Latest news with #Evanescence
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It destroyed me': two more men accuse Christian rock star Michael Tait of sexual assault
Two more men have come forward to accuse Christian rock superstar and Maga firebrand Michael Tait of drugging and sexually assaulting them – including Jason Jones, the founding manager of the American hard-rock band Evanescence. Jones said he was fired from the band – which had ties to Tait – for speaking out about his alleged assault. Jones said the firing, which he claimed happened in 1999, cut him out of Evanescence's massive success beginning in 2003. 'It destroyed me,' said Jones. 'I was achieving my dreams at an early age, and Tait changed all that.' Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody denied Jones was fired from the band for speaking out against Tait. Moody said he does recall Jones telling him about a sexual encounter with Tait, but at the time Moody interpreted it as consensual. 'I was a kid, only 18, and clearly didn't realize what he was going through,' Moody said. 'I'm sure I missed a lot of things I'd recognize today. I didn't realize he was traumatized.' In all, eight alleged victims have now come forward publicly with sexual assault allegations against Tait. A previous investigation by the Guardian reported allegations of sexual assault by Tait against three young men while another from the Christian news outlet the Roys Report reported allegations by three other men. Tait became famous as the frontman for DC Talk and Newsboys, two Christian mega-bands known for packaging conservative rhetoric about sexual abstinence, sobriety, Christian nationalism and the coming rapture in catchy rock songs. Tait has been a supporter of Donald Trump and served as a key bridge between Trump and evangelical voters. Tait has not responded to questions from the Guardian about the allegations against him. But in an Instagram post in June, Tait confessed to a decades-long addiction to cocaine and alcohol and admitted that he had 'at times, touched men in an unwanted, sensual way'. In the post, Tait added that he had recently 'spent six weeks at a treatment center in Utah'. Jones was described by friends who knew him in the 1990s as a happy-go-lucky Christian teenager, bursting with ambition and creativity. Growing up in Arkansas, Jones remembers, one of his biggest dreams was 'to meet DC Talk'. Jones achieved that dream in 1994 after moving to Nashville to manage the band of his friend, Randall Crawford, who was also friends with Tait and introduced the two. Jones recalled going to McDonalds with the DC Talk frontman and being mobbed by so many teenage fans they had to leave before getting their food. 'That kind of thing happened a lot,' he said. Jones was thrilled to be welcomed into Tait's inner circle, yet he was taken aback by what he described as Tait's proclivity for randomly grabbing other men's genitals. He said he eventually learned that Tait was living a double-life as a closeted gay man, which was becoming a problem for a band mentored by Moral Majority co-founder Jerry Falwell, who called Aids 'God's punishment for homosexuality'. While surprised, Jones held no negative feelings toward Tait's sexuality, even taking him to gay clubs in Little Rock (at Tait's request) when DC Talk performed there. Jones was regularly traveling back and forth from Nashville to Little Rock, and in 1995 he met aspiring musician Moody – the two of them hitting it off and collaborating on a project that would come to be named Evanescence. After co-producing the first Evanescence demo, Jones returned to Nashville and began talking up the band to his friend, Tait. Jones, as an evangelical, was sober and a virgin at the time. But he recalls getting caught up in a whirlwind of partying with Tait in 1995, chain-smoking cigarettes and marijuana and closing down bars, then returning to Tait's house to continue drinking. Jones said he was uncomfortable with all of it, but was eager for Tait's approval so he complied. 'I had this band that I was trying to take places,' Jones recalled. 'And [Tait] had the power to open doors for us in the industry. So I went along with whatever, but didn't know what it would cost me.' Jones' used his connection with Tait to help Evanescence get a foot in the door in Nashville, speaking with A&R people, record labels, venue owners, producers and musicians. Sources that wish to remain anonymous alleged that Tait had a rotation of attractive young men at his Nashville home at this time, some of them underage, and that Tait had a 'no clothes allowed' rule in his hot tub. 'He would put his penis against one of the jets, and tell us to do the same, saying 'see, it feels good!'' recalled a source who visited Tait regularly at this time, and wishes to remain anonymous. 'He was all about the shock factor,' recalled Crawford, who was close with Jones and Tait throughout the 90s. 'He was always saying 'let's make out in front of these people!' And I was like 'no, you're gonna destroy your career.' But he felt untouchable. And in some ways, he was.' Around this same time, Crawford recalls Tait driving him through the campus of Liberty University – Falwell's Christian college where DC Talk formed – speeding at 60mph and getting pulled over by campus security, who turned from anger to laughter when seeing Tait behind the wheel, even asking for pictures and autographs. 'After they left, Michael turned to me, calm as ever, and said: 'I can do anything and not get in trouble.'' Jones recalls drinking at Tait's house one night in late 1998, just after DC Talk finished rehearsals for their Supernatural album tour. Jones remembers feeling tired suddenly, and Tait recommended he go to sleep in his bedroom. 'I felt honored that he felt that close to me, that he trusted me enough to let me sleep in his bed,' Jones said. Some time later, Jones recalls waking up, his pants missing, and Tait was giving him oral sex. 'I said no and pushed him off, but then, somehow, I passed out again. I woke back up and he was still doing it. I said no again, then nodded out. And then I woke up a third time, aggressively shouted 'no!' and pushed him harder. It was then that he left me alone.' Looking back, Jones said, 'I believe that Michael Tait drugged me.' Two alleged victims from the Guardian's previous report also say they believe they were drugged by Tait before their alleged assaults. In addition, a female accuser cited by the Roys Report said she believed that Tait supplied Rohypnol or some other sedative to a crew member on a Newsboys tour, who then drugged and raped her while Tait watched. Distraught and in need of comfort, Jones flew home to Little Rock the day after he said he was assaulted. There he confided in a friend and mentor – who wishes to remain anonymous – that he had had 'a bad experience with Tait,' but wouldn't go into details. 'He wasn't the same after that,' Jones's friend recalled. Jones said that in early 1999 he had also confided in his friend and Evanescence co-founder, Ben Moody, about being sexually assaulted by Tait. 'Ben was only 18 at the time, new to the music industry, and I wanted to warn him,' Jones recalled. '[Tait] was flying Ben out to Nashville to write songs together, to see if he fit in Tait's inner-circle.' Moody remembers things differently. 'He didn't frame it as 'sexual assault,'' Moody said. 'He described it as like frat-boy joking around while they were drunk, with [Tait] saying 'what's the big deal? A dick's just a muscle.' And Jason said 'the next thing I know he's sucking my dick.'' Jones said he remains confident that he told Moody the full details of the assault, including that he verbally and physically resisted Tait three times as his consciousness came and went. Moody said he soon noticed a change in Jones's demeanor. Jones, a passionate, fun-loving guy who was easy to get along with, began suffering manic swings from depression to rage to paranoia and then to dissociation. 'After a late night studio he couldn't get the car shifter into gear and he just started screaming, hurling his body around, jerking the shifter violently like he was going to break it off.' Moody said he and the band began wondering if they should continue working with Jones. In retrospect, Moody said: 'I didn't know what he was going through. Looking back I would've been a bit more attentive, but I was the typical 18 year old who wanted to be a rockstar.' Moody said that in a phone call with Tait, he mentioned that Jones had told him about a sexual encounter between them, which Tait then denied. 'I wanted to get ahead of [Jason] talking shit about us and ruining the whole thing. Back then there were rumors Michael Tait [was gay] and at that point, right after [DC Talk's Grammy-winning album] Jesus Freak, he was the biggest thing in Christian music history, and the scandal would've been a huge deal.' Jones and Moody differ on whether he was fired or quit, but both recall the incident with Tait – however it was characterized – as the turning point of the relationship. 'I hid away after that,' Jones recalls. 'I started snorting meth, then smoking it.' His isolation and drug binge would continue for five years. Moody said he regrets how things went down with Jones back then. 'He was my best friend for so many years, and now I ask myself 'how fucking blind could I have been?'' Evanescence went on to be one of the biggest bands in the world, winning 'Best New Artist' and 'Best Hard Rock Performance' at the Grammys in 2003 and eventually selling tens of millions of albums. The following year, Moody and Tait would go on to be roommates and musical collaborators, with Tait singing on Moody's solo album, and Moody producing Tait's solo album, Loveology. In 2003, Moody left Evanescence to pursue his solo career. Evanescence co-founder Amy Lee and other representatives of the band could not be reached for comment. Like Moody, Crawford remembers his friend Jones as a 'a happy guy, a real sweetheart, but all that changed after 1998. I could tell something had happened. He didn't tell me about it at the time, but he has since. And I believe him, because the same thing happened to me.' Crawford first met DC Talk when the band was filming the music video for its first single, Heavenbound, in 1989. Crawford was working in a movie theater in the same Nashville mall the band was filming in. He loved their debut cassette and when they came by to catch a movie he introduced himself and gave them a discount. Crawford remembers his friend Jason Jones getting squeezed out of the management position of Evanescence in early 1999, and that 'it had something to do with Tait', but was unaware of specifics at the time. Back then, Crawford was an ambitious musician, and was being hired to write songs for solo projects for Tait and DC Talk's Toby Mac (the band went on 'hiatus' in 2000, and never officially reunited). Mac's project was later nominated for a Grammy and Dove Award. Crawford had also just signed his own record deal for his band, Webster County. Crawford recalls being distraught over a breakup one night in the fall 2000, and Tait inviting him over to hang out. 'You'll bounce back,' he recalls Tait saying, as he handed him a shot glass of Makers Mark whiskey. 'I told him 'just one,' and took the shot,' he recalled. 'I had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol at the time, but I blacked out shortly after I took that one drink.' Crawford said his memory picks up some time later, finding himself propped up on Tait's kitchen counter, his pants around his ankles. 'My legs were up in the air, and Tait was licking my anus,' he claimed. 'I said 'what are you doing, dude?' and then he said the weirdest thing: 'Hey man, did you catch the Colts game last week?' Like we were just hanging out, chatting.' Crawford said that he fled Tait's house, but has no memory of driving home. He said he is convinced that Tait drugged him. Two close friends of Crawford's have corroborated his story. One of them confirmed that Crawford told him details of the alleged assault at the time, but only named the perpetrator two years ago. The other friend said he was told the whole story at the time. 'I was never the same after that,' Crawford said. 'The joy and drive I had for music went away. Suddenly I had stage fright for the first time, brain-fog, anger issues, depression, and was even suicidal for a time. It ruined my career.' Despite having finished recording the album for his band, Crawford felt unable to perform as a musician, and the record was never released. Both Jones and Crawford recall thinking their assaults were isolated incidents and continued to have some involvement with Tait. Jones accepted a phone call from him when Tait's father passed away and he was distraught, and Crawford says he was 'love bombed' by Tait and succumbed to future advances. After not speaking for years, Tait re-entered his life in 2020. Crawford's wife was a musician herself, and Tait had offered to produce her album. 'I had buried the memory of that night for a long time,' Crawford said. After seeing Tait again, Crawford said, a lot of feelings came to the surface and he found himself weeping uncontrollably in the shower. After confessing to his wife what had happened, she encouraged him to enroll in EMDR trauma therapy, which he said had been helpful. 'Hearing Jason's story recently broke my heart,' he said of reuniting with his friend, Jones, decades later. 'I believe we'd both be in the music industry today if it weren't for Michael Tait.' Jones has been sober since 2008. After leaving the music industry he worked in banking and co-directed a sober living facility. Today he travels around the country sharing his story of abuse and addiction (not mentioning Tait's name when recounting the experience). Shortly after getting sober Jones contacted a law firm to ask about potential compensation he could be owed from Evanescence. According to his 2008 correspondence with the law firm that he shared with the Guardian, the firm told him that, because of the statute of limitations, his window for a suit against Evanescence had closed years earlier. Jones said the lawyers told him that, had he pursued the matter sooner, he could be entitled to up to tens of millions of dollars in compensation. Moody disputed the notion that Jones has ever had the right to compensation for his management efforts in the early days of Evanescence. Looking back 27 years later, Jones recalled the night he told Moody about what had happened to him. Warning him not only about Tait, but about the music industry in general, he recited a quote from the magazine journalist Hunter S Thompson, who said: 'The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free.' 'And that's true for the Christian music industry as well,' Jones said. 'Even more so, in my case.'
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch: Chad Stahleski directs Evanescence's 'Ballerina' song music video
July 7 (UPI) -- Evanescence has released a new video for "Fight Like a Girl," their song from the movie From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. The film is now available on digital video-on-demand. Chad Stahelski directs the video for the band. Stahelski was a producer on Ballerina and directed all four John Wick movies starring Keanu Reeves. In the video, Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee and guest singer walk down an empty street singing the lyrics. The full band plays behind flames. A previous version of the video featured more clips from the movie than original footage of the band. Lee also sang "Hand That Feeds" with Halsey for the film. Ballerina stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a novice assassin trained in the Ruska Roma school. She encounters John Wick (Reeves) in her pursuit of revenge against the cult leader (Gabriel Byrne) who killed her parents. Speaking with UPI, de Armas said the stunt team designed the film's fight scenes around the skills she developed during training. UPI praised the action in its review, particularly a flamethrower battle. The film opened in theaters June 6. DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD dates have not been announced.
UPI
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Watch: Chad Stahleski directs Evanescence's 'Ballerina' song music video
1 of 5 | Chad Stahelski, seen at the 2023 premiere of "John Wick: Chapter 4," directed the Evanescence video for "Fight Like a Girl" from the spinoff "Ballerina." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo July 7 (UPI) -- Evanescence has released a new video for "Fight Like a Girl," their song from the movie From the World of John Wick: Ballerina. The film is now available on digital video-on-demand. Chad Stahelski directs the video for the band. Stahelski was a producer on Ballerina and directed all four John Wick movies starring Keanu Reeves. In the video, Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee and guest singer walk down an empty street singing the lyrics. The full band plays behind flames. A previous version of the video featured more clips from the movie than original footage of the band. Lee also sang "Hand That Feeds" with Halsey for the film. Ballerina stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a novice assassin trained in the Ruska Roma school. She encounters John Wick (Reeves) in her pursuit of revenge against the cult leader (Gabriel Byrne) who killed her parents. Speaking with UPI, de Armas said the stunt team designed the film's fight scenes around the skills she developed during training. UPI praised the action in its review, particularly a flamethrower battle. The film opened in theaters June 6. DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD dates have not been announced. Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves attend 'Ballerina' premiere Cast member Ana de Armas attends the premiere of "Ballerina" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on June 3, 2025. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Buzz Feed
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Amy Lee On Evanescence's 'The Open Door' And New Music
Evanescence's Fallen launched the band into stardom in the early 2000s with Amy Lee's haunting vocals and the band's blend of orchestral and rock elements. I'll never forget the first time my sister put Fallen into the car's CD player; we were instant fans from the opening chords of "Going Under." We had both Fallen and The Open Door on repeat, and eventually didn't refer to the songs by their titles — just by their track numbers. Following multiple tours and releases — including their self-titled album, the orchestral Synthesis, the deep cuts of Lost Whispers, and 2021's The Bitter Truth — Evanescence is back in 2025 with incredible new material. To celebrate the band's first number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay and the release of the "Fight Like a Girl" music video, I sat down with rock icon Amy Lee. Read on as we discuss the making of "Fight Like a Girl," explore upcoming music, and reflect on Evanescence's earliest releases. Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. BuzzFeed: You recently released "Fight Like a Girl" for the film Ballerina. How did the collab come about? Amy Lee: I worked with Tyler Bates, who is the composer for all the John Wick films. We've always wanted to work together, but we just hadn't found the right thing. He called me, and I was like, "Hey, I think I finally found our thing. Let's do this song together for Ballerina!" So it was just really laid-back and easy. I watched the film, and listened through and looked for inspiration — it feels so good to see a woman kicking ass right now! Once I had that "Fight Like a Girl" part down, the rest of it happened pretty quickly. I also got to collab with one of my favorite artists, I got to that bridge part, and I didn't know what to sing. It just occurred to me, and I kind of heard her voice in my head. I literally hadn't met her before, but I always liked her. She's one of the coolest people! I love it when you're a fan of somebody, and then you meet them and they are absolutely everything you wanted them to be. I love the use of fire and rain in the music video. Is it fun filming in the pouring rain, and with all the fire around? So fun! It's cool when we get to play in a different world, because we spend the majority of our time focusing on every little detail within the music and the audio. Here, we get these opportunities to really branch out and think about the visual and be artists in that realm. It's great creating visually with people, especially when they're as awesome as Chad Stahelski [producer of Ballerina, director of the music video, and prior John Wick films]. When we get opportunities to work with film directors, I always want to make it as cool and fun and big and exciting as possible. And obviously Chad was very into that, too. He was like, "We need to set someone on fire." I was like, "I think that sounds appropriate!" Is there a favorite behind-the-scenes moment you would like to share about the video? Chad and I were originally talking about working in clips of Ballerina throughout. We wound up getting so much great footage [for the music video] that we didn't end up doing that in the main part of the video — so we ended up trying to match specific scenes. I combed through the movie and screenshotted parts that I thought had a cool look, and one of those was the elevator. The lighting is so cool, it actually reminds me of Fallen a little bit with that very metallic, kind of hyper-future look. So I was like, "Can we find an elevator?" They were like, "No, we really can't, we're just gonna have to build one!" I got there on the set, and there was this amazing elevator with buttons and everything, all lit up exactly like the movie. So we really were shot-matching stuff, and I thought it turned out really cool. This was also the first time that my son, Jack, got to come on set for a video shoot like that. He's really into the production of our live shows, like the lasers and visual effects. That elevator was the first part that we were shooting, and we walked through it with Chad, and Chad was explaining to him how it works. Talk about the world's greatest "Take Your Kid to Work" day! Do you approach writing for TV and movies differently than writing for an Evanescence album? Yeah, for sure. One of the coolest things about getting to do music for a film or even a video game is that it's always a collab in some way. You're working with the director and whoever's making the movie, and they care about the music in the film and want it to fit the film. So instead of the priority solely being, "Let's make whatever we want and how we want it to feel," it's more about fitting a character, the vibe of a scene, or wrapping up a film at the end titles. Ballerina has been really fun because it was going to be just one song, and then it spun out into two different, really cool songs with different collaborations. "Hand That Feeds" kind of came in halfway through the process of working on "Fight Like a Girl." Halsey showed up with this song idea, and we just had a blast. We got to create together and then make that fun music video, and that was all just, like, gravy. This has been a time when I've felt the universe calling me to make music. Music has always been the place where I feel like I belong and where I can make some kind of change, and hopefully, put something good into the world. I just feel compelled right now to do whatever I can to shine some light in the world, and I hope, in whatever I do, that it comes across as meant to empower and inspire. Alex Seaver, who I've worked with before, sent me the beginning of "Afterlife," and I loved it right away. We originally built the song just for a scene, but it got so cool that we went for it. I took it to the band and Nick Raskulinecz [producer]. We got in a room together, garage-band style, finished the song, and then went into the studio. It felt really good to get in there, and also with Emma [new bassist, Emma Anzai started in 2022]. She has brought so much to the band, and it's been a real pleasure working with her. So anyway, it feels amazing. It feels like things are lining up for a reason. It's funny, because they were giving me those numbers and I'm thinking about "Bring Me to Life" — that hit number one on the Top 40 chart. But, as far as the rock chart, this is extra special. I guess we finally earned our place in the rock community, and that means so much. Is there anything that you can confirm about the next album? Yeah! We're working on it. We're partway through. I think we're going to continue to release music as we go, because it feels really good to celebrate with our fans while it's still fresh. We'll release it as a full album when it's all done, but you can expect to have the hits keep coming this year. So stay tuned — we're going to keep this momentum up! Love to hear that! You're also touring with Metallica in the fall. It's an understatement that Evanescence songs are not easy to sing. What are some ways you're mindful about vocal health on tour? There's so many tricks you can do and so many warm-ups, stretches, specialties, and so on. But to be honest, I feel like there are three things that are the hardest on your voice: talking nonstop, not getting enough sleep, and just overuse in general. Like, don't blow your voice out by booking three nights in a row singing a full show. I can't do that anymore. I don't want to. Also, getting a full night's sleep and drinking plenty of water is really important. What really ends up hurting my voice more than anything is stressing that there's going to be something wrong. I think to myself, just calm down, shut up, and play a video game. Don't freak out! Something I've come to trust more than I used to is that your voice comes from your heart. When you really need it, as long as you're not sick or something, when you need it to happen, it's going to happen. It's a power that will come out of you when you want it to; it's about feeling it and going for it and not stressing out about it. I'm curious, which songs on tour are the most vocally challenging? I've learned how to pace the set list better and, if a song is easier for me, I'll make sure and get one or two of those in between. Instead of thinking, "This is what's best for the momentum of the set list," now I'll make decisions based on when I need a break. Maybe I'll sit down for "Lithium" for a second before we go into "Better Without You" or whatever. I have been putting some of the hardest songs at the top of the set to get them out of the way while my voice is fresh. Well, I'll tell you what's hard — "The Change" is a really hard one, "Sweet Sacrifice" is incredibly hard, and that's why we only do it once in a while. "Better Without You" is a difficult one; it's just really high! I got better at learning when to go falsetto in a way that feels like I still mean it. I'm learning to flip my voice and not feel ashamed of that. When I was younger, it had to be full power all the time. Then I'd have a crappy voice by the end of the show, because I wasn't ever willing to let it flip. Falsetto sounds really cool sometimes! Then you save up your gas when you really need it. What about "Bring Me to Life"? I feel like at this point you can sing it in your sleep! I can do that no matter what's going on. It does have that really long note. I would only be scared of "Bring Me to Life" because it is usually the last song in our set. So if I'm ever sick or, like, exhausted at the end of the show, I just try not to be nervous. That's one of those moments where I have to tell myself not to freak out and worry that your voice isn't going to be there. But other than that, like no matter how tired my voice is, you know, it's "Bring Me to Life," so the rest of it's easy for me. But when we get to that part at the end, I just have to trust and take the leap! You just gotta take the leap without fear. That's the trick! Your fans will love you either way! Throwing it back to your first three albums [ Fallen, The Open Door, Evanescence ] — is there a song you feel is underrated now that it's been some time? It's hard to say that anything is underrated by your fans. When we were first coming out, I felt like, "I hope people like me, and that we're able to last. I hope that people hear our second single and our third single, and not just the very first song, and then throw us away." I have such a different feeling now, when we have people all over the world who love our music and grew up with our music. It means something to them, you know, they love the deep cuts as much as the hits. To be honest, I feel so much more appreciation for all of our music than I ever expected when we were starting out. It's hard for me to sit around and think about what's underrated when I feel like everything's been rated much better than I expected! [ We laugh. ] Amy Lee, Evanescence / Via There are songs that I like that we didn't end up making into singles. If I could go back in time, I would have fought for "Imaginary." That's such an Evanescence song to me. That was our first album so I had to fight for a lot, all the time. It was constant fighting for the art and my vision. For whatever reason, the suits wanted "Everybody's Fool," and I love that song, too! But I really felt like "Imaginary" was meant to be that single at that time, and I would have loved to make a beautiful video for it. I've kind of always had it in the back of my head, maybe someday we'll make a video. It's never too late! My last question for you — The Open Door is my favorite album, and its 20th anniversary is next year. When you look back, is there a song you appreciate more over time, or a song that you are extra proud of? I'm proud of that album. That album came out of a time that was a coming-of-age moment for me. And it's right there in the title, like it was time to go out on my own, show what I could do, and prove some things. It was liberating and fun, and I also put a lot of pressure on myself. So the fact that people think of The Open Door as their favorite album, it means so much to me. I mean, things you wouldn't think of as rebellious were. Like, I love organ. Organ is an instrument that I've always super dug. It just didn't fly at the time for Fallen. This time, I was in control. It was like, I'm gonna do organ, I'm gonna do harpsichord, I'm gonna do whatever classical crap I want. I'm going to be sassy, and I'm also going to break the rules about not having vibrato or whatever. I had a lot of rules for myself, honestly, because I was younger on Fallen. But for The Open Door, it was like, okay, it's up to you! There's not just one song for me. I'm so proud of that album, really.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Evanescence's ‘The Rehearsal' Synch Flies to Top TV Songs Chart No. 1
After appearing in the second season of HBO's The Rehearsal twice in the month of May, Evanescence's 'Bring Me to Life' reaches No. 1 on Billboard's Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for May 2025. Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of May 2025. More from Billboard El Fantasma Claims Eighth No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay Chart With 'Ya Me Vale Madre' Khalil Fong and Tanya Chua Named Best Male and Female Singers at the 3rd Wave Music Awards Doechii & Tyler, the Creator Preview Pharrell-Produced 'Get Right' Collab During Louis Vuitton Paris Show 'Bring Me to Life,' which features vocals from Paul McCoy, was first heard in the third episode of the Nathan Fielder-led docu-comedy series' second season, which premiered May 4; it returned on the season finale (May 25). The context of the song's synch: Fielder posits that pilot Sully Sullenberger could have been listening to the track, No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003, while he landed a plane in the Hudson River (the Miracle on the Hudson) in 2009. In May 2025, 'Bring Me to Life' earned 22.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams and sold 3,000 downloads, according to Luminate. It returned to Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart twice, paced by an appearance at No. 6 on the May 17-dated ranking. 'Bring Me to Life' reigns on Top TV Songs over Stevie Nicks' 'Edge of Seventeen,' which enters at No. 2 after a synch in Will Trent that aired May 13. It was heard in the final episode of the third season of the ABC drama (with a fourth on the way, as it was renewed in April). One of Nicks' definitive solo tunes, 'Edge of Seventeen,' which peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100 in 1982, earned 10.5 million streams and 2,000 downloads in May 2025. The latest Top TV Songs also features three songs each from the premiere seasons of Netflix's Sirens and Amazon Prime Video's The Better Sister. Sirens leads the pair thanks to the No. 3 rank of Blue Swede's 'Hooked On a Feeling' from its fifth episode (8.7 million streams, 1,000 downloads), followed by The Rolling Stones' 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' from The Better Sister at No. 5 (4.6 million streams, 1,000 downloads). See the full top 10, also featuring music from The Rookie and The Last of Us, below. Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network) 'Bring Me to Life,' Evanescence feat. Paul McCoy, The Rehearsal (HBO) 'Edge of Seventeen,' Stevie Nicks, Will Trent (ABC) 'Hooked on a Feeling,' Blue Swede, Sirens (Netflix) 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot,' Pat Benatar, The Rookie (ABC) 'You Can't Always Get What You Want,' The Rolling Stones, The Better Sister (Amazon Prime Video) 'How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),' James Taylor, Sirens (Netflix) 'Conga,' Miami Sound Machine, Sirens (Netflix) 'Werewolves of London,' Warren Zevon, The Better Sister (Amazon Prime Video) 'Magic Man,' Heart, The Better Sister (Amazon Prime Video) 'Burden in My Hand,' Soundgarden, The Last of Us (HBO) Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
