Brothers Osborne released their new self-titled album, Brothers Osborne, on September 15, and the 2023 CMA-nominated Duo of the Year stopped by the Taste of Country Nights studio to talk about that project, and many other things that they have going on in their lives. They decided to self-title their fifth studio album intentionally as they set out to make it. “Since our last record, John and I have really shared a lot about ourselves,” T.J. says. “We both felt that this is the first time that we've really truly 100 percent been ourselves, with no veil or anything.” “So when it came time to ma…

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By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis called on Catholic leaders on Wednesday to set aside politics and work to make the Church more welcoming for all, as he opened a global meeting that conservative critics say risks “poisoning” the faith. Delivering a homily in St Peter's Square at the start of the first global gathering of Church leaders, or synod, for four years, the pope said bishops should avoid “human strategies, political calculations or ideological battles”. “We are not here to carry out a parliamentary meeting or a plan of reformation,” he said in the homily of the …

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For Brian Austin Green, being a father came with a plethora of new learning experiences. While stopping by NSYNC alum Lance Bass' latest podcast episode, Frosted Tips with Lance Bass, Green, 50, opened up about his experiences raising his gay son, Kassius Lijah Marcil-Green. “I would get into these conservations with Kash where it was like I really wanted to understand the things that seemed so different to me at first,” remembered Green. “And then you realize, ‘Oh, this isn't different at all.' It's just your choice of partner. It doesn't affect me at all.” “And that's the thing I'm always tr…

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A man on Reddit revealed his ex-wife is upset because he didn't invite her to his wedding to his now-husband. “I was married to my ex-wife for two years before we divorced because I realized I was gay. I had been out as bi from age 16 as I knew I liked men but also liked women, however, I realized when I was 24 that I didn't like women,” he wrote. “So I told my wife I wanted a divorce but said I was happy to co-parent our 1-year-old [at the time], she agreed. We both lived in London until recently … I moved to Switzerland to live with my now-husband and we got married there,” the man continued…

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By Villen Anganan PORT-LOUIS (Reuters) -The Supreme Court of Mauritius has struck out a colonial-era law criminalising same-sex relations, bucking a trend elsewhere in Africa where a string of countries have passed or proposed anti-LGBT legislation. In a ruling on two cases brought by members of the gay community in the Indian Ocean island nation, the court said section 250 of the Mauritian criminal code, which dated back to 1898 during British colonial rule, was unconstitutional. “Section 250 was not introduced in Mauritius to reflect any indigenous Mauritian values but was inherited as part …

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Maren Morris is getting candid about distancing herself from country music. During a Wednesday, October 4, appearance on the “New York Times' Popcast” podcast, the “My Church” vocalist, 33, admitted that she was no longer able to make excuses for her fellow artists' bad behaviors, leaving her to readjust her relationship to the entire community. “I love living in Nashville, I have my family,” she said of the southern city. “There's a reason why people come there from L.A. and New York to write with us. It's because we have amazing songwriters there. That's not gonna change.” “I couldn't do thi…

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CHICAGO — Dave Chappelle, who turned 50 recently, climbed into a boxing ring of a center stage at the United Center on Wednesday. There were no ropes, no turnbuckles, no gloves. The Champ looked relaxed, cheerful, and wearing a loose sleeveless work shirt, strong. We know he's the Champ — weight class: stand-up comedy, still performing — because he said so: He last toured with Chris Rock and Rock is the greatest, other than himself. He gets asked a lot about what he would have done if Will Smith tried to hit him, he said. He says he doesn't know. But he has come to realize that he has been bot…

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Petty songbird Mariah Carey is viciously defending her Queen of Christmas title after Cher announced plans for a holiday album, a first for the legendary singer, RadarOnline.com has learned. Carey, 54, has had a chokehold on Christmas tunes for years thanks to the massive success of her 1994 rendition ofAll I Want For Christmas Is You. While Carey continued to cash-in on the song every December, she wasn't ready to share a slice of the pie with Cher, 77. When the 77-year-old singer teased about her upcoming holiday album, fans rejoiced — and one jokester even tweeted about feeling relief over …

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Billy Porter has “survivor's guilt” for leading a full life with HIV. The 53-year-old singer and actor was diagnosed with the disease in 2007 and he always feels grateful so many medical advances have been made in treating the condition for his generation when so many before him lost their lives to AIDS. Speaking to Gay Times, Porter said: “I've had survivor's guilt. I've been HIV positive since 2007 and it f***** me up for a minute. “It's not lost on me that I am part of the generation that has kicked the door down, and I get to walk through that door – that doesn't happen often.” Initially, …

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Lady Gaga, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder and Rolling Stones Let You Hear “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”; ‘“Mick wants to see you.” I only know one Mick, so I walked …the hallway, opened the door. It was a portal to the 70’s. — LISTEN

The Rolling Stones have teamed up with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder to release a new single, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” a gospel-infused track that is part of their upcoming album, “Hackney Diamonds.” The album, set to release on October 20, marks the Stones' first LP of original material in 18 years.

Mick Jagger, in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, described the collaboration as a “great experience,” noting that he had “never heard [Lady Gaga] sing quite that style before.” The recording process was live, with Gaga “just coming in the room and her just opening up and seeing her bits and feeling her way and then getting more confident” 

The Song's Composition

The song opens with a rolling piano riff and features Jagger in classic barroom crooner form. Lady Gaga joins in on the second verse, her voice rising to match Jagger's in a “high and sweet churchy register.” The track eventually builds to a crescendo of guitar, drums, saxophone, and keyboards, culminating in a “growly soul shout-off” between Jagger and Gaga.

Stevie Wonder contributes to the track with soulful Fender Rhodes, piano, and Moog. The song was recorded live in the same room, a rarity in an era of digitally stitched A-list collaborations. 

Gaga described how it came about on Instagram: 

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“I was in the studio at Henson preparing for Joker, leaving to go home for the night and someone said “Mick wants to see you.” I only know one Mick, so I walked down to a studio at the other end of the hall and opened the door. It was a portal to the 70’s. I saw Mick, Keith, Ronnie. Stevie Wonder was there along with all the musicians they were collaborating with. Steve Jordan on the drums. Family & friends hanging out listening on big speakers while Andrew Watt smiled marveling at their unreleased album. We hung out for a bit listening to music and catching up. Mick then asked if I’d hang in the live room while they cut another record. I sat down on the floor, my back against a Rhodes-someone handed me some headphones and eventually a mic. Mick was towering over me smiling saying “go on and do your thing then.” I listened to the music and scribbled furiously trying to learn the tune and then freestyled and sang along..trying not to step on everyone’s toes cuz Andrew had the whole room mic’d the way they did back in the day, and I didn’t want my vocals to bleed into any of the magic they’d been making. The Rhodes was vibrating furiously through my back-Stevie was playing and my whole body was shaking with every note. We played for a few hours and everyone was so excited having me there (this felt so exciting if not slightly insane). I went home not thinking much of it, I loved the song and all the musicians but I thought we were just hangin. Andrew texted me the next day saying Mick wanted to cut the vocals WITH me that night-the way he’d cut them back in the day. Same room, two mics. Single takes. I thought about Mary Clayton…Gimme Shelter…gospel and soul. I thought about my favorite old Stones tunes and all the great vocalists who had sung with Mick, making what we know now as a “sound” unique to a band that defined a huge piece of rock’n’roll. Then we cut it live. Making the “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” I sang in a way I never really sang before except for with Mick. And Andrew and I both cried-there’s something about witnessing music history and when you get to be a part of it I think that’s exactly what our heaven feels like. It’s just a sweet sound.”

Lady Gaga

The new album also features contributions from Paul McCartney, Elton John, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, and the band's late drummer Charlie Watts. The previous single from the album, “Angry,” debuted with a video starring Sydney Sweeney (Pitchfork).

The song is part of the gand's first original album in 18 years.

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In the wake of prosecutions that decimated the former leadership of extremist groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, white nationalist “Active Clubs” are growing, Rolling Stone reported. “The Active Clubs are who the Proud Boys thought they were,” said John Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. “They’re who the Proud Boys wanted to be.” Active Club don't sport their racist ideologies out in the open. Instead, they wrap it in a veneer of physical fitness, self-improvement, and “white unity,” the report said. POLL: Should Trump be allowed…

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In the heart of St. Petersburg, Sof, a volunteer at Centre-T, helps Russia’s trans community get care. He is currently inundated with a stream of desperate pleas for aid. “I had to learn how to help people in completely different states of despair”, he told Euronews. “Many didn't know what to do next, many were afraid or in critical psychological conditions.” Centre-T is one of the largest organisations connecting Russia's transgender community with medical care, hormones and even support for those seeking to flee the country. Why is Russia ramping up attacks on LGBT rights during the Ukraine …

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Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes has filed for divorce from his husband after 17 years of marriage. The 51-year-old star cited irreconcilable differences as he filed dissolution documents on Monday (18.09.23) in Los Angeles, according to TMZ. Darren and British screenwriter Richard Cullen, 53, got hitched in a private marriage ceremony in London in 2005, and the pair entered into a formal civil partnership, also in London, less than a year later. In July 2013, the former couple wed in the US after applying for a marriage licence in California, in support of those campaigning for same-sex marr…

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Captain Sandy Yawn is engaged! The beloved Below Deck Mediterraneanstar revealed in a Tuesday, September 19, Instagram post that she officially proposed to her girlfriend of five years, Leah Shafer,during a romantic dinner by the sea. “It official ! I asked Leah to marry me, and she said YESSSSS We are engaged! stay tuned for wedding 💍,” Yawn captioned the slew of sweet photos of the life-changing moment, which reportedly occurred last week. The Bravo star and the gospel singer began dating in 2018 after first connecting through social media. After half a decade together, Yawn knew it was time…

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Rosie O'Donnell vividly remembers the life-threatening health scare she suffered more than 10 years ago. During a guest appearance on the Monday, September 18, episode of “The Best Podcast Ever” with co-hosts Raven-Symoné and Miranda Pearman-Maday, The Flintstones star got candid about a “massive heart attack” she endured at the age of 50. “I should’ve died,” admitted O'Donnell, now 61, before setting the scene of the almost-fatal day. The famed comedian happened to be in the parking lot of a hospital picking up a friend when someone randomly asked for assistance. “She said ‘Rosie, will you he…

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Elton John is selling his incredible million-dollar Atlanta condo, and it oozes every ounce of luxury. The music legend has put his condominium on the market for a staggering $5 million. Looking in, we can dream what it’d be like to live in the lavish property with breathtaking views. It’s clear the place he’s called his US home for 30 years is worth the price tag. Elton John’s impressive property portfolioThe celebrity hitmaker recently wrapped up his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour as hundreds of thousands of fans rushed to see him perform for the last time. Spanning 330 concerts across the …

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On Wednesday, Grammy-winning icon Cher, 77, was photographed with her music executive boyfriend Alexander “AE” Edwards, 37,  in the front row of the Balmain show at Paris Fashion Week. Cher, 77, wore a long velvet white jacket with a black embroidered design and slacks. Edwards coordinated with her, dressed in black sunglasses and a black suit with a white button-down. Throughout the show, the two were seen nuzzled up against one another The music industry duo met at Paris Fashion Week last year and began to date in the fall of 2022. They made headlines when they were spotted with hands interl…

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By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Thursday allowed Tennessee and Kentucky to enforce laws banning gender-affirming medical care for minors, such as puberty blockers, hormones and surgery. By a 2-1 vote, the Cincinnati, Ohio-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a challenge by families of transgender children who had argued that the bans discriminated on the basis of sex. The ruling is the second by a federal appeals court upholding such laws, after the 11th Circuit ruling revived an Alabama law. On the other side of the ledger, federal district courts in Arka…

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The first Catholic diocese to ever exist in America has filed for bankruptcy in anticipation of a wave of sex abuse lawsuits, The Baltimore Banner reported. The Archdiocese of Baltimore made the move in the wake of a new state law that was passed in April which opens the church to a flood of legal claims. This Sunday, Maryland’s statute of limitations will lift, allowing claims for alleged crimes that happened years ago. As The Banner points out, bankruptcy effectively halts the litigation. In an interview with The Banner ahead of the bankruptcy filing, Archbishop William E. Lori said the chur…

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By Ananya Panchal German pop star Kim Petras, who moved to Los Angeles when she was 19, made history in February when she became the first transgender woman to win a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. She earned the honor for her hit single “Holy” with singer Sam Smith. “I don’t think anything could have prepared me and I don’t think I’ll ever really have that feeling again. It was completely incredible,” she shared. “I’m so grateful to Sam for wanting me to give a speech and kind of pushing me to do it because I was so scared. [Smith] was like, ‘If we win, I want you to do it be…

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CHICAGO — As Raquel García-Álvarez guides hikers on a trail surrounding the Sand Ridge Nature Center, her remarks on flora and fauna are interrupted by geese honking. She explains, as curious onlookers admire the birds skirting the water, that there’s more to them than meets the eye. Geese are known to display “homosocial behavior,” she said. For example, there’s been documented instances of two male geese pair-bonding with each other. “Wildlife does not live within the context of us assigning them, ‘Oh, you’re gay, you’re straight.’ They show homosocial behavior because they use it to bond. …

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By Daniel Kline Travis Kelce arguably became the most recognizable player in the National Football League when Taylor Swift showed up on Sept. 24 to sit with his mom while the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears. The two have been rumored to be dating since Kelce expressed his interest in the singer on a social-media page. Arguably the biggest star in the world (sorry, Beyonce, BTS, and Harry Styles), Swift has been on a long stadium concert tour that has smashed records. DON'T MISS: Beloved retailer (mostly) shuts down brand, closes stores She's a savvy businessperson who has turned pas…

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Jonathan Van Ness isn’t letting Megyn Kelly get the last word! On Thursday, September 28, the Queer Eye star took to Instagram to respond to a clip from “The Megyn Kelly Show” where Kelly mocked him for his Monday, September 25, appearance on Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast. The 36-year-old included the clip of Kelly, 52, as she pretended to cry over trans rights after Van Ness got emotional on Shepard's show about the minority group, saying he’s “so tired of having to fight for little kids because they just want to be included.” “You know what, Jonathan? Same. Same. I’m so tired too. …

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Dianne Feinstein, California’s longest-serving U.S. senator who led San Francisco through its darkest and most violent days as mayor in the 1970s and later authored a federal ban on assault weapons that lasted a decade, died Thursday night at her home in Washington, D.C. At 90, she was the oldest member of Congress and the longest-serving female in the chamber’s history. During a lingering bout of shingles earlier this year and ongoing reports of her mental decline, Feinstein resisted pressure from her own party to resign her seat. Former Speaker and fellow San Franciscan Nancy Pelosi delivere…

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