#country-crossover

#country-crossover

Jesca Hoop has announced a tour in support of her upcoming album Long Wave Home. Dates are with Faun Fables and include NYC's Le Poisson Rouge on June 29.

Puth describes 'Whatever's Clever!' as the first album where 'things are lining up musically in my life - like I'm living what the album is about.'

When you get it, you'll see a SongDNA card 'on supported tracks'. If you tap this, you can explore the writers, producers, and collaborators behind a song, see samples and interpolations that shaped its sound, and browse the covers it inspired.

The initiative aspires to create 'a new blueprint for artist launches moving forward.' This partnership integrates fan interaction, live broadcast distribution, and platform-native amplification.

I'm excited to announce something that's never been done before. Better Than Ezra is teaming up with Soundbreak AI to do a songwriting contest. Go on soundbreak.ai, write with me, or write with [bass guitarist] Tom Drummond. Come up with your best idea, your best song.

Billy Strings is set to hit the road this fall with a US tour running from September through December, featuring stops in major cities like Denver and Los Angeles.

On any given day our writers, editors, and contributors go through an imposing number of new releases, giving recommendations to each other and discovering new favorites along the way. Each Monday, with our Pitchfork Selects playlist, we're sharing what our writers are playing obsessively and highlighting some of the Pitchfork staff's favorite new music.

"'The Life of a Showgirl' was really inspired by the energy that I felt like looking into crowds and seeing you guys every single night. This album probably also feels very happy and confident and free because that's the way that I get to feel every single day of my life because of my fiancé, who's here tonight."

R&B in the 21st century has been in a constant state of flux, tugged between safe traditionalism and blurry attempts at progression. For the last decade-plus that "progression" has seen R&B music become more indebted to trap records and the moody atmospherics of alternative bands like Radiohead, Coldplay, or My Bloody Valentine.

Bailey's the real deal. He came in and wanted the best Guinness in Boston - and we were happy to deliver. Next thing you know he's taking photos with everyone, talking with the crowd, and picking up the entire tab. That's the kind of guy he is.

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show has drawn criticism from the country's top Republican: Donald Trump said it was "one of the worst, EVER!" in a post on Truth Social. Strong words from the president - but this isn't the first time a musician has drawn ire from right-wing politicians and conservatives. Stars like Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Bruce Springsteen have riled up conservatives, often over progressive themes or sexual lyrics in their music.

Turns out every soul song with a lot of blank space in it just needs to be filled to the brim with Jersey club stomps and squeaks.

Craft beer has always been about creativity and community, but when it teams up with rock music, it becomes something truly special. In this post, we'll explore some of the most iconic collaborations between craft breweries and legendary bands, highlighting how these unique brews reflect the spirit of rock culture. ## The Rise of Band-Inspired Brews As craft beer continues to dominate the beverage landscape, breweries are increasingly looking to popular culture for inspiration. Band-inspired beers have become a staple, and for good reason. They not only attract fans of the music but also tap into the stories, values, and identities that these bands represent.

Natanya tears genres open and rebuilds them in her own image. Her drums swing loose and jazzy over heavy 808s; synths drift dreamily before snapping into gritty guitar riffs. Writing, producing and arranging all her own work, she weaves together neosoul silk, R&B groove, indie edge, and flashes of grunge, all carried by a buttery falsetto that nods to Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, Janet Jackson and early Destiny's Child.

I'm blessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records. After we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one just sort of happened. I like to say sometimes I make the right moves, like you can go left or right at any point, and one of the right moves was hooking up with T Bone for Look Up, and now for this one, which I'm calling Long Long Road, because I've been on a long long road.

Jeff Hanna, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founder and de facto leader, is tucked into a nondescript booth at El Palenque, a 30-years-plus local restaurant in a Nashville strip mall, talking about "Nashville Skyline," a pensive track from their EP, "Night After Night." The family-owned Mexican restaurant is the kind of place he's gravitated toward since starting a jug band with friends in Long Beach before migrating to Los Angeles' folk/rock scene.

The country music superstar who recently ranked in the Top 20 of Pollstar's Artists of the Millennium List (which is based on ticket sales) is bringing his Word on the Street Tour to the Bay Area. Bryan performs Aug. 14 at Shoreline Amphitheatre. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Jan. 30, lukebryan.com. There is a Luke Bryan fan club member presale running 8 a.m. Jan. 27 to 5 p.m. Jan. 29, lukebryan.com.

The only song here that really matters. Written just hours after the murder of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and released a few days later, Springsteen names names (looking at you, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem) and speaks bold, specific truth. With a title that recalls his own impactful Streets of Philadelphia, a melody reminiscent of Bob Dylan, and an urgency not felt since Neil Young's Ohio, it may not be groundbreaking musically, but Streets of Minneapolis is exactly what we need right now.

Jelly Roll has won the inaugural award for Best Contemporary Country Album at the 2026 Grammys. His album Beautifully Broken beat out records by Eric Church ( Evangeline vs. the Machine), Kelsea Ballerini ( Patterns), Miranda Lambert ( Postcards From Texas), and Tyler Childers ( Snipe Hunter). This is Jelly Roll's third win of the night out of three nominations. He's also taking home Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the Shaboozey duet "Amen" and Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for "Hard Fought Hallelujah" with Brandon Lake.

In October, Oklahoma country music stadium draw Zach Bryan garnered attention at the highest levels of government when he posted a snippet of a track called "Bad News" in which he sings "ICE is gonna come bust down your door." By the end of the week, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem rebuked him on conservative personality Benny Johnson's The Benny Show: "I hope he understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country."

Not only does the track show off Anjimile's lush, patient vocals, it's got a pretty fascinating rhythmic structure; his drummer offsets the groove when they arrive at the chorus, almost like the song gets caught between moving too fast and too slow. That momentum really ramps up in the final refrain, complete with some guitar shredding and open hi-hat smashing. It's a great demonstration of Anjimile's tasteful ear and his ability to match a song's subject with its instrumentation.

A representative for the Atlanta rapper told Rolling Stone that there was "a mix-up" about Luda's inclusion on the lineup. "Lines got crossed and he wasn't supposed to be on there," the rep claimed. Get Ludacris Tickets Here Upon the festival's announcement, Ludacris faced backlash from some critics over its perceived political leanings. The event was labeled by some as "MAGA-adjacent," with Ludacris lumped in alongside artists like Snoop Dogg and Kanye West, both of whom have had public associations with Donald Trump.

The Grammy Awards have been recognizing some of the most talented musicians of the year since 1959. It's often assumed that all of the legendary hit-makers have taken home a statuette or two - but there are actually quite a few iconic artists who seem to narrowly lose out year after year.

A MARTINEZ, HOST: As we finish this year, let's listen to some of the musicians we lost in 2025. Sam Moore was half the R&B powerhouse Sam & Dave. He sang on smashes such as "Hold On, I'm Comin'," "I Thank You" and this one. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOUL MAN") SAM AND DAVE: (Singing) I'm a soul man. I'm a soul man. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: We also lost the guitarist on that song, Steve Cropper. He defined the sound of Memphis soul with the Stax Records House Band. He appeared on hits by Otis Redding, Booker T. & The M.G.'s and Wilson Pickett.