Month: March 2024

Since 2018, Lady Gaga has periodically hosted her Jazz & Piano residency in Las Vegas, a show that, unsurprisingly given the title, sees Gaga perform old standards and stripped-down versions of her own songs. Well, Jazz & Piano is coming back once again, as Gaga announced a new run of shows today (March 19).

Currently, eight new shows have been announced, from June 19 to July 6, all at Dolby Live At Park MGM. There’s a “Little Monsters” ticket pre-sale that starts on March 20 at 2 p.m. PT. You can sign up for that before March 20 at noon PT via Gaga’s website. A general on-sale is then set to start on March 23 at 10 a.m. PT.

Meanwhile, Gaga shared some photos of herself in the studio earlier this year, so perhaps Gaga will have some new songs to perform by the time Jazz & Piano returns.

Check out the list of dates below.

Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano Residency 2024 Dates

06/19 — Las Vegas, NV @ Dolby Live At Park MGM
06/20 — Las Vegas, NV @ Dolby Live At Park MGM
06/27 — Las Vegas, NV @ Dolby Live At Park MGM
06/29 — Las Vegas, NV @ Dolby Live At Park MGM
06/30 — Las Vegas, NV @ Dolby Live At Park MGM
07/03 — Las Vegas, NV @ Dolby Live At Park MGM
07/05 — Las Vegas, NV @ Dolby Live At Park MGM
07/06 — Las Vegas, NV @ Dolby Live At Park MGM

People love superlatives: Best, strongest, fastest, etc. That’s especially true of the music world, which brings us to today’s question:

What Is The Biggest Song Of All Time?

There are at least a couple ways you could look at it.

One is RIAA certifications. In January, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” was certified 18-times platinum, tying it with Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” as the highest-certified song ever. However, in February, “Sunflower” re-took sole ownership of first place as it was certified 2-times diamond, or 20-times platinum. Currently in third behind both of those songs is Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” at 17-times platinum. Worth noting is that RIAA certifications only take into account data from the United States.

Another aspect to consider is sales of physical singles. Per Guinness World Records, the best-selling physical single of all time is Bing Crosby’s 1942 recording of “White Christmas,” which has sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide. Also worth noting is that according to a Far Out post from earlier this year, “Every Breath You Take” by The Police tops the list of the “most-played songs on radio stations worldwide.”

The fourth metric we’ll look at here is streams. As of January 2023, The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” is the most-streamed song globally in Spotify history. In January 2024, it became the first song to surpass 4 billion Spotify streams and it currently has 4.12 billion plays on the platform.

So, while there is concrete data to consider, what is truly the “biggest song of all time” depends on the value you place on said data. Maybe the answer is “Sunflower,” maybe it’s “White Christmas,” maybe it’s “Every Breath You Take,” or maybe it’s “Blinding Lights.”

After years of speculation, Daniel Craig’s replacement to play James Bond might have been found. According to U.K. newspaper The Sun, actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, best known for Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Nocturnal Animals, is “expected to accept the role” as 007 later this week.

“Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back,” a source said. “As far as [production company Eon Productions] is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days and they can start preparing for the big announcement.”

Now, it’s worth mentioning that The Sun doesn’t have the best track record of accurate reporting (kinda important for a newspaper), so nothing is official until the hilariously-named Broccoli family says it is. Especially since Taylor-Johnson previously dodged reports about being considered for Bond.

“I have to go by the beat of my own drum,” he told Esquire in 2023. “It’s my own path, what feels intuitive to me. I’ve never made a decision based on other people’s perspectives, or their judgments, or their expectations. You lose your fucking mind if you do that. Your sense of worth and soul is gone. You need to understand what is integral to you and what feels right, and you’ve got to stay on track with what’s present in front of you. Kraven is what’s in front of me.”

That would be Kraven the Hunter, starring Taylor-Johnson as Spider-Man’s foes. It’s the latest installment in Sony’s Spider-Man cinematic universe, following the disastrously received Madame Web. There’s an idea: let Dakota Johnson play James Bond. How does a shaken, not stirred martini taste with a lime floating in it? Let’s find out!

Kraven the Hunter comes out on August 30.

(Via The Sun)

A couple years after getting married in 2021, there were reports that Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez were heading towards divorce. A divorce was officially filed for a few months ago, and as of today, March 19, it has been finalized, according to the Associated Press.

As the publication notes, the divorce was relatively clean considering the two had a pre-nuptial agreement, no children together, and “no significant legal disputes in the split.” The settlement’s terms were agreed upon in October, and the divorce has now gone through after waiting the mandatory six months before a judge’s order could take effect. The divorce cites irreconcilable difference as the cause.

Per the agreement, Grande will be required to pay Gomez $1.25 million, give him half the proceeds from the sale of their home in Los Angeles, and pay up to $25,000 for Gomez’s attorney’s fees.

Meanwhile, reports started surfacing last summer that Grande was dating Wicked co-star Ethan Slater. During a recent interview on The Zach Sang Show, Sang asked if there was anything Grande wished people knew and she answered, “Plenty. We don’t have enough time. I feel like we don’t need to go into any specifics, but, of course, there’s like an insatiable frustration, inexplicable, hellish feeling with watching people, misunderstand the people you love and you and anything.”

Ahead of her television performance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Adrianne Lenker treats fans to yet another record. The singer’s new single, “Free Treasure,” off her forthcoming album Bright Future, is a comfortably cozy piece of deep intimacy.

As the frontwoman for Big Thief, she’s a rockstar at heart. But more and more in her solo venture, Lenker cements folk legacy further into the history books. “Do you wanna dance? / Sometimes I think I try too hard / I trip on my shoes and I trip on my shirt / Get caught on the dirt in the yard / Caught on the dirt in the yard / You show me understanding, patience, and pleasure / Time and attention / Love without measure,” sings Lenker.

Lenker and co-producer Philip Weinrobe’s sonic subtleties create a peaceful landing for the song’s gentle lyrics to nussle into the listener’s consciousness. With each strum of the centralized banjo, “Free Treasure” reassures itself as a homely record to be enjoyed with the one you love.

“[Free Treasure] is one of my all-time favorite songs,” she wrote. “I was playing it on a stoop for my good friend James Krivchenia, singing the last chorus when he chimed the words ‘free treasure.’ Thanks, James, for those words. I hope we all can know love like this one full of ‘understanding, patience and pleasure, time and attention and love without measure.’”

Listen to Adrianne Lenker’s new single, “Free Treasure,” above.

Bright Future is out 3/22 via 4AD. Find more information here.

Since reuniting, The Gaslight Anthem’s newest releases have been setting fierce little fires across the rock scene. The group’s latest album, History Books, burns the hottest among them all, according to fans and frontman Brian Fallon alike.

Considering the project was released in October 2023, you’d think the group will be wrapping up their time on the road soon. If you did, you’d be wrong. In fact, on March 18, the musicians took to Instagram to reveal a whole new set of dates for the summer, including an appearance at Sea.Hear.Now Festival. Beginning in July, The Gaslight Anthem will kick off the North American run of the tour. Across the 27-date schedule, musicians Joyce Manor, The Dirty Nil, and Pinkshift will serve as special guests.

The wing doesn’t start until July 26, but the presale will begin on Wednesday, March 20, at 10 a.m. local time. Those without the presale code must wait until the general sale starts on Friday, March 22, at 10 a.m. (local). Find more information here.

Below, you can view the complete tour schedule along with its official poster.

The Gaslight Anthem’s 2024 Summer Tour Dates: History Books Tour

07/26 — Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom +
07/27 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union +
07/28 — Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House +
07/30 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo +
07/31 — Forest Grove, OR @ Grand Lodge Hotel and Property +
08/02 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield +
08/03 — Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues – Anaheim +
08/04 — San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park +
08/06 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre +
08/09 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater +
08/10 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall +
08/11 — Dallas, TX @ House of Blues – Dallas +
08/13 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern ‡
08/14 — Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works ‡
08/16 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summerstage ‡
08/18 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway ‡
08/20 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem ‡
08/21 — New York, NY @ Central Park ‡
08/23 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia ‡
08/24 — McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre ‡
08/25 — Toronto, ON @ History ‡
08/27 — Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center ‡
08/29 — Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed – Indoors ‡
08/30 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore Minneapolis ‡
08/31 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/Eagles Club – The Rave Hall ‡
09/01 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit ‡
09/15 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Sea.Hear.Now † (SOLD OUT)

† festival appearance, + with Joyce Manor and The Dirty Nil, ‡ with Joyce Manor and Pinkshift

The Gaslight Anthem’s History Books Tour Poster

Mexico is resuming its dominance in the global music market. The country has produced some of the biggest recording stars, from the late Selena Quintanilla to Peso Pluma. The latest founded over act is Grupo Firme.

The “Qué Onda Perdida” musicians have come a long way since their underground norteño roots. Come the spring, they will show just how much they’ve grown as part of their La Última Peda Tour. Kicking off in May, the 32-date US run will officially launch at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX.

For now, international fans will have to wait to catch Grupo Firme live. But on their official Instagram, the group confirmed more dates are on the way. “The last poke,” wrote the group. And to my people from Mexico, Central and South America, and Europe. Stay tuned; we will release the dates soon.”

The Citi presale will start on Tuesday, March 19, at 10 a.m. local time, with the general sale following on Friday, March 22, at 10 a.m. local time. Find more information here. Continue below for the complete tour schedule and official tour poster.

Grupo Firme’s 2024 Tour Dates: La Última Peda Tour

05/10 — San Antonio, TX @ Frost Bank Center
05/18 — Laredo, TX @ Sames Auto Arena
05/25 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
06/01 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
06/06 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
06/08 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
06/15 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
06/21 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
06/27 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
06/29 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
07/13 — Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
07/19 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
07/27 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
08/02 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
08/10 — Edinburg, TX @ Bert Ogden Arena
08/17 — El Paso, TX @ UTEP Don Haskins Center
08/23 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
08/25 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Delta Center
08/31 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
09/07 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
09/13 — Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center at Fresno State
09/20 — Ridgefield, WA @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
09/21 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
09/28 — Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/05 — San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
10/11 — Highland, CA @ Yaamava’ Theater at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino
10/13 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
10/18 — Palm Desert, CA @ Acrisure Arena
10/19 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
10/24 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
10/26 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
11/02 — Los Angeles, CA @ BMO Stadium

Grupo Firme La Última Peda Tour Poster

Anthony Edwards managed to impress himself on Monday night. During the Minnesota Timberwolves’ game against the Utah Jazz, Edwards threw down and absolutely ridiculous dunk on John Collins that even got the opposing fans in Salt Lake City out of their seats. You have surely seen it already, but I don’t care, because you cannot watch this dunk enough, so here it is again:

Unsurprisingly, Edwards got asked about this after the game, but in a bit of a twist, he hadn’t seen what he did yet. So during his postgame interview after Minnesota picked up a 114-104 win, Edwards got to finally see the clip and had a terrific reaction to it.

“That’s my best dunk of my career,” Edwards said. “I’m not gonna lie.”

As he went on to explain, Edwards’ reaction to the whole thing was surprisingly muted because he dislocated a finger on his left hand. He ended up getting that all taped up, though, and was able to return to the game. By the time things came to a conclusion, Edwards had 32 points on 13-for-23 shooting with eight assists, seven rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Hey, wanna watch the dunk again? You do? Cool! Here it is from a bunch of different angles.

Really, we’re not gonna see a better one in the NBA this year. (Apologies to Jalen Johnson, who came awfully close to one-upping this on the same evening.)

Poor Things may have scooped up a handful of Academy Awards the other week, but it’s no typical Oscar bait. It’s a fractured fairy tale told in a daring, outside-the-box fashion. Everything — the performances, the production design, the storytelling, the cinematography — is off-kilter. At times it’s even in black-and-white — a format only used in extreme cases nowadays (which is a shame, because B&W rules). But is the whole thing in black-and-white?

If you checked out the photo at the top of this article, you have your answer: It isn’t. But a good chunk of it is. The early stretch, which finds Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter as a Frankenstein’s monster-like creature with the brain of an infant, slowly figuring out how to be human, goes monochromatic. When she leaves the estate of her creator (Willem Dafoe) and journeys into the fabulous outside world, the film shifts to bright candy colors, not unlike when Dorothy finds herself in another land in The Wizard of Oz.

It’s a fitting stylistic move for a movie that has no interest in being a stodgy period saga. Likewise Stone won her second Best Actress trophy not for the kind of shouty, melodramatic performance AMPAS tends to enjoy. Instead she’s having a blast as a woman slowly coming into her own. She seems especially excited during the early stretches, when she’s figuring out the basics of language, which she frequently mangles in creative ways. Along with The Curse, it confirms that she had a very, very good 2023.

Poor Things now streams on Hulu.

It’s hard to say goodbye to your favorite acts’ time on the road. Unfortunately, for fans of Jeff Lynne’s ELO (Electric Light Orchestra), that moment has arrived.

Back in 2019, the band surprised the public by announcing their concerts across America in over 35 years. Today (March 18), Jeff Lynne’s ELO is revealing their retirement plans. Beginning in October, the group will embark on the “final lap” of performances. With a massive 27-date schedule, The Over and Out Tour, produced by Live Nation, is set to take over cities in the US and Canada.

The series of shows will formally launch at Palm Desert, California’s Acrisure Arena, on August 24 and end on October 25 in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum. So far, Jeff Lynne’s ELO has not yet shared if the tour will feature any special guests. But for those looking to see the group one last time, the artist presale is just around the corner.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO presale, which includes the VIP experiences, will kick off on Wednesday, March 20, at 10 a.m. local time. The general sale will start on Friday, March 22, at 10 a.m. local time. Find more information here.

Jeff Lynne’s ELO 2024 Tour Dates: The Over And Out Tour

08/24 — Palm Desert, CA @ Acrisure Arena
08/27 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
08/28 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
08/30 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
09/01 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
09/06 — St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
09/07 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
09/09 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
09/10 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
09/13 — Cincinnati, OH @ Heritage Bank Center
09/14 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
09/16 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
09/20 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
09/23 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/25 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
09/27 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/30 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/02 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
10/09 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
10/11 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
10/12 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
10/15 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
10/16 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
10/18 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
10/21 — Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
10/23 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
10/25 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum

Jeff Lynne’s ELO The Over And Out Tour Poster