Colorado Governor Jared Polis has a message for Taylor Swift ahead of her Eras Tour shows this weekend: “Welcome to Denver, it’s been waiting for you!”
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In a clever letter posted recently to his official Instagram account, Polis tied in dozens of Swift’s song lyrics and titles to officially greet the Grammy winner before she kicks off two back-to-back shows in Denver Friday (July 14) and Saturday (July 15). “I know your performances will be Gorgeous and have our heartbeats skipping down Colfax Avenue,” he wrote. “I’m confident 140,000+ concert goers will look back and say your concert was The Best Day, straight out of their Wildest Dreams.“
The governor also shared a few pieces of advice for Denver Swifties planning to attend the shows at Empower Field at Mile High, including “Stay Stay Stay hydrated” and come prepared for “unpredictable Colorado Midnight Rain.”
“Swifties young and old will feel Enchanted while listening to 17 years of music live!” Polis concluded his letter, signed “Forever & Always.” “Long Story Short, This Is Me Trying to say if anyone is excited for your back-to-back nights in Denver, it’s ME!“
Colorado is far from the first Eras Tour destination to pull out all the stops in welcoming Ms. Swift. Officials from Glendale, Ariz., for instance, temporarily changed the city’s name to “Swift City” for the duration of the pop star’s kick-off shows earlier this year, and more recently, Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Walz sent out a proclamation naming Minneapolis show dates June 23 and 24 “Taylor Swift Days.”
After the “Anti-Hero” singer — who on July 7 dropped Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the third of her six planned re-recorded albums — wraps up her time in Denver, she’ll have shows in just three more U.S. cities on the Eras Tour before she takes her bestselling trek global. Featuring support from Paramore and Sabrina Carpenter, the international tour dates have Swift set to begin in Latin America before making her way through Asia, Europe and Australia.
Kid Rock got pretty worked up earlier this year after transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney shared a video on April 1 of herself participating in Bud Light’s Easy Carry Contest for the end of the NCAA’s March Madness. So worked up, in fact, that the rapper-turned-MAGA-country-rocker uploaded a video in which he attempted to obliterate 12-packs of Bud Light with a semi-automatic rifle as he yelled “f–k Bud Light, and f–k Anheuser-Busch.”
And though Rock didn’t specifically mention Mulvaney (or the word trans) in the video, or call for a ban of products from Bud Light parent company AB Inbev — the world’s leading beer company — a CNN report this week noted that the bar at Rock’s Nashville restaurant is still well-stocked with a number of the company’s products.
CNN reporter Ryan Young said it was unclear during a recent visit to Rock’s Honky Tonk Rock & Roll Steakhouse if the ban had been lifted, or if one had ever been put in place. While country singer John Rich pledged at the time to pull Bud Light from his Nashville bar Redneck Riviera and Travis Tritt said he would remove the formerly best-selling brew in the nation from his tour rider in the midst of the transphobic backlash against the Mulvaney promotional stunt, Rock never specifically said he’d stop selling it at his spot on the city’s bustling Broadway bar and venue district.
Billboard was unable to reach anyone at Rock’s restaurant by phone or email for comment at press time, but a quick check of its online menu revealed that Budweiser, Bud Light and Bud Light Lime were listed under the domestic beer section; a tweet last month with an image of the menu appeared to corroborate that the brews are still available at the bar, calling into question whether the beverage had ever been taken off the roster.
In the original Mulvaney clip, she revealed that the company helped her celebrate her “365th day of womanhood” with “possibly the best gift ever” — a commemorative can of Bud Light with Mulvaney’s face on the side that was not commercially available, but instead meant as a personalized one-off souvenir.
At the time of the controversy — which was endlessly amplified on conservative outlets such as Fox News — a beer industry expert noted to Billboard that AB Inbev had long participated in outreach to the LGBTQ community, including sponsoring pride celebrations. And while that expert said these types of calls for boycotts against major corporations typically draw huge headlines and lots of bluster for a short time, they hardly ever have any “significant” impact on the bottom line.
On Monday, however, Newsweek reported that recent sales data shows that over a four-week period ending July 1 Bud Light suffered a 28% decrease in revenue sales and a 31.2% decrease in the brand’s volume — the number of units of beer sold — compared to the same period last year.
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Less than a week after debuting a set of sultry photos in support of his forthcoming new single “Seven,” Jung Kook has revealed that Grammy-nominated rap star Latto will feature on the track. The BTS member announced the news by launching the first official teaser of the “Seven” music video, which Latto does not appear in. Nonetheless, her name appears in the video’s title.
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The new single marks the first collaboration between Jung Kook and Latto. When the news of the collaboration first broke, Latto tweeted “S/O to the Army,” alongside three “7” emojis, a simultaneous reference to the song’s title and her own jackpot imagery. The announcement adds to the “Big Energy” rapper’s banner year. Her Cardi B-assisted “Put It On Da Floor Again” hit No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and she recently won best female hip-hop artist at the 2023 BET Awards.
Starring Han So-hee as his on-screen girlfriend, the music video teaser finds Jung Kook engulfed in a heated exchange with her while out at a fancy dinner. A chandelier then falls from the ceiling, disrupting the other patrons while Jung Kook and Han So-hee remained locked in their argument. “Weight of the world on your shoulders/ I catch your waist and ease your mind,” Jung Kook croons over sultry guitar licks.
“Seven” is slated for a July 14 release to coincide with Jung Kook’s performance at Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series on the same day. Jung Kook’s last solo release was “Dreamers,” a song for the 2022 FIFA World Cup soundtrack that peaked at No. 1 on Digital Song Sales.
Country music can be difficult to define, and the pack of new artists serving up debuts over the next six months won’t make it any easier.
At least a dozen artists have their inaugural albums or EPs on the way during the last half of 2023, and each of them has a distinct look, sound, and backstory. The crowd includes two women (Ashley Cooke and Harper O’Neill) with distinctly different sounds; party-leaning, biracial duo Neon Union; Latin American ex-cop Frank Ray; and rough-edged Warren Zeiders.
John Morgan and Dylan Marlowe have both snared hits as songwriters for other acts, though Morgan introduced himself as an artist through a TV competition and Marlowe emerged via TikTok.
Shane Profitt, like Ray, already has a top 20 single under his belt, and The Frontmen have over 50, given that the trio consists of lead singers from established groups that hit their strides in the 1990s. Here’s an overview of the acts who could help define country’s future with their debut albums or EPs expected between now and Dec. 31:
Ashley Cooke (Big Loud) — Cooke’s debut album — shot in the dark, due July 21 — includes guest appearances by Brett Young, Colbie Caillat, Nate Smith and Jackson Dean among its 24 tracks, anchored by Cooke’s smoky timbre and reflective writing approach. She will be further boosted by opening on 16 Luke Bryan tour dates, beginning July 13.
Jordan Fletcher (Triple Tigers) — The Jacksonville, Fla., native lost his dad at age 11, and his scant knowledge about his father made him fiercely dedicated to telling his own story in his music, which results in a self-titled album in November. His sometimes soulful productions are loaded with honest vocals, delivered with understated conviction.
The Frontmen (BMG/BBR Music Group) — Larry Stewart, Tim Rushlow and Richie McDonald were introduced as lead singers for Restless Heart, Little Texas and Lonestar, respectively, in the 1990s, but have worked as a separate collective since around 2011. The trio finally announced its label signing in March and is working on its first project.
Alex Hall (Monument) — An astute guitarist with an expansive vocal range and classic approach to words and music, Hall explores a variety of sounds on his first album, Side Effects of the Heart, expected Sept. 15. The project conveys an optimistic world view, but it’s clearly filtered through real-world heartache and familiar disappointment.
Ryan Larkins (Red Street Country) — His songs have been covered by Tim McGraw, Cody Johnson and Bill Anderson & Dolly Parton. The Nashville-bred Larkins phrases with an old-school Trace Adkins clarity and is prepping the release of his first single, with his debut EP, Meet Ryan Larkins, on tap for a Sept. 29 street date.
Dylan Marlowe (Sony Music Nashville) — Hailing from Statesboro, Ga., Marlowe earned viral attention with a country version of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” then co-wrote Jon Pardi’s “Last Night Lonely.” His first EP — Dirt Road When I Die, released July 7 — ranges from banjo-flecked country to headbanger tones with tight, edgy harmonies certifying his country roots.
John Morgan (Broken Bow) — Hot off his May 19 Grand Ole Opry debut, Morgan has achieved several milestones, netting hits as a writer of Jason Aldean’s “Trouble With a Heartache” and the Aldean/Carrie Underwood duet “If I Didn’t Love You,” and competing on NBC’s American Song Contest. His initial EP is under construction.
Neon Union (Red Street Country) — The biracial duo, blending North Carolina’s Andrew Millsaps and Miami’s Leo Brooks, has a gritty tone that approximates Montgomery Gentry’s precedent by playfully mixing blue-collar country with obvious Southern rock influence. Introduced to country radio with “Bout Damn Time,” Neon Union’s first EP, Double Wide Castle Sessions, arrives July 21.
Harper O’Neill (Harper O’Neill Music) — Affiliated with QPrime South management, plus publishers Jody Williams Songs and Warner Chappell Nashville, O’Neill approaches a song with the timeless simplicity and directness of Patsy Cline, but with a ragged, world-weary tone. She self-releases her inaugural EP this summer in between tour dates with Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wade.
Shane Profitt (BMLG) — The Tennessean’s first EP, Maury County Line, included the top 20 Country Airplay hit “How It Oughta Be.” Introduced to Music Row by Chris Janson, Profitt’s powerful tones are built on classic country roots and a brash frankness. His first full album, its release date TBD, is tentatively titled I Am What I Am.
Frank Ray (Stoney Creek) — Ray owns a clear, rangy voice and a fluid stylistic bent with a brand of country that folds in pop, rock, hip-hop and Latin influences, allowing for a fair amount of variation in his first, self-titled album, released July 7. It includes top 20 single “Country’d Look Good on You.”
Warren Zeiders (Warner) — The 14-track Pretty Little Poison, named after Zeider’s current single, presents a voice full of sandpaper, sorrow, whine and snarl. The uncluttered production is part outlaw, part Southern rock and part post-grunge, creating a dark surface pastiche, though underneath there’s a sense of survivor instinct and determination for something better.
In her first three top 10 singles — “I Hope,” “The Good Ones” and “Pick Me Up” — Gabby Barrett addressed relationship issues in a midtempo framework that put greater emphasis on the storyline to elicit an emotional response.
With “Glory Days,” the first single from a forthcoming album, she continues to mine an interpersonal theme — though the production’s breezy feel, created by a gurgling musical track, puts a whole new bounce in her sonic step.
“It reminded me of kind of old-school Keith Urban — like ‘Somebody Like You’ or just kind of in that era,” Barrett notes of the foundational sound, developed by songwriter-producer Seth Mosley (“Make You Mine,” “Build a Boat”). “It just felt fun and it felt open, and I wanted something that was more upbeat.” “Glory Days” has its creative roots in Barrett’s recent past. She recorded a duet version of “Build a Boat” with contemporary Christian artist Colton Dixon, released in January, that Mosley co-produced.
Meanwhile, she also recorded a song, “Dance Like No One’s Watchin’,” that was written by Luke Combs, Emily Weisband (“Jealous of Myself,” “Looking for You”) and James McNair (“Lovin’ On You,” “Going, Going, Gone”). Her reps engineered a writing session for March 16, with Barrett Zooming in from her Texas home to Mosley’s Nashville studio, where Weisband and McNair met up.
“Probably the most nerve-racking part of writing,” says McNair, “is never working with an artist before and not really knowing kind of, ‘Hey, what is she going to want to do today?’”
Even with Barrett calling in remotely, they were more than ready. Mosley had developed several musical vibes to pull from, and the Urban shades she sensed in the one she selected were on point with Mosley’s inspirations. “When I was building that track, playing the banjo thing, I was like, ‘Oh, what would Keith Urban do?,’ like a throwback kind of thing,” he says. “That was exactly where that started.”
As they discussed what lyrical messages might work, Weisband brought up a title she had introduced in other writing appointments, though it never quite landed. Bruce Springsteen had previously used “Glory Days” as the title of a bitterly nostalgic 1985 single, which might be one reason her earlier co-writers had passed on it. But Weisband had a more in-the-moment take on the idea, and Barrett, born in 2000, didn’t know the Boss’ song, which might have made her more receptive.
“As my parents get older and my siblings all grow up and move to their own places, I just don’t want to miss where I’m at,” says Weisband. “I don’t want to look back and wish I was back there because those are the good old days. I wanted to write a song about how now is the good old days, like we’re in the glory days now.”
That idea resonated with Barrett, who at age 23 is balancing two lives that many of her similarly aged peers have not experienced: She’s married with children on one hand and a bona fide hitmaker on the other. “I was blown away at kind of writing a song about what is happening right now in my life because I’m in the midst of it,” Barrett says. “I can write a snapshot of what that looks like.”
They got the chorus completed first, celebrating this moment in the big picture. They weaved plenty of images from her home life into the verses: catching fireflies in the yard, drinking coffee, reading the Bible and listening to her husband, Cade Foehner, play guitar. Barrett, of course, was writing from the location where all those things occur.
“Her being in her house, I think, especially inspired the second verse,” says Weisband. “I mean, we really tried to put her favorite parts of her life into the song. We really dove into her lifestyle and where she’s at in her life.”
Arguably, the most important line — “Livin’ right don’t cost a thing” — offered two meanings: one, the best things in life are free, and two, doing the right thing is always the right thing. “The best songs that we write are sometimes us writing to ourselves,” Mosley notes. “That’s the reminder, whenever that comes on. It’s something for me to have to live up to.”
The chorus and verses delivered the entire message, so they felt no compunction to give “Glory Days” a bridge. Instead, they left space for a guitar solo, crafting a chord progression that departs for just a few bars from the rest of the song for variation. Weisband sang the demo, which Mosley finished producing that day.
The demo was so well-conceived — from the opening, slappy toms to the a cappella, cold close — that producer Ross Copperman (Dierks Bentley, Kelsea Ballerini) stuck close to the road map on the final recording. He mostly layered in real musicians -— primarily bassist-guitarist Danny Rader and keyboardist Jeff Roach — one instrument at a time over programmed drums. And with Foehner’s guitar playing referenced in the lyrics, it only made sense that he created the guitar solo, though Copperman asked him to recut part of it, easing the listener into that section.
“I remember asking for some longer, sustained notes on the front of the solo,” says Copperman. “When he did that, it felt a little better.”
Weisband contributed scads of background vocals, including multiple unison tracks, harmonies and countermelodies, though they’re felt as reinforcements more than they’re heard in the final mix. “They’re kind of tucked in there under Gabby — I just really wanted it to be all about Gabby,” Copperman notes. “Dave Clauss is an incredible mixer, by the way. So good at just making the vocals smash up front.”
Copperman and Barrett, who co-produced the track, considered inserting a key change after the guitar solo, but scotched that idea as deadlines drew near. And in the final hours, Barrett insisted that the new banjo/guitar undertow they had developed wasn’t cutting it as well as Mosley’s original on the demo. Mosley was working in Stockholm, but he had with him the hard drive that housed the “Glory Days” demo and sent the tracks around 1:00 a.m., which meant 6:00 p.m. in Nashville. Barrett and Copperman delivered “Glory Days” just in time for Warner Music Nashville to get it processed for official release on June 12.
“Thematically, it’s kind of nice to have something a little bit more hopeful — especially in the landscape where all these breakup songs and darker songs are working right now, like the Bailey Zimmerman kind of songs and ‘Wait in the Truck,’ ” says McNair. “It’s kind of nice to have a little bit of a contrast on radio, and I hope that’s going to be one of the reasons why they play the heck out of it.”
Barrett’s “Glory Days” debuted on the Country Airplay chart dated June 24. It checks in at No. 33 in its fourth week on the list.
“I did not want to come out with another midtempo or ballad,” Barrett says. “It’s summer, so I really was eager to release something that was uptempo and fun and make people smile.”
Springfield City Council has approved an extension of the city landfill.
Council voted to allow the landfill to use up to 13 million dollars in bonds to expand the landfill and improve infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the landfill.
Erick Roberts, Assistant Director of Environmental Services says the improvements will turn the gases into power for the city.
End Of The Day is due out Sept. 8, and is said to be an instrumental affair, a “meditative, slow-burning and beautiful record,” reads a statement, “prioritizing atmosphere, tone and texture over traditional song structures and melodic hooks.”
The collection spans 17 tracks, originally created as part of the score to Danny Cohen‘s documentary Anonymous Club. Three cuts arrive early on streaming services, “Start Somewhere,” “Life Balance” and “First Slow,” accompanied with a visual shot by filmmaker Claire Marie Vogel.
Barnett’s instrumental improvisations took shape in May 2021 with collaborator and producer Stella Mozgawa, who had worked on the Aussie singer and songwriters’ third studio album, Things Take Time, Take Time, released that year.
End Of The Day will arrive via Milk! Records, and will be one of the final releases on the label, which will wrap-up at the end of 2023.
The label was established by Barnett and Jen Cloher in 2012 as a vehicle for the release of Barnett’s debut EP, I’ve Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris. The label’s roster would grow to include Cloher, Liz Stringer, East Brunswick All Girls Choir, Loose Tooth, Hachiku, Tiny Ruins, The Finks, Hand Habits, Bachelor and Sleater-Kinney, releasing over 70 albums, compilations and collaborations.
Based in Melbourne, Milk has won the AIR Award for best independent label on two occasions, in 2015 and 2018.
“It has been one of the great honors of my life to be a part of this incredible community and to work alongside so many amazing artists,” says Barnett of the Milk closure. “Thank you to every single person who has been part of the Milk! Records journey, it wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Barnett has been one of Australia’s leading indie exports of the past decade. Her debut full-length album from 2015, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, peaked at No. 4 in Australia, No. 16 in the United Kingdom and No. 20 in the United States, and won the Australian Music Prize, a trio of ARIA Awards and a nomination for best international female at the BRIT Awards. Her solo follow-up cracked the top 10 in the United Kingdom, led several Billboard charts and peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200.
A collaborative project with Kurt Vile, 2017’s Lotta Sea Lice, hit No. 5 in Australia, No. 11 in the U.K., and No. 51 in the U.S.
“End Of The Day” tracklist: Start Somewhere Life Balance First Slow A to B (Electricity) Two Circles Reflecting End Of The Day Floating Down Spring Ascends Intro B to C Like Water Gold Room Sun Through River Get On With It Eternity Repeat
Miguel’s 2010 hit, “Sure Thing,” got a second life thanks to TikTok, as a sped-up version of the track went viral.
12 years after its release, the track hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart (dated May 27). An R&B/hip-hop radio hit in its original run, “Sure Thing” crowned the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, for a week in May 2011.
If you need a guide to follow along with Miguel’s “Sure Thing,” find the lyrics below:
Love you like a brother Treat you like a friend Respect you like a lover Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh You could bet that, never gotta sweat that (oh, oh, oh, oh, oh) You could bet that, never gotta sweat that (yeah, yeah, yeah) You could bet that, never gotta sweat that You could bet that, never gotta sweat that (yeah)
If you be the cash I’ll be the rubber band You be the match I will be a fuse, boom Painter, baby, you could be the muse I’m the reporter, baby, you could be the news ‘Cause you’re the cigarette and I’m the smoker We raise a bet ’cause you’re the joker Checked off, you are the chalk And I can be the blackboard You can be the talk And I can be the walk, yeah
Even when the sky comes falling Even when the sun don’t shine I got faith in you and I So put your pretty little hand in mine Even when we’re down to the wire, babe Even when it’s do or die We could do it, baby, simple and plain ‘Cause this love is a sure thing
You could bet that, never gotta sweat that (yeah, yeah, yeah) You could bet that, never gotta sweat that You could bet that, never gotta sweat that You could bet that, never gotta sweat that
You could be the lover, I’ll be the fighter, babe If I’m the blunt (uh), you could be the lighter, babe Fire it up Writer, baby, you could be the quote, yeah (uh) If I’m the lyric, baby, you could be the note (uh), record that Saint I’m a sinner (uh), prize I’m a winner (uh) And it’s you, what did I do to deserve that? Paper, baby, I’ll be the pen Say that I’m the one ’cause you are a ten Real and not pretend
Even when the sky comes falling (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) Even when the sun don’t shine (yeah) I got faith in you and I So put your pretty little hand in mine Even when we’re (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) Down to the wire, baby Even when it’s do or die (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) (You could bet that, never gotta sweat that) We could do it baby, simple and plain (You could bet that, never gotta sweat that) ‘Cause this love is a sure thing
Uh, now rock with me, baby Let me hold you in my arms Talk with me babe, yeah, yeah Uh, now rock with me baby Let me hold you in my arms Talk with me babe, yeah, yeah
This love between you and I is simple as pie, baby Yeah, it’s such a sure thing (it’s such a sure thing) Oh, it such a sure thing (it’s such a sure thing)
Even when (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) The sky comes falling Even when (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) The sun don’t shine (You could bet that, never gotta sweat that) I got faith in you and I So put your pretty little hand in mine (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) Even when (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) We’re down to the wire, babe Even when (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) It’s do or die (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) We could do it, baby, simple and plain (You could bet that, never gotta sweat that) ‘Cause this love is a sure thing
Love you like a brother (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) Treat you like a friend (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) Respect you like a lover (you could bet that, never gotta sweat that) Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
SZA achieved her second No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart as “Snooze” topped the list dated July 1.
“Snooze” likewise is SZA’s second career champ on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay. She first led with the two-week No. 1 “Shirt” in February.
If you need a guide to follow along with SZA’s “Snooze,” find the lyrics below:
(Ooh, ooh-oh, oh) (I think I know, whoa-oh)
I’ll touch that fire for you I do that three four times again, I testify for you I told that lie, I’d kill that bi–h I do what all of them around you scared to do, I’m not Long as you juggin’ out here for me, I got it Mobbin’, schemin’, lootin’, hide your bodies Long as you dreamin’ ’bout me, ain’t no problem I don’t got nobody, just with you right now Tell the truth, I look better under you
I can’t lose when I’m with you How can I snooze and miss the moment? You just too important Nobody do body like you do I can’t lose when I’m with you I can’t just snooze and miss the moment You just too important Nobody do body like you do, you do
In the droptop ride with you, I feel like Scarface (Scarface) Like that white bi–h with the bob, I’ll be your main one (main one) Let’s take this argument back up to place Sex remind you, I’m nonviolent, I’m your day one We ain’t had sh–, yeah, it was magic, yeah Smash and grab sh–, yeah Nasty habits take a hold when you not here Ain’t a home when you not here Hard to grow when you not here, I’m sayin’
I can’t lose when I’m with you How can I snooze and miss the moment? You just too important Nobody do body like you do I can’t lose when I’m with you How can I snooze and miss the moment? You just too important Nobody do body like you do, you do
Main one ridin’ How you frontin’ on me and I’m the main one tryin’? How you blame it on me and you the main one lyin’? How you threatenin’ to leave and I’m the main one cryin’? Just tryna be your everything Main one ridin’ How you frontin’ on me and I’m the main one tryin’? How you blame it on me and you the main one lyin’? How you threatenin’ to leave and I’m the main one cryin’?
I can’t lose when I’m with you, ooh How can I snooze and miss the moment? You just too important Nobody do body like you do I can’t lose when I’m with you How can I snooze and miss the moment? You just too important Nobody do body like you do, you do
Nah, nah, nah, nah I think I know, whoa-oh See, no, I can’t lose I think I know, ooh-whoa, ooh-whoa-oh
