Month: March 2024

Categories
Country Daypop

Kelsea Ballerini back to host 2024 CMT Music Awards

Kelsea Ballerini attends 2022 Harper's Bazaar ICONS Bloomingdale's 150th Anniversary on September 09^ 2022 in New York City.

Kelsea Ballerini will return as host of the 2024 CMT Music Awards, airing live April 7 on CBS from Austin’s Moody Center.  Ballerini marks her fourth consecutive year as hosted the show; in 2021 and 2023, Ballerini hosted alongside Kane Brown. The four-time Grammy nominee also will perform during the show.

Ballerini said in a statement: “I couldn’t be more excited to be back for my fourth year with my CMT family to host this year’s CMT Music awards in Austin, Texas. Hosting an awards show that celebrates the music that the fans love most has been an honor and I know this year will be another unforgettable night.”

The 2024 CMT Awards will air live on April 7 at 8-11 p.m. ET on CBS and will be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs). Nominations, performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. Winners are voted on by fans.

Check out a promo for the 2024 CMT Music Awards – here.

Editorial credit: Ron Adar / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Kacey Musgraves announces world tour, shares the song ‘Too Good to be True’

Kacey Musgraves at the 61st Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on February 10^ 2019 in Los Angeles^ CA

Kacey Musgraves has announced the 2024 Deeper Well World Tour, posting on her socials: “Tap into your 𝓓𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓮𝓻 𝓦𝓮𝓵𝓵 with me on tour. 🌱 Sign up for access to pre-sale tickets at deeperwelltour.com. American Express® Early Access in select markets: 3/5 at 10am through 3/7 at 10pm local time. Terms apply. Supply is limited. Artist pre-sale: 3/5 at 12pm through 3/7 at 10pm local time.”

The tour kicks off April 28 in Dublin, Ireland on April 28th with stops in Europe and the UK, followed by the North American leg commencing on September 4th in State College, PA. The trek marks Kacey’s most extensive live tour of her career, playing major cities across the US and concluding with a special two-night stand in her own backyard at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on December 6-7. Support artists include Madi Diaz, Father John Misty, Lord Huron, and Nickel Creek.

In addition to the tour announcement, Musgraves released the lyric video for her new song “Too Good to be True”, which appears on Musgraves’ forthcoming album, Deeper Well.  The 35-year-old Musgraves will release Deeper Well on March 15 (to pre-order, head here), marking her first new album since 2021’s Star-Crossed. Check out the lyric video for ‘Too Good To Be True’ – here.

Tickets to the Deeper Well World Tour go on sale March 8, with pre-sales for American Express card members to begin March 5 at 10 a.m. local time. Artist pre-sales will start March 5 at 12 p.m; Sign up for access to pre-sale tickets at deeperwelltour.com.  For more details, visit Musgraves’ website.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Dave Grohl and Martin Short join lineup for ‘Love Rocks NYC’ benefit

Foo Fighters Dave Grohl at the Rock in Rio festival; Rio de Janeiro^ Brazil September 28th^ 2019

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and comedian Martin Short have been added to the lineup for the 8th Annual ‘Love Rocks NYC’ event benefitting Gods Love We Deliver, taking place on March 7 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

Gods Love We Deliver posted on social media:  “📣 We are thrilled to announce that @davestruestories has joined the #LoveRocksNYC lineup and #MartinShort will join us at #LoveRocksNYC for a special guest appearance! 🎟 AND additional tickets have just been released to the show. Head to Ticketmaster to get yours.”

Previously announced performers include Hozier, The Black Keys, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Nile Rodgers, Trombone Shorty and Joss Stone. Martin will be joining previously announced hosts Conan O’Brien, Tracy Morgan and Jim Gaffigan.

Tickets for the ‘Love Rocks NYC’ event can be purchased here. Fans can also experience the event by signing up at loverocksnyc.com to access a livestream link to the concert via Veeps.com.

Editorial credit: Antonio Scorza / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ third special edition to ft. bonus song ‘The Black Dog’

Taylor Swift at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena

Taylor Swift announced a third – and ‘final’ – limited special edition of her upcoming album “The Tortured Poets Department.” Similar to the previously announced special editions of ‘TTPD’, the third deluxe edition is again themed around a bonus track, which Swift revealed was titled “The Black Dog.”

Swift first shared the news during a “secret songs” segment during her ‘The Eras Tour’ engagement in Singapore, and later posted on her socials: ““Old habits die screaming…” File Name: The Black Dog 🖤 Pre-order the final new edition of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT with exclusive bonus track “The Black Dog” on my website now”

The previous limited editions of the ‘TTPD’ were centered around the bonus tracks “The Albatross” and “The Bolter;” a different “deluxe” edition which was announced at the time of the initial album reveal, includes the song “The Manuscript” as the extra track.

All editions of “The Tortured Poets Department” will be released on April 19. ‘The Black Dog’ version of the album will be available exclusively through Swift’s webstore until Wednesday at 2 p.m. To pre-order ‘The Tortured Poets Department Collector’s Edition’ ft. the bonus track “The Black Dog”, head to Swift’s website.

Taylor Swift Adds Third Limited Edition Version To Her Next Album’s Release Schedule, Offers Bonus Track

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

Blizzard conditions in Northern California shuts down roads, ski resorts

"Road Closed" sign during atmospheric river winter storm event in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Blizzard conditions have continued to slam the Northern California region throughout the weekend with damaging winds and heavy snow, shutting down roads and ski resorts across the area.  Around 6.5 million people were under winter weather alerts across the Mountain West, with blizzard warnings still in effect for the Sierra Nevada, who have experienced the most extreme weather including whiteout conditions and hurricane-force winds.

The blizzard closed a 70-mile stretch of Interstate 80 near the Nevada state line for more than a day, with the Weather Center adding that “extremely heavy snowfall rates of 2-6 inches an hour combined with very strong winds exceeding 100 mph at times will maintain impossible travel conditions in the Sierra Nevada” and warned of “high to extreme” avalanche danger in the Central Sierra and Greater Lake Tahoe area. About 5-12 feet of snow was forecast to fall along the crest of the Sierra with damaging wind gusts “possibly in excess of 75 mph” expected across the Intermountain West.

Numerous ski areas were closed over the weekend including at Palisades Tahoe, Sierra at Tahoe and Mammoth. The National Weather Service said on Sunday that “winds will wane in intensity, though some additional heavy snowfall is expected through the day, particularly for the southern Cascades/Sierra, Wasatch, and central Rockies.”  Extreme snowfall and roaring winds in the Sierra and parts of the northern ranges mean blowing snow and whiteout conditions making travel “impossible.”

While the storm was expected to wind down on Sunday, it will be followed by a new system on Monday, the National Weather Service said.

Editorial credit: DNB STOCK / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

University of Florida terminates all DEI positions to comply with state law

Entrance to the University of Florida located in Gainesville^ Florida.

According to an administrative memo that was released, the University of Florida has terminated all of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) related positions to comply with a new state law that bars state colleges from using state or federal money to fund the programs. The Florida Board of Education implemented the law January, saying that strict regulations would be put on the Florida College System about the use of tax dollars to support DEI. The board said DEI programs are “programs that categorize individuals based on race or sex for the purpose of differential or preferential treatment.” The rule will affect 28 of Florida’s state schools.

Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. said at the time of the rule’s announcement that the actions will ensure taxpayer money won’t be spent on DEI and “radical indoctrination that promotes division in our society,” adding that higher education needs to return to its “essential foundations of academic integrity” instead of “being corrupted by destructive ideologies.

The University of Florida memo states that they have closed the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, “eliminated DEI positions and administrative appointments, and halted DEI-focused contracts with outside vendors.”  University employees who lost their positions will receive the standard twelve weeks of severance pay and are encouraged to apply for “expedited consideration for different positions currently posted by the university.” The school’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer will reallocate about $5 million formerly funding DEI expenses like salaries and expenditures to now go to a faculty retirement fund.

The memo said: “Finally, the University of Florida is — and will always be —unwavering in our commitment to universal human dignity. As we educate students by thoughtfully engaging a wide range of ideas and views, we will continue to foster a community of trust and respect for every member of Gator Nation.”

Editorial credit: Katherine Welles / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Morgan Wallen to open ‘This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen’ in Nashville

Morgan Wallen on July 20^ 2019 at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh^ New York.

Morgan Wallen will opening a six-story venue on Nashville’s Lower Broadway strip, in partnership with TC Restaurant Group (the company behind downtown Nashville ventures from Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert).

Wallen’s ‘This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen’ is named after a song off his Dangerous: The Double Album, will feature pivotal elements that shaped the singer’s life, with each level showcasing photos and memorabilia from his childhood as well as some of his most notable performances to date.

Wallen confirmed the news on his socials, and shared a press release confirming that that the address of a new bar and entertainment hot spot will be located at 107 4th Ave. N. Said Wallen: “I sing about finding myself in ‘this bar’ and now it’s coming to life. This venue will hold true to everything I love and is inspired by my fans and the way they have embraced me and my music.”  Wallen said he’s working with a restaurant team to design a menu inspired by his own “family favorites,” with Chef Tomasz Wosiak curating the menu for This Bar to include some of the singer’s mom’s own recipes. In addition, three live stages and a rooftop bar are planned for the 30,000 square foot establishment.

As of press time, no opening date had been revealed for Wallen’s establishment.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four’ reboot confirms July 2025 release date

Pedro Pascal at HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ premiere on January 09^ 2023 in Westwood^ CA

Marvel Studios is sharing new details about its Fantastic Four reboot, confirming the film’s cast and announcing a July 25, 2025 release date. The film was originally to open Nov. 8, 2024, and was previously delayed to Feb. 14, 2025.  Marvel posted on its socials: “Marvel’s First Family! Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn are The Fantastic Four. Marvel Studios’ #TheFantasticFour, in theaters July 25, 2025. @pascalispunk @vanessa__kirby @ebonmossbachrach @josephquinn. Art by @wes_burt”

The long-awaited reboot of Fantastic Four will star Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing). WandaVision’s Matt Shakman will direct Fantastic Four off a script by Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer.

The comics were previously adapted for film as Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), starring Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis. A  reboot in 2015  featured Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell.

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Tom Petty tribute album to feature Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Chris Stapleton

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform at the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival; New Orleans^ Louisiana - April 30^ 2017

Tom Petty passed away in 2017 and now a star-studded tribute album in honor of the singer/songwriter is in the works, set for release on May 31.

Former members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be contributing to the album titled Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, as well as several famous names in music including Dolly Parton, who will be covering “Southern Accents.” George Strait will record a live version of “You Wreck Me,” with Chris Stapleton performing “I Should Have Known It,” and Luke Combs doing his rendition of “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”  Other famous names included on the cover album include Wynonna Judd, Lainey Wilson, Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson, Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives, Rhiannon Giddens, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, and more.

Singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley has released his cover of Petty’s “American Girl,”sharing to Instagram: “When you get asked to reimagine one of the greatest rock & roll songs of all time by one of the most iconic American musicians of all time, the first thing you do is call up some of the greatest acoustic pickers of all time for the assist! My version of #AmericanGirl honoring @tompettyofficial is out today! Y’all let me know what you think, stream at the link in my bio”.  To stream, head here.

Editorial credit: Adam McCullough / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Entertainment Daypop

Karol G to be honored as Billboard Woman of the Year 2024

Karol G at the Barbie World Premiere at the Shrine Auditorium on July 9^ 2023 in Los Angeles^ CA

Karol G will be honored with the highly acclaimed 2024 Woman of the Year Award at the upcoming Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 6.

Hannah Karp, Billboard’s editorial director, said in a press release: “With her immense talent, Karol G has created a movement for women across the globe due to her empowering lyrics and shameless confidence. The release of her groundbreaking album ‘Mañana Será Bonito’ has proven her a force to be reckoned with in both the English and Spanish charts. We are so excited to honor her as Woman of the Year.”

Karol G released her fourth studio album “Mañana Será Bonito” in 2023, becoming the first female artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with a Spanish-language album. The album also helped her win best música urbana album at the 2024 Grammys, making her the first woman to ever win in that category.

Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards will take place at the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles on March 6. Karol G will join a lineup of other artists at the event including Charli XCX, Luísa Sonza, Maren Morris, NewJeans, TEMS, Victoria Monét and Young Miko.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com