Lady Gaga Previews ARTPOP

Check out the video here.

Vampire Weekend Put Their Own Spin On Robin Thicke's I Love It

(Radio.com) Last week, Robin Thicke turned Icona Pop's breakup anthem, "I Love It," into a slinky, slow jam. Now Vampire Weekend has managed to take Thicke's sexy "Blurred Lines" and make it into a funky jamboree.

Popping those collars on their Oxford button downs, the guys treated BBC Radio 1′s Live Lounge to an unexpectedly sultry version of the song. Frontman Ezra Koenig takes the lead, showing off his falsetto and getting a little sassy as he sings, "What do they make dreams for/When you got them jeans on."

The rest of the band shouts, "hey, hey, hey," throughout, adding in their own improvised howls and handclaps. The addition of a few ladies also adds a little extra something, something.

The best part is, Koenig attempts T.I.'s swaggy rap. You haven't heard anything until you've heard Koenig rap, "Yeah, I had a b****, but she ain't bad as you." We're assuming he didn't meet this woman at his alma mater, Columbia. more on this story

Selena Gomez Releases 'Slow Down' Video

(popmusiclife) Selena Gomez has released the video for her new single, "Slow Down," following an online leak late last week. Produced by The Cataracs, the track is from her new album, "Stars Dance," due out in North America on Tuesday.

The record marks Selena's solo debut; she had previously released three records with her band Selena Gomez & the Scene, which began a hiatus last year.

"Slow Down" follows the project's hit lead single, "Come And Get It," which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gomez will hit the road for the Stars Dance Tour, which kicks off August 14 in Vancouver, BC. Check out the new video here.

One Direction Release Their 'Best Song Ever'

(Radio.com) It's been a while since we've heard new music from One Direction. Currently in the middle of their Take Me Home Tonight Tour, the band released "Best Song Ever" days before its scheduled release after it leaked last week online.

Detailing a fun night of dancing and music, "Best Song Ever" embodies the familiar pop sensibilities and catchy "oh-oh-oh's" for which One Direction has come to be known.

On the track, the band sings, "We danced all night to the best song ever/We knew every line now I can't remember/How it goes but I know that I won't forget her/Because we danced all night to the best song ever."

The track was produced by Julian Bunetta, who talked with MTV about the song's striking resemblance to The Who classic "Baba O'Riley."

"It starts with a synth and 'Baba O'Riley' starts with a synth," he noted. "I mean that's a huge compliment because if that can evoke that same excitement than that's amazing but that was not the… we weren't saying 'OK, let's rip off 'Baba O'Riley'.'"

He added: "At a certain point we recognized it had the same type of intro where there's a synth and a piano, but we really tried to make sure that there was no intellectual property stolen or anything like that." Check out the song and watch the video tease here.

Kenny Chesney Tributes Old Friend In When I See This Bar Video

(Radio.com) Talk about nostalgia. Kenny Chesney's latest single, "When I See This Bar," is all about digging back into old memories–reflecting, chewing and otherwise tossing them around to see what sort of emotions play out as a result.

The memories in this particular song all revolve around one place–a bar in the tropics that he's long frequented, and where over the years he's made quite a few friends. And also, where he may have learned a life lesson or two.

The video begins with a simple concept. Chesney strums an acoustic guitar alone, while vintage film footage and other hazy, tinted images flash past like grains of, well, sand (this is a beach bar, after all). But Chesney's song is about more than just "sandy floors and ceiling fans" and memories of him and his pals "living like pirates out among the stars." The bar represents a particular point in his life — one that he eventually grew out of, once he shifted into a different phase of life with new goals and responsibilities. Neither 'place' is necessarily better or worse than the other, just different.

"Pieces of our past slowly slip away," he sings. And it's true–we've all experienced it. And while he may have moved on, his life vastly different now than it was back then, the moment he steps back into this bar, "time just stands still."

"I see a kid coming into his own," Chesney continues, "and a man learning to move on" and "trying to find his way." At this point, the video shifts to show a contemporary Chesney, now playing guitar with a band (and massive Marshall amps) behind him on a much-larger stage. The images, too, have lost their 'vintage' glow. more on this story

Avicii Plans Eclectic New Album

(Radio.com) Swedish DJ/Producer Tim Bergling, aka Avicii, surprised EDM freaks and uber-fans alike this past March when he dropped what some heard as a "country" song during his high profile set at the Ultra Music fest in Miami. When Avicii stopped by the 92.3 NOW studios in NYC to chat with DJ Toro, he put to rest that "country" talk and explained that we'll be hearing an eclectic mix on his upcoming album.

Avicii's new single, "Wake Me Up" featuring Aloe Blacc, is already killing it worldwide on the charts. But there's no denying the difference between his latest single and say, "Levels."

"It all went pretty organic," says Avicii. "I didn't plan for it to be different or anything like that. I was already working on a track with Mike Einziger from Incubus. We kind of got this chord progression going and we came up with the whole melody for the vocal. But we didn't have anyone to sing it, we didn't have any lyrics or anything like that… so I called Aloe because I was working on another track with him."

As odd as the musical pairing of EDM and "country" may seem, this was actually somewhat planned out. "The country aspect of it I don't really feel, if anything I feel it's more like folk music. That was more what we were playing around with in the beginning – but when we first did it I wasn't even sure if I was going to use the guitar in the song. All of that came after because we all fell in love and got accustomed to the guitar and that vibe. It was really energetic, a Summer vibe throughout. So that's why we decided to keep that in it."

Come September, Avicii will be releasing his new album, "True." Should we expect more of the folky flavor? "It's really hard to say what you can expect from 'True'," laughs Avicii. "Every track is different, it's kind of like a mixture between other genres and a lot of other influences together with House music and electronic music and stuff that I've been playing around with. I've worked with so many different collaborators on this project." more on this story

Kid Cudi, Tyler, The Creator, Big Sean For 'The Cud Life' Tour

(Radio.com) Kid Cudi has mapped out a fall tour to promote his recently released third studio album, Indicud, and has recruited Odd Future frontman Tyler, the Creator to make the trek with him. Big Sean, Juicy J, Schoolboy Q and Logic will support Cudi on select dates along the way.

The eight-date jaunt with Tyler begins on Sept. 6 in San Diego and runs through Sept. 27, when the tour lands in Boston. Complete tour itinerary with opening acts below.

The Cleveland-bred Cudi will also appear as a headliner at Rock The Bells this September and October.

Tyler, the Creator, meanwhile, was also recently announced as one of the marquee artists slated to appear on fellow Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt's anticipated debut full-length, Doris, which is due for release August 20. Pharrell Williams, Frank Ocean and RZA will also make appearances on the 15-track album.

Watch the video for "Just What I Am," off Cudi's Indicud, and grab the tour dates here.

Jonas Brothers Go Vegas For First Time Video

(Radio.com) For their latest music video, the Jonas Brothers have pulled out all the stops with a raging romp through Las Vegas in the party-powered clip for the band's latest single, "First Time."

The guys enjoy a raucous hotel pool party complete with beer pong and scads of bikini-clad babes in the glitzy, eye-catching clip. Among the party people seen frolicking in the clip include actor Wilmer Valderama and Kevin Jonas' pregnant wife, Danielle, who fans will recognize from E! Television reality series, Married to Jonas.

"First Time" is the second single from the forthcoming Jonas Brothers full-length, which is still without a release date, which the band recently announced would be called V. It follows the high school football game-themed video for "Pom Poms," which led New York radio station 92.3 NOW to welcome the Jonas Brothers to the studio with the Edison High School Eagles Cheer Squad from New Jersey.

The Jonas Brothers are currently on tour across America, with upcoming dates in Atlantic City, NJ (July 26) and Atlanta, GA (August 4). more on this story

Backstreet Boys Celebrate 20th Anniversary With New Album

(Radio.com) The Backstreet Boys are turning 20 this year, and in celebration of their career milestone the guys are releasing their eighth album, In A World Like This, on July 30.

Their latest release will not only be the boy band's first since 2009's This Is Us, but will be the first time all five of the guys have recorded together since Kevin Richardson left the group in 2006.

The new album, recorded in London and Los Angeles, has the guys teaming up with songwriter Max Martin, who wrote some of the band's biggest songs like "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and "As Long As You Love Me."

With this big announcement, came the release of a new song: the title track off the upcoming album.

On the sweet strummer, the guys sing about overcoming the odds singing, "In a world like this/Where nothing comes from the heart/In a world like this/ I got you." And the hearts of BSB fans everywhere just melted. Listen here.

Trey Songz and Wale Guest On Juicy J's New Song and Video

(Radio.com) Juicy J's new video for "Bounce It" finds him flossing with beautiful women and piles of cash, and boasts a guest appearance from Wiz Khalifa. The new song (and video) from the Three 6 Mafia rapper gone solo features star cameos from Trey Songz and Wale.

It's the latest single from Juicy's forthcoming major label debut, Stay Trippy, set for release August 27 on Kemosabe/Columbia Records (in conjunction with Khalifa's Taylor Gang Ent.)

"Bounce It" is co-produced by superstar producer Dr. Luke (also an executive producer on the album), who heads up Kemosabe Records.

"I'm super lucky to be able to work with a talent like Juicy J," Dr. Luke said in a press release. "From Three 6 Mafia to winning an Oscar and coming back with one of the biggest songs of the year with 'Bandz A Make Her Dance,' Juicy has proven that's he's the real deal."

Stay Trippy will come power-packed with superstar collaborators, with appearances by Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky and Big Sean. Among the album's producers include Timbaland, Young Chop and The Weeknd. Check out the video here.

Houndmouth Bridges Divide Between Country and Rock

(Radio.com) Rock music today really doesn't get more American than Houndmouth, but the record label that snapped them up was the decidedly British outfit Rough Trade. And it makes sense. There's a rustic, but not nostalgic, tinge to their music, a sound that's being embraced from acts like the more bluegrass-influenced Mumford & Sons to the more bombastic Grace Potter to the more pop-tinged Lumineers.

They all live in the same universe, but Houndmouth make music that doesn't quite live in the same decade as their contemporaries. If anything, they're representing the opposite side of the late '60s we're currently seeing on Mad Men. They're a straight-up rock band, with one big toe in the world of country and the other on planet indie.

"Penitentiary," from their recent debut From The Hills Below The City, is one of those country-side 1960s tracks. It rocks, but it utilizes the familiar markers of a traditional country song: riding trains, five & dime stores, a stint in the pen for petty theft. They're out to evoke a feeling more than to weave a narrative with the debut.

"We all kinda wrote separately," Toupin said. "So pretty much whoever sings the song on the album wrote most of the song. Me and Matt [Myers, co-vocalist] were in this acoustic thing for like three years before [Houndmouth]. Some of the songs came from that." More including their secret addiction.

Avril Lavigne Releases New Single 'Rock N Roll'

(popmusiclife) Avril Lavigne has released a new single, "Rock N Roll." Produced by Max Martin, the track is from Avril's yet-to-be-announced new album, which is expected to be released in September.

The Canadian pop star co-wrote the song with husband Chad Kroeger (Nickelback), David Hodges, Richard Goransson, Jacob Hindlin and Peter Svensson.

"Rock N Roll" follows Lavigne's latest hit single, "Here's To Never Growing Up," which peaked at No. 20 on Billboard Hot 100. Check out the new song here.

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