Audacy Check-In

After spending a year and a half writing and recording their upcoming album, The Pretty Reckless is ready to share the first sample, unveiling the new single, "For I Am Death," everywhere. Taylor Momsen joined Abe Kanan this week to unpack it all, and talk about the band's first new LP in 4 years during an Audacy Check In. "To be honest, I want to know what it means to you," Momsen tells Abe after being asked about the story behind "For I Am Death," the band's first offering from the upcoming project. "I think that to me that's what music is. I can sit here and tell you exactly where I was when I wrote it, and what I was thinking about and all of those things, but that doesn't actually give you the meaning of the song, that just can kind of help explain how I got there. The meaning of music, it transforms over time and honestly what it means to me isn't what it means anymore because it's out in the world. Once it's out in the world, it doesn't belong to me anymore, it belongs to you and to anyone who's listening to it." The new album was recorded between tour stops with a little band called AC/DC, as The Pretty Reckless went around the world opening for the Rock icons on their 'Power Up Tour.' "The next 12 months of The Pretty Reckless world is gonna be insane," Taylor teases. "There's a lot coming. This is just the beginning." For what it's worth, Momsen was warned about the tough crowds on tour with AC/DC, but gushes about the response they've gotten and the thrill of watching the band every night. "We've toured with a lot of people. I've seen a lot of bands in my lifetime, whether I've played with them or just gone to shows. I'm a music fan, and AC/DC is unlike anyone else," she raves. "They invented this and it's very clear. You're schooled by AC/DC every night as to what Rock and Roll is and why it is what it is, and it's because of them." To hear more from Taylor Momsen about the what's next for The Pretty Reckless, their experience opening for the greatest bands of all time, and her message to the fans, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

It's been a year since Ravyn Lenae first gave us her album 'Bird's Eye,' and the world still can't get enough of the lead single, "Love Me Not." The rising songstress recently made her way to New York for an Audacy Check In inside the Rock Star Suite at the Hard Rock Hotel with Mike Adam. As a strong contender for "song of the summer," Lenae's "Love Me Not" is now one of the 10 most popular songs in the country, and an ubiquitous fixture on socials with no sign of slowing down. It's helped turn fans on to her sophomore album, 'Bird's Eye,' Executive Produced by GRAMMY winner Dahi, and featuring collabs with Childish Gambino and Ty Dolla $ign. "We all knew there was something magical about it," Lenae says of her breakout hit. However, her first listen wasn't love at first sight. "I think what's funny is when I first cut this song, I remember leaving the studio and being like, 'I don't like it,'" she admits. "Something with it isn't right, something is too different from what I've done in the past. It just wasn't right to me. And then I listened to it on the way to the studio a few weeks later in my car. That's usually my listening test when I'm driving to the studio, and that's when I was like, 'Oh, something is crazy about this.'" "Dahi, the producer I worked on the song with, he called me and said, 'Oh, this is, we got one.'" Ravyn jumped right into music from high school, immediately hitting the road. "Right out of high school is really where I started to do music, and I decided not to go to college, and started touring like almost at the end of high school into my late teens, early 20s." Now at 26 things are really hitting another stratosphere with tours booked with Sabrina Carpenter and Reneé Rapp, Lenae is still finding the balance to protect her mental health through the success. "I think that's probably the biggest challenge for me, especially with the shift of rhythm, you know, from my normal day to day," she admits. "Making the music, that's easy, doing the shows, that's easy, but really finding that balance amongst mental health, personal time, physical health, family, friends, that's the thing I'm trying to juggle. I think it's making sure I carve out moments for myself, even if it's just my shower at the end of the night to really just think and thank God for the day, for the things I'm able to accomplish, and think about the next day." To hear more from Ravyn Lenae about her career goals, favorite Chicago artists, and the emotional story behind her song, "One Wish," don't miss the full Audacy Check In above.

Matt Maeson has set his return with the new album, 'A Quiet and Harmless Living,' due out everywhere on September 12. The fearless singer/songwriter has offered up two previews of the project, and dug a little deeper with Brad Steiner during an Audacy Check In inside the Rock Star Suite at Hard Rock Hotel New York. After being noted as "the most likeable man in music" by Brad, Maeson went on to explain how he's become more vulnerable thanks to his child. "I think the pressure fell off a bit once I had a kid because I was like, 'oh, this isn't the most important thing to me anymore,'" Matt explains. "For me, it just feels really inauthentic and kind of corny to lean into the, 'I'm the star' shtick, and I just grew further and further from that and now I physically cannot do stuff like that makes me look like something I'm not." Always open in his music, Maeson continues and intensifies his hallmark on 'A Quiet and Harmless Living.' "There's a lot in there that's very vulnerable, very honest," he shares. "The song 'Everlasting' that I put out, it's a lot of really ugly thoughts but thoughts that I'm like, 'I need to say these out loud to process them,' and music is a great avenue for that. It's a lot of things that I think so many people think that [they] just don't talk about it because they're ugly thoughts. They're thoughts that like people, if you just say it to them, they're gonna be like, 'whoa, you're kind of a piece of s***,' but it's like thoughts that we all have that we need to vocalize and and process through together." "The way that I write music is like, I have to, and the reason it takes me so long is because I have to kind of experience these things and then either process or heal these things and then I'm able to write about it, for the most part," Matt details. "By the time I usually put these songs out, a lot of the subjects are things that I've healed from, but even just acknowledging those issues is a part of that process of figuring it out." After the healing, Maeson still feels a responsibility with his music, knowing there is always somewhere out there dealing with the same issues he might have faced years ago. "There's always somebody out there that's dealing with this thing right now and I'm singing that for them," he says. "The repetition of just playing the song, it's annoying. I will say, 'Hallucinogenics' I still love playing, which is surprising because I've played that thousands of times. 'Cringe,' I would love to never play that song again in my life... and I'm gonna do it again on this tour, plenty. I'm gonna look like I love it." To hear more from Matt Maeson on his approach to social media and the impact his location has had on his music, listen to the full Audacy Check In above.

High above New York City on the terrace of the Rock Star Suite at Hard Rock Hotel, The Black Keys raised a glass with us to celebrate the release of their new album, 'No Rain, No Flowers.' During a talk with Audacy's Brad Steiner, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney looked back on their band's beginnings, first flashing back to a performance at Bonnaroo in 2004. "That day, what we were thinking is 'how soon can we get out of here,' because we were playing Friday at like 3 in the afternoon," Carney remembers. "We left and we had like 10 weekend passes, we scalped them. And then we drove to Louisville and went to Godfathers 2, a strip club, and spent all the money." "That was our early success story," laughs Dan. "We've always been known as great businessmen," he jokes. "Fact in an industry," punctuates Carney with a smile. But what would the Dan and Patrick of today have said to the 2004 kids? "I don't know," admits Patrick. "We were up for the grind, and we still are." Back then the band was "just kind of existing in a little void," says Carney, and he feels the same now after the release of their latest album, 'No Rain, No Flowers.' "Well, a lot of the magazines are gone. Social media is like a cesspool. I don't know. We're just out here trying to have fun, make music we like." To hear more about the making of 'No Flowers, No Rain,' check out the full conversation above.

Conan Gray will soon release his new album, 'Wishbone,' on August 15, but first he stopped by our Los Angeles studios for an Audacy Check In with Bru about his new project, his track "Vodka Cranberry," and more. Reuniting with GRAMMY-winning collaborator Dan Nigro as Executive Producer, Gray says the secret to being so open and himself on this project is rejection. "Being rejected is the most freeing, incredible thing ever, like continual rejection in life," Conan admits. "As you get older, you start to realize that like every rejection ever, whether it's a person or something you wanted to do that didn't happen, or anything. It's so scary to be rejected. It's so scary to fail, and then you do it a bunch of times and you're like, 'wait, this is awesome,' and it's always pushing you to the right place in life." Conan Gray has offered two previews so far of 'Wishbone,' "This Song," and "Vodka Cranberry," which he says captures the spirit of the full album. "Ultimately, 'Vodka Cranberry' was the last song that I finished for the album, and once I finished it, I was like, I feel like this song captures the whole album in one song, and that's why it felt like the right second single." "This album is so me, and the most me I've ever been, which is a kind of strange statement because you're always you," Conan shares, "but I think with the response that I've gotten to like a very, very true version of myself, it feels very satisfying. I feel seen. My ego's big and fat." 'Wishbone' was once again written in the bedroom of Conan Gray, which has worked for the singer, but is there a downside to the intimate setting where Conan finds his creativity? "100%, you've actually the only person who's ever asked me that," he tells Bru. "It is true, when I lay down in bed at night, I literally start writing songs while I'm falling asleep and it's so annoying. A song is like a fleeting memory. If you don't capture it, it's gone. It's gone forever. So there are some nights where I'll put my little head down to sleep and then it's like, there's a chorus in my brain. I'm like, 'if I don't get up and record this right now, then it might leave me and what if it's the best song I've ever written.' So yeah, it actually does propose some challenges." To hear more from Conan Gray on the creation of 'Wishbone,' his favorite compliment, and more, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Rob Thomas returned earlier this month with a pair of new songs, and the promise of his 6th solo studio album arriving September 5. To celebrate his upcoming LP, 'All Night Days,' the singer sat down for an Audacy Check In with Karen Carson at the Hard Rock Hotel New York to unpack the new album, talk about the relationships that help his music to grow, and the mental health message of his lead single, "Hard To Be Happy." Thomas announced his next chapter with the sunny and swaggering new track, "Hard To Be Happy," which shows sometimes it's okay to be anything but. "I think the idea of of mental health, which it's such a big blanket to say that, because it means something different to everyone else and everybody's struggles and everybody's ways of dealing with it is different," explains Thomas. "Some things that people are going through that are insurmountable and I think to just kind of chalk it down to 'you're going to be okay,' that falls flat. I think the idea that you can try and find moments of being okay in the storm, you can find little life rafts as you go along, and just being able to talk about it in a way that maybe you couldn't 15, 20 years ago, that in itself is a solace. The idea to be able to say 'it's okay to not be okay.' So a song like 'Hard To Be Happy' just acknowledges the fact that it's fine, there's nothing abnormal about the fact that you can't muster up the energy for a smile today." Rob is once again making his family a part of his music. He tells us that his wife Marisol remains his muse after 27 years, but also this time around for his upcoming solo tour, he's bringing his son along as lead guitarist in his band. "This is the 20th anniversary this year of my first solo record, and my solo band has pretty much been the same band that whole time," reveals Rob. "My guitar player in that band, when we were talking about doing this record, he had decided that he wanted to retire from playing live. He's been writing for people and producing, been really successful, and just doesn't want to tour anymore, and he was the first one that said, 'you know, I've been watching your son's Instagram. You should have him do it.'" "I was like, I, 'he's good enough but I just don't think he wants to spend all summer hanging out with his dad,'" shares Thomas. "When I asked him last year, he was like, 'Dad, that's the most time we'll ever get to spend together. That's awesome.' It was really sweet, and he's killing it." Since it remains "a hot one, like 7 inches from the midday sun," we couldn't help but check in on the friendship between Rob and his most famous collaborator, Carlos Santana. "When we're on the road together, you know, touring at the same time, our wives laugh at us because we'll get off [stage], I'll get on the bus and he gets on his plane, we start texting each other like, 'how was the show?' We send each other pictures. He'll send me an article and I'll be like, 'are you bragging?' He's like, 'yeah, I'm bragging,'" laughs the "Smooth" singer. "It was kind of funny. It was something that neither one of us saw coming. I don't think either one of us really even knew what it was worth when we were doing it, but it's something that we're really proud of and really proud of all the ways that that song has kind of helped us and brought us together." To hear more from Rob Thomas, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

After stepping away from the spotlight for 2 years, Lewis Capaldi is back with the emotional new single, "Survive," and back with us at the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In. Lewis stepped into a room full of fans earlier this month for a 'NEW Music Session' with New York's NEW 102.7, and sat down with Mike Adam to talk about his return, the meaning behind his new music, creating boundaries for his mental health, and more. "Survive" is such a statement song to return with for Capaldi, after stepping away to protect his own mental health, but it wasn't his first time putting pen to paper during his hiatus. "No, it wouldn't have been the first song I wrote," he shares inside the Hard Rock Hotel. "I wasn't really writing for the sake of [coming back], I was just writing to write, and maybe I'd write for other people, because there was a point where this wasn't necessarily on the cards coming back." "It came quite late, and in terms of the songs that will be coming out this year," Lewis continues, "it was definitely a catalyst for a lot of stuff, this song." It's definitely different this time for Capaldi, who has taken several steps to protect his mental health in this new era. "I do a lot less, a lot less work," he admits, no longer trying to jam every opportunity into a trip. "In America before I would squeeze everything into any day I had free, and now I'm chilling a little bit more." "I do therapy every week. I'm on medication for my Tourette's and stuff," Lewis reveals. "I'm just trying to be less, to have fun." "I go outside more now. I didn't realize how much time I spent indoors looking at my phone, and trust me, I still look at that phone. I love looking at that phone," Capaldi explains. "I live near a big green space in London and I go there quite a lot and lie down and sort of fall asleep outside. Really enjoying falling asleep outside at the minute." Another step the "Someone You Loved" singer has taken is to stop setting goals for himself, and to take it more moment by moment. "I'm trying not to set goals anymore," Lewis responses to a fan-asked question. "I'm not saying being goal oriented is a bad thing, but for me, I became quite obsessed with like hitting markers and doing this and I need to do this thing, and if I don't do this thing, this has been a failure, or if I don't do this thing, I've not worked hard enough. For me right now, the goal is just to get back, play some songs, have a good time, release music, have fun, and, yeah, I guess the goal is to just enjoy myself and be back here doing it. I kind of achieved the goal by being here." To hear much more from Lewis Capaldi check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Earlier this year Miley Cyrus shared 'Something Beautiful' with the world, her new album that serves as a complete experience, a "purposeful" statement of love and devotion that she wants to share as an artist. After taking a much needed rest away, the "Easy Lover" singer is back continuing to spread the gospel of her epic new effort, joining us in our Los Angeles studios for an Audacy Check In with Bru. "I really am very selective about what I choose to do and be a part of," admits Miley, who not only created her new album, 'Something Beautiful,' but also a "pop opera" visual album that is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. "Everything that I'm doing is honestly filled with a lot of meaning and joy, and I always think something has to either be really joyful, it has to be fun, it has to be something that I look forward to, or it has to be something that's meaningful that might be something that's, whether it's a full circle moment, something that's come to fruition from manifestation, so I kind of balance those." "Then again, this project has really been this like love child for me and so sometimes there's certain things that I do that are just to maintain and feed the baby." Joyous as it may be, that amount of work might feel like a lot to some, but it's been advice from a few famous friends that Miley keeps in mind to make sure she is never out of the moment. "Everything was meant to be individualized and kind of isolated just to make sure every song was really honored," she says of the visual album. "I didn't want to be thinking about the next one. Actually one time I was doing a show and me and Joan Jett were both playing the show and I was shooting a music video at the same time for another song. She said, 'you never do something like that because you're taking away from the audience by not being in the moment with the one song that you're in now,' and I always took that as something that I think goes for everything. So when I was making this movie, I kept thinking I don't want to think about the next song while I'm in with the song before it. I wanted to really honor each song for what it was meant to be and then get clever at the end of how we're going to connect everything." "Another person that does that really genius is Pharrell," exclaims Miley. "One time I had a session with him and he was doing 10 things at the same day, but not at the same time." "He said, 'you know, I could tell you looked like I wasn't gonna be able to focus on you, but whatever I'm doing in that moment is all that I'm doing.' So I may today have 10 things, my hands in 10 different pots, but I'm only cooking with 1 item at a time." 'Something Beautiful' follows the highly-praised 'Endless Summer Vacation' from Cyrus, which scored a nomination for 'Album of the Year' at the GRAMMY Awards and took home the trophy for 'Record of the Year.' "They're actually so uniquely different and I think that's because they're at such different kind of pivotal places in my life and can't have one without the other," Miley reveals. "'ESV' was totally a bridge to 'Something Beautiful,' but 'ESV' was kind of curated and created to be something that I could do, and almost have the whole project from at a distance because I needed that vacation so deeply and desperately that I wanted to still put out the album that I made, but I wasn't actually going to physically go out there, and as we spoke about today, kind of carry around this project." "I had already known I wanted an ESV, but 'Flowers' really made it possible that it could carry the album around the world, so I didn't have to." "With this one I'm invested in a more kind of personal way of actually going out and sitting at stations and pressing play and seeing the audience and doing shows, just kind of investing in what it takes to really convey the truth that was, this is totally a body of work that is just totally built on love a ...

High above Manhattan in the Rock Star Suite of the Hard Rock Hotel New York, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 joins us for an Audacy Check In to talk about the upcoming album, 'Love Is Like,' the secret to the band's longevity, and more. 'Love Is Like' will arrive everywhere on August 15, and Levine shares that after years of success he's ready to trust what naturally flows from within. "This time around, I just thought to myself, well, we've had a lot of hits. And we've been really lucky to have those hits, and in some cases we were more kind of quote unquote 'formulaic' than others," Adam admits. "But this time around, I really wanted to be as unformulaic as possible and just say, 'you know what? I'm gonna make the kind of music that just comes out of me naturally and we'll see what happens and we'll see where it lands." "The band has been begging me to do this for a long time, since we stopped doing it," he laughs. "Since we started collaborating more." Formula or not, Maroon 5 has been a constant for over 20 years, so there has to be something secret in the sauce, right? "If there's one thing I think you need to have, is like you need to get along with the people you work with," Levine shares with Mike Adam. "I love my band and my band loves me and we've been through it, but at the end of the day we love each other and we support each other and I think if that's not there, if you're in a band, then it's over." "We also just love performing. We love being a band, we love doing it and we love making music, so... If we're enjoying it and there's enjoyment there, that kind of connects to the 'we should all get along' thing. As long as that's the case and your core group is tight, you know, the rest of it will come and go and it'll ebb and flow. We've been bigger at certain times and not as big at other times and you have to understand that that's the case too. You can't always be on top, and chasing that too hard I think can sink you. So you just got to kind of go with it." For more from Adam Levine, including his acting audition gone wrong, check out the full Audacy Check In with Mike Adam above.

Reneé Rapp is gearing up for the release of her new album, 'BITE ME,' as well as a tour taking her across the country, but first she stops by the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In. After bonding over their shared Capricorn status, Mike Adam and Rapp got down to what makes them elite with their earth sign. "The fact that we can get s*** done, everybody usually listens to us, and we kind of tend to like lead the crowd," explains Reneé. That kind of strength can often come with a "no filter" label, something that Reneé Rapp is very familiar with. "It's my entire career is me apparently having no filter," she shares, "which I was always very confused by because I don't really perceive myself that way. But it was so interesting to like start seeing everybody else perceive me that way, and then I was like, 'OK, I guess so.'" "I don't know what else I'm supposed to do. I don't really know how else to do this. I'm not sure. There's no other way, you know what I mean?" On her way into her sophomore album, Rapp admits she's both more secure in your own skin and more insecure at the same time. "I think in so many ways I'm much more secure, and also in so many ways I'm more insecure because you know... people point out new things for me to be insecure about every single day, it is what it is I guess, like I chose it, but yeah I think simultaneously both." "I simultaneously care less about how I'm perceived at the same time as I still do really care," Reneé continues. "Basically I care but it's not affecting the way that I act or the way that I move. Certainly there will be days that it like makes me feel like s*** about myself, but also I'm like, 'OK, so what am I gonna do like try and act different for some like random b**** in Illinois?' I don't think so. Like that's not happening. You don't pay me." 'BITE ME' is due out everywhere on August 1, and Rapp explains that the recording of the album was very focused and routine because of her protection of her personal time. "I am very, very, very careful and protective of my mornings and my nights," she admits. "I need to start the day by myself and I need to end the day by myself." For Reneé that means being in the studio from about 12 to 7, having her coconut water in hand, and being with the people she's writing with. "I don't love having snacks in the studio because I get really distracted by them, but I would like one meal. I'd like one meal and maybe it's a Joan's on Third chicken salad. It's very good. That was kind of what we ate like every day." Along with the album comes the 'BITE ME' tour, as Mike Adam asks if Rapp's found a way to protect her mental health while on the road. "I've only toured once and I didn't at that point," she says. "I don't feel like I had like any kind of protection and this go around, I'm like definitely gonna try and put things in place so that I don't get miserable." "Tour is a really easy thing to fall into and feel depressed," Reneé reveals. "I like traveling but not that much. I like being in one place, I'm from a very small town in North Carolina, I'm not like a big city girl that like loves to play and do all this s***. Sometimes for sure, but I like to be at my house, bro." "I'm gonna try and give it a go and make this one a little bit better for me," she adds. "I have to figure it out because I work way too hard to not enjoy the things that I end up doing." To hear much more from Reneé Rapp, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Just days away from turning twenty, and sombr has captured the attention of music fans across the globe. The "undressed" artist recently joined us for an Audacy Check In, where he told Julia about the making of his latest hit, and touched on his other life as a chef. Shane Boose is a 19-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer from New York City, who exploded onto the scene this year with two massive songs, "back to friends," and "undressed." The latter of which continues to climb the Billboard Hot 100. "I created it in my home studio in Los Angeles," sombr says of "undressed," first making the the beat and then writing over it. "Once the song was fully written and partially produced, I brought it into Sound City Studios with my collaborator, Tony Berg, and we finished up that production and and kind of realized we made something really special and put it out." The song is just the latest music milestone for sombr, who has been involved in creating music for as long as he can remember. "My earliest memories are music," he reveals. "Since I was growing up there were always instruments around the house. I was writing songs, even no matter how bad they were and it was just always a part of me." "My dad plays guitar and piano, and he's a pretty good singer, and his dad, Is a singer as well," he adds. "It's in my bones." Away from music, sombr has hobbies just like any other 19-year-old, but his probably taste better than yours. "I did 3 years of culinary school, so yeah, I'm pretty good at cooking," he admits. "I'm a nocturnal creature." His signature dish? Ratatouille. His inspiration? "I learned from culinary school," he laughs, "but mad respect to the movie though." To hear more from sombr, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

That glow you're experiencing is the presence of music royalty, as Mariah Carey joins us for an Audacy Check In to talk about the making of her new single, "Type Dangerous," her newfound creative freedom, and her impact on Black culture. The Ultimate Icon zoomed in for a talk with Audacy's Poet to unpack it all, and Mimi still has us feeling emotions deeper than we've ever dreamed of. Mariah returned earlier this month with "Type Dangerous," the first track off her upcoming 16th studio album, which she tells Poet was initially inspired by hearing a classic Eric B. & Rakim track in a restaurant. "'Eric B. Is President' has always been one of my favorite, favorite songs," she reveals. "I happened to hear it in this restaurant of all the places. They were just playing songs, you know, from their list and whatever and I was like, 'I haven't heard this song in so long.' This is my favorite." "Obviously now the lyrics are different and there's a melody on it and all that, but it's one of my favorite songs." Just the concept of hearing a song in a restaurant and bringing the idea to the studio is part of the creative freedom that Carey is afforded under her new record deal and of course legendary status. But it wasn't always the case. "It was always very difficult for me to find creative freedom earlier in my journey, because when you start out and you're really young and you really have a point of view, but people don't want to give you that because, it's like, 'who's this young girl to think she can do whatever she wants.' and so that was always a little bit... I don't want to say annoying, but it was annoying. Now it's great to be able to have my own grade of freedom and also work with a great team of people that I love and appreciate." It's all earned for the GRAMMY-winning star, who was also just honored as 'The Ultimate Icon' at the BET Awards. So how does it feel to finally get her flowers for her contribution to music and Black culture? "I mean, that makes me feel like I'm worth something," reflects Mariah. "That's one of the biggest things that I could think about and really just be about, you know, so I'm very thankful for the love and support and everything that's come my way because I had a difficult childhood and, you know, I'm not gonna cry on about it, but it was difficult and feeling the love from so many people is magical." For those embarking on their own creative journeys, Carey shares a bit of wisdom from her mother. "You just really have to believe that you can do it, if you're passionate about it and you love it, then you have to put your whole self into it. You really have to be determined and know for the fact that you're going to do this. My mother would tell me, she said, 'don't say if I make it, say when I make it.' And I think that was good advice. We didn't always get along, but that was really good advice that she gave me." To hear more from Mariah about her children, the deep cut from her catalog that she loves, and much more, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

2025 appears to be the year of Mariah Carey, as the legendary artist is back with a new single, "Type Dangerous," an incoming 16th studio album, the new crown of 'The Ultimate Icon' thanks to the BET Awards, and of course her continued reign over the holiday season. The songstress tapped in to talk with Bru about it all during an Audacy Check In this week and we're still basking in the glow of greatness. "It's based on a sample of one of my favorite, favorite all-time songs by Eric B. & Rakim, 'Eric B. Is President,'" Mariah tells Bru about the beginnings of her new track. "We decided to loop that record and go all the way in in the studio, and it's still one of my favorite songs and now that it's, you know, basically my song on the Mariah version, you know, I'm excited about it." "Type Dangerous" is just the first taste of new music from Mimi, as fans are anxiously awaiting the singer's 16th studio album. "I hope they like it," Carey says about her soon-to-arrive new album. "I wasn't really playing any of the new music until recently, because we couldn't because it was brand new, and now I'm like, 'oh this is so exciting.'" Always in the mix of socials, Bru asks Mariah how it feels to see all the memes as people get ready each year for the Queen of Christmas to arrive. "I think it's funny. I think it's cute," smiles Mariah of jokes of her "defrosting" for the holidays. "It's Christmas. I'm in a whole zone. They could say whatever they want to say, but like it's in my zone of loving and living for Christmas." To hear more from Mariah Carey, check out the full conversation with Bru above.

Bust out the "Blue Strips," Jessie Murph is in the building for an Audacy Check In, here to talk about her hits and upcoming album, 'Sex Hysteria,' out everywhere on July 18. The singer joins Bru in our Los Angeles studios and shares the first song she wrote for the album, her favorite collabs, and details on her first trip to the strip club in Miami. After last year's debut, 'That Ain't No Man That's The Devil,' Murph is wasting no time bringing us her sophomore effort, 'Sex Hysteria.' In fact, she tells us she started this era over 2 years ago before her first album even arrived, with the song "Touch Me Like a Gangster." "It's the first song I wrote from this album, and I actually wrote it, I think. close to 2 years ago," she reveals. "I wrote it thinking it's the first one for the next era. I knew it wasn't the era I was in. It's funny because I feel like I was kind of working on this album at the same time I was working on the other album. So it's the one that started it and it kind of kicks off the album a little bit." Murph also detailed her recent trip to Miami for "Swim Week," including her first strip club experience with Alix Earle. "It was really lit. It was my first like actual strip club," Jessie shares. "It was a strip club and it was my first like actual one, and it was magical. I love the strip club! I'm definitely gonna go back." Jessie Murph already has some big collabs under her belt with Jelly Roll, Koe Wetzel, Sexyy Red, and more to come on her sophomore effort. "I always try and work with people that I like and that I listen to because I think that's how you get the most authentic music," Jessie says. "But for this album, I have 3 of my like dream clubs on it, there's people I'm genuinely just the biggest fans of, some of my favorite artists, so I'm really excited for people to find out about those." Looking back on her work with Jelly Roll, Murph describes him as "the greatest human," in awe of the way he manages his superstar status. "I'll always say good things about him and his family. They're nothing but sweet and, I don't know. I'm in awe of how he handles and deals with everything that he does because that is one busy man. But somehow he's always the most radiantly gratitude-filled person in the room every time and I think that's so beautiful." Don't miss more from our Audacy Check In with Jessie Murph above.

Celebrating the release of the album, 'I Forgive You,' the one and only Cynthia Erivo joins us inside the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In. The GRAMMY, Emmy, and Tony award-winning artist's sophomore effort shows her more vulnerable than ever, from the bare cover to the passionate and open music within. Carefully curated by Cynthia herself, 'I Forgive You,' features co-writing from Erivo on every track and is filled with captivating vocals and relentless talent. Split into 4 unique sections, Erivo explores "a breakup, something new, the deepening of a connection, and acceptance," on the new album. "I'm feeling excited about being able to share a little bit more about myself," Cynthia tells Shelley Wade. "Obviously, there's trepidation because you never know what people will take from it, but there's nothing that I can necessarily control. I just know that I have been as honest as I possibly can, and I'm going to continue doing that and hopefully people will be encouraged to do the same." Erivo admits she was scared when releasing her debut 4 years ago, but the release of 'I Forgive You' leaves her more nervous this time around. "I think I'm really proud of what I've written, proud of what I've managed to create this time, and I think I'm way less scared than I was the last time because now it feels like it's really mine." "I think I want people to understand that I'm as human and as fallible as everybody else," she shares with Shelley on what she hopes listeners take away. "I think sometimes we project onto people what we want of them, so I think often the imperfections aren't necessarily what people want to see of me, but they're there. They are what makes me human, so I'm hoping people are welcoming of those things too," Just a vowel away from an EGOT, Cynthia often projects pure confidence in her performance, but she cautions that there's moments before that help create that command. "When I'm singing, I'm very comfortable because that's a place that I sort of know very well and I use it to connect, and love doing it, but I don't think people realize that right before the moment that feels really confident, I'm nervous and I spend the day trying to make sure I'm prepared and ready to be able to deliver something that I can be proud of. But again, as a human being, I have vulnerabilities. I have moments of quiet and I think this is a moment for me to be able to share that with people." In discussing the album with Shelley, Erivo shares the message of 'I Forgive You,' an album dedicated to those trying to figure it out, and to those struggling to say 3 other "hard words" to ourselves or to someone else, ensuring that you no longer have to do it alone. "When we go through things in our lives we are either really hard on ourselves about them, we don't give ourselves the choice of letting them go, and we're not very good at giving that grace to other people when things have been done to us," admits Cynthia. "So when I had written it, I kept trying to figure out what I wanted to call it. And yes, there are love songs in it, there are songs about heartbreak, there are songs about loss, there are songs about finding love, there's songs about passion, but all of those things are human experiences that we sometimes sort of color with shame or guilt or those sort of harder feelings to deal with, and we don't necessarily look at them through eyes that are forgiving." "So when I finished writing the album and had sequenced it and put it in the right order and saw the story, I realized that actually the bigger overarching theme of all of it was in the end, forgiveness for yourself, if anything has happened and for the things that you might have done that you haven't really let go of, or for the things that have happened to you that you haven't necessarily let go of." To hear much more from Cynthia Erivo, check out the full Audacy Check In interv ...

Ahead of their new album, 'I Beat Loneliness,' out everywhere July 18, Bush has offered another preview and join us for an Audacy Check In as Gavin Rossdale talks with Audacy's Abe Kanan about "The Land Of Milk And Honey," the group's upcoming tour with Shinedown, and his surprising cooking show. Step into "The Land of Milk and Honey," the latest soaring, anthemic single from Bush, who have a busy 2025 on the books already. The band returns with the electrifying new album, I Beat Loneliness, on July 18, and then immediately hits the road with Shinedown on their 'Dance, Kid, Dance' tour. "I intentionally kept the record short so that there's 12 songs," says Gavin. "People are tailing off by the 14th song, you know what I mean? I don't get really long records of people do 22 song albums. I don't wanna hear anyone, 22 songs. It's really concise and so I hope that feeling spreads across the whole record." With two singles to sink into already, Abe ventures to ask, "What can we expect on the album? Are the other 10 songs as good as these 2, or you just put out the 2 and you're like, 'the rest is garbage,'" he laughs. "Oh hell no. The rest of the album's better," exclaims Rossdale. "Every song can't be kind of a piledriving 'Land Of Milk And Honey,' but it's just got a range. What's weird about it is it just sits organically together." "It's meant to represent everybody, who sort of finds a way to get through these crazy times that we're in," reveals Gavin. "That people have the courage to get through when times are really hard and you feel like every day is a struggle, and worse, you feel like everyone else has it way easier. There's a real common misconception, I feel that people look at social media, people read the sort of pages where they wanna be, and they have a lot of fear of their own lives of passing them by and they haven't got themselves together. When most of the time they're really carefully orchestrated images, not really what reality is. So it's really cool to have a record that definitely speaks to people and not expecting you to meet me on your yacht." The album is also a moment to look back on the totality of Bush, as I Beat Loneliness marks their 10th studio LP. "There's a certain sense of just like continuing on and keeping it very, very connected to reality, and connected to the ground," shares Rossdale. "That's how we've been able to make all those records I think, and tour and not fall apart." Along the way to their 10th album, Gavin has also become somewhat of a cooking celebrity with his show, 'Dinner with Gavin Rossdale,' inspiring fans like Abe with simple dishes and preparation like his take on cauliflower. "The best cooking's really simple," he says, going on to detail a basic but delicious cauliflower recipe. "People think you're a genius, and that's it!" To hear more about Gavin's cooking, prepping for tour, and the new album, check out the full Audacy Check In interview above.

With a voice like GIVĒON, you would assume he was always destine for success, but it took a while for the R&B star to "make it make sense" as he was growing up. The "RATHER BE" singer joined DJ Buck for an Audacy Check In at the Hard Rock Hotel New York recently, to preview his album, 'BELOVED,' and share some insight into his journey. Growing up in California, GIVĒON says he would "visualize" the spot he's in now, "but it was hard to make it make sense because I had no idea the steps that it would take," he shares. "I would imagine it all the time, but did I believe it? I don't know." "This is also a space where If, if you're a doctor, you're the best doctor in the world, you're gonna end up being a great doctor somewhere. If you're an amazing basketball player, you're gonna end up in like at least a professional organization. But music, I feel like you can be so talented and still there's a chance that you just won't get into a certain position because of circumstance." Now that he's a leader in this new school of R&B, it seems like it was always meant to be for GIVĒON, even if his mom is still in shock. "I want her to stop saying she can't believe it," he jokes. "I'm like, 'all right, it's been 5 years.' I'm getting offended now." Maybe it will finally sink in on July 11, when GIVĒON releases him latest project, 'BELOVED,' which has been years in the making. "I'm super excited and like, relieved," he reveals. "It's hard working on something for 3 years because year 3 don't feel the same as year 1. Year 1 is a little more relaxed. Year 3 is like, 'OK, you're on the clock.' It's up to you be like, 'yeah, but I'm gonna be an artist that takes its time.' I'm that, but I also really care about my fans and the people who take the time to listen and people who spend their money to go see me for for 80 minutes to however long, so I just want to give them something too." Hear more from GIVĒON as he shares stories behind "Heartbreak Anniversary," linking up with Drake, and more during our Audacy Check In.

BET nominated, Billboard congratulated, and all-around rising R&B star kwn joins us at the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In, telling Poet Taylor about her new single, "do what i say," working with Kehlani, and the importance of being "unapologetically yourself." "I like to just get straight to the point, which is crazy cause I'm actually a shy person," kwn admits about her music. "I'm a bit introverted until you break me down and get to know me, so I put it all out in my music." "I'm the person in the back of the room being very observant of everyone around me, but I think the confidence just comes from me just being myself and not letting anybody steer me away from who I am and who I'm trying to be." The latest offering, the commanding, "not asking twice" track, "do what i say" is the latest to capture the attention of fans, after kwn's collab with Kehlani on "worst behaviour" and opening for her on tour, served as an introduction to many. "As soon as we came up with the idea for the video, we were like, it's obviously gonna do something to the world," kwn reveals about the steamy visual with Kehlani. "The response was insane. I'm super grateful for it. Obviously there's been some bad stuff, but there's all of the good stuff is like overwritten all of that." That response ranged from "bad stuff" to love, to someone even offering up a family member to kwn in the DMs. "Somebody DM'ed me and said, 'I'd like to volunteer my mum for a night with you,'" kwn shares. "That threw me all the way off. That was insane." For more on kwn's relationship with Kehlani, her upcoming EP, and staying authentic, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Rise Against have offered up a few glimpses of what's next with scorching singles, "Nod," and "Prizefighter." This week we get yet another, with the commanding "I Want It All," and details on a new album, 'RICOCHET,' due out August 15. Now, frontman Tim McIlrath dives in during an Audacy Check In to talk about the new track, shared experiences, 25 years of Rise Against, and more. "I think raw is a perfect word," Tim tells Abe Kanan about the new song, "I Want It All." "I think we captured a lot of it live. We were like kind of just going with the energy of it, just not overthinking it. It's a burst of energy of a song, we wanted it to have that kind of vibe," he adds. "I'm looking forward to really sinking my teeth into it on stage." "I Want It All" is the latest preview of the band's upcoming album, 'RICOCHET,' and the band will get plenty of chances to bring that raw energy to the stage, with a co-headlining tour with Papa Roach this fall. "I think that's just something that's just in our DNA since we first started playing in this band, like being respectful of the music," Tim says of Rise Against's live show. "And then playing music that doesn't allow you to phone it in, you know what I mean? Like the music, it just, it kind of gets a hold of you and it makes you really live through it." For much more from Tim and Rise Against, listen to the full Audacy Check In above.

Justice recently joined us in the studio for an Audacy Check In, talking with Bru about their hit with Tame Impala, "Neverender," and what's next for the French dance duo. Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay say 2025 is flying by, thanks in part to the whirlwind success of their song, "Neverender." "When we wrote the song, like the three of us, we felt good about it," admits Xavier de Rosnay. "It's only when we played it at Coachella last year before the album release, so the song was not known, that we saw that people had an immediate reaction on something they don't know, which we took as a good omen." "We always say that it is a collective hallucination. You don't know why your song makes it somewhere. It's just that at some point there's a bunch of people who think, 'oh, this is what I want to hear,' and this is something that we don't really have any control over, so it's cool." Part of the secret to Justice's success lies in their work ethic, and willingness to let it breathe. "Our secret is that we take vacations every other week," shares Xavier. "We would work one week on the record, then take one week off, then come back just in order to always be a bit fresh and also wanting to go there because when you spend too much time not stopping, then you start like saturating and focusing on maybe the wrong details." That fresh mind helped the duo dig deep into the details, some that come blaring through your speakers, and others that are more hidden along the way. "There is a beer bottle hidden somewhere on the record," smiles Gaspard Augé. "The percussion that you hear in your left ear on 'Neverender' is made with a beer bottle," follows Xavier. "At the end when we recorded some of the parts to produce the song. We had a drummer make some tracks, and we told him, because we demoed it as a triangle, we told him, 'OK, can you play that with a triangle?' And he listened to the track and he said, 'No, I'm gonna do it with a beer bottle. Give me a beer.'" "So he drank the beer and then he played it just with a beer bottle and we have a video of this actually. He's an amazing drummer, every time you hear live drums on the record, that's him. And he's a classical musician, then he was playing in jazz band, so he's a jazz drummer. And, we love people who are not afraid of doing things a bit differently." Don't miss our full Audacy Check In with Justice above.