Music Review: Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is great sad pop, meditative theater

Who knew what Taylor Swift’s latest era would bring? Or even what it would sound like? Would it build off the moodiness of “Midnights” or the folk of “evermore”? The country or the ’80s pop of her latest re-records? Or its two predecessors in black-and-white covers: the revenge-pop of “Reputation” and the literary Americana of … Read more

Beyoncé is bringing her fans of color to country music. Will they be welcomed in?

NEW YORK — Dusty, worn boots. Horses lapping up water. Sweat dripping from the foreheads of every shade of Black skin as country classics blare through giant speakers. These moments are frequently recreated during Tayhlor Coleman’s family gatherings at their central Texas ranch. For her, Beyoncé’s country album, “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” was the granting … Read more

Luke Combs leads the 2024 ACM Awards nominations, followed by Morgan Wallen and Megan Moroney

Luke Combs leads the nominees for the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards with eight nods to his name, it was announced Tuesday. For a fifth year in a row, he’s up for both male artist of the year and the top prize, entertainer of the year. The 59th annual ACM Awards will take place … Read more

Morgan Wallen has been arrested after police say he threw a chair off of the roof of a 6-story bar

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country music singer Morgan Wallen has been arrested after police say he threw a chair off the rooftop of a newly opened six-story bar in downtown Nashville. Wallen, 30, was booked into jail early Monday on three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, Metro Nashville Police … Read more

CMT Awards return Sunday night with host Kelsea Ballerini, tribute to late Toby Keith

The CMT Music Awards, celebrating the best in country music videos, are set to return on Sunday night live from Austin, Texas. Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, the fan-voted show begins at 8 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast from the Moody Center on CBS and Paramount+. This year, the awards are expected to feature a … Read more

Carrie Underwood Shares Her Take On Beyoncé Making Country Music

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone. Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting … Read more

Happy ABBA-versary! Fans mark 50 years since ‘Waterloo’ took the world by storm

LONDON — It’s 50 years since ABBA won a major battle with “Waterloo.” 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 … Read more

Beyoncé ‘Cowboy Carter’ Review: People Are Missing The Point

It’s hard to fully review an album only released days ago during a major holiday weekend, but I can confidently acknowledge being blown away by “Cowboy Carter,” which has been on repeat, of course. Beyoncé accomplished her goal — of reclaiming a genre of music that Black people played a pivotal role in creating and … Read more

Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 7-13

Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 7-13: April 7: Country singer Bobby Bare is 89. Movie director Francis Ford Coppola is 86. Actor Roberta Shore (“The Virginian”) is 81. Singer Patricia Bennett of The Chiffons is 77. Singer-guitarist John Oates of Hall and Oates is 76. Drummer John Dittrich of Restless Heart is 73. … Read more

Music Review: Beyoncé’s epic ‘Act ll: Cowboy Carter’ defies categorization, redefines American style

LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Nothin’ really ends / For things to stay the same they have to change again,” Beyoncé sings on “Act ll: Cowboy Carter,” the opening lines of the opening track, “Ameriican Requiem.” “Them big ideas, yeah, are buried here / Amen.” In some ways, it is a mission statement … Read more