A large number of homes in Springfield were without power Friday night.
High winds may have been the cause of these power outages.
According to City Utilities, nearly 400 were out of power around O-T-C campus with over 600 out of power around Missouri State University.
There were also around 100 near the Galloway Neighborhood along with other neighborhoods throughout Springfield.
C-U says they are working to restore power.
It’s nice to have a friend, and Taylor Swift has plenty of famous pals that have been supporting her on her massive The Eras tour, which kicked off on March 17 in Glendale, Ariz.
Besides friends like HAIM, Laura Dern, Emma Stone and Shania Twain watching from the crowd and singing along to every word, Swift also surprised fans with onstage appearances. Despite telling fans during night one at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium that “we don’t have guests at this show,” the pop superstar invited the Mumford & Sons frontman for her debut live performance of “Cowboy Like Me,” from Swift’s chart-topping 2020 album, Evermore.
See below for all the celebrities who have made appearances at Swift’s The Eras tour stops, either in the audience or on stage, which we’ll be updating as the 12-time Grammy winner makes her way across the continent.
It’s Ari Lennox’s “time” again to rule Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, as the soul singer-songwriter’s “Waste My Time” ascends to the top of the list dated April 8. The track advances from the runner-up slot after a 3% increase in plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending March 30, according to Luminate. (All charts dated April 8 will be available on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday, April 4.)
“Waste My Time” gives Ari Lennox her third career No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay among five chart appearances. Her most recent two visits both went all the way: “Pressure” led three weeks in 2022, and the one-week champ “Unloyal,” a collaboration with Summer Walker, followed suit in September.
“I’m so grateful that people love my sarcastic bop,” Ari Lennox tells Billboard in a statement. “[Hitting No. 1] feels like the icing on the cake to a wonderful, enlightening and loving 30-city tour,” referencing her age/sex/location tour that wrapped on March 28 in her hometown of Washington, D.C. “Radio has changed my life, and I’m super grateful for all the legendary DJs, radio personalities, crew and fans for loving the song. Sending love to Tim Suby, MNEK, Jaycen Joshua and Elite for their involvement in the song’s creation.” (Ari Lennox co-wrote the track with Suby, MNEK and LOXE, while Joshua engineered the track. Elite, a frequent collaborator, executive produced the age/sex/location album.)
Radio certainly has played a critical role in the Ari Lennox story in the last year. As “Waste My Time” advances, Ari Lennox earns her third consecutive No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay. She becomes the first artist to achieve the feat since Silk Sonic, whose “Smokin’ out the Window,” “Love’s Train” and “After Last Night,” Thundercat and Bootsy Collins, all captured the crown in 2022. Among women, she’s the first act to post three straight leaders since Toni Braxton sent “Long as I Live,” “Do It” and a feature on Kem’s “Live Out Your Love” in 2018-21. Further restricting to women in lead or co-lead roles, Ari Lennox’s triple play is the first since Queen Naija’s run in 2018-2020 with “Medicine,” “Karma” and “Butterflies, Pt. 2.”
Though Ari Lennox managed to reach No. 11 on Adult R&B Airplay with “Shea Butter Baby,” a J. Cole collaboration that was the title track of her 2019 debut album, the returns from her sophomore effort, last year’s age/sex/location, have solidified the singer-songwriter’s status as a force at adult R&B radio. “Ari’s accession to becoming to a staple at the R&B format is a product of her hard work and music that resonates across many demographics,” says Keinon Johnson, SVP Urban Promotions at Interscope Records, the label that promotes Ari Lennox’s songs. “Ari’s music resonates with women of all ages and backgrounds, and as she’s grown her following has as well. From her elevated sound, dynamic live show and amazing presentation, it’s clear that she has leveled up.”
Elsewhere, “Waste My Time” climbs 17-16 to reach a new peak on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks songs based on combined audience totals from mainstream R&B/hip-hop and adult R&B radio stations. There, the single registered 7.9 million in format audience, essentially even with its total from the prior week.
The fan-voted CMT Music Awards, slated to take place on Sunday, April 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas and to air on CBS Television Network (and also streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+), will welcome an all-star slate of performers and presenters, including Carrie Underwood, Cody Johnson, Megan Thee Stallion, Shania Twain, Gwen Stefani, and Kane Brown with Katelyn Brown.
Brown and Kelsea Ballerini will co-host this year’s show, while Lainey Wilson is the leading nominee for this year’s awards, earning four nods including video of the year, female video of the year, collaborative video of the year and CMT performance of the year. Johnson, Brown and first-time CMT Music Awards nominee Jelly Roll follow with three nominations each.
Previously known as the CMT Flameworthy Music Video Awards, the awards show changed its name to the CMT Music Awards in 2005, and differentiated itself from other awards shows through its dedication to honoring music videos in a range of categories, including “Cameo of the Year” “Hottest Video of the Year” and “Most Inspiring Video of the Year” (all now-defunct categories). Presently, the awards show honors not only music videos, but top artist performances on various CMT shows over the past year, via the CMT performance of the year category. 2022 brought another momentous shift for the awards show, when the CMT Music Awards moved from CMT to a key timeslot on CBS Television Network.
Over the years, artists including The Judds, Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, Zac Brown Band, Jennifer Nettles, Dwight Yoakam and Tanya Tucker have brought some of the most powerful moments in CMT Music Awards history, through unforgettable acceptance speeches, performances, promotional videos, unique collaborations and by honoring trailblazers and iconic artists within the country music genre.
As the CMT Music Awards gear up to add to the list of memorable moments on Sunday evening, we highlight 10 memorable moments from previous CMT Music Awards celebrations:
4:55 p.m. UPDATE: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect until 5:15 p.m. for southeastern Ozark County and southern Howell County. The National Weather Service says the storm is moving northeast at 75 miles per hour. 60 mile per hour winds and quarter size hail are possible.
4:14 p.m. UPDATE: Areas along the I-49 corridor have had damaging wind gusts outside of thunderstorms reported Friday afternoon, including a 71 mile per hour gust reported near Airport Drive in Jasper County. The county is getting multiple reports of trees down, as well as power lines, electric poles and telephone poles across roads from Asbury to Carthage due to high winds. Golden City, Neosho and Sarcoxie have also reported trees uprooted or snapped and roofs blown off.
3:55 p.m. UPDATE: 12 minutes after the warning was issued, the National Weather Service has cancelled the Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of Webster, Wright and Laclede Counties because the storm has weakened below severe limits.
3:41 p.m. UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for northeastern Webster, northern Wright and southern Laclede County until 4:30 p.m. Friday. A severe thunderstorm over Marshfield was moving northeast at 70 miles per hour. Locations impacted include Marshfield, Conway, Niangua, Competition, Twin Bridges, Rader, Lynchburg and Grovespring.
2:30 p.m. UPDATE: The National Weather Service says the greatest threat for severe weather over the next 1-2 hours has moved to storms moving across Stockton, Pomme De Terre and Truman Lakes area northward into central Missouri. Additional storms will develop and move into south central Missouri as well.
1:55 p.m. UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for northwestern Cedar, St. Clair and northeastern Vernon Counties until 2:30 p.m. Friday. These storms are capable of producing 60 mile per hour wind gusts and quarter size hail as they move through El Dorado Springs, Osceola, Lowry City, Collins, Cedar Springs and along Truman Lake.
1:35 p.m. UPDATE: The Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Vernon County has been cancelled as the storms have moved out of the area.
1:30 p.m. UPDATE: The Barton County portion of the Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been cancelled.
1:29 p.m. UPDATE: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect until 1:45 p.m. Friday for north central Barton and southeastern Vernon Counties to the northwest of Springfield. 60 mile per hour winds and quarter size hail are possible as the storm moves through Nevada and Sheldon.
1:05 p.m. UPDATE: The Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southeastern Ozark and central/east central Howell Counties has been cancelled.
12:35 p.m. UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch until 8 p.m. Friday for the eastern Ozarks, including Webster, Dallas, Douglas, Hickory, Howell, Laclede, Ozark, Taney, and Wright Counties. Conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes in and around the watch area. This is a particularly dangerous situation!
12:15 p.m. UPDATE: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect until 1:00 p.m. for southeastern Ozark and Howell Counties. 60 mile per hour wind gusts and quarter size hail are possible with these storms as they move through Bakersfield, West Plains and Mountain View.
Thunderstorms will develop in the Ozarks Friday morning and move through the area quickly through the afternoon, with the highest risk for severe weather east of a line from Osage Beach to West Plains.
The National Weather Service says hail up to the size of golf balls, damaging winds of 70 miles per hour and a few tornadoes are possible as storms race from west to east.
Areas along and east of Highway 63 in south central and southeast Missouri will have a significant tornado threat for an EF2+ twister.
The best chances for golf ball size hail will be along and north of a Nevada to Lebanon line.
There is a low flooding potential with this system.
Outside of any thunderstorms, wind gusts could reach dangerous levels in parts of southwest Missouri Friday.
Areas west of Springfield are under a “High Wind Warning” through Saturday morning, with maximum wind gusts as high as 45 to 60 miles per hour.
With winds that high, loose objects will be blown around and scattered power outages are expected.
The entire Ozarks is under a Wind Advisory. Use caution if traveling in high profile vehicles.
We’ll have the latest watches and warnings on 93-3 A-M 560 KWTO.
Weather experts are issuing a Tornado Watch for several counties in southwest Missouri with severe storms expected in the Ozarks beginning Friday afternoon.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, the following counties in Missouri are under the Tornado Watch until 8:00 p.m.
It may be the last day of March, but we’re going out with a bang when it comes to new music thanks to releases by Jisoo, Boygenius, Chlöe and more.
The BLACKPINK singer became the final member of the the girl group to go solo with her single album ME, featuring songs “Flower” and “All Eyes on Me,” while Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers reunited for their full-length album The Record a full half-decade after forming their alt-rock supergroup for their self-titled 2018 EP.
Chlöe Bailey also unveiled her debut solo album, In Pieces, on the heels of previously released singles “Pray It Away,” Chris Brown collab “How Does It Feel” and the piano-driven title track. Plus, Tyler, the Creator re-upped on his 2021 opus Call Me If You Get Lost by dropping Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale — a deluxe edition with eight new tracks not on the original album, including single “Dogwood” and collaborations with Vince Staples (“Stuntman”), A$AP Rocky (“Wharf Talk”) and YG (the 2020 demo version of “Boyfriend, Girlfriend”).
Meanwhile, on the new song front, Taylor Swift stripped down her bombastic Midnights opener “Lavender Haze” for a ghostly acoustic version that could sound easily at home on her 2020 album Evermore.
Becky G and Peso Pluma delivered a horn-blasted Spanish-language duet with “Chanel,” and Charlie Puth teamed up with Dan + Shay for their boundary-setting ballad “That’s Not How This Works.” (A promised remix with Sabrina Carpenter is still a couple of weeks away.) Plus, rising U.K. pop star Maisie Peters offered yet another irresistible sneak peek of her upcoming sophomore album The Good Witch with the triumphant “Lost the Breakup.”
Vote for your favorite release in Billboard‘s latest new music Friday poll below.
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
Vico C, “Pregúntale a Tu Papá Por Mi” (Age Muzik Dist. By Nain Music, LLC)
In a triumphant revival, Vico C unleashes “Pregúntale a Tu Papá Por Mi” — a nearly six-minute-long track filled with savvy punchlines and head-bopping rhythms. The comeback single, which translates to “ask your dad about me” and forms part of his first studio album in 14 years, is a reminder to old and new generations that he’s one of the pioneers of Latin rap (Vico kicked off his career in Puerto Rico in the 1980s). “Be careful!/ That it’s been a long time since I’ve sounded/ Because I’ve been like a bear in hibernation, and I’m no tired bull,” spits the artist born Luis Armando Lozada Cruz. “To the reggeatoneros that don’t know that when it comes to beats, I got more options than a street-vendor,” he later chants.
Backed by ‘90s hip-hop beats — charged with live drums and a record-scratch sound effect — Vico explains that the more than 10 years of silence represent over a decade of personal growth, and each wise verse is on “Pregúntale a Tu Papá Por Mi” reflects that. “This is not a moment where I say ‘despite everything, I got up again,’ but one where I say ‘despite everything, I kept walking […] the path was 14 years of growth that is projected today in the form of music… my music,” he expresses in a press statement. — JESSICA ROIZ
Gaby Moreno & Oscar Isaac, “Luna de Xelajú” (Gaby Moreno/Cosmica Artists)
The talented singer songwriter Gaby Moreno has drawn the renowned actor Oscar Isaac into music to serenade us with a touching interpretation of the Guatemalan classic “Luna de Xelajú”. The single is the lead track from Moreno’s upcoming acoustic album X MÍ (VOL. 1) to be released on May 5. In the song, the duet intertwines their voices to give a profound and soulful acoustic performance of the classic, written in 1944 by Paco Perez, which has become a second anthem of their country.
“Just two voices with two guitars, singing together this timeless, sweet, and nostalgic song from our motherland,” comments Moreno in a statement. For his part, Isaac comments, “My grandmother Graciela Argentina Nicolle de Estrada would perform ‘Luna De Xelajú’ in the concert halls of Guatemala. Growing up it was always hummed or sung as a lullaby by my mother Eugenia.” In the video, the artists are seen performing in an empty auditorium accompanied by acoustic guitars and owning their Guatemalan roots — not only through music, but also with their clothing choices. It ends with the phrase, “Con amor para Guate” (“With love, for Guate”). — LUISA CALLE
Yahritza y Su Esencia, “Nuestra Canción” (Lumbre Music/Columbia Records)
Siblings’ trio Yahritza Y Su Esencia have gifted fans a two-song project with the songs “No Se Puede Decir Adiós” and “Nuestra Canción.” The former, penned by award-winning songwriter Edgar Barrera (who also produced the track), is a departure for the Mexican-American act, not so much in the sense of its style — it’s still very much driven by raw acoustic guitar — but in it being the rare song from the young artists to not be written by the trio itself. Still, Yahirtza’s evocative vocals shine in this slightly more rhythmic track. The second song in the bundle, “Nuestra Canción,” written by siblings Armando and Yahritza, takes the trio back to its core somber sierreño sound and signature guitar solos — a bulletproof formula for the group. — GRISELDA FLORES
Becky G & Peso Pluma, “Chanel” (Kemosabe Records/RCA Records)
Becky G further demonstrates her genre versatility on latest release “Chanel,” featuring corridos tumbados newcomer Peso Pluma. With a voice well laid back, or bien tumbada, and an octave deeper than usual, the Inglewood star leaves the past behind her and pushes forward with lyrics that express better days ahead. “I will remember you forever in my life, baby/ And even though I know I’ll never be able to see you again/ And for that I love you, baby,” she remarks. Although Becky and Peso trade verses like two star-crossed lovers ready to move on, their desire for the nice things in life just might have been their undoing: “I took you to Chanel/ Also chose from Cartier/ And one day she left me/ To one day never to return,” he barks back against a snarling upbeat acoustic backdrop.
Peso Pluma is March’s Billboard Latin artist on the rise, and is one of the most exhilarating artists of the burgeoning regional Mexican movement, which incorporates a dash of hip-hop elements into more traditional corrido stylings. The song is Becky G’s first single from an upcoming all-regional Mexicano album she’s set to release later this year, with more collaborations to be announced soon. The Chicana hitmaker is also slated to perform at Coachella on April 14. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Emilia, “Jagger.mp3” (Sony Music Latin)
In her first release since her debut album of 2022 tú crees en mí?, Emilia offers a funky, upbeat dance floor banger inspired by the sounds of the early 2000s. Sprinkled with some English but written mostly in Spanish, “Jagger.mp3” is a steamy song that plays with different tempos and is reminiscent of hits by Ciara and Missy Elliott. “Lo que tengo de buena lo tengo de mala/ I’m, I’m, I’m bad bitch, ‘toy volando sin alas”, the Argentine artist sings. The music video, directed by Ballve, matches the style of the mp3 era, with vibrant colors and choreographies and trendy vintage vibes. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Below, stream Billboard’s New Music Latin playlist featuring other releases in Latin.
How many times have you heard a songwriter say that the inspiration for one of their greatest songs came in the shower? But the toilet? Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Lionel Richie finally confirmed a long-running story about the latrine-spiration for the second verse of “Lady,” the hit 1980 song he wrote for pal Kenny Rogers.
Back in 2014, Rogers told the Today Show that when the two stars were in the studio working on the song he asked where the lyrics for the second verse were and someone said, “Lionel’s in the toilet writing them right now.” The rest is history, as the song spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
And now, in an interview on Thursday’s (March 30) Drew Barrymore Show, Richie confirmed the story. The American Idol judge explained that after Rogers asked him to write a song for him he began work on a “Lady” as well as a second track called “Goin’ Back to Alabama” (which later appeared on Rogers’ 1981 Share Your Love album).
Halfway through the sessions for “Alabama,” Richie told Barrymore that Rogers changed his mind and said, “‘I don’t want to sing that song. I think I want to do ‘Lady’ first.’” What Rogers didn’t know, though, was that Richie had only gotten the first verse of “Lady” written at that point.
“I said, ‘Excuse me for a minute. Let me, uh, go to the bathroom,’” Richie said he told Rogers, who died in 2020 at age 81. “I’m sitting in the stall writing the second verse to ‘Lady.’” Barrymore was shocked that Lionel could so quickly produce such a massive hit under such pressure and Richie said you’d be surprised when, and where, inspiration can strike.
“You will do some amazing things when you’re scared to death,” he said. “The idea of telling Mr. Rogers that I don’t have the second verse was not going to happen in my lifetime.”
Watch Richie talk about his “Lady” session below.
Kane Brown will launch Different Man Radio on Apple Music on Tuesday, April 4, Billboard has learned. The four-episode series finds Brown welcoming guests to discuss their experiences with success, including how they navigated the life and career changes that come with it. Brown will also share songs that influenced his own artistry, as well as tracks that have special meaning for his guests.
The series will launch at 8 a.m. PT on April 4 for Apple Music subscribers, with all four episodes available on demand. The first episode, featuring six-time NBA All-Star and Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler, will be on Apple Music Country at 5 p.m. PT for non-subscribers.
The guests on the other three episodes will be Max Thieriot, Darius Rucker and TimTheTatman.
In addition to his basketball career, Butler is a longtime country music fan who starred in Luke Bryan’s “Light It Up” video. During the episode, Butler tells Brown about his work on his own upcoming country music album.
“I’ve just been writing songs with some incredible song writers, and they have been teaching me the ropes,” Butler shares with Brown. “Basketball is way easier than making sense of a story and putting it in a song form and then doing videos and radio. Like, look, I tip my hat to y’all because it stresses me out, and I’m not even the person that really does this for a living. I do want to do this music thing for a little bit. I’ve got to see.”
“I think the tough thing for you is having basketball and then going in, basically doing a whole other career,” Brown replies. “I think that’s what makes it stressful for you. I think if you just got to work on music, I think you would really enjoy it.”
Butler, however, was quick to distinguish his own musical exploration from the careers of top artists in the country music genre.
“I wouldn’t call music a career though, bro. Not for me. Music is just a hobby, and I think it’s a way for me to hone my [craft and] does not mean you’re good at everything,” Butler clarifies, referring to himself more as a country music fan with a hobby, rather than a full-fledged artist like Brown.
“Come on,” Brown counters. “We all started off as fans of somebody, bro.”
Butler also talked about listening to country music in the locker room.
“I’ve actually gotten a lot of my teammates on country music,” Butler says. “And I think right now the song all the way around the locker room is ‘Heaven,’ honestly. But it’s really not even because of me. Tyler Hero adores … loves your song, bro.”
Butler adds, “[Country music] puts me in the mood to want to go out there and compete, knowing that this is y’all’s livelihood, this is what y’all do and y’all are so great at. It kind of flips a switch in my head like, ‘Yo, you’ve got to get like that. You’ve got to be great. So you’ve got to go out there and do it.’ That’s what country music does for me for the games.”
Brown, who has nine Billboard Country Airplay chart-toppers to his credit (including his latest, “Thank God” with wife Katelyn Brown), is set to bring his headlining Drunk or Dreaming tour to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday (March 31).
Watch a trailer for Different Man Radio below: