Latest news with #GirlCrush
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Huge band forced to pull out of awards as star left battling illness
The Academy of Country Music Awards was thrown into chaos at the last minute when a singer was forced to pull out with their bandmate revealing she'd fallen ill A huge singer was forced to pull out of The Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday. Sugarland had been due to take to the stage but it later ermeged that things had dramatically been switched up at the last minute. Sugarland had taken to social media just one day before the prestigious event to share their excitement ahead of the awards ceremony as they encouraged fans to tune in on Prime Video. However, it emerged that the band wouldn't be on stage and were replaced at the last minute by Little Big Town who performed their track Girl Crush, originally released in 2014. But the decision didn't go unnoticed by fans who instantly took to social media to share their confusion. "I need to know- what song were you going to sing?! Missed you tonight," said one follower. A second went on to add: "Wait, Little Big Town sang instead?" asked a second. Another took to X, formerly known as Twitter commenting: "Watching the #ACMawards solely to see Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) perform and Little Big Town takes their place." "I think Little Big Town replaced Sugarland on the ACMs. It looks like Jennifer didn't make it, only Kristian is there," said another. Sugarland, consisting of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush had also been scheduled to present the Duo of the Year award but only one half of the duo took to the stage. Kristian presented the gong to Brooks & Dunn. Explaining Jennifer's absence, he said: "I was supposed to be presenting this ACM Award for Duo of the Year with my amazing partner Jennifer Nettles. Sadly, she got sick this morning, proving that when it comes to duos, it really does take two. "Jennifer, I love you, we love you, feel better soon." The comments instantly prompted an outpouring of support from fans, with one sharing on social media: "Get Well Soon @jennifernettles." A second typed: "@jennifernettles hope you feel better soon. You were missed!!" Jennifer is yet to comment on her illness. Before their scheduled performance, the duo teased that they were planning on "going all out" and fans "won't want to miss" their set. But it appears that there's no love lost between the band as Sugarland and Little Big Town joined forces last year at the CMT Music Awards for a performance of the Phil Collins hit, Take Me Home. They later went on to release the track as a single on the same day. Elsewhere, they co-headlined a tour, the Take Me Home Tour, which ran between October 24 and December 13 of last year. At the awards, Lainey Wilson took home the top prize of Entertainer Of The Year for the second year in a row. And that was after she cleaned house, taking home trophies for both female artist and album of the year. "I really do have the best fans in the world," she said in her final acceptance speech, admitting to experiencing impostor syndrome. "I dreamed about entertaining. ... Country music has given me more than I deserve."
USA Today
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'American Idol': Teen blows Lionel Richie away from his desk and a Netflix star auditions
'American Idol': Teen blows Lionel Richie away from his desk and a Netflix star auditions Show Caption Hide Caption David Archuleta says Lady Gaga butt-dialed him at 3 a.m. Archuleta reveals he got an early look at Lady Gaga's breakout hit "Just Dance" while recording his debut, "Crush," and once got a butt dial from her. Entertain This! As "American Idol" wrapped auditions this week, Sunday's episode was replete with teens whose talent belies their age — but light on performances that made you go "wow." Kaleo Knight, a 16-year-old high schooler from Los Angeles, made a big swing by taking on "Dreamgirls," and it paid off. She received a standing ovation and quite the compliment from Luke Bryan: It's probably the best 16-year-old voice we've heard in this competition," he said. Sixteen-year-old Lexi "loud mouth" Tieffel was also sent through to Hollywood Week (which begins Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC) for her rendition of "Girl Crush" (which we're left to assume was adequate, as there was hardly any footage of it), and 18-year-old Zaylie Windsor squeaked by with an endorsement from Carrie Underwood for the "Taylor Swift-esque quality" in her original song. Catch up on last week: Brian Wilson's granddaughter sings with Wilson Phillips in family performance The most impressive showing from week four of auditions was an aspiring preacher with a voice so powerful it blew Lionel Richie away from the judges' desk. And he was only 17, too. Here are the highlights from "American Idol" Episode 4. Canaan James Hill earned Season 23's final platinum ticket Canaan James Hill, 17, graduated early from high school and is on a fast track to making his dreams come true. The content creator from Dallas, who's been "getting into preaching" recently, leaned heavily into his gospel background. With a sizable cross necklace front and center, he told the judges he's from "a gospel family" and is here doing "what god has called and chosen me to do." In singing gospel musician Earnest Pugh's "I Need Your Glory," Canaan took the judges on a vocal journey, starting soft and crescendoing into a full belt that made Richie push his chair away from the desk in incredulity before he excitedly jumped out of his seat. "I had to sit back here to listen!" he later exclaimed. "That was something so spectacular I can't even describe what I heard." Meanwhile, Bryan chimed in, "I ain't seen anything like it, Lionel." A "speechless" Underwood noted the Canaan did not "give off the air of a 17-year-old" with his poise, confidence and maturity. Not only did Canaan draw out three enthusiastic yeses from the trio, he also inspired Richie to journey across the room and pluck a platinum ticket from a wall covered with lighting elements (has that always been there, taunting the singers?). Thankfully, Bryan succeeded where Richie failed to unearth it from the recess in the wall, and the 17-year-old was presented with the ticket that will keep him safe through the first week in Hollywood. A standout from last week: Contestant mourns dad Davis McClendon after hit-and-run murder Wait, is that Netflix star Kariselle auditioning for 'Idol?' In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, dating and/or competition show fans might have noticed what seemed to be a familiar face. Around half an hour into the episode — in between auditions from Patrick Swayze-meets-Scotty McCreery singer Gabe James and Lexi Tieffel — a woman who appeared to be Kariselle Snow (of "Perfect Match," "Sexy Beasts" and "Are You the One?" fame) briefly appeared in a segment about silly nicknames. (Underwood's, for the record, was "Scary Underwear.") We heard nothing from her other than her unique name, which is a missed opportunity because the reality TV veteran and aspiring singer sounds quite good on Instagram. USA TODAY reached out to Snow and "Idol" reps for confirmation. 'I've never seen Carrie smile this much' If "Idol" could have molded an ideal contestant, it would've been 20-year-old Landynn Kennedy. He has a devastating backstory of overcoming obstacles, and he has talent, but not too much of it. Just enough to know he's good but can grow into something great throughout the competition. The caretaker from Kingstree, South Carolina, revealed he and his siblings were "left there to perish" at a hotel when they were young and have been raised by their adopted parents, Warren and Jennifer Kennedy. But then mom Jennifer died when Landynn was 13 years old. However, as he delivered one of the more popular audition song choices, Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me," Jennifer was right there with him on a pendant hanging around his neck. And perhaps in spirit, too. From the first word, Landynn's voice came out clear and strong. There were a few imperfections, but also some impressive riffs showcasing his unique take on the '90s song. And that's what makes "Idol" fun. Contestants like him can be shaped − by celebrity mentors, fellow contestants and the judges — into a more fully-formed musical artist. "You have so much raw talent," Underwood told Landynn. "I feel like you would be one that would be a lot of fun to watch grow in a competition like this." Noting the few hiccups, she added: "Don't worry too much about coming off the notes or doing runs. … just throw it out there." Bryan loved that Landynn was "singing from a real place" of life experience. With three yeses, the 20-year-old was headed to a "fabulous place" called Hollywood, Richie announced. Who received platinum tickets on 'American Idol' 2025? Canaan was granted the final remaining ticket. Before him, Filo and Kolbi Jordan were issued the upgraded ticket to Hollywood (and, unfortunately for Canaan, in grander fashion). Who got a ticket to Hollywood in Episode 4? The judges sent through a horde of contestants in the final auditions round, though we didn't properly see many of the performances.
Euronews
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Spotify opens up its Stockholm studio as Singles programme hits 10 billion streams
The Spotify Singles programme from the Swedish music streaming service has hit 10 billion streams. First launched in 2016, Spotify Singles is the firm's longest-running original music recording franchise and has featured more than 750 artists and created over 1,000 recordings. 'We are thrilled to have reached the 10 billion stream milestone for Spotify Singles. Since 2016, the program has been an outlet for hundreds of artists to express themselves, engage their fans with new music, and connect with new listeners around the world,' said Bryan Johnson, International Head of Artist and Industry Partnerships at Spotify. Since the creation of Spotify Singles, the number one most streamed song is Harry Styles' cover of Little Big Town's 'Girl Crush', followed by Luke Combs' cover of Ed Sheeran's 'Drive', and Lewis Capaldi's cover of Billie Eilish's 'when the party's over'. As the repertoire has expanded across 750 artists, the Spotify Singles sessions have spanned genres including jazz, hip-hop and country, and has had artists from Mexico, Korea, India and Japan. The sessions have also produced record-breakers outside of the Spotify platform. Swedish singer-songwriter Snoh Aalegra's cover of Bobby Caldwell's 1978 classic 'What You Won't Do For Love' – retitled as 'Do 4 Love' – was the first Spotify Single to be nominated for a Grammy Award. Recorded at the Spotify Studios in New York City, the first musician to release music through Spotify Singles was Icelandic rock band Kaleo. Since then, Spotify added more studios in the US and Europe, opening a Stockholm Studio in 2018. To celebrate hitting the 10 billion stream milestone, Spotify is opening up the Stockholm studio for artists across Europe to participate in the Singles programme from today. Previously, the Stockholm studio played host to exclusively Nordic acts. Kicking off the sessions, Italian band Måneskin's singer Damiano David used the Stockholm to record a cover of the Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus track 'Nothing Breaks Like A Heart' from 2018. 'By opening up our award-winning Stockholm studio to artists, including emerging artists from all over Europe, we plan to enable even more beneficiaries of the program, while encouraging new opportunities for creative collaboration,' Johnson said. Federica Tremolada, General Manager Europe at Spotify, said: 'This isn't just about having another recording space; it's a symbol of our dedication to the rich tapestry of creative diversity and the spirit of collaboration that thrives across Europe.' 'We believe that these values are the engines of economic growth, social unity, and cultural exchange. By opening up our Stockholm studio to artists all over Europe – commemorating our 10 billion stream milestone – we're reaffirming Spotify's enduring commitment to nurturing talent from Europe and beyond, giving artists the power to make a living from their art and share it with the world,' Tremolada added.
