Over the past decade, mainstream country artists like Taylor Swift, Sam Hunt, and Kelsea Ballerini have incorporated Beyoncé covers into their concerts, sparking discussions about the intersection of genres and racial politics in country music. Beyoncé's songs have been widely adapted to country arrangements, reflecting the fluidity of genre boundaries, while also raising questions about the industry's treatment of Black sounds and styles. The country music community's embrace of Beyoncé's music in a country context has highlighted the complexities of race and musical segregation within the genre.
Dolly Parton celebrates her 78th birthday by releasing a deluxe digital version of her latest LP Rockstar, featuring nine additional songs and covers, including tracks by Billy Joel, Simon & Garfunkel, Eurythmics, Pat Benatar, and more. The original LP includes a star-studded guest list and earned the best chart performance in Parton's career.
Bob Dylan, known for his unconventional live performances, has surprised and charmed fans on his current Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour by incorporating geographically appropriate covers into his sets. Starting with "Kansas City" in Kansas City, Dylan has continued to open shows with songs like "Johnny B. Goode" in St. Louis and "Born in Chicago" in Chicago. This departure from his usual stoic stage presence has delighted fans and is seen as a crowd-pleasing move by the legendary singer-songwriter.
Songs from the 80s are experiencing a revival, with artists like Luke Combs and the "Barbie" movie covering classic hits. NPR Music suggests more songs that deserve a comeback, including Terence Trent D'Arby's "If You Let Me Stay," The Dream Academy's "Life In A Northern Town," Janet Jackson's "Nasty," and Sinead O'Connor's "Mandinka." They propose contemporary artists like The Weeknd, Boygenius, Lizzo, and others to cover these songs and bring them back into the spotlight.
The Guardian asked six female artists to discuss Bob Dylan's work, highlighting the range of female characters in his music. Female artists such as Cher, Joan Baez, Marianne Faithfull, Nico, Bettye LaVette, Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris, PJ Harvey, and Nina Simone have covered Dylan's songs, bringing their own interpretations and unique styles to his music. The playlist includes songs like "All I Really Want to Do," "Simple Twist of Fate," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," "I'll Keep It With Mine," "Ain't Talkin'," "Gotta Serve Somebody," "Visions of Johanna," "Every Grain of Sand," "Highway 61 Revisited," and "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues."
On what would have been Prince's 65th birthday, several musicians including Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, David Gilmour, Chris Cornell, and Patti Smith paid tribute to the late musician by covering some of his most iconic songs. The covers included Springsteen's emotional rendition of "Purple Rain," Cornell's version of "Nothing Compares 2 U," and Foo Fighters' take on "Darling Nikki." David Gilmour also paid tribute by incorporating phrases from "Purple Rain" into his guitar solo on "Comfortably Numb."
Willie Nelson, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, has been elected as a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. From covering rock and pop classics to collaborating with non-country acts both live and on record, here are 10 of the mercurial master’s best rock-influenced performances, including covers of Beatles and Leonard Cohen songs, collaborations with Sinead O'Connor and B.B. King, and original songs like "Gravedigger" and "Dry Lightning."
The Super Mario series is known for some of the best songs in the video game industry. From the iconic “Overworld Theme” to the grandiose “Gusty Garden Galaxy,” here are the 10 best Mario songs ever written by Koji Kondo and other talented composers in the industry, along with incredible covers from the VGM community.
