It’s been 10 years since Demi Lovato unveiled their power-fueled pop hit, “Heart Attack,” and now that the 30-year-old superstar is thriving making rock music, they’re revisiting the older hit with a fresh update.
Lovato revealed via Instagram on Monday (March 20) that the rock version of “Heart Attack” will be arriving this Friday (March 24). “Heart Attack, but make it Rock,” they captioned the post, which features a short, guitar-centered snippet of the new track.
Upon its original release in early 2013, the song peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart dated April 27, 2013.
The Grammy-nominated Disney alum’s latest record marked a stark shift in image and sound from their revelatory 2021 album — Dancing With the Devil… The Art of Starting Over. Led by the singles “Skin of My Teeth,” “Substance” and “29,” 2022’s Holy Fvck took on a more rock, edgy sound. Holy Fvck features collaborations with Royal & the Serpent, YUNGBLUD, and Dead Sara, as well as writing and production credits from Warren “Oak” Felder, Michael Pollack, and Lovato themselves.
In early 2022, Lovato hosted a “funeral” for their pop music days, sharing an image to their Instagram page posing with both middle fingers up, joined by music executives from Island Records and manager Scooter Braun. Every person in the picture wore all black. “A funeral for my pop music,” Lovato captioned the image.
Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
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These 10 tracks from artists including BTS’ Jimin, Phoenix with Clairo, Hozier, Aly & AJ and more will get you energized to take on the week.
Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.
Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan, “We’re All Gonna Die”
The stately strings that open “We’re All Gonna Die” belie the impish charm of this delightfully dark duet between Joy Oladokun and fellow singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. Hard to argue with the message of this song, or its charming sing-song chorus. – Joe Lynch
Fred again.., Skrillex & Four Tet, “Baby again..”
Coming a month after the three dance artists played a pop-up concert at Madison Square Garden, the collaborative “Baby again..” finds the rather unlikely trio reimagining 2019’s “Baby” from Quality Control, DaBaby and Lil Baby as an insistent slice of rave that will carry you away. – J. Lynch
Jimin, “Set Me Free Pt.2”
Are ominous gospel choirs having a moment? Arriving on the sequined high heels of Sam Smith & Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” “Set Me Free Pt.2” opens with a dramatic choral section, before Jimin takes over and shifts it into an anthemic banger augmented by regal horns and an Auto-Tune breakdown. – J. Lynch
Kyle, “Movin’”
In a repetitive, almost obsessive cadence, Kyle sings about “Movin’” over a skittering beat and an 8-bit-flavored hook, dropping a few lyrical gems along the way: “Whenever my heart’s broken, girl, I write the best lines / So thank you in advance when you hear this in Best Buy.” – J. Lynch
Phoenix feat. Clairo, “After Midnight”
“After Midnight,” a cut from the top half of Phoenix’s 2022 album Alpha Zulu, sees the group tapping into a euphoria that leaves the listener hyper and energized. But now, with the addition of Clairo’s breathy and weightless vocals, the song gains an additional layer of depth that serves as a serene contrast to the jittering synth instrumentals. Phoenix lead singer Thomas Mars and Clairo harmonize effortlessly, allowing for the 2023 update to stand firmly apart from its original version. – Starr Bowenbank
Melanie Martinez, “DEATH”
After a long waiting period following 2020’s After School EP, singer Melanie Martinez finally says a farewell to her Cry Baby persona and formally declares that she is “back from the dead” on new track “DEATH.” The clever track sees the star embracing a rebirth and electronic, synth-driven sound for her Portals album cycle, which — based on the alien-like visuals and various song teasers — promises to be one of her most sonically ambitious yet. – S. Bowenbank
Mitsume, “Chocolate”
Japanese indie band Mitsume – which consists of members Yojiro Suda, Moto Kawabe, Mao Otake and Nakayaan – embraces guitar-driven funk on its new single, “Chocolate.” The wistful track likens the sweet, bitter taste of quality chocolate to the experience of meeting someone exciting, only to have that feeling fade away. The accompanying instrumentals are just as sweet. – S.Bowenbank
Hozier, “Eat Your Young”
“Eat Your Young” arrives as the title track off a three-song EP, the first bit of new music from Hozier since his 2019 second album Wasteland, Baby! The single, though lush, is even more apocalyptic as Hozier describes a frenzied feast, exploring the idea of gluttony. “I’m starving, darling … Let me wrap my teeth around the world,” he sings, as if anything less would never satisfy. — Lyndsey Havens
Tash Sultana, “James Dean”
The glimmering production and crisp vocals from Aussie singer-songwriter Tash Sultana contrast with the picture that “James Dean” paints. The opening line offers a vivid image: “You burnt out all the cigarettes / Watching James Dean films on a monochrome screen.” As the artist continues to describe a dud, the song grows stronger and more layered — as if proving just how full her life already is without the extra weight. — L.Havens
Aly & AJ, “Blue Dress”
Sister duo Aly & AJ recently released its folk-leaning pop-rock album, With Love From, which includes standout single “Blue Dress.” Through chilling harmonies, the pair describe the feeling of buying a new outfit solely for a partner — but with the intent of forgiving and forgetting past mistakes. Sure, it’s asking a lot of one blue dress, but it soon becomes clear only one thing really matters: “I just care that you get here,” they sing in a way that’s not quite pleading but more so at peace with whatever is to come. — L. Havens
If her Instagram account is any indication, LALI is living her best touring life.
Most recently, the Argentine singer-songwriter — who’s on her Disciplina trek — made history with a sold-out concert at the Velez Sarsfield Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in front of more than 45,000 people, becoming the first singer to sell out a show at that soccer stadium.
“It’s impossible to express what I feel after this sold-out show,” she wrote on social media. “Thanks to all who vibed with me. I am so proud of my dream team that is always by my side and made this happen. I’m also proud of myself for working hard to give you the best of me. A dream, that was once just a dream, came true.”
LALI owes this career milestone, and others like it, to her female-led team that backs her up. “For me, empowerment is a collective thing,” she tells Billboard. “It’s not so individual or personal, it’s more what I learn from others and what I can spread to others.”
In honor of Women’s History Month, Billboard kicks off its “Las Poderosas” series featuring a select number of powerful Latinas who get real about the word “empowerment,” their space in Latin music, and more. The series launches Monday (March 20) with LALI. Read our exclusive Q&A below:
What does empowerment mean to you as an artist and as a woman?
Being able to develop freely and with that freedom generate a contagion effect on other colleagues. For example, not only those of us who are at the forefront of a project but also those who are working behind our projects. [Empowerment] means generating that feminine synergy in a work environment that not only embraces one as the main artist but also all the people who participate in the project, mainly the women who promote the artist. For me, empowerment is a collective thing. It’s not so individual or personal, it’s more what I learn from others and what I can spread to others.
What does empowerment NOT mean to you?
The opposite of what I just said… looking at empowerment as an egoic matter and of personal success. Using your role as a woman in the industry and if you only achieve it as your own success or for yourself, then I think it doesn’t make sense to talk about empowerment.
Lali Esposito during a performance of the Argentine national anthem ahead of the FIFA World Cup final at Lusail Stadium, Qatar. Picture date: Sunday December 18, 2022.
What is the best advice you have received as a woman in music?
I don’t know if it was advice but I think that thanks to other women who set the trends, I realized that in the end, they had told us that there is always a guy behind the success of certain women. But finding out on my own by being behind my idols, I realized that no. That the ideas are generally theirs, that they have defended positions, and that to break structures you have to stand up as a woman and your vision, and for that, you need others on your team to elevate that.
Which woman has served you as a mentor or role model? Who do you admire and why?
Artistically, I feel that for me in my teens Beyoncé was very important because I realized that my dream was to do 360 of everything. There was content, there were lyrics, there was dancing, well… singing like her, but without a doubt, she was a woman who marked me a lot. And of Argentine national rock, there are many women who have marked my childhood, thanks to my mother who has made me listen to a lot of music such as Celeste Carballo and Fabiana Cantillo. They were women who at the time have been pioneers and came to occupy a place in a very difficult environment where normally it was all male.
Have things changed for Latin women in music in the last five years and how?
I don’t know if things have changed, I think there is a bit of everything. It was about time that there was a real force of women to occupy a leading role, to compete with men on the charts, or see that there really are Latina women today No. 1 in the world. That is incredible, it is necessary, and it also speaks of an audience that she has understood. Not only would it be possible for women to do a good job and place themselves there, but the public understood that women can occupy those spaces, and the public has re-educated itself and pushed women where they should be. I think it’s a collective effort.
What is your favorite “girl power” song?
Wow! They are a lot. I think Beyonce’s “Formation” could be it. It lifts me up!
Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour kicked off with a pair of dates in Glendale, Ariz., over the weekend and saw the pop star performing hits and fan favorites from her nearly two-decade career. The Saturday (March 18) concert date was extra special for one couple in attendance that got married during Swift’s performance.
In a fan-captured video of the nuptials, René Hurtado and Max Bochman used a break during the pop star’s set to get married, wearing a white dress and veil and tuxedo, respectively, to exchange their vows. While it’s unclear whether any “paper rings” were exchanged during the romantic moment, the newlyweds shared a kiss, which prompted the surrounding Swifties in attendance to cheer them on.
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According to TMZ, the couple considered eloping the day of Swift’s concert and using the concert itself as the wedding reception. Ultimately, the lovers decided to get married during the show instead. Taking to Instagram following the show, Hurtado gushed about scoring such great seats and essentially having Swift play at her wedding (kinda). “Do you understand how close I was to her? I’m deceased,” she wrote via her Instagram Story.
A man from Springfield is facing charges of drug possession after authorities in Jasper County found methamphetamine in his car.
Investigators say 41-year-old Jeremy Whitcher was speeding along I-44 Friday morning when he was stopped by Jasper County Sheriff’s Deputies.
During a search of the vehicle, the deputy found a plastic bag under the drivers seat that contained 117 grams of meth.
Prosecutors have charged Whitcher with second-degree drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and exceeding the speed limit by 26 miles per hour or more.
He is being held in the Jasper County Detention Center. No formally hearing has been scheduled at this time.
A Swiftie is born! J.J. Watt was a lucky attendee at Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour on Saturday night (March 18) and took to social media the following day to share his thoughts on the show.
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“44 Songs. 3 Hours and 15 Minutes. So much respect @taylorswift,” the former Houston Texans player captioned his tweet following the concert, which he attended with his wife, professional soccer player Kealia Ohai, and her friends. “When your fans pay for a ticket, they are getting their money’s worth and some. Touché.”
The football star added in a video: “I’ve got a few observations from the show. First off: unbelievable. The production, the set design, the video boards, the sound quality, the speakers — you can tell when somebody does something at the top of their game and is trying to do the right way for their fans.”
He went on to praise Swift’s unrelenting stamina during the 44-song set, saying, “She did not stop the whole time. There was no intermission. There was no halftime. There was no TV timeouts. The longest break she took was maybe three minutes for a costume change. And she was singing, dancing, entertaining the entire time — 70,000 people hanging on every single word and move she was making… And she crushed it. And she didn’t even look tired! I was tired and I was just sittin’ there!”
At the end of the video, Watt also revealed that he even copped some official Swiftie merch after being so impressed with Taylor and the “spectacle of it all.” The Eras Tour is set to continue this weekend with back-to-back shows in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium.
Watch Watt rave about Swift’s opening weekend performance below.
Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival announced this summer’s lineup on Monday (March 20), with a roster of headliners that includes Radiohead side project The Smile, Big Thief and Bon Iver. The three-day event (July 21-23) in Union Park will find the Smile’s Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner joined on night one by Alvvays, Perfume Genius, Leikeli47, Nation of Language, Roc Marciano & The Alchemist, Youth Lagoon, Ric Wilson, Grace Ives, Jlin, Axel Boman (Live), Mavi, Sen Morimoto and Contour.
Saturday night’s lineup — topped by the Adrianne Lenker-led Big Thief — also includes Weyes Blood, King Krule, Snail Mail, Panda Bear + Sonic Boom, Julia Jacklin, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Vagabon, MJ Lenderman, Yaya Bey, Black Belt Eagle Scout, 700 Bliss, Palm and Deeper.
The final night will feature Justin Vernon’s Bon Iver sharing the stage with: Kelela, Koffee, Killer Mike, JPEGMafia, Hurray For the Riff Raff, Mdou Moctar, ILLUMINATI HOTTIES, Jockstrap, Soul Glo, Florist, Lucrecia Dalt, Rachika Nayar, and Ariel Zetina.
“We’re excited to be back at Union Park with a lineup of artists responsible for some of the very best music of the past year — Alvvays, Kelela, Yaya Bey, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupil, Grace Ives, 700 Bliss, and more — alongside a few special moments with indie icons,” said Pitchfork editor in chief Puja Patel in a statement. “For one, this year will mark the very first time that Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood (as The Smile) and Bon Iver will perform at the Chicago festival. And Big Thief will complete their tour of the fest’s stages over the years with a headlining set, their first at a festival this size.”
Tickets for the festival are on sale now, with three-day passes ($219) and single-day passes ($109) available along with a Pitchfork PLUS ($419 for three-day, $209 for single-day) upgrade with a number of extras; click here for ticket information.
See the full 2023 Pitchfork Festival lineup below.
Just minutes before going stage for her Lollapalooza Argentina set on March 17, Rosalía gave her dancers the ultimate pep talk.
The Spanish star’s microphone inadvertently turned on just minutes before going on stage and her sweet words were heard by attendees. “This is the first show we’re doing and I hope you guys feel very proud of this [and] that you enjoy the show,” she said in English before going on stage to sing her hits “Saoko,” “Bizcochito” and “La Fama.”
“You know that I cannot do this without you. And I feel very happy, very blessed that you’re here. And I really, really, really hope that you enjoy this set tonight on stage. I learn a lot from all each one of you during this process. I want you to know that I admire you and I love you. I’m grateful for your presence. We’re gonna kill this s–t! Okay? Let’s go!”
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Lollapalooza Argentina took place Friday-Sunday at the Hipódromo de San Isidro, with Drake and Rosalía headlining the first night; the “Despechá” singer also performed at Lollapalooza Chile over the weekend.
Most recently, Rosalía’s Motomami logo became the first to be featured on both FC Barcelona’s men’s and women’s teams home kits as part of the team’s partnership with Spotify. The limited-edition shirt will also be available for fans to purchase.
On Friday (March 24), Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro will drop a three-song project titled RR. The EP is comprised of three tracks: “Beso,” “Vampiros” and “Promesa.” It marks the first time that the couple has recorded songs together.
Barroom heartbreak country from Jake Worthington, jam band energy from Boy Named Banjo, a hard-charging confessional from Bailey Zimmerman and sophisticated balladry from Erin Kinsey are among the best country songs debuting this week. Check out these and more of our new favorites below.
Jake Worthington, “State You Left Me In”
Former The Voice contestant Worthington has earned praise (and a publishing deal) from Brooks & Dunn’s Ronnie Dunn — which is aptly placed, given Worthington’s pure Texas drawl. Worthington’s latest song, which he wrote with Roger Springer and Timothy Baker, is hearty heartbreak country. She’s left for Cabo, while he still resides in the (emotionally shattered) state she left him in. While the influence of staunch country traditionalists such as George Jones and Tracy Lawrence are apparent, he manages to bring his own nuances to wringing the anguish out of every note.
Erin Kinsey, “Always Never”
With a strikingly pure tone — lyrically and vocally — Kinsey conveys the story of a couple struggling to sustain a relationship that’s not meant to be. “You blame it on feelings changing, I blame the dreams I’m chasing/ Neither one of us wanted to say it, but boy it’s never not been fading,” she sings over this dream-pop haze of a track, which she wrote with Sarah Buxton and Josh Kerr.
Bailey Zimmerman, “Religiously”
Zimmerman follows a string of solid singles like “Rock and a Hard Place” with this tear-jerker of a track that finds him taking solace in an old church pew, in a last-ditch effort to soothe the hurt of losing “the only woman who was there for me, religiously.” Despite this artist’s relatively tender age, he brings emotional heft and authority to the throes of heartbreak here, especially on self-recriminating lines like, “You were all about us, I was all about myself/ What kind of man would lose a woman like that?”
Haley Mae Campbell and Julia Cole, “20 Something”
South Carolina-raised Campbell and Texas native Cole forged a friendship in Nashville’s writing rooms, and now team up for this festive tribute to youthful years of fun-fueled late nights, gallivanting and making new friends — because, as they put it, “memories ain’t going to make themselves.” The duo brings a spry verve and synergy that belies the wisened perspective of lines such as “Raise one up to all the mistakes made in the name of being young/ ‘Cause growing up’s good for nothing.”
Boy Named Banjo, “Whiskey Dreams”
Amid the breakneck, banjo/mandolin/harmonica-fueled and seriously wrought instrumentation that has become their calling card, this collective of musicians — Barton Davies, William Reames, Willard Logan, Sam McCullough, and Ford Garrard — depicts a scene of whiskey-drowned worries. “One shot will just stop the hurtin’/ Two will put a smile on your face,” they sing, crafting an enticing invitation to take the moments of nadir and drink them blurry.
Warren Zeiders, “Pretty Little Poison”
Zeiders’ raw, papery vocal rips into this grizzled track he wrote with Ryan Beaver and Jared Keim. For others, alcohol, pills or some alternate vice might fill a need, but he takes a clear-eyed stance that he’s easily swayed by a momentary lover and old memories. “She’ll probably be the death of me/ But damn if it ain’t sweet,” he sings. Zeiders came to the country music forefront on the strength of songs like “Ride the Lightning,” and his latest offers an early look into his upcoming summer album.
Madison Hughes, “You or the Whiskey”
This ambient track, which Florida native Hughes wrote with Rich Deans (with production from Justin Weaver), finds Hughes pondering if an encounter with a charismatic, attentive guy at a bar will amount to more than a whiskey-fueled heartbreak in the making. Florida native Hughes’ delightfully husky voice is underpinned by an understated, yet hook-driven melody, offering high hit potential.
Tween drumming sensation Nandi Bushell weighed in on the Meg White drumming non-troversy over the weekend in the only way she knows how: by bashing her heart out on her drum kit. “#MegWhite is my #Hero. The first day I got drums my dad showed me the video of #sevennationarmy,” wrote the 12-year-old alongside a video of her screaming her heart out and blasting away at a set emblazoned with hearts and the name “Meg” while playing the White Stripes‘ “Seven Nation Army,” one of the most-played sports pump-up songs on the planet.
The tweet also included archival footage of a tiny Nandi assaulting her baby drum kit as her dad plucks out the song’s iconic riff in the family playroom and she and her younger brother freak out as Nandi kicks over the set. “The first time I played drums I jammed on ‘Seven Nation Army,’” read the on-screen caption. “Thank you for the greatest rock songs ever! We love you Meg!!!!”
The young drummer who has turned the heads of everyone from Dave Grohl to Tom Morello added some more praise in a pair of follow-up tweets, in which she wrote, “The more I learn about music, the more I realise that songs, and art, are created to wake emotions deep inside the soul. No matter how fast my fills get or number rudiments I learn. If I can’t write a song that moves people, then can’t call myself an artist.”
In addition to saying that Jack White and Meg wrote some of the best songs in rock history, Bushell noted that they moved her as a five-year-old “to want to play the drums and still move me today! My screams are for you Meg! you are and always will be my role model and hero!”
Bushell’s post came a week after political journalist Lachlan Markay opined in a since-deleted tweet that “the tragedy of the White Stripes is how great they would’ve been with a half decent drummer… I’m sorry Meg White was terrible and no band is better for having a sh—y drummer.”
That unprovoked broadside against the timekeeper — who has all but vanished from public view since the duo called it quits in 2011 — drew a torrent of support for Meg from, among others, Roots drummer Questlove, Against Me’s Laura Jane Grace, Jack White’s ex-wife singer-model Karen Elson and many others. Markay has since apologized for the comment he said was “petty, obnoxious, just plain wrong.”
Like Bushell, Jack White posted his own mic-drop response — albeit without mentioned Meg directly — in the form of a poem that opened with the lines:
To be born in another time, any era but our own would’ve been fine. 100 years from now, 1000 years from now, some other distant, different, time. one without demons, cowards and vampires out for blood, one with the positive inspiration to foster what is good.
Meg and Jack wrote some of the best songs in #rock#history. They moved me at 5 years old to want to play the drums and still move me today! My screams are for you Meg! You are and always will be my role model and hero! Nandi
