Music

A New Take The opening track from Midnights gets reimagined into a folksy, finger-plucked tune Taylor Swift is in the throes of her massive Eras Tour, which hits Arlington, Texas this weekend. But she still found time to drop an acoustic version of Midnights opener “Lavender Haze” on Friday. She transforms the dreamy synth-pop track into a folksy, finger-plucked tune. The song —which was co-written by Zoe Kravitz and producers Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, and Sam Dew — suddenly becomes an intimate, enchanting Lilith Fair-core tune as opposed to the arena-pop...

The fourth month of the year, April includes many exciting occasions and observances, including the Boston Marathon, Record Store Day, Earth Day and April Fools' Day, along with everyone's least favorite day: Tax Day. But April also is the birthday month of a bunch of country stars.Sharing a birthday month with these fun (and not-so-fun) events are Willie Nelson, whose 90th birthday is approaching; Emmylou Harris; Chris Stapleton; Carly Pearce and more. It is also the month to celebrate the lives of some of the genre's greatest artists who are no longer with us,...

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Chlöe and Boygenius arrive with huge solo debut LPs, Tyler the Creator drops a deluxe gem, and Jisoo of Blackpink releases a fire solo single. Jisoo, “Flower” (YouTube) Chlöe, “Feel Me Cry” (YouTube) Tyler the Creator, “Dogtooth” (YouTube) Melanie Martinez, “Void” (YouTube) Quavo, ‘Honey Bun” (YouTube) Chappell Roan, “Kaleidoscope” (YouTube) Becky G, Peso Pluma, “Chanel” (YouTube) Khalid, “Softest Touch” (YouTube) Boygenius, “Letter to an Old Poet” (YouTube)...

The CMT Music Awards on Sunday (April 2) will feature all-star performances from country music's biggest stars, and a few will team up with members of rock and roll royalty for a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd.CMT announced Thursday (March 30) that the tribute to the venerated band will feature a cross-genre group of artists including ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Cody Johnson, Paul Rodgers, Slash and Warren Hayes. LeAnn Rimes and Wynonna Judd will step in as Lynyrd Skynyrd's backup singers, the Honkettes.Johnson and Rodgers are set to lead...

Pras Trial “The defendant needed money and was willing to do anything to get it, including being an agent of the Chinese government," prosecution told the court Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, best known as part of the Nineties hip-hop group the Fugees, pocketed hundreds of millions of embezzled Malaysian dollars in exchange for running a foreign-influence campaign against the U.S. government, Justice Department attorney Nicole Lockhart told jurors Thursday morning. “The defendant needed money and was willing to do anything to get it, including being an agent of the...

We're back with another edition of The Boot's Weekly Picks, which highlights great new tracks from the world of country, Americana, folk and everything in between.This week's list features a powerful and deeply personal story-song from Ron Pope, a message of affirmation from Bobby Stevens, while Brittany Ann Tranbaugh unpacks the mix of emotions that comes when navigating a long distance relationship.Keep reading to check out the latest installment of The Boot's Weekly Picks, and check back every week for more great tracks curated by our contributing team.The Watson Twins"The Palace"Talented sisters Chandra and Leigh Watson, better known as...

Hayer Elementary School, located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, was meant to feature Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton’s collaboration “Rainbowland” during a spring concert, but a teacher revealed earlier this week that the song was pulled from the lineup. In an email to Wisconsin Public Radio, Waukesha Superintendent James Sebert stated: “The question was around whether the song was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the first-grade students.” But the Happy Hippie Foundation, a non-profit founded by Cyrus in support of young people in the LGBTQ+ community and those facing...

In their brand new track "Middle of the Morning," Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit offer a raw interpretation of the frustrations and fears many of us faced during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.Penned while navigating lockdown at home, Isbell was forced to navigate a new normal away from the road and studio with no clear end in sight. Motivated by the singer-songwriter's raw, emotive vocals, the song tells of the dizzying pain of trying to hold onto your sense of self while feeling more isolated than ever."It...

Tory Lanez has filed a motion for a new trial after being found guilty of shooting music superstar Megan Thee Stallion on a California curbside in July 2020. Lanez’s lawyers Jose Baez and Matthew Barhoma cite multiple grounds in the new paperwork filed late Wednesday, including a claim that the judge “erroneously allowed” jurors to view a September 2020 Instagram post from Lanez’s personal account claiming Megan’s now-estranged best friend Kelsey Harris was not the shooter. The filing, obtained by Rolling Stone, includes a declaration from Lanez’s content creator, Joshua...

Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, and Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor will join Nashville mayor John Cooper and Council Member Russ Pulley to honor victims of the March 27 shooting at The Covenant School.According to the Tennessean, the three singer-songwriters will be on hand for the Nashville Remembers vigil, which begins at 5:30 PM CT tonight (March 29) at Public Square Park in downtown Nashville. First Lady Jill Biden is also scheduled to be in attendance. Three nine-year-old students and three adult staff members were pronounced dead after a 28-year-old suspect gained entry into The Covenant School,...

Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, two of the most outsized personalities in country music, will share hosting duties for the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards. The hosting gig marks Brooks’ first stint on the show, but he’s in good hands alongside Parton, who returns for her second consecutive year. The ACMs stream live on Prime Video from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday, May 11, at 8 p.m. EST. “I am thrilled to return to host the ACM Awards, this time with my friend Garth,”...

Tulsa, Okla. native Joe Diffie was one of the most successful country artists of the 1990s and early 2000s, with 35 of his singles charting on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. That included five No. 1 hits, his debut single "Home," 1991's "If The Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets)," 1994's "Third Rock From the Sun" and "Pickup Man," and his 1995 track "Bigger Than the Beatles."His 1993 record Honky Tonk Attitude and 1994 album Third Rock from the Sun were certified platinum. Diffie recorded multiple collaborations with fellow country stars, and even won...

Rage Against the Machine were just two shows into their 2022 Public Service Announcement Tour reunion tour when frontman Zack de la Rocha tore his Achilles tendon during a frenetic rendition of “Bullet in the Head.” He managed to soldier through the rest of the North American leg by sitting on a road case in the center of the stage, but they wound up cancelling the remainder of the tour so he could properly heal. “I hate cancelling shows,” de la Rocha wrote in an October 2022 letter to fans....

Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette and Gwen Stefani are three heavy hitters among an all-female slate of new additions to the 2023 CMT Music Awards performance lineup.Morissette's appearance on the awards show stage will be her CMT Music Awards debut. She will lead a group performance of her landmark of her 1995 smash hit, "You Oughta Know," in celebration of the CMT Next Women of Country's 10th anniversary, joined by program alumni Ingrid Andress, Lainey Wilson, Madeline Edwards and Morgan Wade, plus Jackie Venson on guitar.Meanwhile, Twain's performance will be paired...