The Grammy winner stayed on his feet as a parade of artists performed his hits — Childish Gambino kicked it off with “U Don’t Have to Call,” joined by Keke Palmer, who took the lead on “You Make Me Wanna…” Coco Jones appeared in the audience for a sultry rendition of “There Goes My Baby,” serenading Usher and his wife Jenn Goicoechea.

Summer Walker hit the stage for “Good Good,” Tinashe did “Nice & Slow,” Marsha Ambrosius tackled “Superstar” and Chlöe performed “Good Kisser.” Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monét teamed up for “Bad Girl,” mirroring Usher and Beyoncé’s choreography from their performance of the song. Latto brought the energy for “Yeah!” In some ways, the homage underscored the women that carried much of the night — dominating the performances.

After introductions by Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, Usher accepted the award from music executive L.A. Reid.

“Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it,” Usher began his lengthy speech, reflecting on his career, which has spanned over three decades. He questioned the timing, saying, “I’m still running and gunning and I still love this (expletive) like I did when I was 8 years old,” he said.

Much of his speech couldn’t be heard to audiences at home because it was censored.

“I forgive each and every person who had anything to say negative about me because it only motivated me to be who I am,” he said at one point.

Earlier in the night, Will Smith stood in a circle of fire — joined by Fridayy and the gospel choir Sunday Service — to make the live debut of his latest single, “You Can Make It.”

“I don’t know who needs this right now,” Smith opened his set. “But I am here to tell you, you can make it.”

Mid-way through, Kirk Franklin joined, and then two rapped together. “Nobody gets an easy ride,” Smith, who is in the midst of his comeback from slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars two years ago, told the room. “There is wisdom in that fire. Dance in your darkest moments.”

The forthcoming presidential election was a huge topic of conversation throughout the show. After Childish Gambino presented Killer Mike with the album of the year award for “Michael,” the rapper used his acceptance speech to address his Grammys arrest and voting.

“Technically, I was not supposed to be here. I was put in handcuffs, and I was marched out of this building. But I want to tell you, look at God. ’Cause I’m back, baby. I’m back and I’m winning,” he said in his speech. Killer Mike was arrested at the Grammys earlier this year over a physical altercation he said was caused by an “over-zealous” security guard; he was not charged over the incident.

“They going to tell you who we vote for is important,” he continued his speech, “And it is who we vote for on the big stage. It’s important, but it’s more important you know who your city council person is, who your prosecutor is.”

Megan Thee Stallion opened the show by emerging from an egg — a metaphor for her a new musical rebirth — before diving into with an energetic medley of her new singles “Hiss” and “Boa.”

“BET, Where my girls at?” she said, shouting out Monét and Jones in the crowd before launching into “Where Them Girls At” — a track that’s been an immediate fan favorite since Friday’s release of her third studio album, “Megan.”

Taraji P. Henson hosted the show at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Her opening monologue was a performance, Henson rapping “It’s about us,” in a loose parody of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which he released in the midst of his reignited feud with Drake.

“No beef in here tonight,” she joked, “Can we say plant-based?”

Tyla, the Johannesburg , South African amapiano superstar, won two honors on the show, starting with best international act.

Later in the night, she’d take home the award for best new artist. “This is crazy,” she said. “I just want to dedicate this one to Africa.”

Monét, who earlier this year won the Grammy for best new artist, made her BET debut and set a high bar for performances, condensing a full set into a few mins with three costume changes and a pair of songs, “On My Mama” and “Alright.”

Then Sexyy Red took the stage, performing her smooth bedroom ballad “U My Everything” before moving to another stage and a costume change — tackling “Get It Sexyy” in front of an LED screen depicting the White House and dancers dressed like the Secret Service.

The show took a tonal shift when VanVan and Heiress Harris, two child rappers, their empowerment anthem “Be You” in a school room set. Harris is the daughter of rapper T.I. and singer Tiny Harris.

Best female R&B/pop artist went to SZA and best actress to Regina King, both of whom were not in attendance; the BET HER award went to Monét for “On My Mama.” She brought her mother up to accept it.

Country musician Tanner Adell brought her “Buckle Bunny” and her new song, “Cowboy Break My Heart.” GloRilla emerged from above, descending to join her dancers for “Yeah Glo!” and “Wanna Be” — the latter of which saw a surprise appearance from Megan Thee Stallion. Shaboozey kept the country coming with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and was joined by rapper J-Kwon, who appears on the track, creating an unexpected and rewarding collaboration across genres.

Lauryn Hill closed the night, beginning with “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” going into “Lost Ones,” before introducing her son YG Marley for his reggae tracks “Survival” and “Praise Jah In The Moonlight.” Best of all: Wyclef Jean appeared, and the trio — in front of a full-band — performed Fugees’ “Fu-Gee-La.” Pras, the third member of Fugees, was not present. The rapper, who was accused in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning two presidencies, was convicted in April.

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Fifty-five years later, the two longtime friends finally got back to the garden, but this time in high style.

The women, now 76, were recently treated to a two-bedroom glamping tent at the upstate New York site equipped with comfy beds, a shower, a coffee maker and Wi-Fi. No mud from drenching rains this time. They sat in pavilion seats to watch shows by Woodstock veterans John Fogerty and Roger Daltrey.

“We’re like hippie queens!” Grant joked over breakfast during the trip earlier this month.

The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the not-for-profit organization that runs the site, rolled out the tie-dyed carpet for Grant and Shelburne to promote its new glamping facilities and to delve deeper into Shelburne’s trove of photos from the generation-defining festival held Aug. 15-18, 1969.

The once-trampled hillside by the main stage is now a manicured green space near a Woodstock-and-’60s-themed museum and the concert pavilion. But the return visit still bought back a flood of memories. Shelburne was able to retrace the steps she took as a 21-year-old college student in the photos taken by her then-boyfriend, and future husband, David Shelburne.

“I’m looking at this person in the photograph, who is me, but a person just starting out in life at that age. And now I’m looking back at sort of bookends of my life,” Ellen Shelburne said. “All these decades later, I’m back at Woodstock and it just brings it all up in such a positive way.”

Grant and Shelburne did not know each other in August 1969 and they attended the concert separately.

Shelburne came from Columbus, Ohio, with David Shelburne, his best friend and another woman. They purchased tickets, got there early and bought ponchos at a local store after rain was forecast. She slept in a pup tent.

“I was never cold, wet, hungry, muddy, dirty, uncomfortable or miserable,” she said. “It was the total opposite.”

Grant went to Woodstock on a lark.

A long-haired surfer she knew named Ray came up to her and a friend on a beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and said, “There’s this music festival happening in New York. You want to hitchhike up there with me?” Grant’s friend dropped out along the way, but she and the surfer made it to the town of Bethel. The last driver dropped them off at the edge of the epic traffic jam outside the festival and gave them a blanket.

Grant walked the last several miles to Woodstock barefoot.

Both women were wowed by Jimi Hendrix, The Who and other musical acts, but also by the good vibes from the 400,000 or more people who converged on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm some 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

“If we needed food, someone gave us food. Someone gave us water. We needed nothing,” Grant said.

The two women met months later in Columbus, where they each ran shops adjacent to Ohio State University with the men they went to Woodstock with. And they each married their concert companions, though Grant got a divorce several years later.

David and Ellen Shelburne ran a film and video production company together until he died four years ago. Grant moved to Florida and eventually became a chef on mega-yachts before starting her own business providing crews for those big boats.

Each woman kept a spark of the Woodstock spirit. Shelburne said she’s “stuck in the ’60s and proud of it.” They got the bug to return to the festival site last year after providing oral histories in Columbus to curators for the Museum at Bethel Woods.

Just like in 1969, the women were provided what they needed during their recent long weekend of peace, love and nostalgia — though this time it was a “Luxury 2 Bedroom Safari Tent” with a front deck and the shower in a bathroom. And when it rained this time, they were able to stay dry in the museum.

On a sunny Saturday, Bethel Woods senior curator Neal Hitch drove the women around in a golf cart to explore the spots where David Shelburne shot his festival photos. Unlike others who focused their cameras on the stage, he documented festivalgoers camping, swimming, selling goods, relaxing and having fun. Hitch noted that David Shelburne’s images also are valuable because they are in sequence, meaning they tell a story.

At one stop, Shelburne stood by a tree line as she held a photo of a field full of campers. She was standing on the spot where her late husband took the photograph and was looking at the same field, minus the campers, 55 years later. Visibly moved, she said “oh” a few times and let out a deep breath before exclaiming, “Wow!”

It broke her heart that her husband is not in the photographs, but she felt his presence that weekend.

The women ranged across the festival site over several days, from the stage area to the woods where vendors had set up stalls. Despite the changes — the luxury tents, the fences, the museum — the women said they recognized the same mellow, friendly vibes here that they experienced as 21-year-olds.

And they were thrilled to immerse themselves in it again decades later.

“It’s very wonderful to see that it’s in history forever,” Grant said, “and we’re a part of that.”

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The appearance of the rapper in support of Keys’ musical “Hell’s Kitchen” led to a boost of excitement inside the arena but it now appears it was a piece of Hollywood trickery, undercutting the Broadway communities’ full-throated embrace of live singing and dancing.

A representative from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and a producer at White Cherry Entertainment did not return messages seeking clarification on what happened Sunday night. A senior publicist for the telecast also did not return requests for comment on Monday.

“Hell’s Kitchen,” which won two awards Sunday night — for star Maleah Joi Moon and Kecia Lewis, who plays her mentor — is loosely based on Keys’ years growing up in that Manhattan neighborhood and contains old hits and new songs from the singer-songwriter. Keys is a producer but doesn’t appear in the show. The show ends with a rousing edition of “Empire State of Mind.”

Each best new musical nominee at the Tony Awards gets a slot performing and “Hell’s Kitchen” was first, with the cast playing a medley of songs — including her hit “Fallin’” — from the show.

Then Keys appeared at the piano on the stage of the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center and began singing her and Jay-Z’s 2009 smash. She soon got up and went down the steps of the stage and into the orchestra seat section and out the side of the auditorium — “Had to do something crazy. It’s my hometown,” she explained to the crowd — moments later apparently joining the rapper on some of the venue’s marble steps to wild applause. “Brooklyn, New York City in the Tonys tonight!” Jay-Z signed-off at the end.

The audience and media was inside the auditorium and no photos have surfaced of the two performers live. A version of the two finishing the song was beamed to the TV audience and a video screen inside the venue. Keys wore the same outfit she was wearing onstage. Jay-Z was never spotted entering the packed auditorium.

While some parts of the Tony telecast are pre-taped — technical awards handed out before the show, some advertising packages and often segments from the top nominated plays — the strong feeling is that the musical performances are what audiences will see when they come to Broadway, with no trickery.

New York Magazine first reported that the segment had been pre-taped.

The post That cool Tony Awards moment when Jay-Z joined Alicia Keys? Turns out it wasn’t live appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

Best known as one-half of the country super-duo Florida Georgia Line, Kelley will release a solo album, “Tennessee Truth,” on Friday. It is a collection of 12 anthemic country songs ripe for a road trip and tailgate in equal measure.

For “Tennessee Truth,” produced by Dan Huff, Kelley says he aimed to “dive into the music I grew up on — obviously the music I love and themes of just country living, rural living, hard work, good times, outdoors, love,” he told The Associated Press from his home in Nashville.

Good songwriting, Kelley says, is a lot like fishing — you need patience. “I wrote probably over 100 songs for this record.”

Eight of the 12 songs on the album were written by Kelley, and he worked with whomever he could on others, trying to get outside his comfort zone. “Every song gets you to the next song,” he says.

“I think it’s a fun record,” he says, adding that the creative process was dependent on these tracks translating live.

Geography still plays a prominent role in the music Kelley makes. Throughout “Tennessee Truth” are beaches in Florida, farms in Nashville, his wife’s family farm in Georgia. Hunting, sitting on the porch drinking sweet tea and eating peanuts, conversations with loved ones — that’s the kind of life he hopes comes across on the album. “Just being free,” he says.

Fans looking for more coastal country from Kelley — like what was found on his pandemic album, “Sunshine State of Mind,” released in 2020 — will want to skip over to “10 O’clock on the Dot.”

“It was a passion project,” he says of “Sunshine State.” “It was supposed to just be its own little thing.”

Kelley says he also made that record with the thought that he would record solo and with Florida Georgia Line. “I made it with a sonic respect to what we were, what we had done and what we had built. So, I didn’t want to tread on anything even close to that, out of respect, you know?”

He says he considers “Tennessee Truth” his true solo debut.

In 2022, Florida Georgia Line embarked on an indefinite hiatus. At that point, the duo of Kelley and Tyler Hubbard had been together more than a decade, and whether you were a fan of their bro country sound or not, their music ( “Cruise,” “Meant to Be,” “Round Here”) set the tone for a generation of country fans. The following year, Hubbard released a self-titled debut solo record.

“I’m thankful that (Brian) had the courage to step into this new space and to make that decision that ultimately kind of pushed me to make the same decision and lead me to where I’m at now,” Hubbard told AP at the time. “I had quite a few people tell me that it couldn’t be done and that I should definitely continue with FGL, and it sort of lit a spark in me, a fire.”

The closing song on “Tennessee Truth” is the feisty “Kiss My Boots,” which features Kelley delivering vinegary lyrics like: “Want the world to know that you did me wrong / I don’t know how you act sweet, after how you did me / Here’s a middle finger to you through a song.” Some fans theorize it is a direct message to Hubbard.

“I’ve read some of that, too,” Kelley says, adding that he understands people might make associations in order to find meaning in the song.

“But at the end of the day,” he says, the song means a lot of different things for his collaborators, “And it really means a lot of different things for me.

“I really put that song out because I wanted people to know that I’m a real human, and I’m not just some face on social media or some somebody that’s had some success,” he adds. “You know, I’ve been through hard times in my life.”

But could there be a reunion on the horizon?

“The old saying is, ‘Tell God your plans and he’ll laugh,’” he says. “So, I have no idea. I really don’t know what the future holds. I know that I’m really focused on what I’m doing now, and I’m really proud of … the work that I put in.”

—

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Over a decade ago, the pair collaborated on a few songs: On Drake’s 2011 track “Buried Alive Interlude,” on Lamar’s 2012 release “Poetic Justice,” and on A$AP Rocky’s “(Expletive) ’ Problems” that same year.

That didn’t last very long. In 2013, Pulitzer Prize winner Lamar was featured on Big Sean’s “Control,” in which he called out a slew of contemporary rappers including Drake, J. Cole, Meek Mill, Pusha T, A$AP Rocky, Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Pusha T and even Big Sean among them.

“I got love for you all, but I’m trying to murder you,” he rapped. “Trying to make sure your core fans never heard of you.”

Drake responded in a Billboard cover story, saying “I know good and well that Kendrick’s not murdering me, at all, in any platform.” Shortly afterward, at the 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards, Lamar took another jab at Drake.

Over the next few years, the rappers launched disses at each other with less frequency. Drake had other beefs with other performers, like Meek Mill in 2015, and most infamously Pusha T in 2018, where the latter rapper dropped “The Story of Adidon,” revealing Drake is a father.

In October 2023, J. Cole perhaps accidentally reignited the beef on “First Person Shooter” with Drake. He rapped “Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me?” referencing Lamar and Drake’s birth name, Aubrey Graham. “We the big three like we started a league / but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali.”

Which brings us to the current moment. Here’s a timeline of the developments in recent weeks — it should be noted that diss tracks between rappers often include exaggerated truths and unsubstantiated rumors for dramatic effect, and that police have not said the feud led to Tuesday’s shooting.

March 22: Lamar disses Drake on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That”
“The big three,” Lamar raps, referencing J. Cole’s boast. “It’s just big me.”

He references Drake’s 2023 album “For All the Dogs,” and also compares himself to Prince and Drake to Michael Jackson: “Prince outlived Mike Jack.”

J. Cole soon releases a response, “7 Minute Drill,” but quickly apologizes for it onstage at his Dreamville Festival in Raleigh, N.C.

April 13: Drake’s “Push Ups” leaks
Drake’s response is leaked and later premiered by DJ Akademiks. “You ain’t in no Big Three, SZA got you wiped down, Travis got you wiped down, Savage got you wiped down,” he raps about Lamar.

It also assumed Drake takes aim at Future, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross and The Weeknd — Ross releases a response track shortly afterward.

April 24: Drake responds with a second, AI-assisted diss track, “Taylor Made Freestyle”
Drake’s second diss track used artificial intelligence technology to include verses from Tupac and Snoop Dogg, two of Lamar’s influences. In his own verse, Drake accuses Lamar of delaying his response track because of the imminent release of Taylor Swift ‘s “The Tortured Poets Department.” (Lamar collaborated with Swift on “Bad Blood.”)

Tupac’s estate threatened to sue Drake in response, so he removed the song from his social channels.

Snoop Dogg responded to the news in a video on Instagram. “They did what? When? How? Are you sure?” he said. “I’m going back to bed. Good night.”

April 30: Lamar hits back with a nearly six-and-a-half-minute track, “Euphoria”
This is where it gets more complicated. Lamar’s “Euphoria” hits like an opus, unleashing a slew of allegations against Drake. He comes after Drake’s skills as a rapper, use of AI, appearance, racial identity, and parenting.

“I got a son to raise, but I can see you know nothin’ ’bout that,” Lamar raps.

The title is a reference to the HBO series “Euphoria,” of which Drake is an executive producer.

Lamar teases that he’ll go “back-to-back” with his tracks.

May 3: Lamar drops a follow-up, “6:16 in LA”
In Lamar’s next diss, titled after a time and location like Drake is wont to do, Lamar targets the company Drizzy keeps. “Have you ever thought that OVO was working for me? / Fake bully, I hate bullies,” he raps, referencing Drake’s record label. “You must be a terrible person / Everyone inside your team is whispering that you deserve it.”

According to Billboard, the song was produced by Sounwave and Jack Antonoff — the latter notably Swift’s longtime producer. It also samples Al Green’s “What a Wonderful Thing Love Is,” on which one of Drake’s relatives played guitar.

May 3: Drake launches “Family Matters”
Drake hits back with a music video and a nearly eight-minute response, in which he alleges abuse and infidelity in Lamar’s relationship with his fiancee.

May 4: Lamar responds with “Meet the Grahams”
Almost immediately afterward, Lamar releases “Meet the Grahams,” which begins with the rapper addressing Drake’s son: “I’m sorry that man is your father.” Lamar also addresses Drake’s parents, and “a baby girl,” alleging that Drake has a secret daughter.

He also labels Drake a “predator,” without elaborating.

May 4: Less than 24 hours later, Lamar drops “Not Like Us”
Hours later, Lamar doubles down, releasing “Not Like Us,” produced by DJ Mustard.

“Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young / You better not ever go to cell block one,” Lamar raps.

May 5: Drake softens his blows on “The Heart Part 6”
Referencing Lamar’s “The Heart” series, Drake drops “The Heart Part 6” in response. In the song, which samples Aretha Franklin’s “Prove It,” Drake challenges Lamar’s allegations, doubles down on his own against him, and says that he does not have a secret daughter.

He sounds notably lethargic on the song — potentially taking a final bow with verses like, “You know, at least your fans are gettin’ some raps out of you / I’m happy I could motivate you.”

The post Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s feud — the biggest beef in recent rap history — explained appeared first on The Florida Daily Post.

What many believe to be the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in the world showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon as they kicked off their latest tour Sunday night at Houston’s NRG Stadium.

The Stones have been touring for more than 60 years. Frontman Mick Jagger and lead guitarist Keith Richards are both 80, with guitarist Ronnie Wood not far behind at 76. Their tour is being sponsored in part by AARP.

But during a vibrant two-hour show, the Stones played with the energy of band that was on tour for the first time.

“It’s great to be back in the Lone Star State,” Jagger told the packed stadium, filled with longtime fans, many wearing faded concert shirts from previous tours.

Jagger often strutted up and down the stage with seemingly boundless energy while Richards and Wood played many familiar guitar riffs beloved by fans. Jagger often led the audience in sing-alongs.

“The energy level is up and it’s always up with them. The age doesn’t show,” Dale Skjerseth, the Stones’ production director, said Friday before the concert.

The Stones have hit the road to support the release of their latest album, “Hackney Diamonds,” the band’s first record of original music since 2005.

Houston was the first stop on the band’s 16-city tour across the U.S. and Canada. Other cities on the tour include New Orleans, Philadelphia and Vancouver, British Columbia. The tour ends on July 17 in Santa Clara, California.

During Sunday’s 18-song concert set list, the Stones played several tracks off the new record, including lead single “Angry.” They also played classics including “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Gimmer Shelter,” Honky Tonk Women” and “Start Me Up.”

After playing “Beast of Burden,” Jagger said that concertgoers in Houston had voted to include it on the set list.

“You can’t go wrong with that,” one man in the audience could be heard screaming.

The Stones also played some unexpected choices, including “Rocks Off,” from their 1972 double album “Exile on Main St.” and “Out of Time,” a 1966 song that Jagger said during the concert had not ever been played by the band in the U.S.

With the 2021 death of drummer Charlie Watts, the Stones are now comprised of the core trio of Jagger, Richards and Wood. On Sunday, they were backed by various musicians including two keyboardists, a new drummer, backup singers and a brass section.

While the stage was surrounded by a large collection of video screens projecting images throughout the show, the main focus of the concert was the band and their songs

Before Sunday’s concert, Jagger spent time on Friday touring NASA’s Johnson Space Center in suburban Houston, posting photos on his Instagram account of him with astronauts inside Mission Control.

“I had an amazing trip to the space center,” Jagger said.

When asked if the band might be thinking about retiring, Skjerseth said he doubts that will happen.

“This is not the end. They’re very enthused,” he said.

—

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Their 15th studio album, “Nonetheless,” comes Friday — 40 years (and 50 million record sales) after Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe rose to fame with the single “West End Girls.” Bands of any longevity — especially such a long one — are often asked the cliche: “How do you stay relevant?” For them, it’s about never trying to be cool.

“That’s something a lot of people try and do, to be somehow cool, which is therefore completely uncool, because it’s trying too hard,” Tennant told The Associated Press recently. “So we have just followed our own instincts.”

“We’ll always be relevant in our world,” Lowe added, laughing.

A testament of that relevance? Classic Pet Shop Boys hits were used as plot points in two cult movies last year: a karaoke scene in “Saltburn” featuring “Rent” and a key Christmas scene in “All of Us Strangers” soundtracked by “Always on My Mind.”

This is worlds away from Hollywood past, where, Tennant says, “It’s a Sin” was always overused for the young guy walking into a gay club “reducing us to this sort of cliche of gay disco.”

“Nonetheless” remains upbeat despite being written in the U.K. during the coronavirus pandemic, when most people were locked down at home.

“Well, the weather was nice, wasn’t it?” Lowe jokes.

“It was a very productive time,” Tennant adds, noting that the cancellation of their tour eased the pressure.

“I think that’s why it sounds in a way quite optimistic, because life was different. It was a different sort of life with no pressure, apart from not trying to catch the virus,” he says.

The first single, “Loneliness,” addresses the social isolation of the pandemic but was written as a positive message. Another lockdown-themed track, “Why Am I Dancing?” was Tennant asking himself: “Why are you enjoying this situation of being by yourself so much so that you can actually dance?”

“And I’m probably cooking at the same time,” he is quick to add.

“Cooking and dancing, now that’s a little podcast idea, isn’t it?” Lowe jokes.

And while Lowe says he’d be popping a ready-made pie in the oven, Tennant would be making dal, brown rice and vegetables or a chicken Kiev.

“You’ve got a good story for that,” Tennant says, looking to his bandmate.

“I wrote to (U.K. supermarket) Marks & Spencer… asking them to change the spelling of chicken Kiev to chicken Kyiv because of the war,” Lowe says. They did eventually change it.

Despite living through big changes in the way music is consumed, the band remain philosophical. Despite new ways of listening and discovering music, “music is still music.”

And when it comes to Spotify, while Lowe says it has helped him discover a lot of new music, both hate the app’s recommendations.

“With us, The Pet Shop Boys, it will say, ‘If you like this, you might like Duran Duran,’ so it thinks you’re all ‘80s,” Tennant explains. “And if you’re us you say: ‘You might like Years and Years electronic pop music or Kraftwerk from before us.’”

“Sometimes they might just think, ‘Well you’re gay so you might like Boy George because he’s gay as well.’ It’s very, very stupid,” he says.

Pet Shop Boys will perform five special performances at London’s Royal Opera House in July, but please don’t run to the front of the stage and then turn your back for a selfie.

“I just deliberately move out the way. Sorry to be a spoilsport but I find it really, really rude,” Tennant says.

Cellphone users aren’t all bad for business though.

“You now know when something is working because all the phones come out,” Tennant explains.

“Cigarette lighters are replaced with phones for a ballad it looks really quite gorgeous, it’s really quite moving,” he adds.

Artificial intelligence is changing the industry, but the band doesn’t have any plans to use it anytime soon — well, at least not in its music.

When their publicist called for a quote on the album for a press release, they turned to ChatGPT, which described the album as “a celebration of the unique and diverse emotions that make us human.” They went with it.

“It’s a great quote” Tennant admits. “We sort of agree with it. We normally make some flippant remark, whereas ChatGPT gave us this very earnest description which is actually accurate.”

—

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The band was launching a tour, and despite doing all he could do to be vocally ready, the “Livin’ on a Prayer” singer struggled through songs and couldn’t hit the notes the way he used to.

Critics noticed and wrote about it. A review from Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minnesota, said: “It felt like he had forgotten how to sing.”

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Bon Jovi said the reaction at the time was “heartbreaking.” After exhausting holistic options, he saw a doctor who said one of his vocal cords was atrophying.

“This was unique. It wasn’t a nodule. The strong (vocal cord) was pushing the weak one around, and suddenly, my inabilities were just exacerbated,” said Bon Jovi. He underwent major surgery and is still recovering.

“Every day is sort of like doing curls with weights and just getting them both to be the same size and to function together.”

This year has been a turning point. In February, he performed for an audience for the first time since his surgery at the MusiCares Person of the Year benefit gala where he was also named Person of The Year. The band’s next album, “Forever” hits stores June 7, and its first single “Legendary” is out now. The four-part, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” debuts Friday on Hulu.

In a Q&A, Bon Jovi talks about his voice, his famous hair, the music industry and his work ethic.

Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

The work you put in behind-the-scenes is like a quarterback in between football games. Are you still rehearsing at that intensity, and how are you now?
BON JOVI: I’m doing great. The record was easy to do. The process has been steady. Would I like it to be a light switch? Yeah. I said to the doctor, ‘I want to flip the switch and be done with this.’ It’s just not how it works. Like an athlete coming back from an ACL tear or whatever, it just takes time. The therapy is still intensive and yet I’m confident that it gets progressively better.

We learn in the docuseries that your father was a barber. You’ve always been known for having good hair, especially in the 1980’s. Does that come from your dad?
BON JOVI: Not in as much where he sat down and said, ‘I’ve got this idea.’ Really, I was a byproduct of what was the 80s. Those were my baby pictures. I love laughing at them. Now, I can jokingly at least say, ‘After 40 years of a career, I still have all my hair.’ That is a good thing. Genetics works in my favor.

Do you ever think about acting again?
BON JOVI: I do, on occasion. My day job then comes back to get in the way. In truth, I’ve got a big record coming out, and I’m hoping to go out on the road, so I don’t have time for it. And I respect the craft far too much to think I’m going to walk on a set and hit my marks and call that acting.

Your work ethic stands out in “Thank You, Goodnight.” We see in the early days you would sleep at the music studio. Where does that come from?
BON JOVI: If you’re not going to be great, the guy that’s coming in tomorrow night is going to be better. This isn’t a career that you should take lightly. There’s a million other young guys that are waiting to take your spot. And there are no guarantees in this business…You have to win hearts in order to win people’s hard-earned dollar. If you’re asking them to stay with you for four decades, that’s a task. You better be one of the greats or else good luck.

Richie Sambora is interviewed in the series. The fans love seeing him. Do you think you will ever perform together again?
BON JOVI: We never had a big falling out. He quit 10 years ago. It’s not that we’re not in contact or anything like that, but he was choosing to, as a single dad, raise his child. The door is always open if he wants to come up and sing a song. I mean, there’s many of them that we co-wrote together. That’s a great part of both of our lives. There’s no animosity here.

A lot of musicians are selling their music catalog. Would you?
BON JOVI: For some, it makes sense because they need to. For some, it makes sense because they want to. I just find (Bon Jovi’s music) to be my baby, and I have no desire at this juncture in my life to ever even consider it.

You’re one of New Jersey’s favorite sons like Bruce Springsteen. It’s a point of pride for New Jersey residents that you’re from there, but you moved to Florida?
BON JOVI: Part-time! My license is still New Jersey. I still vote in New Jersey.

AP: The music industry is such a singles market now. Did you ever consider just putting out some new songs and not an entire album?
BON JOVI: See, I’m the opposite. I can only put out an album. I do all I know how to do. I have to tell the complete story. It has to be the beginning, a middle and an end because that’s who and what we are.

How do you describe the new album?
BON JOVI: What comes through is joy. My goal with this record was to capture joy which for these last few years has been difficult, whether it’s the dark cloud of COVID that the world experienced or my own personal journey. With this record, I think we captured joy.

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His accolades began with the CMT performance of the year award for his gospel-assisted rendition of “Need a Favor” at the 2023 CMT Music Awards nearly a year ago to the day. It also was his first-ever awards show performance.

“In that last year you changed my life in every way I never thought my life could be changed,” the tattooed rapper-turned-country breakout star said in an emotional acceptance speech live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The show was broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+.

The music video for “Need A Favor” earned him male video of the year and the biggest award of the night, video of the year.

“I’m having one of the best nights of my life,” he said, before focusing his speech on people who are looking for “second chances,” specifically those in juvenile detention facilities. “I once heard a man say that ‘you don’t change until the pain to remain the same is greater than the pain it takes to change,’ and that’s what it takes. I love you, Texas.”

In some ways, it was déjà vu from the 2023 awards show, where Jelly Roll also took home three awards, winning over audiences for his larger-than-life personality and outsider songs.

Kelsea Ballerini hosted the awards for fourth time in a row, opening with a comedic sketch about reading the minds of country music’s biggest names that ended with Keith Urban hugging the beaver mascot of beloved Texas gas station chain Buc-ee’s.

Her many outfit changes were only the first of a few surprises, which also included Melissa Etheridge appearing on a duet of “Come to My Window” with Ballerini.

Early on, Carly Pearce and Chris Stapleton won collaborative video of the year for their song, “We Don’t Fight Anymore.” She thanked Stapleton, who wasn’t in attendance, and “Fans, fans, fans, fans, fans!”

Ashley Cooke won breakthrough female video of the year for “Your Place,” her first-ever award. “I just won a CMT award, oh my god, good night!” she cheered as she headed off stage. Warren Zeiders took home the male equivalent for “Pretty Little Poison,” thanking God and his best friend: his dad.

Live performances were fast and furious. Three-time CMT award winner and Texas native Cody Johnson opened the 2024 show with his ode to the lone star state, “That’s Texas.” Jason Aldean performed “Let Your Boys Be Country” in front of the University of Texas at Austin, a less controversial choice than his radio hit “Try That in a Small Town.” Its music video was removed from CMT last year.

Wilson spent a lot time on stage, taking home female video of the year for “Watermelon Moonshine.” “Thank you for supporting women in country,” she told the audience.

Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland reunited on the CMT stage for the first time since 2011 in a collaborative performance with Little Big Town. The six voices teamed up for a cover of Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home.”

Trisha Yearwood was awarded the inaugural June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award, which honors musicians or industry veterans who demonstrate “an exceptional dedication to community and their fellow artists, embodying June’s spirit as a fierce advocate and initiator in paying it forward,” a statement said.

The country star was honored for her charitable contributions, including longstanding work with Habitat for Humanity and the annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Week Project.

“I don’t think anyone who’s ever gotten a humanitarian award has thought they deserve it,” she began, agreeing with the sentiment before turning her attention to the woman the award is named after.

“June Carter Cash was a force, and she was married to a force. I know a little bit about that,” she said, in reference to her husband Garth Brooks, before applauding Carter Cash’s ability to keep shining a light on her own successes. “She was strong in a very human way,” Yearwood said.

Later in the night, she debuted a new song from her forthcoming album, the acoustic ballad, “Put It in a Song.”

The emotional center of the award show no doubt came later, in an all-star tribute to the late Toby Keith, with Brooks & Dunn tackling Keith’s 1993 breakout hit, “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” Sammy Hagar doing “I Love This Bar” and Lainey Wilson covering “How Do You Like Me Now.” They all were backed by Keith’s longtime band.

Keith, a hit country crafter of pro-American anthems who riled up critics and was loved by millions of fans, died in February at 62 after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.

In the crowd, artists including Ashley McBryde and Jelly Roll raised their red solo cups in a cheerful tribute to the singer, who immortalized the humble plastic cups in his 2011 hit, “Red Solo Cup.”

After the musical tributes on stage, Keith’s longtime friend and baseball star Roger Clemens, his eyes watering, thanked Keith’s wife and children in the audience for sharing their husband and father with the world.

Clemens led a toast to those on stage, in the crowd, and at home: “Repeat after me. ‘Whiskey for my men, and beer for my horses,’” a reference to a comedic song by Keith featuring Willie Nelson.

It was a fitting homage: a little funny, with a whole lot of country heart.

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Megan Moroney brought her breakup anthem, “No Caller ID,” to the CMT stage and Parker McCollum teamed with Brittney Spencer for “Burn It Down.” NEEDTOBREATHE and Jordan Davis teased “CMT Crossroads” by tackling each other’s “Brother” and “Next Thing You Know,” respectively.

Lainey Wilson reminded the audience that “Country’s Cool Again,” leading into an outdoor performance of “Where It Ends” by Bailey Zimmerman. Veteran Keith Urban brought the first single of his forthcoming album, “Straight Line.”

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A half-century ago on Saturday, the Swedish quartet triumphed at the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the peppy love song, which opens: “My my, at Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way.”

The song rang out again Saturday at London’s Waterloo railway station — also named after the 1815 battle that dealt defeat to the French leader — where a choir belted out a rendition for commuters.

In the English coastal town of Brighton, where the 1974 competition was held, fans were staging a flashmob dance and silent ABBA disco to mark the anniversary.

Eurovision victory turned ABBA into a pop juggernaut, by far the most successful band to win the pan-continental music contest, which will hold its 68th edition in May in ABBA’s home country, Sweden. The Eurovision final will take place May 11 in Malmö, after Swedish singer Loreen won last year’s competition with “Tattoo.”

ABBA’s melodic disco pop sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide. The stage musical “Mamma Mia!” based on its songs is 25 years old and spawned two movies.

The band members have not performed together live for four decades, but released a comeback album, “Voyage,” in 2021. Every day, fans attend a concert by digital “ABBA-tars” at the hit show “Abba Voyage,” which opened in London in 2022.

In a thank-you message to fans on Saturday, the four band members said it was “slightly dizzying and deeply humbling” to know that their songs had been passed down the generations and “still resonate around the world.”

“Music you discover and learn to love when you grow up or even later in life has a way of staying with you forever,” said Agnetha Faltskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. “We share that experience with you and to know that our music has become a constant in your lives is a wonderful thing.”

A tribute concert titled “A party for ABBA” was set to take place in Stockholm on Saturday evening featuring prominent Swedish artists, a 21-person band and a large choir. Organizers said it was a salute to a band that changed the Nordic country’s music scene “forever.”

Swedish public broadcaster SVT, which planned to broadcast the concert live on television and on its streaming service, said “April 6, 1974 is considered by some to be Sweden’s national music day.”

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