on International Women’s Day, a choice White-Gluz made deliberately. “Building stronger platforms for women in heavy music is something I care deeply about,” she says. “Medusa turned people to stone. I want to pave the road in sapphire.”

Blue Medusa is a trio at its core, with White-Gluz flanked by guitarists Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia. “The musical chemistry I feel with these women is really bringing me back to life,” White-Gluz says. Live, drummer Delaney Jaster and bassist Alicia Vigil round out the lineup. Five women. Full firepower. White-Gluz describes the sound directly: blazing guitar solos, crushing riffs, brutal vocals, fast and aggressive drums, and lyrics built to make you think.

This is not a pivot or a side project. White-Gluz spent years at the forefront of Arch Enemy’s most commercially and creatively successful period, expanding the band’s global reach across the world’s biggest metal stages. Blue Medusa takes everything that made her essential and removes every ceiling. “It’s my creative melting pot,” she says. “Everything fans enjoy about the energy, intensity and performance they’ve always experienced on stage with me is still here, even stronger.”

New music is coming soon, and Blue Medusa already has live dates locked in. The band makes its live debut at both Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals, two of the heaviest-hitting events on the North American festival calendar. For a new band, that is an extraordinarily strong opening statement.

White-Gluz has spent two decades carving space for herself in a genre that didn’t always make room. Blue Medusa is what happens when someone that focused and that talented stops sharing the wheel entirely.

Thomas Rhett Takes the ‘Soundtrack to Life’ Tour Nationwide This Summer

0

Thomas Rhett is hitting the road this summer with the Soundtrack to Life Tour, a 20-plus city run promoted by Live Nation launching in July. Rising stars ERNEST, Kashus Culpepper, Zach John King, Vincent Mason, and Conner Smith rotate through support slots across the run, with Emily Ann Roberts opening every night. Presales begin Wednesday, March 11 at 10AM local time, with the general on-sale Friday, March 13 at 10AM local time. All ticket info is at ThomasRhett.com.

Rhett is bringing a live show that has earned serious praise from every corner, and he is doing it on his own terms. “I’ve always believed a great song can take you right back to a moment,” he shares, “and that’s what I hope the fans take away from our shows this summer.” The tour opens at home in Nashville before rolling through arenas and amphitheatres coast to coast, wrapping in late October.

The timing lines up with Thomas Rhett’s strongest creative stretch in years. His latest release, ‘About a Woman (Deluxe)’, now spans 25 songs and includes collaborations with Blake Shelton, Teddy Swims, Tucker Wetmore, Lanie Gardner, and current Top 5 single “Ain’t A Bad Life” featuring Jordan Davis. The record has been called his best work yet, and the setlist this summer will reflect the full scope of a catalog built on 24 Number Ones and 16 billion streams.

Beyond the Soundtrack to Life Tour, Rhett joins Morgan Wallen for four dates on the Still the Problem Tour and makes a highly anticipated return to the U.K. for a three-night run at Wembley Stadium with Luke Combs. For an artist with eight ACM Awards, five GRAMMY nominations, and five CMA Triple Play awards to his name, this is a summer without a slow moment.

VIP packages are available through vipnation.com and include premium seats, guided backstage tours, access to the Thomas Rhett VIP Lounge, and exclusive gift items. This is a big touring year for one of country music’s most consistent hitmakers.

The Soundtrack to Life Tour Dates:

July 9 – Nashville, TN – TBA

July 11 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena

July 16 – Hartford, CT – The Meadows Music Theatre

July 17 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion

July 18 – Hershey, PA – TBA

August 13 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion

August 14 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

August 20 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center

August 22 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater

September 10 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center

September 11 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center

September 12 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center

September 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center

September 18 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

September 19 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center

October 1 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

October 2 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center

October 3 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center

October 9 – Albuquerque, NM – First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater

October 10 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

October 22 – Des Moines, IA – Casey’s Center

October 23 – Kansas City, MO – Morton Amphitheater

October 24 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center

Hip-Hop Legends De La Soul Bring Joy, Grief, and “Cabin in the Sky” to the Tiny Desk

0

De La Soul took the Tiny Desk on March 3, De La Soul Day, and delivered something that felt like a celebration and a reckoning at once. Pos and Maseo performed highlights from their latest album, Cabin in the Sky, alongside classics including “Stakes is High” and “Breakadawn,” backed by a full live band anchored by drummer and music director Daru Jones. The set was warm, sharp, and alive with the group’s signature humor, but the absence of David Jolicoeur, Trugoy the Dove, who passed away in 2023, gave the whole performance a layer of weight that no setlist could paper over.

Both remaining members were candid throughout the planning process about what Dave would and would not approve of creatively, and the result honors him without leaning on sentimentality. This is De La Soul doing what they have always done, just carrying more with them now. The concert also marks year three of the group’s catalog being back under their own control, a hard-won milestone after a decades-long legal battle that kept their music off streaming platforms until just weeks after Dave’s passing.

Norwegian Prog Veterans Green Carnation Confront Time Itself on Stunning New Single “I Am Time”

0

Green Carnation are three decades deep and still operating at a level most prog acts never reach. “I Am Time” is the second advance single from Part II of their ambitious album trilogy, A Dark Poem, due via Season of Mist. It is the emotional peak of Sanguis, a record the Norwegian veterans describe as their most personal and grief-laden chapter yet.

The song hits with double bass, stormy tremolo picking, and a central melody that dissolves like sand through an hourglass. Vocalist Kjetil Nordhus delivers with gloomy, measured restraint, and the result is devastating in the best possible way. The track’s closing surge is one of the most powerful moments Green Carnation have committed to record in years.

The writing process took the band to a cottage in the woods of Norway, where Nordhus and bassist and lyricist Stein Roger Sordal found the connective tissue between two separate song ideas. “We tried letting the intro flow into the lead guitar part that takes over,” Nordhus explains. “It worked perfectly.” The song is built around time as a character, relentless and non-negotiable. “I can’t be tamed, I am not for sale.”

Sordal frames the lyrical core directly: “The lyrics are about how we should respect and cherish the time that we have.” Nordhus adds that Part II deals with personal loss and sadness, though the album is not without light. Sanguis pushes the emotional range of A Dark Poem considerably further than Part I, and “I Am Time” makes that case immediately.

Sanguis is available for pre-order and pre-save now, with vinyl formats including Black, Gold Splatters, Transparent Green and Purple Marbled, and several additional variants. If Green Carnation’s first installment signaled a powerful return, this one confirms they are nowhere near finished.

Trey Calloway’s “Truck Around” Is the Country Party Anthem You Didn’t Know You Needed

0

Trey Calloway is back with “Truck Around,” a rough-and-rowdy country party anthem built for gravel roads and open skies. The new single celebrates trading city life for a night of pure freedom, with lyrics that land hard and stick fast. Calloway writes from lived experience, and it shows. This is authentic country storytelling with a good-time engine under the hood.

The song’s hook is immediate. “A long bed for dancing, moonlight romancing, and a great big world on the outskirts of town” is the kind of writing that earns its place on a playlist and keeps it. Calloway puts it plainly: “‘Truck Around’ is really an invitation to trade the concrete jungle for a gravel road. Sometimes all it takes is watching a sunset from a tailgate to remember what really matters.” Hard to argue with that.

The timing is strong. Calloway is currently in the studio working on a new EP due in summer 2026, co-writing and recording alongside producer Phil O’Donnell, whose track record speaks for itself. O’Donnell has written Number 1 songs for George Strait, Blake Shelton, and Montgomery Gentry, and has worked with Cody Johnson, Chris Janson, Craig Morgan, Clay Walker, Aaron Watson, and Craig Campbell. That pedigree adds serious weight to what’s coming.

Calloway is also building his live presence with shows on the road and in Nashville, including an upcoming performance at the Inspirational Country Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House on April 6. The momentum is real. Features in Whiskey Riff, American Songwriter, Cowboys & Indians, and RFD-TV have widened his reach considerably, and the buzz around his “Must Have Had a Good Time” video has kept his name in the conversation.

More releases are on the way, and Calloway is clearly hitting his stride. “Truck Around” is a confident, well-crafted single from a country voice worth following closely.

ABBA’s Magic Lives On: Mamma Mia! Returns to Toronto for a Summer Run

0

Mamma Mia! is coming back to Toronto, and this city has a history with this show that runs deep. The global smash musical returns to the Princess of Wales Theatre from August 4 to 30, 2026, presented by Mirvish Productions. Tickets go on sale March 16 at 10AM at mirvish.com or by calling 1.800.461.3333.

Toronto knows this show better than almost anywhere. Mamma Mia! had its North American premiere right here at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in 2000, running until 2005. It has returned to Mirvish stages four times since, selling out every engagement. This city does not tire of it, and the show keeps delivering.

The numbers behind Mamma Mia! are staggering. Seventy million people have seen it live worldwide. Fifty productions. Sixteen languages. More than $7 billion at the box office. Built on the songbook of ABBA, written by Catherine Johnson, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast, this is a production that has earned every superlative thrown at it.

The sunny, warmly comedic story of a mother, a daughter, and three possible fathers on a Greek island is as irresistible now as it was at its 1999 London premiere. The 25th Anniversary production made a triumphant return to Broadway in August 2025 at the Winter Garden Theatre, the same stage where it first opened in 2001. The momentum is real and it arrives in Toronto this summer.

With music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, and produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East and Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal Music Group, Mamma Mia! remains one of the most joyful, full-throated theatrical experiences anywhere on stage. This August run at the Princess of Wales is not to be missed.