Pop Music

The Tennessean reports: Three dozen well-regarded Americana, country and pop vocalists — including Grammy winners Allison Russell, Brittany Howard, Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris and Amanda Shires — have joined forces to record and release the new soul anthem “Tennessee Rise.” It is being released to support of the U.S. Senate campaign of state Sen. Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville. …

Billboard Magazine reports: Eric Carmen, the hitmaker behind ’70s and ’80s smashes like “All By Myself” and “Hungry Eyes,” has died at age 74, his wife Amy confirms. Carmen scored three top five hits on the Billboard Hot 100: the No. 2-peaking “All By Myself” in 1976, followed by the Dirty Dancing soundtrack standout “Hungry Eyes,” which peaked at No. …

NBC News reports: Taylor Swift urged fans in her adopted home state of Tennessee and other Super Tuesday voting jurisdictions to exercise their democratic rights by casting ballots today. The simple message to vote might not seem impactful, but this comes from the world’s most famous pop star — with 282 million Instagram followers. “I wanted to remind you guys …

“Throughout her life, it is well known that Sinéad O’Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness and decency towards her fellow human beings. “It was with outrage therefore that we learned that Donald Trump has been using her iconic performance of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ at his political rallies. “It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have …

The Christian Post reports: Rapper Kanye West is facing backlash after he called himself “the new Jesus” in his new album “Vultures 1,” which includes a song called “Carnival” that is reportedly filled with obscene language and sexual violence. “They served us the porn since the day we was born / Anybody pissed off, gotta make ’em drink the urine,” …

ESPN reports: Taylor Swift donated $100,000 to the family of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, the woman killed in the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade. Two $50,000 donations were posted Friday under the singer’s name on a GoFundMe page. Swift’s representative confirmed the donations to Variety, the trade publication reported, and The Associated Press independently verified the posts. …

Monmouth Polling reports: Just under half (46%) of the American public has heard something about Swift being part of a supposed covert government effort to help Biden win the 2024 presidential election. Just under 1 in 5 Americans (18%) believe such a conspiracy involving Swift exists. Also, nearly three-quarters (73%) of those who believe the Swift conspiracy also believe the …

Kansas City’s NPR affiliate reports: Kansas City Manager Brian Platt [photo] expects Taylor Swift to help drive more people to the event — if even to get a glimpse of the superstar. He suggests that fans may start lining up along the parade route the night before the celebration. “That’s gonna be a whole second level of security issues that …

The Associated Press reports: With the run she’s having, how could Taylor Swift be on anything other than the winning side? She embraced her boyfriend Travis Kelce and the couple locked lips on the field at Allegiant Stadium after his Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in the Super Bowl. Moments earlier, Swift smiled with her eyes …

The Wrap reports: Kanye West came under fire on Saturday after Bruce Sudano, the widower of Donna Summer, accused the rapper of illegally sampling her song “I Feel Love” after Ye’s official request was denied. On the Vultures track, the lyric “Oh, I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive” is seemingly set to the melody of Summer’s “I Feel …

Billboard Magazine reports: The 2024 Rock Hall nominees are: Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige; powerhouse singer-songwriter Mariah Carey; half-century-plus pop icon Cher; roots rock jam band Dave Matthews Band; hip-hop pioneers Eric B. & Rakim; stadium rock hitmakers Foreigner; arena-filling guitar (and talk box) pro Peter Frampton; alt hard rockers Jane’s Addiction; funky R&B legends Kool & the …

The New York Post reports: The Osbournes are furious over Kanye West sampling a Black Sabbath song on his new album, with Ozzy claiming he expressly refused permission for the rapper to do so. The former rock star’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, who was raised Jewish, told TMZ on Friday that “Kanye fucked with the wrong Jew this time,” adding that …

The New York Times reports: Taylor Swift already has more No. 1 albums than any other woman (12), as well as the highest-grossing tour in history (an estimated $1 billion and counting). Now she can count another major achievement: four Grammy Awards for album of the year — more than any other artist in the 66-year history of the prize. …

“The Embassy of Japan in the United States is aware of recent media reports concerning the steps Taylor Swift will need to take to travel from Tokyo after her concert on February 10th to Las Vegas in time to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play in Super Bowl LVIII. “Despite the 12-hour flight and 17-hour time difference, the Embassy can …

The sports business site Sportico reports: The NFL has reached a licensing deal with the designer of Taylor Swift’s viral custom puffer jacket, Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Juszczyk has been granted a license to use NFL marks in men’s and women’s apparel designs, the league said, declining to disclose financial terms. She previously …

Fox Sports laments: Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce truly set the tone in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens with an impressive touchdown grab to get his team ahead first on the road. And of course, Taylor Swift was ecstatic in her suite after watching it all unfold. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went 5-for-5 on …

Politico Europe reports: Donald Trump isn’t known for his love of classic British guitar band The Smiths — even though they have a song called “Bigmouth Strikes Again” that could be an ideal soundtrack for his planned return to the White House. But a Smiths song — “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” — was played at …

The Messenger reports: Sunday’s NFL showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills is officially the most-watched playoff game ever. Pop superstar Taylor Swift notably supported her boyfriend Travis Kelce at the game, which his team won 27-24. According to CBS, the NFL Divisional Playoff Game surpassed 50 million viewers, averaging 50.393 million throughout the game. Viewership peaked …

CBS News reports: Singer Elle King took the stage at the Grand Ole Opry for a Dolly Parton tribute on Friday, admitting to the crowd she was hammered before botching the words to a Parton song. The expletive-laden performance, which occurred on Parton’s birthday, was criticized by audience members and prompted an apology from the venue. Videos on social media …

New Music Express reports: Marlena Shaw, the US soul and jazz vocalist best known for her hit ‘California Soul’, has died at the age of 81. The news was confirmed by Shaw’s daughter Marla on her official Facebook page last night (January 19). Shaw’s signature song ‘California Soul’ was recorded as a humble album track on her 1969 LP ‘The …