On his new single “Who Do You Love?” Georgia-born, Los Angeles-based pop visionary Terrell Hines sings of an apocalyptic “war on earth” yet finds transcendence. “So much going on can’t help myself,” he wails in the chorus. “If we’re all going down then what do you desire? I’ll take you higher.” The song joyfully blurs sonic borders, opening with a glittery burst of electronics before giving way to psychedelic soul, tense funk, euphoric blues-rock, and gospel-pop anthemics. Listen HERE.
Saturated in vibrant colors, the animated lyric video that accompanies “Who Do You Love?” introduces a character who’s not afraid to go against the grain, pulling a heavy load backwards. A sign nods to Hines‘ hometown of Dublin, Georgia.
Hines, who has already amassed more than five million streams without releasing an album or touring the U.S., displays a polymathic musicality, honed in part during his studies on scholarship at Berklee College of Music. In 2019, he appeared on the title track to Beck’s Hyperspace album and saw a major boost after his music was used during an Apple Keynote.
In 2020, he released his first tape, Portal One: The Mixtape, a nine-track project that featured the raw energy of live instrumentation. Watching the events of the summer unfold prompted Hines to remix his 2019 track “Get Up,” adding a new verse from Vince Staples. NPR Music observed, “in the context of this summer’s movement, lyrics like. I’ve been waiting my whole life’ along with the driving percussion and the increasing desperation in Hines’s voice, [to] begin to take the shape of shouts for justice in a protest moving down a city block.” In October, he released the electrifying single, “We’re All Gonna Be Killed,” which reflected on “the tension of 2020 so far.”
Hines creates an entire ecosystem for his songs, where sonic structures and lyrics are just as likely to be inspired by the sociopolitical as the personal, by functional architecture as abstract art, by the austere science of survivalism as the limitless potential of technology. The best part is, you don’t have to know all that to feel the holistic magic of his work. We hear immediacy, exuberance, freedom, and ingenuity: music as surprising as it is captivating, while he sees a burning question: “If shit popped off and society had to be rebuilt,” asks Hines, “how would I do it?”
French Affaires, a specialty trip planning company promoting French travel and culture, is hosting several one-of-a-kind journeys to southwest France this fall and beyond. Regarded as one of the country’s best kept secrets, the region offers a taste of France at its most authentic, boasting cliffside villages, majestic fortress castles, bucolic countryside, ancient cave paintings and excellent food and wine.
Following France’s reopening to international travelers in the summer of 2021, French Affaires will host two trips to southwest France this fall, taking advantage of the region’s postcard-perfect autumn weather. The first trip, Southwest France Photography Tour, is a week-long photography immersion from September 30 through October 7, 2021, featuring celebrated French photographer Eric Sander. He will lead the small group through the landscapes, gardens, and architecture of his home territory, the Périgord region, offering photography instruction and coaching sessions along the way. The group will stay at Le Vieux Logis, a historic Relais & Chateaux property in the heart of the quaint village of Trémolat.
The second trip, Fall in Southwest France (October 6-15, 2021), will be a tour through the charming towns of Sarlat, Beynac, Trémolat, Rocamadour, St. Emilion and the city of Bordeaux. The itinerary includes vineyard visits and tastings; outdoor markets; visits to chateaux led by their owners; tours of renowned gardens with experts; and special viewings of prehistoric cave art with a local archeologist.
Beyond southwest France, French Affaires is planning trips to Normandy, Burgundy and Lyon this fall, as well as a trip to Paris over the holidays. 2022 tours will include Corsica, the Basque country, the Loire Valley and Brittany. Especially remarkable will be the Provence trip (May 6-21, 2022), which offers guests a chance to experience life as a local with language classes at the local institute and stays in apartments.
About French Affaires
Founded by Elizabeth New Seitz, a PhD and former university French professor, French Affaires offers highly curated trips to France that celebrate French culture, language, and “l’art de vivre.” These small group journeys, led by Elizabeth Seitz herself, offer travelers authentic and perfectly cadenced experiences throughout the country, including expert-guided wine tastings in Bordeaux, eating through Corsica, photographing in southwest France, and antique shopping in Provence. To keep the spirit of France alive while at home, French Affaires also offers both virtual and in-person experiences, including French language courses, wine tastings, cooking classes, history lessons, guest speakers and even shopping tips.
Leading global talent, entertainment and sports company UTA has signed entertainment icon Billy Ray Cyrus for worldwide representation in all areas. Throughout his nearly three-decade career of Billboard chart success that put him in the same company as Carlos Santana and Louis Armstrong, Cyrus has achieved global success as a singer, songwriter, actor, producer and philanthropist.
Most recently, he celebrated the highest RIAA® 14x Diamond-certified song in recorded music history with Lil Nas X on the worldwide smash, “Old Town Road.”
When asked about his genre-bending approach to music, Cyrus recently shared, “My philosophy to making music is no limitations. No rules, no limits, no preconceived notions. Don’t try to think inside the box or outside the box, just think like there is no box.”
The critically and commercially acclaimed superstar has established himself as a household name across multiple areas of the entertainment landscape, including music, television, theater and more.
When one scopes out Cyrus’ trophy case, the awards are represented across all genres: GRAMMY® Awards, Billboard Music Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, MTV VMA Moonmen, Country Music Association Awards, American Music Awards and Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Juno Awards, among many other accolades.
The Flatwoods, KY native exploded onto the music scene when his first album, Some Gave All, debuted on the all-genre Billboard album chart at No. 1 and stayed there for a record-breaking 17 weeks in 1992. The lead single, “Achy Breaky Heart,” became a phenomenon and went multi-platinum. After “Achy Breaky Heart,” Cyrus followed up with back-to-back hits “It Could’ve Been Me,” “She’s Not Crying Anymore,” “Wher’m I Gonna Live When I Get Home?” and “Some Gave All.” Cyrus knocked himself out of the top Billboard position with his second No. 1 album, It Won’t Be The Last, featuring smash hits “In the Heart of a Woman,” “Words By Heart” and “Somebody New.” His success continued with dozens more singles that redefined country music.
Austin, TX trio Culture Wars announced the release of a new song, “Hunger,” from their upcoming EP teche which will be released later this year. The band, Alex Dugan, David Grayson, and Dillion Randolph have amassed over 7 million streams independently, inciting a flurry of activity on TikTok charting a top 30 on Alternative radio.
“Hunger” twists and turns through warbling bass, shimmering synths, and a hypnotic high register hook before dissolving into a cathartic drum and key freak-out punctuated by otherworldly guitar. It’s a surreal yet nevertheless satisfying track. “I was at a weird place in my life,” Alex Dugan admits. “For me, it was a release of energy. Retrospectively, ‘Hunger’ could be about distancing yourself from emotion in a relationship where you’ve had to disassociate due to dysfunction.”
Inspired by seeing New Order live in Houston, the band recorded a series of demos in 2016. Those demos eventually morphed into Culture Wars‘ self-titled 2017 debut EP. The lead single, “Lies,” eclipsed 2.2 million Spotify streams followed by “Bones” peaking at #43 on Alternative radio. In 2019, they retreated to the famed Sonic Ranch Recording Studio in Tornillo, TX, which sits on a massive pecan farm thirty minutes outside of El Paso directly on the Mexican border. Over the course of “drunk summer camp,” as Alex describes it, they brought teche to life with producer Caleb Contreras. The isolation, yet intimacy of the locale seeped into the push-and-pull of Culture Wars’ music. They recruited ten-time GRAMMY Award winner Manny Marroquin [Kanye West, Imagine Dragons] for mixing and put the finishing touches on the EP just as the Global Pandemic set in. Throughout the next year, they teased out teche. “Faith,” which Alex describes as “a rock song, an electronic song, and country song,” hinted at the scope of the project. Meanwhile, “Leave Me Alone” quickly approached 1 million Spotify streams as it generated a flurry of activity on TikTok fueled by videos from influencers such as Bella Poarch, Nessa Barrett, and Sienna Mae. Not to mention, it landed on the Bill & Ted Face The Music Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and ascended into the Top 30 at Alternative Radio.
After a year of lockdowns, Americans are ready to hit the road for their summer vacations—and memories of vacations past are fueling their wanderlust. That’s actually been recorded in surveys, including one by Carinsurance.com. According to results, 79% of Americans have taken a family road trip in the last five years and 70% of those families report having the time of their lives during those vacations.
They’ve also tested which method of transportation people use for travelling. The majority of Americans (68%) prefer road trips for summer travel, compared to 15% of respondents in the annual survey of 1,000 drivers who say they would rather fly, and 17% who only favor car travel now because of the pandemic and expect to resume flying eventually.
The research also highlights what family road trip experiences are like and how drivers feel when on the road, how they cope with traffic, and what types of mishaps they’ve experienced due to poor road conditions.
As a result of peoples’ gravitation towards driving, there have been adverse effects. According to the Department of Transportation, the conditions of roads around the country are getting worse. This results in many drivers sustaining major (30%) or minor (30%) car damage because of poor road conditions, 15% hit objects, and 14% get into an accident with another car. Just one accident can raise your yearly car insurance rate by 32%, or $450 a year, on average.
24% of people planned to take a road trip last year, but their driving plans were wrecked by COVID. Another top reason for skipping a family road trip is work: 20% of respondents say they can’t get time off, though that’s down from last year’s 23% percent. Other common reasons for avoiding road trips include high gas prices (20%) and difficulty with hotels (10%). Another 11% percent of people complain about spending so much time trapped in the car with family members.
Dealing with traffic woes
During their trips, 53% of drivers say they are relaxed and content, up from 37% who felt this way last year. How do Americans cope when they experience traffic delays?
69% listen to music
30% listen to news
25% talk on the phone
23% listen to audiobooks or podcasts
21% check social media on the phone
18% listen to sports radio
17% text on their phone
11% get out of the car and walked around if in stopped traffic for extended time
10% eat an entire meal
9% talk with strangers in other cars to pass the time
Conclusion
People love to travel and that’s only expected to increase as the pandemic begins to come to a close. Despite everything, people still love to travel, and now more than ever people love being on the open road, even if it comes with complications.
Multi-platinum entertainer Chris Young and ACM award winning artistKane Brown will perform their Billboard and Mediabase top 10 and rising collaboration, “Famous Friends,” on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna this Thursday, May 27 on NBC, celebrating the resilient class of 2021.
Already a No. 1 smash on SiriusXM’s The Highway, Canadian country radio and Music Row’s CountryBreakout radio chart, the “Famous Friends” music video, which features Chris and Kane’s own hometown famous friends, is nominated for Collaborative Video of the Year at the 2021 CMT Awards.
Written by Chris with Cary Barlowe and Corey Crowder from a headline tour stop in Tampa in 2018, “Famous Friends” was teased by Chris and Kane on social media last year. The autobiographical song mentions Rutherford County, where Chris grew up in Tennessee, and Kane’s hometown of Hamilton County along with Nashville’s Davidson County.
An anthemic tribute to the names, faces, and legendary stories that make up each hometown, “Famous Friends” is Chris and Kane’s first collaboration since working together on Kane’s 2017: “Setting the Night On Fire.” Additionally, the song reunites the former tour mates from Chris’ 2018 Losing Sleep Headlining Tour—which included a sold-out hometown show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena—and is a full-circle moment since Kane’s first live concert experience as a young Country fan was at a Brad Paisley and Chris Young tour stop.
About Chris Young
Multi-platinum RCA Records Nashville entertainer Chris Young has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments, including membership in the iconic Grand Ole Opry, more than 4 Billion on-demand streams, 13 Million singles sold, 11 career No. 1 singles, 21 R.I.A.A. Gold/Platinum/Multi-Platinum certified projects, 2 Grammy nominations, 3 Country Music Association nominations and 4 Academy of Country Music nominations along with a win for Performance of the Year at 2020’s CMT Music Awards.
As a prolific creator, Chris has given fans 7 studio albums in 15 years including Losing Sleep, his third project in less than two years. The title track is certified Platinum while “Hangin’ On” is his ninth No. 1 as a songwriter. Losing Sleep (2017) and I’m Comin’ Over (2015) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart with “I’m Comin’ Over” becoming Young’s first 2x Platinum single. These accomplishments and more landed him in the Top 20 of Billboard’s top country artists of the decade.
Named “one of his era’s finest traditionalists” by the Associated Press, Chris has quickly become an international ambassador for country music, performing to capacity crowds around the world including the sold-out C2C Festival in the UK. With a hit-packed set that highlights his eleven chart-toppers — including back-to-back No. 1s “Losing Sleep,” “Sober Saturday Night,” “Think Of You,” and “I’m Comin’ Over” — the Grammy and ACM nominated vocalist headlined the RaisedOnCountry World Tour, playing to over 400,000 fans in 3 countries in 2019.
In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. She will be at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, for “An Evening with Fran Lebowitz,” on April 15, 2022. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 28th and are available HERE.
Lebowitz’s essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media – as well as pet peeves about tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. The New York Times Book Review calls Lebowitz an “important humorist in the classic tradition.” Purveyor of urban cool, Lebowitz is a cultural satirist whom many call the heir to Dorothy Parker.
Her writing — pointed, taut and economical — is forthright, irascible, and unapologetically opinionated.
Lebowitz worked odd jobs, such as taxi driving, belt peddling, and apartment cleaning (“with a small specialty in Venetian blinds”), before being hired by Andy Warhol as a columnist for Interview. That was followed by a stint at Mademoiselle. Her first book, a collection of essays titled Metropolitan Life, was a bestseller, as was a second collection, Social Studies. By turns ironic, facetious, deadpan, sarcastic, wry, wisecracking, and waggish, Lebowitz’s prose is wickedly entertaining. Her two books are collected in the Fran Lebowitz Reader, with a new preface by the author. Lebowitz is also the author of the children’s book, Mr. Chas and Lisa Sue Meet the Pandas.
Between 2001 to 2007, Lebowitz had a recurring role as Judge Janice Goldberg on the television drama Law & Order. She also had a part in the Martin Scorsese-directed film, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). In an interview with the Paris Review, Lebowitz said “I’m not a nervous person. I’m not afraid to be on TV. I’m only afraid when I write. When I’m at my desk I feel like most people would feel if they went on TV.”
She can also be seen in various documentary films including the American Experience on New York City, as well as Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures (2016), Regarding Susan Sontag (2014), and Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol (1990), among others. In 2010 Martin Scorsese directed a documentary about Lebowitz for HBO titled Public Speaking. A new limited documentary series, Pretend It’s a City, also directed by Martin Scorsese, premieres on Netflix January 8, 2021.
Lebowitz was once named one of the year’s most stylish women by Vanity Fair. She remains a style icon. Lebowitz lives in New York City, as she does not believe that she would be allowed to live anywhere else.
MARSHMELLO AND JONAS BROTHERS RELEASE“LEAVE BEFORE YOU LOVE ME” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
‘REMEMBER THIS’ TOUR PRE-SALE BEGINS TODAY,ON SALE BEGINS THURSDAY
WATCH “LEAVE BEFORE YOU LOVE ME” OFFICIAL VIDEO HERE“REMEMBER THIS” TOUR PRE-SALE AVAILABLE HERE NOW
Award-winning global superstar Marshmello and GRAMMY Award-nominated powerhouse trio Jonas Brothers release the official video for their new song “Leave Before You Love Me.”
The release follows last night’s incredible Billboard Music Awards performance that saw the band close out the show, which was hosted byNick Jonas, with a special medley including the new song with Marshmello and teased their upcoming song ‘RememberThis.’
“Leave Before You Love Me” arrives hot on the heels of the Jonas Brothers’ REMEMBER THIS Tour announcement. The 44-date summer tour kicks off August 20th in Las Vegas, NV with country star Kelsea Ballerini as support. REMEMBER THIS Tour presales begin today and public onsale this Thursday, May 27th HERE.
Marshmello, known for smash hits ‘Happier,’ ‘Silence’ and ‘Friends, releases his first NFT project, Welcome to the Melloverse!. The project is the first DiFi powered NFT drop featuring exclusive music and experiences – check it out HERE. The famously masked artist is also slated to headline this year’s UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony. He will deliver an epic virtual performance on Saturday May 29th that precedes one of the world’s most watched live sporting events. Be on the lookout for his next dance album later this year!
Remember This Tour Dates:
August 20th
Las Vegas, NV
Park Theater
August 21st
Las Vegas, NV
Park Theater
August 25th
Chula Vista, CA
North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 27th
Mountain View, CA*
Shoreline Amphitheatre
August 28th
Wheatland, CA*
Toyota Amphitheatre
August 30th
Auburn, WA
White River Amphitheatre
September 1st
Ridgefield, WA
Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre
September 2nd
Nampa, ID
Ford Idaho Center Amphitheatre
September 3rd
West Valley City, UT
USANA Amphitheatre
September 5th
Denver, CO
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
September 7th
Maryland Heights, MO
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis
September 8th
Milwaukee, WI
American Family Insurance Amphitheater / Summerfest
Award-winning global superstar Marshmello and GRAMMY Award-nominated powerhouse trio Jonas Brothers return with a new song just in time for summer, “Leave Before You Love Me”–listen HERE via Republic Records. It’s chill beats provided by Marhmello match perfectly with the Jonas Brothers’ smooth vocals and the end result is a perfect summer hit.
Jonas Brothers will close out the upcoming 2021 Billboard Music Awards, which Nick Jonas is hosting, with a special medley performance including the new song with Marshmello.
“Leave Before You Love Me” arrives hot on the heels of the Jonas Brothers’ Remember This Tour announcement. The 44-date summer tour kicks off August 20th in Las Vegas, NV with country star Kelsea Ballerini as support.
The Remember This tour gets its name from the Jonas Brothers’ new song of the same title which will kick off a special partnership with NBCUniversal in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics this summer. The song will debut on June 18th, the first night of the U.S. Track and Field Trials. “Remember This” will tell an Olympic-inspired story with athlete imagery and will feature a special message from the Jonas Brothers.
In addition to the debut of the song, the Jonas Brothers will make their first-ever performance of “Remember This” within NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Games this summer. The in-Games version of the single will include new lyrics inspired by the Tokyo Olympics and Team USA.
The partnership surrounding “Remember This” complements the premier of Olympic Dreams featuring the Jonas Brothers, which was announced earlier this week and will air two days before the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on July 21 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Marshmello also has released his first NFT project, Welcome to the Melloverse! The project is the first DiFi powered NFT drop featuring exclusive music and experiences – check it out HERE. The famously masked artist is also slated to headline this year’s UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony. Additionally, be on the lookout for his next dance album later this year!
JONAS BROTHERS RELEASE SPECIAL SONG “REMEMBER THIS” FOR NBCUNIVERSAL’S COVERAGE OF THE TOKYO OLYMPICS
ANNOUNCE MULTIPLE ACTIVATIONS WITH NBCUNIVERSAL LEADING UP TO AND DURING TOKYO OLYMPICS
GRAMMY® Award-nominated powerhouse trio Jonas Brothers unveil “Remember This” today. Teaming up with NBCUniversal, the band will officially debut the song during the broadcast of the first night of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for track & field between 10pm-11pm ET on NBC—in advance of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23.
“Remember This” might just be one of their most upbeat, undeniable, and uplifting anthems to date. On the track, guitar echoes as percussive production ramps up towards the expansive and engaging chant, “Used to pray for a moment just like this, there’s a fire in your eyes I can’t resist, baby we’re gonna wanna remember this.“
Deepening their Olympic Games relationship with NBCUniversal, they’ll perform the song for the first time within NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer. Additionally, the “In-Games” version will feature new lyrics inspired by the Olympic Games and Team USA. Not to mention, Olympic Dreams Featuring Jonas Brothers airs two days before the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on July 21 at 8pm ET/PT on NBC.
The band recently joined forces withMarshmellofor the song “Leave Before You Love Me,” which is quickly climbing radio charts and is already Top 20 at both Top 40 & Hot AC US radio formats. Watch the music video, which quickly amassed over 10 million viewsHERE. Whats more, they closed out theBillboard Music Awards–hosted byNick Jonas–with a show-stopping rendition of “Leave Before You Love Me” and high-energy medley, which included a preview of “Remember This.” Billboard appropriately described it as “Fiery.“
In August, Jonas Brothers embark on theREMEMBER THIS Tour. The 44-date summer tour kicks off August 20th in Las Vegas, NV with country star Kelsea Ballerini as support. REMEMBER THIS Tour tickets are on sale HERE.
This year, the brothers will also release their highly anticipated memoir “Blood” on November 9th, which fans can pre-order HERE.
American Family Insurance Amphitheater / Summerfest
September 9th
Noblesville, IN
Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
September 11th
Prior Lake, MN*
Mystic Lake Casino Hotel (Mystic Lake)
September 12th
Tinley Park, IL
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Chicago
September 14th
Clarkston, MI
DTE Energy Music Theatre
September 16th
Nashville, TN
TBA
September 17th
Nashville, TN
TBA
September 18th
Atlanta, GA*
Music Midtown
September 21st
Cincinnati, OH
Riverbend Music Center
September 22nd
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Blossom Music Center
September 24th
Hershey, PA
Hersheypark Stadium
September 25th
Darien Center, NY
Darien Lake Amphitheatre
September 26th
Syracuse, NY
St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheatre at Lakeview
September 28th
Saratoga Springs, NY
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
September 29th
Hartford, CT
XFINITY Theatre
October 1st
Boston, MA
Fenway Park
October 2nd
Wantagh, NY
Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
October 5th
Holmdel, NJ
PNC Bank Arts Center
October 6th
Burgettstown, PA
The Pavilion at Star Lake
October 7th
Camden, NJ
BB&T Pavilion
October 9th
Virginia Beach
Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre
October 10th
Bristow, VA
Jiffy Lube Live
October 12th
Charlotte, NC
PNC Music Pavilion
October 13th
Raleigh, NC
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
October 15th
Jacksonville, FL
Daily’s Place
October 16th
Tampa, FL
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
October 17th
West Palm Beach, FL
iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
October 18th
Pelham, AL
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
October 21st
Rogers, AR
Walmart Amp (Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion)
October 22nd
Dallas, TX
Dos Equis Pavilion
October 23rd
The Woodlands, TX
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
October 26th
Phoenix, AZ
Ak-Chin Pavilion
October 27th
Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Bowl
*Kelsea Ballerini not appearing on this date
ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Black Thought, Drake, Florence + the Machine, Greta Van Fleet, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack Johnson, James Blake, James Bay, Jessie J, John Mellencamp, Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne, Lorde, Metro Boomin, NAV, Nicki Minaj, Of Monsters and Men, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and more. Founded by brothers and chief executives Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings, Boominati Worldwide, Brushfire, Casablanca Records, Cash Money, Lava Records, XO, Young Money, among others. Republic also maintains a long-standing strategic alliance with Universal Music Latin Entertainment (J Balvin and Karol G). In addition, Republic has expanded to release high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Fifty Shades of Grey), Sony Pictures (Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse) and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises. Extending further into the worlds of film, television, and content, Republic launched Federal Films in order to produce movies and series powered by the label’s catalog and artists. Its first production was the Jonas Brothers documentary Chasing Happiness for Amazon Prime Video.
Skyrocketing to the top of the global conversation with nearly two billion streams and widespread acclaim, Gold-certified international phenomenon Duncan Laurence expands his full-length debut album, Small Town Boy, with a very special Deluxe Edition. Stream the Deluxe Edition of Small Town Boy HERE.
He re-upped and recharged the record with three brand new originals and the Sam Feldt Remix of his runaway smash “Arcade.” Among the originals, “Stars” pairs his emotionally charged vocals with a celestial hum and soft piano, while acoustic guitar glistens over a string-laden beat as his nostalgic lyrics echo on “Sad Old Me.” Then, there’s “I Got You.” Harp shimmers as his delivery volleys between vulnerable verses and vibrant echoes with heavenly power. Check out the full tracklisting below.
Laurence ultimately presents the definitive vision of Small Town Boy with Deluxe Edition.
In other big news, “Arcade” just picked up a gold certification from the RIAA. It notably made history as the “First Eurovision Song Contest Winner to Hit the Billboard Hot 100 since 1976.” He also recently opened up Eurovision 2021 with a showstopping performance of “Feel Something.”
“Arcade” took the No. 1 spot on Spotify’s Global Viral chart last year and has since received radio airplay in 58 countries. With nearly 350 million U.S. streams included in the song’s near 2 billion combined global streams tally, the Dutch artist has already had remarkable success stateside. The song won the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.
His second single, “Love Don’t Hate It,” appeared on 16 New Music Friday playlists, including the U.S. Premiering the official video, Billboard observed, “[Laurence] mediates the battle between love and hate to a peaceful truce. As the growling guitar and low, thudding piano in the verses are stacked up against Laurence‘s impactful falsetto, the song embodies the confrontation of polar forces with the singer elevating the brightest moments to a decisive victory.”
About Duncan Laurence
Growing up in the tiny Dutch town of Hellevoetsluis, Duncan Laurence discovered the healing power of music. Holed up in his bedroom avoiding the bullies who harassed him for his love of theatre and art, Laurence sang, turning his darker moments into a light he could spread to anyone who’d listen.
With his debut album, Small Town Boy, Laurence makes his younger self proud, writing the next chapter in a story that’s become a vision of perseverance and love. And he creates the cinematic scores to back it up, mixing the rich instrumentation of alternative rock, the delicacy of folk, and the dynamic swells of modern pop.
Following the release of “La La La,” AREA21‘s debut single which has already surpassed 5 million combined streams, the adventure continues with today’s release of “Pogo.” The song exudes the feeling of being completely uninhibited, living life wild and free, which makes it the perfect soundtrack for the coming summer months. Written by Martin Garrix and Maejor, Martin also plays electric guitar on the track, one of the many talents from this multifaceted artist. Like most of their previous work, the track is a clean electronic dance bop.
AREA21’s video for “Pogo” picks up where “La La La” left off with the two alien travelers M & M having crashed landed on earth, standing on their recently crashed spaceship and running from the law. Their escape includes a very unorthodox mode of transportation and ends with a rest stop in a futuristic Las Vegas, Nevada.
About AREA21
The music of AREA21 follows a story arc of two alien travelers, M & M, who are tripping through the cosmos spreading a message of unity and good vibes when they accidentally come crashing to Earth. Their adventures are portrayed musically and visually throughout a series of songs and accompanying animated videos produced by award-winning animation studio, Titmouse (Run the Jewels, Dua Lipa,) set to roll out this spring & summer and culminating in an album due out this fall.
