Adele brings the heartache with ‘Easy on Me’

Hello Adele, and thank you for making our weekend a little sadder (in a good way).

On Friday (Oct. 15), the British songstress finally (FINALLY) released her first new song in five years.

Titled “Easy on Me,” the song is precisely what we’ve grown to expect from the singer. The track, which was teased earlier this week, gives fans a brutally honest look at her relationship and divorce from ex-husband Simon Konecki.

Instead of giving you all a breakdown, we’re going to let you listen to the track and make up your own theories.

Check out “Easy on Me” above.

“Easy on Me” is the first single from Adele’s highly anticipated fourth album, 30. The record is due out Nov. 19. Pre-orders for the record are currently available here.

There will be several special editions of the record. The Target deluxe CD will feature three bonus tracks. Walmart will offer a clear exclusive double vinyl, and Amazon will provide a white exclusive double vinyl.

30 is the long (and we mean long) awaited follow-up to 2015’s 25.

Ed Sheeran to release ‘=’ in October

Welcome back, Ed Sheeran.

On Thursday (Aug. 19), the British musician announced the upcoming release of his fourth studio album. Titled = (Equals), the record is due out Oct. 29 through Atlantic Records. Fans have already gotten a firsthand listen to the new album with the release of its first single “Bad Habits.”

Pre-orders for the record are now available here.

“‘=’ (Equals) is a really personal record and one that means a lot to me,” explains the musician.

“My life changed greatly over the past few years – I got married, became a father, experienced loss, and I reflect on these topics over the course of the album. I see it as my coming-of-age record, and I can’t wait to share this next chapter with you.”

To coincide with the new album announcement, Sheeran has revealed the album’s tracklisting. The 14-song album will include songs about love “The Joker and the Queen,” “First Times,” “2step”), loss (“Visiting Hours”), resilience (“Can’t Stop the Rain”), and fatherhood (“Sandman,” “Leave Your Life”).

As if all of that wasn’t enough, Sheeran has also released the official performance video for the song “Visiting Hours.” The almost four-minute track finds Sheeran coming to terms with the loss of his mentor and friend, Michael Gudinski. The song was reportedly written shortly after his passing and features backing vocals from Gudinski’s close friends, Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes.

Watch the video for “Visiting Hours” above.

= is the follow-up to 2017’s ÷.

÷ TRACKLISTING

1. “Tides”

2. “Shivers”

3. “First Times”

4. “Bad Habits”

5. “Overpass Graffiti”

6. “The Joker and the Queen”

7. “Leave Your Life”

8. “Collide”

9. “2step”

10. “Stop the Rain”

11. “Love in Slow Motion”

12. “Visiting Hours”

13. “Sandman”

14. “Be Right Now”

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Weezer ‘Face the Music’ in their music video for ‘Beginning of the End’

Ready to get your weekend off to an “excellent” start? Well, Weezer is here to help you out with that.

On Friday (Aug. 14), the California-founded band unleashed their contribution to the upcoming Bill and Ted film. Titled “Beginning of the End,” Weezer not only gave fans the song, but also the accompanying music video.

The four-minute clip begins with the quartet inside of a garage, playing the song like any unknown band with a garage would do.

As the video continues, the viewer not only watches Weezer perform the song (with a wind machine mind you), they also get some new (and previously released) footage from the upcoming Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter-starring flick.

By the end of the four minutes, each member of Weezer is sporting some over-the-top attires that pretty much personify the most significant genres in music when the first Bill and Ted film was released.

Keep an eye out for a special guest appearance.

Watch the music video for “Beginning of the End” above.

“Bill & Ted Face the Music,” and its soundtrack is due out Friday, Aug. 28. The much-anticipated follow-up to the hit franchise will be available both On-Demand and in select theaters.

As for Weezer, their new album Van Weezer has been pushed back until 2021. Their 14^th studio album is due out May 2021, right before the group embarks on the massive Hella Mega summer tour with Green Day, Fall Out Boy, and The Interrupters. The rescheduled tour dates can be found here.

Miley Cyrus channels 80s synthpop in ‘Midnight Sky’

Are you craving some synth-poppy 80s goodness? Well, we may have a solution for that.

On Friday (Aug. 14), Miley Cyrus released her first new song in a year.

Titled “Midnight Sky,” the track transports you to the days when synth-pop music was all over the radio and television. Full of “nah, nah, nahs,” the almost four-minute tune gives off some serious Blondie vibes.

But that was the plan all along.

According to a press statement on behalf of the musician, the track was inspired by Blondie’s Debbie Harry, Joan Jett, and Stevie Nicks (mostly her song “Edge of Seventeen“).

According to the same press statement, “Midnight Sky” was “inspired by the past year of [Cyrus’s] life,” and that the colorful, self-directed video “takes viewers through Miley’s creative vision which displays her complete control of the narrative often told through the mouths of the media. Miley is at peace with who she is and has nothing to prove.”

“Midnight Sky” was co-written by Andrew Watt, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and Louis Bell.

Check out the music video above.

“Midnight Sky” is Cyrus’ first new song since the release of 2019’s She is Coming EP. According to some reports, her seventh studio album will be titled She is Miley Cyrus, and is due out later this year.

Previously released tracks “Mother’s Daughter” and “Slide Away” will be featured on the studio effort.

Cyrus’ last studio effort was 2017’s Younger Now.

Watch Lzzy Hale and Amy Lee rework ‘Break In’

What happens when two of rock’s biggest female singers join forces to rework one of their previously released tracks?

You get this gem.

On Friday (Aug. 7), Halestorm released a live version of their 2012 song, “Break In.” This time, the track not only features frontwoman Lzzy Hale singing the lyrics but also Evanescence’s Amy Lee.

The almost-five-minute clip features both Hale and Lee in the studio recording the track. But before you think the two musicians are violating any current regulations about distance due to the pandemic, this video was actually shot before we were all sent into lockdown.

“We recorded this duet pre-COVID-19, together in the same room, live, as a full performance from beginning to end,” Hale explains to Rolling Stone.

“Amy brought new meaning to this song, turning what was once just a love song into a statement of unity and support for each other.”

Watch the live music video for “Break In” above.

This duet version of “Break In” will be featured on Halestorm’s upcoming EP, Halestorm Reimagined.

The six-song record will feature reworked versions of some of the band’s tracks, including “I Get Off” and “I am the Fire,” as well as a cover of Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

Halestorm Reimagined is due out Aug. 14 through Atlantic Records. Pre-orders are currently available for purchase on Halestorm’s website.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion join forces for ‘WAP’

Bardi Gang, the wait is now over.

On Friday (Aug. 7), Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion unleashed their raucous new single “WAP.”

The much-anticipated new track had been teased on social media for days not only because it’s a new Cardi track, but because it’s the first time the two chart-topping MCs collaborated.

The over-four-minute track was produced by Ayo and Keyz. As for its colorful and over-the-top music video, it features a full female cast, including Normani, Kylie Jenner, Rosalía, Mulatto, Rubi Rose, and Sukihana.

Watch the music video for “WAP” above.

“WAP” marks Cardi B’s first new song since the release of 2019’s certified platinum track “Press.”

According to a post on Instagram from earlier this year, the rapper is currently in the middle of working on her sophomore effort, the follow-up to her debut Invasion of Privacy.

To coincide with the new song’s much-anticipated release, Cardi is due to appear on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 New Music Daily Radio show. During the chat, the MC will participate in an exclusive roundtable conversation between the music video’s guest stars.

And if we know anything about Cardi, we can assume that that chat will be anything but boring.

I Don’t Know How But They Found Me to release their debut album in the fall, share ‘Leave Me Alone’

Are you ready to put on your dancing shoes and rock to some 1980s synth-pop goodness?

Well, if you’re not ready to do so, let the guys from I Don’t Know How But They Found Me change your mind for you.

On Wednesday (Aug. 5), the Utah-founded act announced plans to release their debut album later this year. Titled Razzmatazz, the debut effort is due out on Oct. 16 through Fearless Records.

Pre-orders for the forthcoming effort are currently available for purchase on iDKHOW’s website.

Razzmatazz is the duo’s first official studio album and the follow-up to their debut EP, 1981 Extended Play.

Last Christmas, they gifted their fans a Christmas EP titled Christmas Drag, which included a cover of Slade’s “Merry Christmas Everybody.”

To coincide with the debut album announcement, the two-piece unveiled the record’s lead single, a bop-worthy track titled “Leave Me Alone.”

The almost-four-minute track sounds like a song that somehow made it through times and space from the 80s and landed in our laps in 2020.

But that’s the whole point of the group according to head honcho Dallon Weekes.

“The original concept for presenting iDKHOW publicly was that it was a band from 30-plus years ago that never really got their chance, and was just forgotten about over time,” Weekes explains.

“I never want to do the exact same thing twice. But rather than just throw that initial idea away, I thought it would be more fun to twist it and instead pull back the curtain a little more.”

He adds: “The idea now [is] that the timeline from this forgotten band doesn’t really add up when you look closely and that something more sinister is going on. Which is almost certainly true with any given band or pop star you may be a fan of. You see the story they give you. It may not necessarily be the truth, but it’s something shiny to look at and listen to while they take your money. That good old-fashioned razzmatazz.”

Well, don’t just take our word (or Weekes’) for it. Listen to “Leave Me Alone” above.