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Day in Pop Report for 10/27/2014


Dave Grohl Slams American Idol
(Radio.com) You might know Dave Grohl as the frontman of the Foo Fighters, but according to the former drummer, he's just a dad who spends a lot of time shuttling his kids around in a mini-van. And when he's not busy doing that, he plays a little music.

In an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes, Grohl took Anderson Cooper with him to New Orleans where the band was recording a track for their upcoming album, Sonic Highways, out Nov. 11, which also happens to be an 8-part documentary series currently airing on HBO that takes fan inside the recording of the album.

During his time with Cooper, Grohl talked about being in a band for 20 years and how, even after all this time, he still loves playing music. This led him to call out American Idol and other reality singing competitions like it for not supporting a person's love for music.

"Who's to say they're not good or not?" Grohl said of axed contestants. "Imagine Bob Dylan standing there singing 'Blowin' In The Wind' in front of those judges? 'Sorry, it's a little nasally and a little flat. Next.'"

As for how he'd do on American Idol, Grohl says "I would never make it, never in a heartbeat." Not that he really cares. "People need to appreciate their voice," he said. "I don't want to sing like someone else, I want to sing like me."

Watch the full video from 60 Minutes where Grohl talks about the death of Kurt Cobain and why he should have thought a little harder about his band's name here.

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Run the Jewels Offer Free Download Of New Album
(Radio.com) How do you feel about full Run the Jewels albums online for free for your listening pleasure? If that's in any way pleasing, your week just got a whole lot better.

The rap duo of El-P and Killer Mike has shared their sophomore release, RTJ2, for free online, much like its predecessor, which was released last year.

The full album can be downloaded here. The announcement was made on their social media accounts early Friday morning. Find out why they made the decision here.

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One Direction Recruit Danny DeVito For Steal My Girl Video
(Radio.com) One Direction leave their trailer in the middle of the desert wondering who the director is for their new music video, "Steal My Girl." "He's the greatest artist of his generation apparently," Louis Tomlinson tells the group - to which Harry Styles, dressed in a leopard print trench coat adds, "Maybe, but he's late."

Danny DeVito then pulls up in a convertible and immediately gets to work. "Gentleman, why are we here?" DeVito asks "We're here in the name of art. We're here to commit ourselves to a higher form of expression."

As he orders his assistant for an apple, he continues his speech. "I've seen your work. Today we're going to take it to a new level. We've come to the most barren place on earth to create. Today we bring life to the desert."

DeVito then assigns each member of the band a super power. Harry is love, Niall is light, Liam is power, Louis is danger and Zayne is mystery. The video then begins filming and we can see Zayne bonding with two sumo wrestlers, Louis spending time with a monkey, Niall with an African tribe, Liam hanging with a marching band and Harry alone on a mountain top with several women.

Check out the video here.

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T.I. Recruits Jeezy, Lil Wayne For 'About the Money' Remix
(Radio.com) If for some reason you didn't think T.I. would pull out all the stops and call in a decade's worth of favors when sourcing artists for the official remix to his smash hit "About The Money," then you've got another thing coming.

T.I. and Young Thug, the performers on the original song, are joined by none other than Lil Wayne and Jeezy, forming an all-star conglomeration of Southern rap royalty. Young Thug's off-kilter vocal stylings are in the direct lineage of classic mixtape-era Wayne.

Inspired by his protege, Wayne lets his voice take off into the stratosphere, sing-rapping in an oddly compelling falsetto croak. Weezy's always enjoyed playing with the basic building blocks of language; when he raps brilliant lines like "I get M's like mmm, mmm, mmm," you can tell he's having fun.

Even up against the best in the game, Young Thug remains the song's focal point. Against the backdrop of his mentor his future looks all the more promising. Check out the remix here.

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Steven Tyler Teaming With Brad Paisley For TV Christmas Special
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will team up with Brad Paisley to perform on ABC-TV's CMA Country Christmas special this fall. Airing Monday, December 1st at 8 PM, ET and hosted by Sugarland vocalist Jennifer Nettles, the two-hour program celebrates the holidays with some of the biggest names in music performing holiday classics.

Joining Tyler and Paisley are Alan Jackson, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Sara Evans, Lucy Hale, Hunter Hayes, Little Big Town, Idina Menzel, Nettles, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, and Carrie Underwood.

The special will be taped in front of a live audience on Friday, November 7 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee; tickets for the vent are on sale now.

Tyler is headed to the country music capital in the new year to continue work on his debut solo album. "I'm going down to Nashville [in] January, February, March, April to write and see what we get," Tyler revealed recently during a video Q&A with Twitter Music at Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco.

Read more here.

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Kenny Chesney Launching The Big Revival Tour
(Radio.com) After spending most of 2014 focusing on his latest album The Big Revival, country superstar Kenny Chesney is getting back on the road. The "American Kids" singer announced that he will headline a major North American concert tour in 2015.

Chesney's Big Revival Tour will kick off March 26 (Chesney's birthday) in Nashville, Tenn., and take him across the country, performing in a mix of arenas, amphitheaters and stadiums.

"I can't think of a better way to celebrate," Chesney said of the March 26 kickoff concert. "I've been ready to get out there for a long time. Now that we're announced I'm fired up! This new music brings a new energy to the show, and it's gonna take what we do to a whole other level."

The support acts haven't been announced yet, but Chesney assures fans that they will only add to the excitement. "We're going to be mixing up the lineup, too," he said. "Different markets will have different acts playing with us. A few will be on all the stadium shows, some doing pieces - but I promise everybody who's coming out rocks hard, and understands turning a crowd on."

Chesney only played a select few live dates in 2014, choosing to take a break from touring and focus his time and energy on The Big Revival, which he released last month. Read more here.

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Ariana Grande and Tim McGraw Lead Grammy Christmas TV Special
(Radio.com) If you've ever wanted to hear Pharrell Williams, Ariana Grande and Tim McGraw serenade you with Christmas songs, you're in luck, thanks to the GRAMMYs this holiday season.

In its inaugural year, A Very GRAMMY Christmas, announced on Friday (Oct. 24), will feature those artists giving their best Christmas renditions for an hour at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, with a TV broadcast set for Dec. 5.

During the performance, the nominees for the 2015 GRAMMY for Album of the Year will be announced, following the announcements of all other 82 categories for the awards ceremony earlier that morning. Read more here.

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Taylor Swift Premieres Another New Song 'Blank Space'
(Radio.com) Taylor Swift's 1989 tracklist has been revealed - and now, so has the second song on it. "Blank Space," track two on 1989, leaked onto the Internet Friday (Oct. 24), continuing the slow rollout of new songs from Swift's fifth album.

There's currently no word on when the song will be released officially on song purchasing formats, or if it'll remain little more than a leak until 1989's release next week.

The track finds Swift continuing her fairly seamless separation from the country genre; like songs "Shake It Off," "Welcome to New York" and "Out of the Woods" before it, there's no trace of country instrumentation, traded in for sleeker pop production.

"I've got a blank space, baby," she sings on the chorus. "And I'll write your name." Check out the new song here.

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Willie Nelson Teams with Sister Bobbie For New Album
(Radio.com) Willie Nelson will team up with his sister, Bobbie Nelson, for a new album that is the first installment of an archival series called Willie's Stash. The album, titled December Day, will be released on Dec. 2 and include the siblings performing together on 18 new versions of some of Willie Nelson's classics, along with several covers.

The siblings duet on Nelson's "Permanently Lonely" and "My Old Peculiar Way." Covers on the album include Al Jolson's "The Anniversary Song," Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "What'll I Do" and "Always," among others.

Family Band members Mickey Raphael and the late Bee Spears are also featured on the album. Harmonica player Raphael explained how the idea for an album between Willie and Bobbie came together.

"As long as I can remember, Willie and Bobbie, who ride together on Willie's bus, spend some of their traveling time jamming on their favorite songs," Raphael explained in a press release. Read more here.

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The Decemberists Announce New Album
(Radio.com) After nearly four years away, the Decemberists are back with a brand new album. Frontman Colin Meloy took to the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., Friday (Oct. 24), where he announced that his band will release a new album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, early next year.

The unveiling included a new mural in front of which Meloy later performed, possibly of the cover of the record. Meloy performed a new song, "Make You Better," for the attendees who found his tweet earlier Friday about busking in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg.

He also performed a few other songs from his band's catalog, including "The Engine Driver" and "The Crane Wife," and covers - like one of "Blues Run the Game," which has also been covered by artists like Simon & Garfunkel.

Read more here.

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Liam Gallagher Reveals Beady Eye Break Up
(hennemusic) Oasis offshoot Beady Eye have officially disbanded. "Beady Eye are no longer," tweeted frontman Liam Gallagher on Saturday. "Thanks for all your support."

The group - which featured Gallagher and former Oasis members Bell, Gem Archer and Chris Sharrock - formed in 2009 following the breakup of their former band.

"Thanks to all the Beady Eye fans. I had a blast," tweeted guitarist Andy Bell. "See you on the other side. Big Love." Read more here.

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YG Remixes Fergie's L.A. Love (La La)
(Radio.com) Considering Fergie teamed up with West Coast luminary DJ Mustard for her come back "L.A. Love (La La)," it makes perfect sense that, for the remix, she's recruited one of his disciples, YG.

The Compton rapper keeps his verse L.A.-centric, giving props to Dr. Dre on his recent Apple acquisition, name-dropping places around the city, and scolding the city's police force for Rodney King and banning him from playing at two Drake vs. Lil Wayne tour dates.

"Have you ever seen a gangsta gangsta make a billion dollars/ Dre did it, he from L.A so pop yo collar/ The LAPD be all over me/ Tryin' to ban me from my own city," YG spits, "I could take you to Venice Beach and watch the sun set/Or I could take you to the Clippers game, floor seats, courtside/ Eatin' on Roscoe's chicken wing."

The track marks Fergie's first solo effort since her seminal 2006 album The Duchess. Listen to the remix here.

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Miranda Lambert's Cause For The Paws A Big Success
(Radio.com) Miranda Lambert is a mother to seven rescue dogs. It comes as no surprise then, that MuttNation Foundation, which aims to end animal cruelty, neglect and homelessness, is a cause dear to her heart.

Lambert recently donated proceeds from the Route 91 Harvest Festival benefit event Cause for the Paws to help the foundation, which she founded with her mother, Bev. A total of $628,148 was raised from the event, which was held in Las Vegas earlier this month.

"I always have a great time in Vegas, but being able to save dogs along the way was probably the best," Lambert said in a press release. "Getting to do what I love and help the cause that's closest to my heart, and do it in Vegas; it doesn't get any better. With the money raised, I am looking forward to seeing lots of dogs find loving forever homes through adoption."

Read more here.

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Soulja Boy Releases Flappy Soulja Game
(Radio.com) If you missed out on the first wave of the Flappy Bird craze because you were too busy listening to legendary hits from Soulja Boy's magnificent back catalog like "Came Out The Water" or "Zan With That Lean," well, now's your time to shine.

The rapper has just released a new iPhone game based on Dong Nguyen's classic viral app called, unsurprisingly, Flappy Soulja, making good on a tweet he made earlier in the year in which he simply tweeted "Flappy Soulja."

Why he chose that instead of Soulja Bird is unclear. The premise is simple, and familiar: navigate a minute icon of Soulja Boy's head though a series of pipes by tapping on your screen. More including the download link here.

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Taylor Swift Talks Going Pop With 1989 Album
(Radio.com) It's not often a major recording artist makes such a significant stylistic change from album to album. But that's exactly what Taylor Swift has done with her new release 1989.

Known primarily as a country artist throughout her career to date, Swift made a deliberate choice to showcase her pop side on 1989, her fifth studio album, which she announced this past August. 1989 hits stores and digital outlets on Monday, Oct. 27.

"This is my very first documented, official pop album," said Swift. At the same time, she also emphasized that it's "the most sonically cohesive album I have ever made and my favorite album I have ever made."

The title 1989 has significance not only because it's the year of Swift's birth, but because that decade was part of her musical inspiration this time around. "I spent two years making 1989," explained Swift. "Two years gives you enough time to grow and change and let things inspire you. I was listening to a lot of late '80s pop music and how bold those songs were and how that time period was a time of limitless possibilities. In thinking about that, this album is a rebirth for me."

Swift has released three advance tracks from 1989: "Shake It Off," "Out of the Woods" and "Welcome to New York," as well as a snippet of a song called "Style" that's included in a Target ad.

"Shake It Off" was the album's official lead single. It dropped in August and immediately earned widespread attention and airplay. Pretty much the entire premise of "Shake It Off" is dancing. And in the video for the song, Swift does so with all kinds of folks and in what seems like a million different dresses. There's the ballerina getup, the cheerleader, the Gaga-esque futuristic shot, the hip-hop video - you name it, Swift dances it.

Read more here.

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Day Drinking Helped Little Big Town Focus Pain Killer Direction
(Radio.com) Little Big Town's current single "Day Drinking" is an upbeat ode to mid-day boozing. The song helped focus the direction of the GRAMMY-winning country quartet's sixth studio album, Pain Killer.

The idea behind the title was to create an album "that helped you cope, that eased your pain," bandmember Karen Fairchild explains to Radio.com. "That took you high and took you low." So the band chose to "tip our hat to that theme for the whole record in different ways." Though, she admits, "you have to pay attention to see it."

"Day Drinking," then, is just one way for listeners to potentially "cope" with the ups and downs of everyday life. And speaking of that song, when the entire band sat down with Radio.com in our New York City studio earlier this week, the subject of drinking inevitably came up.

For starters, we had to ask them what alcoholic beverage best describes their latest release. Kimberly Schlapman doesn't miss a beat. "Fireball!" she asserts, as her three bandmates nod their heads in approval.

Karen Fairchild then asks Schlapman if she has ever tasted the cinnamon-flavored whiskey. "No, but maybe I will," she jokes. Meanwhile, Phillip Sweet, who began the interview by singing Taylor Swift's "Out of the Woods," says that Fireball "packs a punch and it's sweet," just like Pain Killer.

Fairchild, on the other hand, likens the new album to an Old Fashioned because "it has a bit of a vintage throwback to it, but it's strong."

Fairchild isn't lying. The 13-track album includes eight songs the band wrote themselves, which vary from the energetic, testosterone-driven "Faster Gun" to beautiful album closer "Silver and Gold." Peppered in-between are excellent outside cuts like "Girl Crush" by the Love Junkies, a trio of female songwriters made up of Lori McKenna ("I Want Crazy," "Your Side of the Bed," "Sober"), Liz Rose ("You Belong with Me," "Teardrops on My Guitar," "White Horse") and Hillary Lindsey ("Jesus Take the Wheel," "Last Name," "Two Black Cadillacs").

On "Girl Crush," Fairchild takes the lead and sings of how she has a crush of sorts on the object of an ex's affection. "I want to taste her lips, yeah 'cause they taste like you/ I want to drown myself in a bottle of her perfume/ I want her long blonde hair/ I want her magic touch/ Yeah, 'cause maybe then you'd want me just as much," she sings.

"It's written like a good old country jealousy story," Fairchild explains. "I think we've all felt that, where we've lost a relationship and been rejected and we look at, 'What did he want that I didn't have?' I think it's a really easy thing to relate to, and yet you've never heard it said in that way."

Read more here.

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Iggy Azalea Premieres New Song On SNL
(Radio.com) Iggy Azalea made good on her promise of new music Saturday night. The rapper made her debut appearance as the musical guest of Saturday Night Live and didn't disappoint, performing new single "Beg for It" from upcoming New Classic reissue Reclassified, as well as hits from her debut best-seller from earlier this year.

First came "Fancy," her song of the summer candidate for 2014. Charli XCX may have been absent for the hook, but Azalea still rose to the occasion, continuing the video's Clueless-esque theme, dressed up in a varsity jacket as she and her backup dancers swayed ahead of a schoolyard fence.

About halfway through, the song shifted into current hit "Black Widow" - and this time, the featured artist showed up to help out, with Rita Ora appearing to croon the hook in a short black dress, Azalea performing a quick outfit change for the occasion. It was a mere taste of the two songs that helped put the Australian on the map, but as a primer for those who might have evaded Azalea before now, it was a fairly telling performance.

"Beg for It," meanwhile, was the more revelatory performance, giving a glimpse into post-New Classic Azalea music after her rise to superstardom. Flanked by Danish singer M�, Azalea gyrated across the stage after starting off seated in a chair surrounded by replicas of giant panthers. It marked the song's live TV debut following its premiere on the Internet the day before.

But Azalea didn't just appear in the musical segments of the show, and her performances weren't the only aspect of the current Top 40 radio playlists that seeped into the show. Host Jim Carrey appeared in a sketch toward the end of the show during which the cast members attended a Halloween costume party. Kate McKinnon came out dressed as the dancer Maddie Ziegler from Sia's "Chandelier" video - and then came Carrey, who just so happened to have the exact same costume. What followed was a danceoff throughout the entire Studio 8H, starting on the party set, flowing out into the audience and even ending up on the nearby stage on which Azalea was preparing to perform - and wouldn't you know it, even she was dressed as Ziegler, mimicking the teeth-brushing motion from the hit clip.

Watch here.

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Kiesza Shows Her Style and Dancing in No Enemiesz Video
(Radio.com) The first 30 seconds or so of Kiesza's newest video, "No Enemiesz," looks as if the Canadian singer will be pulling a Robyn and dancing on her own. That is, until she starts to take off her clothes.

It sounds a little more scandalous then it lays out, as each article of clothing turns into a new dancing partner for the pop star to bust a move with. It all makes for a good time. And, if nothing else, it gives the proper screen time to her wild shoes that they deserve.

Kiesza's new album, Sound of a Woman, was released this week on Island. "No Enemiesz" is the third single from the collection, following hits "Hideaway" and "Giant in My Heart."

Watch it here.

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