New Country Music Roundtable 2026Country music means many things to many people, and it isn’t solely the stomping ground of truck drivers and rhinestone wearers. It’s a big tent that incorporates many cultures, religions, and political ideologies. Importantly, there are fresh artists looking to carry the genre forward into a new era. We spoke to a handful.

Chris Johnson

hollywoodhillbillies.us

What drew you into country music originally?

Well, it was really big in my hometown, which was an equestrian, agricultural, and farming community. The town had regular country music concerts at the local fair and rodeos, and there were several local nightclubs that featured live country bands where I would go to see musicians perform.

Who were your early influences?

I was really into all kinds of music, but mostly country, Southern rock, and blues rock. For country, my influences were Merle Haggard, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, David Allan Coe, Johnny Paycheck, Gram Parsons, and The Byrds.

My Southern rock influences were the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Eagles, and The Black Crowes. My blues-rock influences were The Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Arc Angels, George Thorogood, Buddy Guy, J.R. Wells, and Little Walter.

How do you think the genre has changed since your involvement, if at all?

Well, it has changed somewhat. It has become a big tent of musical sounds and themes. On the charts now, you have really traditional stuff, ‘90s-sounding material, along with all types of mashups and influences, with folk, pop, rock, and hip-hop overlapping.

There’s always a battle between the traditional and contemporary. Where do you sit?

I lean more toward the traditional side of storytelling, but on this record I experimented with modern production styles, hoping to reach a greater audience.

How do you describe your sound, and where does it sit on the country spectrum?

I would say this record is more traditional. However, it’s somewhat folk on the ballads and darker-themed songs, a little country-pop on the up-tempo stuff, and perhaps has a little sprinkling of Southern rock on the songs with higher-gain guitar sounds.

Tell us about your latest release.

It was recorded and produced by Nick Morzoff. It features Jordan Ziff on guitar, Federico Delfino on bass, Stephen Haaker on drums, Skip Edward on keys, Randall Hess on pedal steel, and Aubrey Richmond on fiddle and harmony vocals.

The songs were all pulled from my catalog of tunes that I had written and that we auditioned for this record.

Redd Faye

reddfaye.com

What drew you to country music, and who were your early influences?

I don’t know. By 5 or 6, I loved to sing. To anything. Dog, doll, the sky. I grew up in a place where I could sing wildly and expressively, without borders. When I visited my grandfather on his farm in Oklahoma, on later visits my signed recording artist and great-uncle Stoney Edwards would play guitar and we would all sit on the porch and sing together. That seed grew after his death. To continual lineage, which belongs to me. Dolly Parton, Crystal Gayle, the Judds and Stoney Edwards.

My love for country music began [with] the storytelling, the connection, basic emotion, a freedom to exist.

How do you think the genre has changed since your involvement, if at all?

The game has changed a lot in country music since my great-uncle Stoney and his generation. Charmingly enough, so many people still love the recognizable sounds of country, folk, Appalachian that those roots have remained.

Music is like a wire—how far can you stretch it? It can stretch and evolve, but it still has a starting point. Collaborations have come from every walk of music to country now and some of them work.

There’s always a battle between contemporary and traditional country music. Where do you stand?

I suppose from the outside looking in, it can look like a battle. But from the inside looking out, I see banjos the steel guitar, drums, fiddles notes, and expression.

Yes, some of it is very different, but it all comes from an organic place. Finding the two that actually work together—that’s where something spectacular happens. It’s inevitable, to fit some of that in, but you’ve got to know when and when not to.

How do you describe your sound, and where does it sit in the country spectrum?

When I put my phone to someone’s ear or my mouth close to the microphone to sing, I expect to hear something warm, I recognize—something traditional—but I also expect to hear something surprisingly intelligible. Roughness versus softness. Desperation versus subtlety, anger versus love. Telling the story. Giving life to those origin expressions that come from us all. Like yodeling.

I don’t think music has to have boundaries, but the emotion and essence of what makes my voice my voice must be there. I think it’s important to have foundation in traditional country, but from there, it’s completely natural to take a fork in the road.

What inspired your next release?

I’m ecstatic to answer this because my next release is called “Yippee Ki Yay Mothertrucker.”

It’s about empowering us women and celebrating the unsung heroes I’ve met out on the road.

They’re great people, dedicated men and women with big hearts who just want to get the job done.

It’s truly about women truck drivers, but it’s also about the trucking industry as a whole. This industry has kept America moving for many years, as it will for many years to come. I’m proud to say it’s kind of a truckers’ anthem!

What’s next for you?

I’ve been putting my band together so we can begin our USA tour, and hopefully, in the coming months, take it overseas. I’m excited putting the name Redd Faye really out there and letting people commune with what we’re creating. Everything I’m doing is to connect and flow.

Jesse Lynn Madera

instagram.com/jesselynnmadera

What drew you into country music, originally? 

Love this question. I write songs that seem to fall into a few different genres, but country is pretty much always somewhere in there. My sensibilities as a songwriter come from growing up on country music. Willie, Kris, Dolly… they were gods. I was born In Parkersburg, West Virginia, and my grandparents were self-described hillbillies. Country music was always on the radio. Grandma sort of sounded like Kitty Wells when she sang around the house and Grandpa taught himself how to play banjo. I think I was just born with it in my ears. 

How do you think the genre has changed since your involvement, if at all?

Well, it has changed a lot, and I know that’s a sensitive topic. Modern day country, on pop country radio, does sound a lot different from what I grew up on. And it’s not to say that the songs themselves aren’t good. I think those hitmakers still crank out some well-crafted songs. The '90s were a glorious time in country music, and I miss those kinds of songs, that kind of production, that kind of musicianship. On the other hand, we have never had so many incredible singers all at once! I just guess that the demand may have changed or something. I’m not sure. But I don’t consider myself a true country artist anyway, so maybe I should just keep quiet!

There’s always a battle between the traditional and contemporary. Where do you sit?

Team traditional, I’m sentimental. 

How do you describe your sound, and where it sits on the country spectrum?

I am an artist like a painter is an artist and I see what I do as creating collections. I’m indie so I have some freedom to just write and sing what comes naturally. We moved around a lot when I was young so I picked up a lot of different sounds. Country music tends to show up somehow, somewhere in most of my songs but I don’t know that I’d be officially classified as a country artist. Some of my songs, like ‘Austin’ or ‘Sweet Pretender’ or ‘That House’ fit neatly on the spectrum. I’d say they’re more '90s country with some southern rock. There’s a Hammond on Austin for instance, which probably immediately gets it kicked out of the Country Club. 

Tell us about your latest release...

My latest single is called ‘Woke Up In L.A.’ and it’s my version of country. There’s a lot of Dolly influence I can hear, there’s an Appalachian feel to the melody. I wrote it several years ago about moving from New York to L.A. and fantasizing about Montana. I love so many places and am an escapist. I’d left my band in N.Y.C. and moved to L.A. for love. It was scary to leave the momentum I’d achieved for a place where I hardly knew anyone and to start over from scratch. I was scared. I was not fun to live with and I take responsibility for my own discontentment. I learned from that time of life and I don’t regret the move at all. 

What do you have planned for the coming months?

I’m about to go on tour with Amy Speace in October, play festivals in winter, more shows in the early spring, and then I’m heading out late spring with Colin Blunstone to tour in the Netherlands. I’m also finishing writing songs for my next album and will be recording those soon. Looking forward to all of it!

Hailey Benedict

haileybenedictmusic.com

What drew you into country music, originally?

From an early age, I remember twirling in my living room with my mom to artists like The Chicks, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and Martina McBride. A couple of years later, I was gifted a CD and discovered my love for Taylor Swift. I was immediately enthralled by her picturesque storytelling and the sheer relatability of her music. Looking back, it’s funny because I never even realized the music I was listening to was “country” at the time. To me, it was always just great, relatable music that made me feel something. One thing I always admired about my parents is that they listened to all types of music without ever putting it in a specific box or genre. Although they weren’t musical themselves, we had music of all kinds playing around the house. When I started writing songs at age nine, much of what I grew up listening to naturally infused itself into my sound. As I developed, it became very apparent that storytelling, the true core of country music, was always the North Star of my writing and became the true home for my music.

How do you think the genre has changed since your start, if at all?  

I think the genre itself has embraced a crossover spirit over time, and it has been so exciting to watch it grow. Country music has so many different influences nowadays, and with so many diverse voices, its landscape has become incredibly rich and special. There is a reason it is one of the biggest genres today, and I believe that’s due to its ability to embrace so many subgenres. But the really special part is that no matter where it explores musically, country storytelling always lies at the center.

There’s always a battle between the traditional and contemporary. Where do you sit? 

I would definitely say contemporary, but it often depends on the song. Part of the joy of being a songwriter is that sometimes a song naturally writes itself, and almost in a kismet kind of way, it chooses its own style. Those writing moments can exist separately from my specific artist brand, letting the song dictate whether it leans more traditional or modern.

How do you describe your sound, and where it sits on the country spectrum? 

I’d describe my sound as a true country-pop mix. The heart of it is always in the lyrics, and like any good country song, my favorite challenge is nailing the “hook” or the “flip.” Musically, I love to experiment and infuse whatever I’m currently listening to into my own songs, regardless of the genre. I like to think of musical genres like a really good painting: you can paint a beautiful picture using just the color red, but there are so many other colors on the palette. Adding those different shades makes the art more vibrant, dynamic, and full of depth, so why not use all the colors available to you? I feel the same way about creating music and trying not to let anything keep me in a box.

Tell us about your latest release... 

“Chem History” is my newest single, and it captures that country-pop fusion I was describing earlier. Sonically, it features staple country instrumentation like steel guitar, banjo, and shimmery acoustics, but we also layered in luscious vocal stacks, unique synths, and pop-leaning melodies. The song actually started as a hook I had saved in my phone. It’s not just a play on words, but a clever, tongue-in-cheek way to describe that one relationship that always has a funny way of reappearing in your life. It tackles that age-old question: could it be fate, or is it just a bad habit? I had so much fun co-writing this one with my incredibly talented friends and co-writers, Claire Douglas and Clara Park!

What do you have planned for the coming months? 

It’s been such an exciting year getting to release the music I’ve been working on for the last couple of years. I’m incredibly grateful for my team at Big Loud and how much they’ve encouraged me to write and push myself to constantly beat my own catalogue. On top of having new music out, I’m continuing to write and work toward my debut album. I’ve been collaborating with Josh Kerr (Keith Urban, Maddie & Tae, Thomas Rhett) on producing, and it has been so inspiring to watch his process and learn alongside him. Beyond the studio, I absolutely can’t wait to get back out on tour and connect with fans everywhere!

Timmy McKeever

timmymckeever.com

What drew you into country music, originally? 

For as long as I can remember it’s always been country music playing around the house and in the car. It was always legends like Eric Church, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith… guys who influenced me as well as many other artists. Growing up on the West Coast, people think it’s strange that I fell into country music but because that’s all that we listened to, it felt right.

How do you think the genre has changed since your start, if at all?

I think it’s definitely widened as far as what can classify as a “country” song. I believe streaming has had a huge impact on the genre as a whole because artists are now being influenced by whatever kind of music they want to listen to. I think some artists have been influential in the sonic trends of the mainstream genre, and that goes back to the roots of it. There have always been trailblazers like Hank Jr. and other legends that redefined the genre, but I think the interesting thing about country music today is not the mainstream trend but all the different subgenres that fall beneath it. I think this aspect of it will only continue to grow as country music expands its global reach.

There’s always a battle between the traditional and contemporary. Where do you sit?

Full transparency I pull from so many different influences that I think my music has flavors of both. I listen to classic country just as much as I do contemporary. But I also listen to rock & roll, pop punk, rap, and many other genres, and I think all of it comes to light in its own unique way with the different melodic, lyrical, and production decisions I make.

How do you describe your sound, and where it sits on the country spectrum?

I describe my sound as rock-leaning country with pop elements. At the end of the day, I make music that feels authentically cool, and music that feels like me. I’m just grateful that my music has been able to reach an audience that connects with my sound like I do.

Tell us about your latest release…

My latest release is a track called “Drove Her Away.” It’s a feel-good take on a breakup situation about taking accountability for the relationship ending. It lives up to its name and is a great song to bump with your windows down on a backroad, on a boat, or anywhere in between. I love the track so much and I hope the fans love it as much as I do!

What do you have planned for the coming months?

Our next release is one of my favorite songs I have ever written, and I absolutely cannot wait to get it out. Aside from that I’m grateful to be able to spend some time in Nashville as touring for the year winds down and pull back the slingshot as we head into next year. Right now, I’m in the works with what is in my opinion the best music I’ve ever created.The post New Country Music Roundtable 2026 first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Latin America is catching North America as Spotify’s second-biggest subscriber market – and over 1 in 10 people there now pay for it.Spotify's Q3 2026 shareholder deck shows that Latin America accounted for 24% of the company's 306 million Premium subscribers at the end of September.
Source

10 Great Jazz Albums That Were Completely Ignored When They Came OutThink you know the great jazz albums? Beyond the classics lie 10 overlooked gems worth discovering, from Pharoah Sanders’ Karma to hidden treasures of jazz fusion, funk, and spiritual jazz.

A Song (or two) That Changed My Life: SNACKTIME on  Prince and D’AngeloThe Band Members: Nico Bryant, vocals; Sam Gellerstein, bass, tuba, guitar, sousaphone; Austin Marlow, drums; Larry Monroe Jr., guitar; Eric Sherman, trumpet, percussion; Michael Spearman, keys, trombone; Ben Stocker, tenor saxophoneThe Songs:  Prince’s smoldering power ballad “The Beautiful Ones” from his semi-autobiographical film Purple Rain – a must-see for all who love music —stands as a stellar example of how stark, spacey sonics can coexist with a rich rush of lush harmonics and searing vocal voracity to create a song stoked by all-consuming desire. With his signature attention to detail, Prince crafted a warm, pillowy low end through direct-to-board tracking — a perfect palette for The Purple One to lay his soaring, seductive falsetto, which slides and glides alongside slinky synth vibes before erupting into a killer high-register rock star scream. While the virtuoso’s vast vault of meticulously arranged songs is filled with examples of his genius, it is the fine-tuned emotive maximalism of "The Beautiful Ones” that showcases his role as an artistic visionary and places the multi-instrumentalist maestro of all things musical in the highest of echelons in music history.In a similar lane of late-night intimacy, though one that moves along in its own way with an intoxicating, ambient slow-rolling sway, comes the hypnotic pull of D’Angelo’s “One Mo’ Gin” from his seminal 2000 masterpiece Voodoo. Its thick, velvety arrangements and seductive yearnings are seamlessly smoothed together with the smoldering melodic haze of the Soulquarians— the loose collective with D’Angelo, Questlove, J Dilla, and James Poyser at its core. This legendary collaboration of musicians, who set up creative headquarters in the sonic house that Jimi Hendrix built, Electric Lady Studios, cultivated a love for rhythmic sickness and a sacred devotion to the groove that became central to D’Angelo’s magnetic musicality.The Background: Popping up throughout the City of Brotherly Love during the height of the pandemic, SNACKTIME quickly built a devoted following with their fusion of Philly soul, funk, and the untamed spirit of punk that soon stretched beyond the city's limits.Within a few years, the powerhouse seven-piece went from impromptu outdoor performances in open-air spaces like Rittenhouse Square to showstopping appearances at festivals including Lollapalooza and the Newport Folk Festival, while also sharing bills with artists such as Mt. Joy, Portugal. The Man, and Fitz and The Tantrums.Their debut studio EP, THIS IS DANCE MUSIC, produced by Philadelphia-based Grammy-winning alt-rock alchemist Will Yip (Turnstile, Code Orange), further expanded the polyphonic band’s reach, leading to crossover opportunities including a run as the in-studio band for They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce.

With the release of their single “Can’t Imagine Why You’d Stay,” a debut full-length studio album on the horizon, and a tour supporting Devon Gilfillian, band members Sam Gellerstein and Nico Bryant find themselves revisiting two songs that are imprinted in their memory and have made a lasting mark on their songwriting: Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" and D'Angelo's "One Mo' Gin." The Stories: Prior to exploring the treasure trove of Prince's sprawling canon, Sam Gellerstein’s connection to The Purple One’s work was sporadic. That changed following the icon’s passing in 2016, which prompted a deep dive into the artist’s legendary catalog and his timeless funk-rock cinematic drama.“I did not grow up on Prince, so when he passed, I started to listen and then became obsessed with his history, live performances, and albums,” explains Gellerstein. “I first heard ‘The Beautiful Ones’ right after Prince’s death while watching the movie Purple Rain. As with most songs I enjoy, I listened to the textures and the soundscape and found it to be very interesting — sexy but pensive, almost brooding but also optimistic. When the song opens up after the build and explodes is one of the most powerful moments on the record.”With repeated listens, however, the song gradually revealed an emotional flow that kept his mind circling:“I found the song to have more of a sadness to it. Less of a confident ask and more of a pleading. A deeper, more sorrowful pleading than the trope of ‘begging on my knees.’ As electric and larger than life as he was, I’m sure he was in a lot more pain and loneliness than his character let on.”

This combination of heart-wrenching lyrics intermingled with Prince’s sleek sonics and immaculate ear essentially altered Gellerstein's  songwriting:“The way the orchestration and arrangement builds slowly until it swells and explodes in the middle, leading to the long, passionate outro shows the importance of how a simple phrase can carry a song. Just that line: ‘Cause I want you…’” Gellerstein explains, noting that the impact was enough to incorporate a bit of it within SNACKTIME’s super slick funk meets soul style. “We have a song coming out on our debut record called ‘Cold/Warm’ which is directly influenced by this exact structure.”This penchant for midnight musings is also heard as a musical throughline for vocalist Nico Bryant, albeit channeled through a different kind of sultry, laconic, and slightly behind-the-beat delivery. It hit with full force when a bout of tender heartbreak flipped the script on how he initially heard the song.

“The first time I heard ‘One Mo’ Gin’ by D’Angelo, I was in the ninth grade,” Nico says. “My initial response was literally, ‘...this is a long ass intro.’ I just wasn’t ready to digest it, or the rest of the Voodoo record for that matter. It was just a bit too deep for my fourteen-year-old self to wrap my mind around at the time.”

What did stay with him, however, was the harmony:“There was also this familiar feeling of going to church with my older relatives — how those hymns moved slow as molasses and had a very specific, weighted sound to them. But I was moving too fast at the time to receive it all. I was more concerned with moonwalking and such.”That breakbeat energy ground down to a halt when heartbreak finally caught up to Bryant, shifting his relationship with the song from a steadfast backdrop to a longing lifeline:“Three months after a breakup — that I felt was imminent, but I didn’t want to happen — I swore we were gonna be high school sweethearts. When the separation came, I spent a good amount of time trying to get back together, or at least in the same room, to no avail. Then, after a long conversation, that young lady and I officially went no-contact.I am an emotional being with a tender heart, and I take things hard, so this took its toll on me.”Isolated in that silence, he heard D’Angelo call:

“One night, I felt as though I was faced with a choice: either press the ‘game over’ button or listen to this song on repeat until I fell asleep. I chose the latter and cried my eyes out as D’Angelo spoke to his muse in hopes of seeing her again and potentially reuniting. And it all clicked not just musically but emotionally. His yearning to catch up on lost time with his long-lost lover felt eerily similar to my own desire to see my old flame again. There was a vulnerability that he exuded naturally. All of this felt like a warm hug and good conversation from a big cousin telling me he knows what I’ve been through.

“From that day forth, my ears and heart became open to the rest of the Voodoo album. I then embarked on a long journey to find out everything about D’s life story, musical creations, and everything in between.More than anything, even if I didn’t realize it then, I wanted to create art that made me feel like I did that night. Something so soulful, meaningful, raw, and honest that it may have saved and/or changed a life; even if the topic may be deemed simple by some.”

As Bryant’s obsession deepened, he shifted his focus toward sound construction and composition:“Musically, this whole album was the final piece of my harmony training. I’ve been obsessed with 3- and 4-part harmonies since I was younger, with Commissioned, Boyz II Men, and Jodeci being the biggest influences on my stylings. But once I heard D’Angelo, everything I knew about harmony shifted and adjusted. It was so churchy yet hip with jazz flairs. As if Prince was stoned like Sly. He has such an understanding of the vast universe of music, and although my dreams of being his apprentice never came true, I still was able to learn so much from him over the years.”

Additionally, Bryant connected with D’Angelo’s art of soul parlando, that rare ability to melt lyrical melody into speech:“What I’ve picked up about this song is everything feels warm and lived in. There’s a certain cohesion in all that’s happening. Nothing feels out of place or sticks out in a way that’s jarring. Lyrically, his language is pure, lucid, and straightforward. Like he knew exactly what he wanted to say to this woman and didn’t add any sort of fluff, and there are certain phrasings that only he could construct. It feels like he sings how he talks…“...and the musical bed itself complements it perfectly — uncluttered and smooth,” says Bryant, adding that the production perfectly captures that intimate, ultra-smooth sound. “The way the track was mixed makes you feel like you’re in the room (shoutout to Russ ‘The Dragon’ Elevado). So much so, I can surmise that there have been plenty of women on the receiving end of their listening systems of choice, imagining themselves to be D’s muse.”

More than anything, immersing himself in the track reinforced a creative lesson Bryant would later carry into his own music: sparsity is often the best sonic space:“I’ve realized that it doesn’t always take a whole lot. Sometimes it’s the simplicity of it all that helps a song breathe and live. If there were a lot happening, this song wouldn’t have the same impact. The focus is on the vocals and the lyrics, and the players provide the necessary vessel for the track to be delivered. So, while it took me a minute to get to that place of discipline musically, I feel now I know when a song is getting too cluttered, and the heart of it is getting lost in the sonic sauce.”

These late-night sensual soundscapes didn't remain trapped in his head as mere influences. Much like Gellerstein drew from Prince’s burning-with-desire, seductive sonic drama, Bryant routed D'Angelo's sultry, midnight-hued desires of longing into SNACKTIME's forthcoming debut record.“There’s one song on the upcoming SNACKTIME album called “Find Her Lovin’ Again.” It’s cut from the same raw emotional cloth of longing and lovelessness, although our delivery is more rooted in a bit of a rock-soul sound. I wanted to exude that same sort of energy of singing how I spoke, saying exactly what I felt in a way that cuts through every possible barrier.”

One More Thought: Gellerstein on Prince’s Musicality

“Something so magical about this song is the restraint it shows in its orchestration and composition while still feeling huge and expansive. The delay thrown on the Linn drums gives such a nice bed for the Oberheims to sit on top of, adding a bit more with every section while slowly building towards that huge, impassioned moment for Prince to ask the question: ‘Do you want me? ‘Cause I want you.’ All capped off with some classic, powerful Prince guitar soloing [most recognized on the full album version].

“Another huge reason this song is so special is that, while Prince typically comes from a place of supreme confidence and assuredness when it comes to sex and love, this track seems bare, unsure, and anxious—a feeling I think most of us normal people on earth have felt and can deeply empathize with.

“Purple Rain is obviously the quintessential Prince record, but to me, this is the definitive power ballad of that album.”

Photo Credit:  Anthony MulcahyThe post A Song (or two) That Changed My Life: SNACKTIME on  Prince and D’Angelo first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Universal Music Group signs Thai artist Jeff Satur, aiming to make him ‘T-Pop’s first global superstar’The signing is the latest step in UMG's expansion in Thailand.
Source

Phil Collins Top 10 Favorite Albums of All-TimeWhat shaped Phil Collins' musical taste beyond Genesis? From The Beatles' timeless pop to the grooves of Earth, Wind & Fire and the energy of jazz fusion, discover 10 albums that reveal his diverse musical journey.

JO1 Ends North American Tour with an Electrifying LA Show Japanese group JO1 brought electrifying energy to Los Angeles for the final night of their North American tour on Oct. 11. The nine-member group—Issei Mamehara, Ren Kawashiri, Takumi Kawanishi, Ruki Shiroiwa, Keigo Sato, Syoya Kimata, Junki Kono, Sukai Kinjo, and Sho Yonashiro—showcased their music with razor-sharp choreography and undeniable chemistry.
The show opened on a high note with the exhilarating “WHATCHA DOIN,” a perfect song to get the crowd’s energy pumping. JO1’s stage presence was magnetic, and the members knew how to rile up the audience with playful banter in Japanese. The group chose not to use an English translator during these conversations. Without interruptions, the banter flowed naturally, though many English-speaking fans couldn’t fully follow along. The JAMs didn’t seem to mind, cheering and laughing along whenever the members spoke.
JO1’s dynamic choreography elevated each performance, especially “Handz in my Pocket” and “Animal.” Singing and dancing all night is no easy feat, but the group made it look effortless. It was hard to believe this was their U.S. debut.

The group also showed off its vocal talent by slowing things down for a stripped-down performance of “Hiraku” with Junki on keyboard. The intimate moment highlighted the strength of their vocals. To keep fans on their toes, the members then split into units. Takumi kicked off the segment with a solo rap performance, followed by a dance break featuring Ren, Keigo, Sukai, and Issei. The segment closed with Syoya, Junki, Ruki, and Sho covering Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” The mega-popular song had the whole audience singing along.
The night ended with the adrenaline-pumping “IGNITE.” Its rock sound, driven by guitar and drums, had the entire venue rocking out.
The post JO1 Ends North American Tour with an Electrifying LA Show first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

ONErpm names Iasmine Amazonas Chief Marketing Officer as it restructures 200-person global marketing teamIsaac Miranda has also been named Global Marketing Director
Source

Tupac Shakur's 5 Favorite Albums of the '90sDiscover five surprising albums Tupac Shakur reportedly loved, from Prince and Jamiroquai to Sarah McLachlan and Counting Crows.

‘I HAVE A NEW OUTLOOK NOW: IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE FUN; IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SCARY’Music school dropout Sasha Alex Sloan has already co-written hits with three of the biggest (and most influential) pop stars of the last few years – Camila Cabello, Charli XCX, and Olivia Rodrigo. And she’s only just getting started…
Source

Miley Aces Bass Persuades in HollywoodThere was a moment that occurred approximately two-thirds of the way into Miley Cyrus (now simply going by Miley)'s first of two nights at the Hollywood Bowl, where all of the pop polish fell away and we saw the very real personality beneath it. This came, by the way, after Miley had already performed a beautifully touching tribute to her godmother—the late, great Dolly Parton—with a rendition of "Jolene" that prompted tears from the artist, and some in the crowd.

The moment we're referring to came just after Miley had made her way back to the stage, through a well-meaning and adoring crowd that was reaching out, en masse, for some sort of contact. She had popped up in the middle of said crowd to perform a couple of songs with Flaming Lips man Wayne Coyne, and she sang "We Can't Stop" while returning to the big stage. When the song was over, Miley needed a minute to take a breath and get her bearings. With no front, no swag, Miley told the crowd that the experience was an overwhelming one for her. This was Miley's big comeback, and when emotions started to build up in an intense way, the artist felt comfortable enough to be utterly vulnerable. With her mom at the side of the stage ready to help if needed, Miley confided in a sea of people, most of whom she doesn't know personally. In return, her trust was rewarded with a wave of love. It was life-affirming, and just one special moment at a show that had many.

Miley's latest album, Bass Persuades, has been out for a month, and it's a decidedly mature piece of work. Dark and pulsating, there are elements on this album that would delight Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails fans (if they allowed themselves to like it). It's a record that gets under your skin, and she performed six of those tracks at the Hollywood Bowl. Notably, opening band Model/Actriz returned to the stage to perform a sensual "Different Religion," a song that uses religious themes to explore relationships.

Miley's fiancé Maxx Morando (Liily, formerly The Regrettes) played drums on a very sweet "Let's Get Married," as he did on the album. Nothing felt forced and false about their public displays of affection; cynicism lost and love won.

Miley with Wayne Coyne

Miley with Model/Actriz

The Wayne Coyne songs, from the b-stage in the center of the crowd, were stunning. The Flaming Lips classic "Do You Realize?" felt like a truly spiritual experience, while "Karen Don't Be Sad," from the underrated Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Pets album, showcased her not-so-hidden love for rock 'n' roll. Incidentally, the last time this writer saw Miley live, she was performing at the Chris Cornell tribute concert and converting thousands of naysayers. By now, her cred from those quarters should be a given.

And hey, if you wanted pop hits, you got those too. The rejigged version of power ballad "Wrecking Ball" performed at the Bowl was different to the one generally heard on the radio, but it was equally powerful, and utterly immersive. Miley went back to her 2009 The Time of Our Lives EP to enjoy a bit of her bubblegum pop past with "Party in the U.S.A.," and in this environment it felt like an utterly joyful moment of mutual love between the artist and a crowd that has stuck with her for years.

There wasn't much in the way of a show, a production, at the Bowl but that wasn't the point. This was an honest, open and authentic Miley allowing herself to be her true self and trusting her people. They didn't let her down.

Photo credit: Kevin Mazur / Getty Images.

The post Miley Aces Bass Persuades in Hollywood first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Lenny White's 10 Favorite Albums of All TimeEver wondered which albums inspired jazz-fusion drummer Lenny White? Check out his 10 favorites, from Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix to Santana and Steely Dan.

How Cheap Trick Turned "Surrender" Into a Rock AnthemDiscover how Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” evolved from a studio track into a defining rock anthem through its legendary live version.

'90s Albums That Were Trap Music Before T.I. & Gucci ManeLong before T.I. and Gucci Mane helped define trap, these eight '90s hip-hop albums were already laying the groundwork for the genre.

Making Noise: Rage Against the RockstarsWelcome again to Making Noise, your weekly look at hot topics, buzzy tidbits and music news that’s raising the volume and going viral on social media and in music lover circles. 

As the midterm elections near, it seems everyday brings a new musicmaker to cancel or clap for depending on where you stand. The (world) stage is getting crowded, too. Artists like Jack White and Hayley Williams are using their platforms on social media and onstage to speak out, but others seem just as interested in throwing shade at them. Metallica’s James Hetfield, is the latest to join the conversation by insisting he’s not in it, after announcing at a recent Sphere show that “Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit.” 

The band’s early anti-authoritarian lyrics and themes—which they still perform—beg to differ and former fans have been calling out the disconnect. Following the backlash Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters got into the ring, stating on a podcast this week: “I’m so bored with him. He’s just showing that he’s a complete prick. He’s got an IQ of about three, and why we’re talking about him I honestly don’t know, because he’s a nobody.”

Round and Round

Of course, it’s not surprising coming from Waters who made speaking politically part of his shows, but now another rocker is joining the chat too, seemingly taking Hetfield’s side. In a new just-turned-viral clip online, Nikki Sixx is seen saying, “It does not matter to Mötley Crüe if you’re a Republican. It does not matter to Mötley Crüe if you’re a Democrat. It doesn't matter if you’re gay or if you’re straight or if you’re going right down the fucking center of the lane of life cause we’re all in this together. Can we agree?" A lot better than Hetfield’s “bullshit” statement but it still begs the question: if the stance is that politics should stay out of music, why bring them up at all?

Getting political in music or on stage is a choice, and ya gotta respect artists who do, even at the expense of maybe losing fans. They have a right not to as well, and fans who feel cheated by that can choose not to support. Artists calling each other out is the icky new part of this story, though of course, beefing over personal matters has been a thing since the beginning.

Fight the Pollsters  

Power to the People Fest, held in Maryland last week saw Foo Fighters, Jack Black (“Jack Sabbath”), Bruce Springsteen and Soundgarden with The Pretty Reckless’  Taylor Momsen and Cypress Hill to name a few, perform a livestreamed show to promote “Peace, Love, Justice and Music” bringing everyone together— well sort of. Organizer Tom Morello’s admission that he didn’t vote for Kamala Harris kinda hung over it like a sad cloud. Smugly bragging to Rolling Stone about the last election and endorsing her led many to assume he didn’t vote at all, but he clarified later that he did, just not for the Democrat. Of course, the liberal rocker didn’t vote for Trump,—well technically—but as the internet reminded him, third party voting essentially helps out the GOP by splitting the left. One day this might change but right now, it’s—as Metallica sang— “sad but true.” In any case you can watch some great clips from the festival on YouTube.

For the Birds

In more important social discourse news, lol, Kelly Clarkson is once again taking over our feeds, this time not over her love of A.I., but over a weird mechanical bird. It all started with a snarky social media post about an encounter she described as “Pretty Woman” treatment from a Brooklyn shop called Art of Play. After the shop denied her wishes to purchase a wall-mounted singing bird, stating it was not for sale, she brought receipts showing its $15,000 price tag. The back and forth on socials over what actually happened has been non-stop with the store’s latest statements seriously claiming that “Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger!” We thought the store’s initial response was funny yet fan-y as it incorporated the singer’s own lyrics in a playful way, but now it’s gone off the rails a bit, with multiple interviews and an advertised new price for the bird: 15 million! Here’s hoping the two parties stop pecking at each other because clearly there are more important things to argue about.

This Isn’t It

Could all the discourse in the world be driving some artists a bit mad? Giant Drag's Annie Hardy played a bizarre joke last week after posting an obit for herself on her Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. It read "RIP Annie Hardy" and "June 5, 1981 - Oct 3, 2026" with a photo of the singer and the statement: "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Annie -Summer Hardy. A caring friend to many, a friend to the Animals and a follower of Jesus Christ. Please respect the families wish for privacy during this difficult time. Services to be announced in the days to come Rest in Peace, Annie. The world will never be the same." 

But it was all fake. Hardy, known to be a prankster, made the post herself and had planned to keep it going until a friend went to check on her and said it wasn’t true. Why did she do it? Hardy and Giant Drag (a band we truly loved during the "indie sleaze era" as early aughts alt music is now lamely dubbed) had a show at the Redwood Bar in DTLA this week, but promo apparently wasn’t it. Here’s some of what she shared with Stereogum about the odd ruse:

 “Pranks are insensitive, and there is nothing funny about someone passing away. A "hoax" feels like a more accurate description. A hoax shatters what was previously believed to be true, forcing a shift in perspective. In that moment, as old assumptions and emotions dissolve, you are given the opportunity to decide how to view reality moving forward. One profound aspect of loss is how the living often let go of past grievances, choosing instead to remember the deceased in a purely positive light. Their hearts open fully, knowing they won't see that person again... Also I wanted to point out how everything in these phones now is fake. The only real thing we have left in life is our love for one another but here we are letting alleged loved ones evaporate in a mist in the background.”

Making Noise: Sound Bites

Taylor Swift will be in L.A. this weekend to perform at the Academy Museum Gala, the bougie celeb event that floods our feeds with glitzy red carpet fashion akin to the Oscars each year.  If you’re in L.A., avoid the area as Swifties will surely be swifting about and traffic will be terrible, regardless. Where will Tay and Trav eat and hang out while in L.A.? The gossip rags and paps will surely let us know, mostly against our will.

Celebrating his 80th birthday, the David Bowie's estate just announced BOWIE 80, a month long celebration on 2027 featuring an array of events, merch releases and more. Sign up for info here.

Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning, a condensed film version of the live-streamed event in Birmingham, U.K. that took place just before Ozzy Osbourne's death, put together by musical director Morello, will be in theaters at the end of the month, but MC was in the house for the Osbourne family's special premiere event this week. Our full report is on the way, but snag your advance tickets now here.

The post Making Noise: Rage Against the Rockstars first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.