Music

In the wake of an instant-classic halftime performance by Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and 50 Cent, the new episode of our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast looks at the possible future of the shows. Among other topics, our panel (with Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos joining host Brian Hiatt) explains why Drake and Taylor Swift deserve to be at the top of the list for future performers, and why Kanye West will never get a shot at it. There’s also a discussion of possible permutations...

Independent music publisher Spirit Music Group has acquired 90 percent of Jason Aldean’s recorded music catalog, the company announced Thursday (Feb. 24).The deal — reportedly a $100 million deal — includes the acquisition of Aldean’s first nine albums, from his 2005 eponymous debut to his 2019 project, 9. Neighboring rights and sound exchange royalties are included in the deal, and the singer will keep income interest."It’s cool that a company like Spirit, that’s been around so long, has taken on my music catalog," Aldean notes of the transaction. "It’s something really...

James Corden put the musical identification skills of Dave Grohl and Hilary Duff to the test in a segment titled “James That Tune” on The Late Show Show Wednesday night. In the segment, Corden is tasked with playing a series of Foo Fighters songs on a keyboard for the pair to guess. The catch: Corden has no idea how to play the piano, which makes the game pretty challenging. The clip shows Corden fumbling with the keyboard for several minutes until Grohl shouts, “Just play the fucking song, man!” The...

Keith Urban has built a career as one of the most consistent hitmakers in country music over the past several decades, but he was just a young, rising country singer when he changed his career by scoring his first No. 1 hit. Urban first topped the charts with "But for the Grace of God" on Feb. 24, 2001, 21 years ago today."But for the Grace of God" was the third single from Urban's self-titled debut solo album, but he was actually a longtime veteran of the music business by the...

The 21-year-old rapper Ankhal suffered multiple gunshot wounds during a shooting in Puerto Rico’s Fajardo region on Tuesday, Feb. 22, the Fajardo police department confirmed to Rolling Stone. Police responded to a 911 call at 10:17 p.m. and arrived at Las Flores Avenue in the Florencio neighborhood in Fajardo, where they found Ankhal — whose real name is Anthony Mercado Diaz — and 25-year-old Jose De Leon with multiple gunshot wounds to their bodies. Ankhal and De Leon were in a vehicle being driven by a 24-year-old man. Paramedics took...

Ronnie Dunn is committed to making music for as long as his vocal cords will let him. The 68-year-old has just released a new song, "Broken Neon Hearts," and says there is more on the way."Broken Neon Hearts" paints the picture of a neon-lit dancehall where ladies get in for half-price and it's two-for-one on Tuesday nights. A place where you can forget about your broken heart with "whiskey floatin' on Coke and ice." Everyone is there to heal, and the music serves as the best form of therapy."It's where the lost...

Metronomy have released a music video for their latest single, “Right on Time.” The whimsical clip, directed by Juliet Casella and Thibaut Caesar, sees the band enjoying a surreal day of (fake) skydiving and picnicking. “Skydiving is by far the most exhilarating and fun thing we have ever done,” frontman Joseph Mount joked in a statement. “Yes, we make it look easy! But, filming this video was not without its challenges. After several weeks of training the aerial choreography we set out to shoot. But thanks to the British summer...

Sam Hunt's wife Hannah Lee Fowler filed for divorce last Friday (Feb. 18), and then she changed her mind.Hours after filing for divorce in Tennessee, Hunt's wife pulled back that decision, and petitioned that the suit be "voluntarily nonsuited without prejudice."People first shared the latest news on the saga: The 33-year-old Fowler had accused her husband of nearly five years of cheating on her. TMZ reported that Hannah Lee wrote that Hunt is allegedly "guilty of inappropriate marital conduct" and "guilt of adultery."She also revealed she is pregnant in the divorce filing. Baby Hunt is due...

The news of Mark Lanegan’s death broke early this afternoon, and it’s already sending shockwaves across the rock landscape. The former Screaming Trees frontman was a towering figure in the history of grunge. Starting in 1986 with their LP Clairvoyance, Lanegan and his bandmates set the stage for Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and so much music that followed in their wake. The Nineties would have unfolded in imaginably different ways without his influence. For a tiny bit of proof, check out this rendition of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”...

Country duo Muscadine Bloodline's latest record Dispatch to 16th Ave. opens with the title track, a song about coming up short in country radio, refusing to compromise or quit. That’s been the ethos of members Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster over the course of their first two full-length albums. Their success has been dependent on building a loyal fanbase and touring aggressively, both prior to the pandemic began and since as it has safely allowed.The transitions on this record are special. There’s never a gap in music, which gives the entire nine-track collection...

Despite releasing a new album earlier this month, Alt-J revisited their early catalog Monday evening with a performance of the 2012 single “Breezeblocks” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The performance, Colbert noted, was a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the British indie rock trio’s Mercury Prize-winning album, An Awesome Wave. The ambling track, which frontman Joe Newman told Interview Magazine in 2012 was partially inspired by a line from the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are, buries its dark, threatening tale of a murderous lover beneath playful synth...