Music

Twenty-three years ago today (Aug. 3, 1999) was a bittersweet day for the friends and family of Patsy Cline. It was on that date that the singer was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in honor of her many career achievements.Cline died tragically on March 5, 1963, when she was only 30 years old, when a small plane she was a passenger in crashed en route to her home in Nashville. She was a true pioneer in country music, becoming the first female country artist to headline her...

For many, Demi Lovato was one of the first artists to openly use “they/them” pronouns and identify as non-binary. And Lovato’s decision to change her pronouns, after being hyper-feminized as a teen star on Disney Channel, catalyzed discussions about gender identity. Some of those conversations often diminished Lovato’s gender identity as the butt of a joke, complete with a blatant disdain for their fluidity. In a recent interview on the Spout podcast, Lovato explained to host Tamara Dhia the usage of their pronouns, saying that she’s actually adopted she/her pronouns once...

Randy Travis is sending prayers to all those impacted by the devastating floods in eastern Kentucky.As he shared his support for impacted Kentuckians on social media, Travis posted a photograph that was particularly poignant because of its connection to his hit ballad from 2002, "Three Wooden Crosses."The photo depicts a scene from the eastern Kentucky flooding, of three roadside crosses all but submerged underneath the flooded water.He also posted some of the lyrics of the song, which tells the story of four passengers — a farmer, a preacher, a teacher...

ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Elton John stepped up their TikTok transition game to remotely perform a live rendition of the popular audio on the app that combines the former’s 1979 hit “Chiquitita” with the latter’s 1973 standout “Bennie and the Jets.” The TikTok audio seamlessly blends the “Chiquitita” into “Bennie and the Jets,” using only the piano instrumental from both tracks. In the collaborative video, Andersson sits at his jet-black piano and plays to the tune before the camera switches over to a pair of hands on a golden set...

Kenny Chesney brought a very special duet partner onstage to sing with him during the Denver stop of his 2022 Here and Now Tour: His mom, Karen Chandler.The singer invited his mom out to share the spotlight during his performance of "Everything's Gonna Be Alright," a No. 1 hit from his 2018 No Zip Code album. In the studio version of the song, Chesney's duet partner is David Lee Murphy, but the song took on a sweet new meaning as a mother-son duet.Chesney wrapped his arm around his mom as they...

The BeyHive (and much of music Twitter) swarmed songwriter Diane Warren’s account Monday after she asked, “How can there be 24 writers on a song?” accompanied by eye-roll emoji. The tweet was in reference to the credits on Beyoncé’s Renaissance standout, “Alien Superstar,” which has that same number of writers credited. Aside from some pointed replies about her age and a red-carpet moment with Mariah Carey that clearly stung (no BeyHive pun intended), what resulted from Warren’s shade — whether intentional or not — was a public schooling on Black...

Brett Young's talents as a romantic songwriter are well documented in hits like "Sleep Without You" and "In Case You Didn't Know," and his talents for a well-worded message of love aren't just limited to his music.On Monday (Aug. 1), the singer celebrated his wife Taylor Mills' birthday on social media with a sweet tribute to "the best mom, wife, partner and friend that I could ever dream of," alongside a snapshot of the two of them together."You age like a fine wine, baby!" Young goes on to say. "Not sure...

Nearly three decades have passed since Fatlip exited the Pharcyde, one of the cleverest, funniest hip-hop groups to emerge in the early Nineties. Since then, he has put out a solo album, The Loneliest Punk, scored an underground hit with “What’s Up, Fatlip?” and even buried the hatchet with some of his former fellow Pharcyde emcees. Fatlip and original Pharcyde members Slimkid3 and Imani have been touring as the Far Side, though the original quartet, which includes Bootie Brown who owns the Pharcyde trademark, hasn’t gathered together since a short-lived...

On Aug. 1, 1998, Garth Brooks reached No. 1 on the country charts with "To Make You Feel My Love." His cover of the Bob Dylan-written song was at the top 24 years ago today."To Make You Feel My Love" originally appeared on Dylan's 1997 album Time Out of Mind under the name "Make You Feel My Love," and was also covered by Billy Joel that same year. Brooks' version maintains the sparse feel of the original, with piano and organ adding lovely shading to rich acoustic guitar.This extra instrumentation enhances the romantic...

Ever since the release of her first solo album, 2019's Walk Through Fire, British country singer Yola has been the subject of widespread critical acclaim. Her records blend the evocative storytelling of traditional folk and country with syncopated rhythms of R&B and ornate arrangements of mid-20th century countrypolitan music.At live shows, she’s held audiences rapt with her powerful voice and commanding stage presence. In just a few short years, she's racked up a lengthy list of accomplishments and recorded some landmark collaborations. She was one of the standout artists at the 2019 Newport...

Green Day unleashed a heavy helping of rarities — including some songs the band hasn’t played in over 20 years — during their semi-surprise, Lollapalooza aftershow gig Friday at Chicago’s Metro. Free from the shackles of their just-ended leg of their Hella Mega Tour — where Green Day performed largely the same concert nearly 30 times — Billie Joe Armstrong and company dug deep into their catalog for Friday’s show, unearthing songs like Warning’s “Church on Sunday” and that album’s title track for the first time since 2001. During the...

Lollapalooza 2022’s penultimate day wrapped-up with headliners Willow and J. Cole. Day Three also included Chicago-bred Lil Durk and South Korean K-pop group Together x Tomorrow, two acts that were recently added to the lineup, rounding out Saturday’s festivities in Chicago’s Grant Park. Alexander 23 Brings His Music Back Home“I’m from Chicago,” said Alexander Glantz, who performs as Alexander 23 and has become a go-to industry collaborator. “So this is extra special for me.” Funny, Glantz’s harmlessly generic pop-rock didn’t feel that special. Glantz was at his best with heart-on-sleeve...