Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Grammy-winning country star Maren Morris was on turbo speed after her first two records, scoring multi-platinum hits and crossover success with songs like “The Middle” and “The Bones."
But as she heads back on tour after an extended break due to the COVID-19 pandemic and becoming a mother, she's just not ready for arenas, even if she's likely to sell out.
“My outlook and strategy from the get go, even with my first record, was like, do the underplay as long as you can and not overshoot too quickly,” said Morris. “I still, in some weird way, always feel like I’m wanting to pay my dues.”
In support of her upcoming third major label album “Humble Quest” out March 25, Morris is heading out in June on a 41-date tour of mostly amphitheaters, wrapping with a final arena show in Nashville, Tennessee, in December. Tickets are on sale Friday on her website.
“I wanted to do amphitheaters because we were already naturally moving into that venue size," said Morris, who is nominated for two Grammys this year. “This album felt very outdoorsy, like I wanted to be able to play these songs in the elements.”
Starting with her major label debut in 2016 with “Hero," the Texas-born singer-songwriter broke through with her Grammy-winning hit “My Church," blending sultry R&B and pop hooks into her vocal style. She's collaborated with Zedd, Niall Horan, Taylor Swift and John Mayer and is a member of the country group The Highwomen with Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires and Natalie Hemby.
The tour, which will hit cities like Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles, will include opening acts Brent Cobb, Ruston Kelly, Lone Bellow and Brittney Spencer, as well as her songwriter collaborators Hemby and Joy Oladokun.
“It’s a nice rotation of friends, but also if my fans don’t know their music, I feel like they’re going to be huge stans leaving the show,” said Morris.
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Earlier this week, Lil Nas X dropped a teaser for what fans presume to be his upcoming album, DREAMBOY. He did so by announcing his new single, "Light Again," which is set to arrive this week. He dropped a promotional photo for the track, but unfortunately, not everyone was feeling it. In response to the announcement, dance artist Sega Bodega to X to accuse Lil Nas X of stealing his vision.
According to Sega Bodega, Lil Nas' promo photo looks eerily similar to the artwork for his own 2021 single, “Angel on My Shoulder.” Lil Nas shared the artwork for Bodega's single on his Instagram Story, calling it a “ref,” which the Bodega feels was not adequate. "Not even trying to put a spin on it is where I’m like yeesh," Bodega wrote in response to the image. "‘Look he did credit you in a photo that will disappear in 24 hours forever and no name whatsoever of artist or photographer! Be grateful! You lot sound ins*ne."
At the time of writing, Lil Nas X has yet to address Bodega's tweets. Upon first sharing the promotional image he inspired, however, he wrote a heartfelt message about how thankful he is for all of his supporters. "It just dawned on me how lucky i am to have all of you that still f*ck with me," it begins. "Bc i know it isn’t always easy! dreamboy isn’t just an album, it’s me coping with the loss of what once was and fighting for a new world. im so excited to bring you on the journey."
Lil Nas X teased his upcoming single back in March and expressed his eagerness to finally release it. "I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to have this s**t up, or I don’t know what my CEO thinks right now, or whatever," he said. "[…] Bro, these last couple years have been cr*zy, ’cause I’ve made so much music and I just want to release music. I just want to release music, but expectations are just, like… ins*ne."
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