Audacy Check-In

Hot off the release of his new album, 'blame the chat,' DDG is with us at the Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about it all, sitting down with DJ Buck and Big Regg for an Audacy Check In. Featuring guest spots from Ty Dolla $ign, Rich the Kid, Offset, Rob49, BIA, Wiz Khalifa, DaBaby, Queen Naija, and Shenseea, 'blame the chat' is star-studded and blasts the artist to new heights. "I just rock with who rock with me," DDG reveals. "I don't like to force collabs, I don't like to force features, none of that. I just like to keep everything organic. Whoever rocking with me that's who i wanted to walk through the door." That door was to DDG's 7 day live stream "Hit-A-Thon," which saw the rising rapper putting together his latest effort in real time. "It's more fun, I would say, to create live. You're getting live feedback. They know what they're getting right then and there," he shares. "Even with my album, most of the people that watch the 'Hit-A-Thon,' they heard me make the song, but even when I drop the album it still sounds refreshing, it still feels new, because when you make the song it ain't mixed, it ain't mastered, it ain't got that them extra drums. It's something new still, so it's cool." "I feel like I'm just all around more of a polished artist," DDG says of his evolution since first landing on people's radar. "I just think more technical these days about how my music come out." "The chat" is a big part of DDG's come up into a new level, and it's not something he takes lightly, saying he "cracked the code" by involving those fans in the way he makes music. "I used to make music for people that didn't listen to me, that was my problem. Now I make music for people that listen to me and then I will let them be the ones to advocate for me." "I feel like a lot of my music career I was chasing the streams and the support from people that don't want to like me no matter what, but now I'm set, like if I only got a thousand streams on a song, I'm gonna make music for those people that stream, that thousand, and then eventually it's gonna grow." Don't miss more from DDG, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Royel Otis has a big 2025 lined up, and starts now with their new song, "moody." The duo joined us in Los Angeles for an Audacy Check In to talk about the new track, what to expect on their upcoming tour, and more. Earlier this week, Royel Otis announced the meet me in the car tour, that will see the two playing venues and select music festivals across North America including Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands. But first, it's "moody" to set things in motion for our Audacy LAUNCH artists. "We were in the studio with Blake Slatkin and Amy Allen, two very, very talented people," shares Royel Maddell about the making of "moody" during the band's conversation with KROQ's Miles The DJ. "We were just like throwing chords together and stuff, and that's what ended up coming out of it. All in a day's work. It was amazing." "moody" is part of the next chapter for a band that took Alternative music by storm last year, and according to Roy it's part of a bigger jump for the next LP. "I think it's, I don't know, sonically a bit larger," he says of the upcoming album. "I think there was more thought after playing all the shows live last year. I think there was more thought into like how this song would go if we played it live as opposed to just like how it just sounds on the record. I think there was a bit more thought into that, but other than that, I, I just think it was just whatever came out." Next month the band starts a run of festival dates, before launching their own headlining tour. After seeing them a few times in Los Angeles, Miles couldn't help but notice the connection that Royel Otis has with fans, already so solid and intense, still early on in their career. "I think we've always taken that so seriously as well," Maddell admits, "like connecting with fans and always trying to make sure they know they're a part of it and a big reason why we're doing what we're doing sort of thing."

That feeling's coming around, and it can only mean one thing. ROLE MODEL is with us for an Audacy Check In at the Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about his hit, "Sally, When The Wine Runs Out," his upcoming return to the road with Gracie Abrams, and much more. "It's funny on Wikipedia you are listed as Bedroom Pop," Mike Adam explains. "Do you know what that means?" "I feel like that was the whole first half of my career, was that word Bedroom Pop," laughs ROLE MODEL. "That was the scene that I feel like I like made my way into when I first started making music under the name ROLE MODEL, and it was like Clairo, Gus Dapperton, Cuco. There was this very cool community of artists that were all kind of in this Bedroom Pop thing and it was just like DIY. Kind of low-fi Pop music." "Very misleading," he adds, after Mike notes it's not sexy time music. "Also probably like the least sexual music ever." Turning heartbreak into hits, ROLE MODEL has used his album 'Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)' to both grief a formative relationship and catapult himself into another artistry atmosphere. His run opening for Gracie Abrams is about to restart as she heads out on the deluxe dates of her sold out tour, which ROLE MODEL will join between festival shows throughout the summer. "I just like her relationship with her fandom at these shows, and also outside of shows, and how inclusive she makes it," ROLE MODEL says on what he's learned from watching Gracie on tour. "I took mental notes of just how she makes everyone feel seen at her shows, no matter how big the venue is, or how many people there are, she makes everyone feel seen and heard at her shows, and I think that's a very cool thing to take note of for me and my own shows." After lots of talk about ROLE MODEL's home state of Maine, Adam asks about the folks back home and the moment Mom is most proud of. "She just came on stage in Boston, for my biggest, it was the last show of tour, but it was also happened to be like my biggest headline, and it was like technically a hometown show, and she came on stage for that and we made her Sally at the end of the show," he shares. "I think that was like a very cool moment, not just for her to see of me, it was like a cool thing to have together now." To hear more from ROLE MODEL check out the full Audacy Check In above.

New music from Mammoth is here, after the band and Wolfgang Van Halen spent the week teasing fans with a countdown across socials. Now we have "The End," another scorching eruption of Rock, featuring furious fretwork and another sky-high solo. Here to talk about it is the man himself for an Audacy Check In with Abe Kanan. "I had this idea a while back and I felt like maybe it was a little too over the top, but then I came back to it and I thought it would be fun to try and make it into a song," WVH shares about the blistering new song. "It was a fun little process. It's a tough thing to balance where it's like the centerpiece of the song is this sort of soloy thing, but I think the aggressiveness and the over-the-topness of it is sort of what makes it so exciting." The guitar is all the way in Rock and beyond, with Wolfgang leading the charge in a lot of ways, even if he's reluctant to embrace that role himself. "I think, even in Pop, you see, they have full bands with guitar and everything. It's definitely on its way back for sure, you know, comparatively to where it was say 10 years ago." Not able to divulge much about Mammoth's upcoming 3rd album, the excitement is obvious when hearing WVH talk about new music. "I'm very excited with the direction that everything's headed in for sure." For more on his upcoming tour, his time playing with Van Halen, and WVH's message to fans, enjoy the full Audacy Check In with Wolfgang Van Halen above.

R&B breakout star Coco Jones is back for an Audacy Check In, to talk about her new album, 'Why Not More?' and so much more. The GRAMMY-winning singer joins us at the Hard Rock Hotel New York to dive into the making of the album, which is the official debut LP for the "Taste" singer, arriving as a fully-formed force in music with passionate pleas and next-level vocals. Since we last connected with Coco in the Audacy Sound Space, the singer has been hard at work on her debut album, which is now officially out in the world. "I think for me I just wanted to be more decisive this time," Jones reveals to DJ Buck about her process. "I was still figuring myself out with my EP, and you know, EPs are lower stakes. You don't really have any expectations and I was kind of just learning how it goes being signed again. Like that's my first time being signed as an adult, so I was really learning how it goes, and now I feel like I kind of know a little bit more. I know a little bit more about myself, and so I wanted to speak up more on things that were really important to me." Jones has found the material for her debut simply by living, finding inspiration in the conversations and situations she finds herself in. "I think I pull from real life. I mean, my friends and what we talk about, the things that we're all going through, relationships and life, and learning ourselves," she shares. "It's such a relatable place in life that I try to take real life conversations and turn them into songs." Coco also shared with us a few of her favorites from the new album, including "Keep It Quiet," and the Britney Spears-sampling "Taste," which has already taken off and become a favorite for fans as well. "I love it because it was scary to do, and I feel like the best things are the things that you're scared to do," she says of the song. "You know they teach you a lot." "I'm excited for people to listen to this album because I kind of treated my EP like first date vibes," Coco continues. "Like you're not going too hard, you're not showing all of yourself, but you're trying to make a good impression, and then when you start to get to know somebody more, your real self slip out. I think my album is like when you're starting to get somebody to know them more, like the real self is slipping out and I'm still going to show more and more as I get comfortable and as I learn more, but definitely dive deeper into some of my emotions with this album." At the risk of stirring controversy, DJ Buck also asked Coco Jones for her Mount Rushmore of female R&B singers. "You know you always gonna say people and then people gonna be mad at who you didn't say," smiles Jones. "I'm thinking I'm gonna think Mount Rushmore of women who inspired my art and my album." "I would say of course Beyoncé. I would say Jazmine Sullivan. I would say SZA. I would say Rihanna." To hear more from Coco Jones on the making of her debut album, how she handles life in the public eye, and navigating social media, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

We've seen Zara Larsson do a lot, but we've never seen the Pop star get "ugly like this," as she lets it rip on her new single, "Pretty Ugly." Zara is back in the building with us at the Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about the new song, and her upcoming spot on Tate McRae's Miss Possessive Tour later this year during an all new Audacy Check In with host Mike Adam. Larsson blasted back on to the scene last week with "Pretty Ugly," and she's having fun with the muddy video and mischievous marketing. "It was just me wanting to be a little, I don't know if silly is the right word, but I'm not a very serious person," Zara shares. "I think this song has an element of fun to it. And, I spend a lot of time online. I am just a part of the internet culture. I love what happened to 'Symphony.' I just I have a lot of screen time. So, we did a Coachella billboard, which was like a bit cheeky and fun. Just the imagery of fun and not taking myself too serious. I feel like it's the vibe." The fun of "Pretty Ugly" is a preview of Larsson's upcoming project, but according to the singer it only tells part of the story. "I feel like I have so much to say and I have a lot of personality that has been hard to repackage into a song, but with this making of this album, I just was hanging out with a small group of people, And they really get me." "So it's like hanging out with friends. It's fun, it's upbeat, it's exciting... but then there's also the side of me that's vulnerable, sometimes scared of things, has a lot of ambition, feeling like I'm working hard but I'm being let down, or feel like, stuff that I really don't really talk about openly." It all adds up to a new chapter for Zara, one that she can't wait to take on the road with Tate McRae. "It will be a lot of energy and a lot more dancing, hopefully." "She worked so hard," she says of her upcoming tourmate, Tate McRae. "And I'm really excited to get to know her, get to see her show every night because she's so young... [but] like she's giving me mature." "I'm also really loving that she seemed to really find her own thing, and I love that she has incorporated more dancing because I feel like she didn't really do that before, at least not like live, and no one can do it like her." To hear much more from Zara Larsson, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Sammy Hagar is getting by with some help from his friends, both on stage and in his dreams. The Red Rocker joins us for an Audacy Check In to talk about his new song, "Encore, Thank You, Goodnight." which he says was inspired by a dream about Eddie Van Halen. "When I woke up from this dream with Eddie, we were in the middle of writing a song and I was singing this melody, so it was so fresh," Sammy shares with Audacy's Remy Maxwell. "And I'm going, 'man!' I woke up, I sang that into my iPhone. My wife's sitting there pulling covers over her head. I got my guitar out, I got my notepad. [It's] one of them things where nobody wants to hear about dreams. You wake up and say, 'honey, I had this weird dream.' You dream and you start trying to tell her, she goes, 'I don't wanna hear about your dream right now. It's too f***ing crazy. It doesn't make any sense.' I'm going, 'yeah, I know.' So nobody wants to hear about your dreams. So I was reluctant." Hagar finally found the nerve and said, "f*** it, I'm gonna play this for Joe." Guitarist Joe Satriani and Hagar had just toured together, playing Van Halen classics across 34 cities. "He studied Eddie inside and out, he said, 'hey, I got this, man.'" Performing with VH alum Michael Anthony, Satriani, and legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff, Hagar is newly signed to Big Machine Rock and ready to reveal the track to fans. "It's just such a heartfelt thing from me to him," admits Sammy. "I just wrote exactly what I dreamt and exactly what I felt and, that's so personal. It's one of the most personal songs I've ever written in my life.” "I'm humbled by this band and being in Van Halen, I wasn't humbled at that time, you know, I was a platinum solo artist selling out arenas all over the world. So I wasn't as humbled joining Van Halen as I, looking back, as I could have been. But now I'm humbled by it because Eddie Van Halen's one of the greatest rock musicians that ever lived," says Sammy. "I'm more impressed with this guy every day in my life, and I will always be inspired by his musical abilities and his musical uniqueness." "I tell you, the better I get and the more knowledge I get at my craft, I always go back to Eddie and go, 'wow.' He was already there. Every time I come to a new conclusion, a new height, I go, 'oh wow, Eddie knew this,' and it's amazing how great that guy. and unique that guy really was." To hear much more from Sammy Hagar on his upcoming Stagecoach performance and Vegas residency, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Halestorm has shared the first preview of their upcoming, sixth studio album with the big and bold single, "Darkness Always Wins," and frontwoman Lzzy Hale is here to talk about the making of the band's next chapter, and more. During an Audacy Check In with Abe Kanan, the "Back From The Dead" singer details the recording process of the new LP, which serves as a return to the roots of the Pennsylvania band. "This whole album, it's kind of like this long road back to the beginning almost," Hale reveals. "When we were recording it with Dave Cobb in Savannah, Georgia, it felt like we were back in my parents basement. We were in this house, unsupervised, just the four of us with all the equipment we could ever want, everything ready to go, no distractions, no girlfriends, no wives, no friends." "We'd wake up in this house like around 11AM every day, and just start on whatever got us excited, and then Dave Cobb would kind of come in around 1PM and like throw a wrench in the works somewhere. Like, 'oh I love that, let's go there,' you know? His ADHD works very well with our ADHD, so that worked out." The lead look at the album, "Darkness Always Wins," was the first song the band wrote in Cobb's studio, and kicked off the process of recording from scratch with the producer. "We were setting up the computer so we can show him some songs, and he's like, 'oh no we're not doing any of that.'" Rather than sifting through previously recorded riffs and stems, Halestorm wrote the song from the ground up. "So we're getting all of these takes of the inception of the song," Lzzy shares. "Usually when we do a Halestorm record, we write the songs and everybody decides on what their favorite songs are, and then we go in the studio for a month and bang it out. This was the complete opposite. We're like, 'we don't have a plan, we don't know what we want to write about,' so we were just kind of letting the music tell us what to do, versus the other way around." You can hear much more from Lzzy Hale of Halestorm on the band's upcoming tour plans, excitement to play at Black Sabbath's final show, her Instagram rebirth, and more above.

Everything is coming up Ne-Yo. Between stops on the 'For My Fans Tour' with Mary J. Blige, the GRAMMY winner joined Shelley Wade in the Audacy Sound Space at the Hard Rock Hotel New York to discuss touring with a fellow R&B icon, all that relationships talk, a few key career moments, and so much more. "I am fantastic. I'm better than fantastic. I'm in a great, great space," he shares. "Things are going great in my career. Things are going great in my love life. My kids are healthy and smart, and bad as hell, but healthy and smart. Two out of three ain't bad. Yeah man things are good." Of course in addition to being a constant force across the music landscape for the past 20 years, Ne-Yo has also become a hot topic thanks to his love life and his “pyramid” of girlfriends. Which is fine for Ne-Yo, as long as they stay for the music. "I don't even so much mind anymore what gets you in the room. It's what keeps you in the room,” he explains. “You know if my personal life is what made you Google my name, and then you Google my name and then you get the music, that's fine. I don't even care. As long as you get to the important part." Currently a part of the 'For My Fans Tour' with Mary J. Blige and Mario, Ne-Yo says it's like being with family. "Mary has always been just one of those real, like grassroots true-to-life people, you know. Mind you she has all of the makings of a diva, you know what I mean," he jokes. "Like you know if she walked in here and she had women throwing roses at her feet as she walked it'd be completely valid. It's like, 'all right well I mean it's Mary that's fine, it's Mary of course,' but she's also the kind of person that's gonna ask if you ate today, will get up and get you a glass of water if you need one, like she's just real people and she genuinely cares about people." "Mario, same situation," adds Ne-Yo. "Dare I say, we damn started our careers together, because writing that song for him is kind of what got me the attention that got me my Def Jam deal, and then of course that song being one of his biggest kind of catapulted him to where he wound up." "Just being able to share the stage with people that you genuinely respect, it's a beautiful thing." To hear much more from Ne-Yo, listen to his full Audacy Check In above.

Who wanna rock like JENNIE? Everyone! But have you ever met? Actually, yes. She's got 'em obsessed with her new album, 'Ruby,' and she joins Bru at our studios in Los Angeles to talk about it all. On her way to Coachella for a solo debut, JENNIE is riding high on the success of "Like JENNIE," something she did not see coming. "I was just saying, even today, I was like, 'wow, I'm just so amazed at how the song is doing and how everyone's reacting to the song,'" she shares. "It's definitely not what I expected." With 'Ruby' being an eclectic introduction to the solo status of the BLACKPINK star, JENNIE admits she even surprised herself along the way. "I didn't realize how many genres and different type of sounds that I wanted to tap into before I worked on this album," the "Love Hangover" singer reveals. "I'm finding myself really as I'm going and learning how to rap for the first time almost, how to sing for the first time." "In a good way, I've never been able to really focus only on myself. I've always had the girls with me, you know? I've always had other things happening around me, but for this album, I got to really sit down and explore different voices and sounds and it was great! I'm going to look into it and find out more about who and what kind of sound that I want to like, hold on to." JENNIE also touched on her collaborations during the making of 'Ruby,' especially with Dua Lipa. "She's a caring person in general, and we we used to like do dinners, and we would meet at parties, and every time she's always making sure if I'm good and happy and healthy," smiles JENNIE. "So she's someone that's always made sure that I feel, you know, I'm feeling good. So to have her work on a song on this album. It's like having a great friend at work with you, like what more can I ask for?" "She's supportive and she's obviously giving, sharing her beautiful voice with me on this album, like I'm just so happy, and it was a great day when we had the shoot. It felt like we were just out in New York in the cold wearing crazy outfits just jamming to a song." Just days away from her Coachella set, JENNIE talked about the "pure joy and excitement" for the event, gave some advice on festival attire, and also shared a motto she tries to live by. Hear it all above during JENNIE's Audacy Check In.

Because we "wanna be the first one on your mind when you wake up," we're premiering a special Audacy Check In with Selena Gomez. The multihyphenate queen joined us in the Audacy Sound Space at the Hard Rock Hotel New York to talk about her new album, 'I Said I Love You First,' with benny blanco, her collaboration with Gracie Abrams, and a sweet moment with her Only Murders in the Building co-star, Meryl Streep. After hearing from benny last month, and finally feeling the full weight of their collaboration powers with the album's release, it's time to dive into the meaning and the making of 'I Said I Love You First.' "I was in the studio for maybe five or six years, and I could not figure out what my 'sound,' if you will, was. I just didn't, I was frustrated," shares Selena. "I felt stuck. And then Benny had this idea of, you know, maybe doing something together. So we actually started with 'Younger and Hotter,' and that song was just really special and so beautiful. And FINNEAS, obviously is a genius. And I was like, we could do more. And that's when it all happened, and it was the quickest album I've ever put together." The album was a true collaboration between the real life couple according to Selena. "The greatest thing was Benny understood," reveals Gomez. "If I just didn't care for it, it wasn't even a second thought. He was like, 'great, that's not what fits for you. That's not going to work then.' But in general, some of the music, I would try to kind of make my own interpretation. And it was really fun. And plus, being able to talk to him and write is so, it's just so easy." Selena also talked about how Benny and her made the most of Gracie Abrams' one day in LA, opting for a more intimate music video for their hit, "Call Me When You Break Up." "The crazy part is she's in the middle of a tour, and she was in LA for one day. And we were like, 'well, there's no way we're going to shoot a music video.' Let's just be like cozy and make a video and call it the video. So she's so laid back and lovely. It was fun." We couldn't let Selena leave without talking about Only Murders in the Building, working with Hollywood royalty like Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Meryl Streep. "She actually wrote me a full letter after the first season she had done with us," Gomez remembers of her Oscar-winning co-star. "It was all encouraging. And it was more so that she noticed the little things and the little things like, please and thank you and these tiny things. And it just is so thoughtful and beautiful. Like she is just a rare creature. She is incredible."

Mumford & Sons' new album, 'RUSHMERE,' has officially landed and we're celebrating with a special Audacy Check In with the band in the Audacy Sound Space in the Hard Rock Hotel New York. Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane, and Ben Lovett sat with Audacy's Brad Steiner to unpack their first new offering in 7 years, and talk about the making of 'RUSHMERE,' an album they say would only be created for the right reasons. "We had this moment in Los Angeles, in January '23, where we said, 'let's meet up and let's put instruments in our hands together in a room with no one else around for the first time in quite a while, and if the songs come easy, then let's do this.' And if they don't we'll maybe keep trying and but there's no like, let's not do this because we have to do it because we're in a big band and people know our name and just show up to work and kind of go through the motions. Let's only do this if it feels like something we can be passionate about because we only really are very good when we really believe in the music we're putting out," shares Marcus. "We wrote five songs in a week." "I think that all of the records represent us, you know in various sort of ways, I think the sort of kernel of Mumford and Sons is really just like three lads who really enjoy hanging out together and making music," adds Ted. "That exists across all our albums, but like Marcus was just saying with [producer] Dave [Cobb], it was the was very intentional to remove the smoke and mirrors and just make a very elemental record." To hear much more from Mumford & Sons on the creation of 'RUSHMERE,' their pop-up shows, and even advice from Elton John, enjoy the full Audacy Check In with the band above.

Time flies when you're Chevelle, who are celebrating their 30th year as a band with new music, and upcoming tour, and more surprises along the way. Brothers Pete Loeffler and Sam Loeffler recently checked in with Audacy's Abe Kanan to preview what's to come in 2025 and look back on their Chicago beginnings. On Tuesday, Chevelle shared plans for a headlining tour across the country, taking along Asking Alexandria and Dead Poet Society for the trek. In doing so, they also alerted fans, "Who is ready for new music? Want to hear it live? We will hit the road again this summer to kick off our ALBUM TOUR." The latest chapter for Chevelle begins with "Rabbit Hole (Cowards, Pt. 1)," a blistering new song destine to be a part of their incoming album this summer. "They talk about a certain topic, but they don't sound the same," Pete says of part 1 of "Cowards" and the yet-to-be-revealed part 2. The band is hopeful that the album will arrive in August before the kickoff of their tour. "They're pretty particular about having every single part of everything finished before they give you a release date, like all the artwork has to be finished and things like that. So, but the tour starts August 7 in San Antonio," shares Sam. "It would be nice if the record was out when the tour starts, right?" All of this coincides with Chevelle being together for 30 years (by our count), technically longer for the brothers at the center of it all. "Sam and I started this band when we were in our teens. So, it's just 30 years is like, yeah, it's just always been us," remarks Pete. "We're brothers, we talk every day, our families hang out, we do a lot of stuff together, we go on tour together. It just works. It works until it doesn't, right Sam?" "I think that we've gone through so many chapters in life already that we will never gets to that 'can't patch it up.' [stage]" As Chevelle endures through a brotherly bond, the two have a message to share with fans as they enter another era. "I would say about this new music, that we've worked really hard on it, and I think it's some of the best stuff we've ever done, honestly."

A new era for Evanescence is fast approaching, with the band unveiling the "first of many" new songs this week. In tandem with the WORLD PREMIERE of the new song, "Afterlife," Amy Lee joined Abe Kanan for an Audacy Check In to talk about what's next. "This is the first, of many," Amy shares about new music from Evanescence. "We are working on a lot of songs right now for the new album, but, you know, this came up through Netflix and we're just really excited to have an excuse to get in there right away." The song is set to be featured in the new series, 'Devil May Cry,' from Netflix, adding to the storied tradition of sonically stellar moments on soundtracks, which Amy and Abe reminisced about. But more importantly, did you say "new album?" "We're just working" says Lee. "We got off the road in November or something, and we've been just creative. I like to, when we book shows and we happen to have time in between that makes sense... it's like, 'hey, let's stick around, get an Airbnb and like get some instruments together and see what who's got an idea.' So we were doing some of that and that can be fun and productive. We got some cool locations out of it. We did one in Italy, it was nice." "Really spending the time in the studio, like me just focusing and us, taking the time to turn some of those ideas into real songs as has been happening since. So, I've got a lot cooking. I don't have a date for you, but there'll be more and more and more music coming out." Amy also went on to talk about the band's "big community" of amazing fans, and the evolution of Evanescence over their 20-plus year career. "With age comes confidence, and with success comes fans and support. I'm happier now doing what I do with my band, than I ever have been before."

Lizzo is here in real life, stopping by the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check in to talk new music, and more with Audacy's Mike Adam in the Rockstar Suite, high above Times Square. It's about damn time there's new Lizzo music in the world, and fans wasted no time devouring her first two offerings from this new, 'Love in Real Life' era. First with the strutting title track, and again this month with slinky and slithering "Still Bad." Both of which are "distinctly" Lizzo, as Mike was quick to point out. "It took me a long time to find my sound," explains Lizzo. "I found my voice, and now the next part of that journey was like, 'what is your sound?' So now this is my voice, with my sound. It's mine, I'm owning it, baby! I ain't nobody else. You can't have it!" Looking back on some landmark moments for the GRAMMY winner, the two discussed 2019, which was "that year" for Lizzo. It's something that Chappell Roan experienced in 2024, and Doechii is very much experiencing now. Lizzo reflected on the pros and cons of "that" moment. "The con is people don't see the hard work," she shares. "Every overnight success is ten years long." "It's like, 'bitch I've been here a long time,' check my records, check my credentials. 'Where did I come from?' A long line of hard work. That's the part. Don't get caught up trying to prove that to anyone." As for the pro, it's all of the time you manifested your dreams and now, "it's happening. Don't let it pass you by." Lizzo also dove into her presence on social media, and took on rapid fire questions like "what app is on your phone that would surprise us?" also sharing that there's some Missy Elliott material with her in the vault. "I did so many songs with Missy Elliott, but they weren't finished," Lizzo reveals. "She just literally had me in the rap gauntlet. I was in the booth and she would throw a beat on and I would freestyle to it, she was like, 'next beat' and so all of those, there's so many of those that will never come out, which is great because I freestyled them," she laughs.

The musical partnership between Sting and Shaggy is once again on full display with their latest collaboration, "Til A Mawnin," and the duo joined Shelley Wade for an Audacy Check In to talk about their partnership, inspiration, and more at the Hard Rock Hotel New York. "Oh, it's a joyful song," Sting shares of his latest project with Shaggy. "Everybody hears it starts to smile, you know. And boy, do we need some of that medicine in the world today, because so much unhappiness." Together the pair unpacked some of the influences for "Til A Mawnin," a track deeply indebted to sound system culture and dancehall music. "It changed my life," Shaggy shared of the movement and the music that seeps into every inch of their new offering. The GRAMMY winners also took time to thank Eddie Murphy for some of the ways he has been intertwined in their careers. For Shaggy, a bit from the comedian's 'Raw' special that helped inspired his hit, "It Wasn't Me," and for Sting, a few nice checks for his rendition of "Roxanne." "I thanked him, because every time he did that, I made some money, you know," smiled Sting. "Keep singing that brother, keep singing that line." Don't miss our Audacy Check In with Sting and Shaggy, now playing.

Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers sat down with host Brad Steiner for an Audacy Check In from the Hard Rock New York Rockstar Suite, providing some insight into their now 20-year career together, the brand new album 'Automatic,' and more. The Lumineers just released their brand new album, 'Automatic,' on February 14 and will soon be hitting the road this summer on the North American leg of their Automatic 2025 World Tour, with dates beginning July 3. Now 20+ years into their careers together, Jeremiah and Wes have proven their ability to cross generations, which left Brad wondering where the duo felt the best place was to hear one of their songs -- whether it be a coffee shop, MMA fight, or otherwise. “I always feel like they're just so quiet in a coffee shop,” Wes admits. “Two teenagers making out in a car,” adds Jeremiah. “I was thinking a dentist’s office,” Wes laughs. Congratulations are in order for their new album, 'Automatic,' released on Valentine’s Day 2025. They could credit the release date to an idea from another musician friend, Ben Kweller, who told them “Lumineers is for lovers,” says Wes. “I like that. We're trying to put out a shirt that doesn't get us sued by the State of Virginia, but no, it was not intentional,” he admits. “It was pure happenstance, but it does feel weirdly appropriate.” In their efforts to stay true to their sound, Wes says the duo tries to “say the most with the least,” figuring out “minimal ways to do something,” while also spending the appropriate time with the lyrics. The words, he says, may not be “about my life necessarily, or it's trying to tell a story and tell that as unflinchingly or as honestly as you can. I would like to believe that that has a resonance, that if you're just writing to sound clever that has a different feeling to it. It's also something that I got early on, listening to Tom Petty's 'Free Falling,' where he's like, ‘She's a good girl, loves her mother. Loves Jesus and America too…’ and it's this smattering of imagery that only he could come up with. It's just perfect though, and he kind of takes you to the scene and he sets it in a way that feels so personal. I think that that as an example was like, ‘Wow, no one's writing like that.’”

Celebrate the release of Spiritbox's sophomore album, 'Tsunami Sea,' with a special Audacy Check In with singer Courtney LaPlante. Dive into the deep end of the band's blistering second offering, their upcoming tour, recent GRAMMY nominations, and so much more during an interview with Abe Kanan.

GHOST frontman Tobias Forge joins host Abe Kanan for a special Audacy Check In, amid the highly-anticipated arrival of the mysterious Swedish metal band's all new 'Skeletá' era with new music, a new ‘Papa,’ and more. Over the weekend GHOST shared images of an epic billboard announcing “V is coming,” along with a link to a livestream which will no doubt host the debut of the band’s “new” singer, Papa V Perpertua, as well as further new music announcements. Papa V, the next incarnation of frontman Tobias Forge, was first teased when revealed as part of Black Sabbath’s 'Back To The Beginning' July concert in Birmingham happening later this year. For the past 20+ years, Tobias has led his “nameless ghouls” in GHOST, one of the more mysterious groups in the Metal scene, as their anti-Papal singer and principal songwriter. Looking back on the group’s constant battles with remaining unknown players when first starting out, it was “fatigue,” Forge says, that eventually led to his unmasking. “It was a constant struggle to maintain anonymity, meanwhile trying to break and make the band bigger because it sort of defies the whole idea of becoming a bigger and more famous band, and not become more a person of interest,” he explains. “However, as I transgressed from, I know that might be the wrong word to use here, but transgressed from wanting to really remain anonymous, no matter what, to being, I guess, more open with it.” “I tried to weigh whether or not if there was a playing field for me, to where I could do both,” Tobias says. “And what I understood it was that GHOST as an entity, as this sort of fictional, cartoonish Rock band, is always -- as long as I continue doing that the way I should -- will always be more known and more recognizable and more interesting than I am as a person. And so far, it has really been like that. Sure, people know who I am, but nowhere near as many as know what GHOST is.” “Any time we have a new person in the band,” Forge admits, “I think it always sets off the sleuths trying to sort of figure out who that person is, and over the years we've had people in the band who've been very good at hiding their identities, basically enjoying the idea of being somewhat more elusive. And then there are those who prefer to be a little bit more visible.” However, as he sees it “Neither is wrong. I think in the spirit of GHOST being a slightly more theatrical, and a little bit more anonymous, whatever that means now in this context, I think it's good if we don't go up on stage and take the mask off, ‘Here we are, it's me.’ You know, that's not great, but I mean it doesn't bother me if you know the name of the guitar player.” Speaking of the band’s brand new single “Satanized” from their forthcoming 2025 album 'Skeletá,' some fans may notice a throwback feel to earlier releases, some of course may not. “I am bad at deciphering or deciding that,” Tobias says, “because if I say, ‘oh yeah, yes, you're right,’ there will be opinionated people listening like, it sounds nothing like Opus… So, no, it's not a carbon copy of ‘Opus Eponymous,’ it's not ‘Infestissumam,’ it's not ‘Meliora.’” “There are elements of everything I've ever done, scattered all over the records, as is with this record too,” he says. “I always go into the studio or into the writing process, the production process, with the idea of trying to write a new album, an album that sounds in a new way, and then pragmatically, I guess you try to be professional and steer the ship. So it resembles a GHOST record. Even though I'm also struggling at times with exactly what that means, but you know, of course I have a gut feeling of which lines you don't cross, and where it feels like that is ‘not a GHOST thing to do.’ Not because I don't dare -- I consider myself fairly daring in my will to push everything forward, or push the envelope and or do things that others might not wanna do. But o ...