Audacy Check-In

Fresh off the release of her surging new single, "bittersweet," Madison Beer joins us for an Audacy Check In to talk about new music, her recent performance at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, and more from inside the Hard Rock Hotel New York. The GRAMMY-nominated singer is prepping for a new project, and shared with Audacy's Mike Adam some of the emotions and inspirations that went into the upcoming album's creation. "It's all me, baby," she smiles when asked about selecting singles and the rollout of her next chapter. "I get opinions from everybody, but sometimes too many opinions overwhelm me," she adds. "These felt like in my gut what I wanted to do, and I feel like 'yes baby' was a good song to sort of re-engage people ideally, and get them excited. Also, not close out forever, but like close out the dance stuff a little bit and now introduce the real sound of this album, and what you could really expect. So 'bittersweet' really represents sonically what the album feels like. Both the happy and sad sides of Madison Beer occupy the next album, with Madison admitting, "they're both driving this ship this time around. They both are coexisting now, which is what I'm really excited about, their coexistence." "I feel like I started to really find the true energy, a couple of months ago, probably 6 months ago," she says of getting into the groove of this new project. "I don't know exactly when it was, but sometimes things just start to flow and you're just in that flow state of like, 'yes, I'm doing this and it feels really good.'" Just hours before sitting with us at the Hard Rock Hotel New York, Beer was a borough away ruling the runway at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show in Brooklyn. "I got to meet so many of the OG angels, which was so cool and amazing, and they were all so sweet to me, and I was like, 'you guys know who I am?' It was crazy," she gushes. "It's also a huge room and it's such a whirlwind, and everyone's changing, and taking off makeup. It's so fast. As soon as the show is done, everyone's jetting out of there, but it was so cool." "I can't really believe that I did that. There's been so many iconic performers that have done it, so I just feel very honored to be a part of it." Don't miss our full Audacy Check In with Madison Beer above.

YUNGBLUD is once again having a moment, continuing to forge his own path in the world of Rock, thanks to sincere songwriting, electric performances, and a few heavy co-signs from iconic artists. The "Zombie" singer recently joined us for an Audacy Check In to catch up on all of it, and he admits that conquering doesn't come easy. Still feeling the love from this summer's album, 'Idols,' YUNGBLUD has been everywhere ever since, first at the final Black Sabbath show in July, and ultimately with Aerosmith at the MTV VMAs honoring the life of Ozzy Osbourne. He also collaborated with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry on an upcoming EP, arriving everywhere on November 21. After receiving a message from Perry, pouring on praise for his song "Hello Heaven, Hello," YUNGBLUD made plans to connect with Joe and Steven in Florida. "I went for a drink with the Aerosmith guys and I secretly held a studio, cause if you're on a first date, you're either gonna go on with each other or you're not gonna get on," he shares. "Luckily we went home with each other, you know, within an hour I was like, 'I've got a studio around the corner, you want to get in,' and they were like, 'yeah.'" "When we got together, we were so similar energetically, we're two puppies. I say me and Steven are puppies and Joe's a cat. Joe Perry's a cat, we're puppies, you know what I mean? Joe Perry's like, 'I'm gonna sit here and look cool as f*** and I'm gonna play my guitar,' and me and Steven are just like, 'woo woo woo.'" "There was this beautiful sense of healthy competition between me and Steven," he adds. "We were just trying to outdo each other, and then all of a sudden Joe's going, 'wow, he's hitting notes that I've not heard him hit in years.'" YUNGBLUD goes on to share details of the incoming EP, 'One More Time,' teasing a song that's "stadium rock & roll" and another that's "outlaw Country," as well as a juiced-up version of "Back In The Saddle" from Aerosmith. "We're like family now." Once again YUNGBLUD is set for another tour of states, one which sold out in mere minutes when it went on sale. "As an Englishman, you know, and an English Rock musician, the whole dream is to break America," he reveals. In one of his final interactions with Ozzy Osbourne, the icon told him to "conquer America," and that's just what he has set out to do. "I've always been obsessed with playing Rock music in America because it's where it came from. Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, it's where it came from, and I think that's why breaking America for a British Rock musician is so sacred," YUNGBLUD explains. "It's where the genre began, it came out of the blues, it came out of the swamps. I think Rock music is such a beautiful genre because it's adherent to where it came from. It's very respectful to its history. I think that's why it's a safeguarded genre. I think Hip-Hop and Pop music give the crown up to whatever's biggest, Rock music doesn't give its crown easily because you need to be vetted multiple times." "My vibe is this, if you are unsure about me, come see me live, and I'll blow your mind. Promise." For much more from YUNGBLUD check out the full Audacy Check In above.

'The Residency' is a new live album from Sammy Hagar and The Best of All Worlds Band, celebrating their Dolby Live at Park MGM run in Las Vegas earlier this year. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, The Red Rocker recently joined Remy Maxwell for an Audacy Check In to talk about the new release, recent projects with Nickelback, the status of his relationship with David Lee Roth, and more. Featuring Michael Anthony (bass, vocals), Joe Satriani (guitar), Kenny Aronoff (drums), and Rai Thistlethwayte (keyboards, guitar, vocals), the album captures Sammy's 2025 stretch with an electric live album, touring through a lifetime of hits from Hagar. "I'm in love with this record," shares Sammy. "I've got 3 live records in my life that I'm in love with. Number one, J. Geils' 'Full House.' Humble Pie live at 'The Fillmore,' and 'Frampton Comes Alive.' Those records, when you sit down and crank them up, which I still do today, they make you feel like you're there. And this record, 'The Residency,' makes you, makes me, makes anyone feel like you're there. And so, mission accomplished, otherwise I wouldn't make it." Sammy will return to Dolby Live in 2026 for new performances of The Best of All Worlds residency, March 11–21 and September 18–26, 2026. Tickets are available at RedRocker.com. We also had to ask Hagar about the current status of his relationship with David Lee Roth, as DLR recently shared some kind words towards Sammy on stage, and Hagar has since said he'd be up for "hanging out" with Roth. "Assuming David would behave himself, yeah, we could," says Sammy. "It's not like it's my wish list or my bucket list. It's just that Dave is, he's so unique and to me he's so over-the-top entertainer, you know. I'd like to hang with them under the circumstances where we've let all this crap go because I've certainly let it go." "Anybody that wants to compare us today is crazy," he adds. "If you want to compare our old stuff, well you're just as crazy because it's both great, and we did both did the best we could at the time. And now we're doing what we're doing. So let all that go and not try to be competitive with Dave and I'm sure he'd be a fun hanging for a while. I mean, I'm sure it'll come a time ago, 'what you wanna what? You were thinking, what?' But, yeah, I'm serious about it." "When he said those things about me, about being a great singer and things like that, and has a great catalog, I'm going, 'see, he's now getting past it too,' because he's never ever complimented me on anything that I know of anyway. I thought that's very nice. So if you're going to be nice, if you want to be nice, then I can be nice. I don't wanna dig any ditches again. I just don't, would never want to dig any holes and go down that. It's just so stupid." To hear more from Sammy Hagar about 'The Residency,' his work with Nickelback, and much more check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Let 'em know, BIA is the building at the Hard Rock Hotel New York, and "WE ON GO" with the rapper for an Audacy Check In to talk about her official debut album, 'BIANCA,' and more. The Massachusetts-born MC has been in the game for nearly a decade, dropping fire features and breaking through on songs like "WHOLE LOTTA MONEY," and her latest inescapable anthemic track, "WE ON GO." Now she's out with her official debut album, 'BIANCA,' which is now available everywhere. After talking about the her come up from Boston and her first time putting pen to paper as a rapper, BIA told DJ Buck and Regg about the making of 'BIANCA,' and her goals with the project. "I wanted to come different but a lot more intentional," she shares. "I had success with songs that were like fun songs, and like upbeat, you know, like braggadocios songs but not songs that were internally carrying a message. I felt like I was seeing where my songs would land in the world and what it does to the world and community. I wanted to have a bigger presence in community and I wanted to have like more well-rounded songs that could play in any area, any space." "I think I've been able with this project to find a way to to be both, like the vulnerable side of me as I'm growing into more of a woman and just like finding my way through life is softer. I'm more of a softer woman, but then still like that same rapper that people know and love me for. The duality between both of those people on one project." "I think this album is my most vulnerable album, my most intentional," she adds. "Even me starting this album off with the track 'October.' It's so outside of my range. I didn't want people to be able to guess what the next song was gonna be. 'October' is so different from anything else I've ever sung before in my life, so I just wanted to really show my range and show people like, this is soft, this is vulnerable, but also like, watch that ass." To hear more about the making of 'BIANCA,' BIA's inspirations, and more, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Louis Tomlinson is ready to release the record he always "deserved to make," but first he joins us inside the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In to talk about the lead single, "Lemonade," and more. 'How Did I Get Here?' is due out everywhere on January 23, 2026, and Tomlinson is bursting with pride about the process and the way he pushed himself to create this time around. "I wanted to write and record somewhere tropical, somewhere visually very different from home and somewhere quite literally far away from home," Louis shares. "So we decided to do Costa Rica in a lovely little town called Santa Teresa, and it's absolutely beautiful." "Songs like 'Lemonade,' I don't think would have happened in England. There was just something magical about the place that we were in, the tempo, the way of living, the freedom, all of that. So I think that it's a byproduct of the beautiful, beautiful environment that we're in." It all starts with a sonically shimmering and swaggering lead single, "Lemonade," which announces a new beginning for Tomlinson and willingness to be big, fun, and fearless. "It's something I've been trying to challenge myself to more, you know, it's kind of infinite, the deep dive of being creative," reveals Louis. "With this record, I wanted it to be really ambitious and I wanted to try and step it up a level, creatively. You've gotta kind of push yourself to do those things." "I mean, you know, I'm saying push yourself creatively while being in paradise in Costa Rica. It wasn't all that bad, you know." Before the new release arrives in 2026, fans around the globe are still celebrating the 15th anniversary of One Direction forming. Nearly a year after the passing of Liam Payne, the group has stayed mostly silent on the milestone, but Tomlinson did take some time to look back on 1D during his time at the Hard Rock Hotel. When asked about the One Direction song that he didn't necessarily like when it was dropped, but now he looks back on with fond memories, Louis was quick to keep it real. "I still don't like the lead single, 'What Makes You Beautiful,' honestly," he shares. "I think actually the first couple of records, the first couple of albums at the time, I wasn't in love with them but now when I listen back, there's definitely a lot of nostalgia there. But 'What Makes You Beautiful,' I don't think I'll ever get around to that, to be honest." Louis also admits that "there's loads" of unreleased One Direction songs. "There's a couple that got leaked over the years," he says, although you likely will never hear the rest. "I'm kind of a little bit funny about that, especially when they leak and stuff, cause it's often a reason they've not made the record. That's often been like a creative choice. The songs were probably not good enough to make the record at the time, you know, probably still good songs, but there's probably close to like, I don't know, 50, 60 songs like that." To hear more from Louis Tomlinson about his recording process, the joy of house plants, and Halloween plans, check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Even on her 12th time around, every release remains different for Taylor Swift. The GRAMMY-winning, actively iconic artist took time out of 'The Life of a Showgirl' premiere weekend to talk with Bru about release rituals, the making of the album, and more during a very special Audacy Check In. "I do it differently every single time. Honestly, based on how an album feels," reveals Taylor about her album release rituals. "I'll make it, you know, a year ahead of time or something, right? I always really try to put a lot of effort and intention into the planning of how to release it and trying to make it as fun for my fans as possible. So I want to like make vinyl for them, I want to make a music video, I want to create a situation like with this one where we have these release parties in the movie theater, so they can go and they can get kind of a peek behind the curtain of how I made the music video, get to see the music video on a big screen, so that stuff takes time." "When you make the album ahead of time, it can oftentimes be like a year before you put the album out. This time everything feels like it completely lines up with how my life feels." "But with an album, like with 'Torture Poets Department,' my ritual was like I went away on vacation with my boyfriend and my friends, boyfriend then fiancé now, and friends," she clarifies, "and put my phone in a drawer and was just like, 'I'm putting this album out into the world, but it doesn't match with how my life feels now.' So that felt right at this time. With this one I'm just like so happy that it's out, so proud, so excited to hear people's favorite songs, it just feels very different. It feels like a really joyful, fun, hilarious experience." After just a few days, fans are already picking favorites and investigating themes and storylines from within the words of 'The Life of a Showgirl.' When asked, Taylor currently is interested in the takes on "Father Figure," as listeners relate differently depending on their standpoint. She also says she's currently most proud of her lyrics on "Wi$h Li$t." "Oh my God, oh my God, there's so many," Swift shares when first asked. "I'd say 'Wi$h Li$t' was a song that was really, really fun to write just in terms of, it's a song that kind of chronicles all these different wishes that different people have for what they want in their life, their aspirations, what they want to buy, where they want to go, how they want their life to look. So I kind of was able to write all these descriptions of different lives that people want, and that was really fun to do, and then culminating in the chorus where in the course I talk about what I want, and I think that, right now, that's kind of one that I'm like, 'I'm pretty proud of that one.'" Offering a glimpse into the making of 'The Life of a Showgirl,' Taylor says that she would often scroll through her notes app for inspiration. "When we're working on an idea and, you know, Shellback will be playing guitar and I'll be sitting at piano, or we'll just be kind of riffing off of an idea melodically, I'll go scrolling through these ideas that I have and it'll be like a theme that I like, or a word that I've always thought sounded really exquisite, and that's what's so fun. Cause, you know, in the middle of the night, you could wake up and have an idea that you swear you will remember it in the morning. You absolutely will not. If you do not write it down, it's just gone." "I've learned over the years that if I have any kind of semblance of a thought that I think might be like clever, interesting, funny, whatever, I have to write it down." To hear more from Taylor Swift about her favorite Swiftie inside jokes, how she kept the continuity of 'The Life of a Showgirl' while on 'The Eras Tour,' and so much more, listen to the full Audacy Check In with Bru above.

Sarah McLachlan is back with her first album in nearly a decade, and plans to celebrate with fans across the country on her 'Better Broken Tour' beginning in November. The GRAMMY-winning singer recently sat down with us at the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In, to talk about her latest project, 'Better Broken,' the new Lilith Fair documentary, and much more. The new album from Sarah all started with the song, "Rise," which McLachlan penned coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. "I just felt like I need to get this song out," she tells Audacy's Race Taylor. "It was kind of this hopeful lament about the world that we're entering into and this idea that we are creating all these divisions, and people are so scared and angry, and I have this sort of hopeful utopian version that if we just figure out how to get along and recognize that we need each other, maybe we'll start making better choices. Clearly that hasn't happened so far." "Then it was like, 'OK, I've got enough material, let's get in the studio and start recording,' and that's kind of what happened and here we are, finally a new record." The new collection of songs is another batch of raw and honest anthems from McLachlan, with 'Better Broken' marking her first new album since 2016's holiday release, 'Wonderland.' "When you think about what 'Better Broken' means, it's kind of about the resilience that we have to have as individuals to manage the world," admits Sarah. "We constantly, we get hurt, we fall down, we have to pick ourselves up and pick up the pieces and rebuild ourselves, which we've done numerous times by the time we get to 57." McLachlan's 57th year has been a big one even beyond the new album and upcoming tour. Hulu also recently released, 'Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery - The Untold Story,' which shares behind-the-scenes views of the landmark festival that McLachlan founded. "To have this time capsule of 3 of the most important years of my life and my career, so succinctly put together in this beautiful piece, what a gift for me," shares Sarah. "I just felt this immense pride and joy of getting to have this thing that I now get to carry with me, and also for the world to see this and for young women and young men to see it's like this. We can do things a different way. We can do things a better way if we work together and communicate with each other and lift each other up instead of tear each other down." Looking back on Lilith Fair, McLachlan says, "It was a lot of fun and honestly it was just such a simple concept at the beginning. I didn't want to have all the responsibility of a show on my shoulders, but I thought, 'well let's just get some other women.' There's so many amazing women coming up, getting a ton of radio play, having success, and the few festivals that were out there that they were completely male dominated, and I said 'well let's just do something ourselves.' And then we were told we couldn't. And that was certainly, you know, it's like, don't tell me I can't do something, like come on, I'm definitely going to prove you wrong." To hear much more from Sarah McLachlan about her collaborations, the Lilith Fair, and her new album, 'Better Broken,' check out the full conversation above.

Before taking the stage at Madison Square Garden, Cil stopped by the Hard Rock Hotel New York for an Audacy Check In, chatting with Mike Adam about new music, including the new single "something like this," and her experience opening for Dua Lipa and Stevie Nicks. In town for an opening spot on Dua's tour, Cil was quick to praise the singer for her talent and dedication. "She really is dedicated to her craft and she's dedicated to really putting on an amazing show," shares Cil, who also shares an Albanian heritage with the "Levitating" singer. "When I was really able to watch her and have the full experience was in Kosovo, and she just inspired me so much. I had like my set, I had my whole show planned out and everything. I was like fully ready, and I changed it all up before the tour cause I was like, 'I want to show up,' the way that she shows up. I'm learning so much and just watching her, just being in the proximity. She's a force." This tour with Dua Lipa is just the latest big stage for Cil, who previous opened for Stevie Nicks. "Stevie was my first introduction to doing arenas and so there was a huge learning curve for me with that," Cil reveals. "But with Dua, I get the opportunity to focus on my show, focus on my performance, not just focusing on like, 'oh my gosh, don't be nervous, don't be nervous, don't be nervous,' you know, 'how do I make my way around backstage of an arena?'" "Stevie, I'm forever grateful for because she took a chance on me," she adds. "Stevie is somebody who, she loves music. She loves good music, she loves talent, and she really gets it." To hear more from Cil on her influences, tattoos, and the new track "something like this," check out the full Audacy Check In above.

Jermaine Dupri is in the building this week at the Hard Rock Hotel New York, joining us for an Audacy Check In to talk about his new album, 'Magic City,' his docuseries of the same name, and what's next for the ATL multihyphenate producer. The Atlanta institution known as Magic City is taking its turn on the stage, first with a five part docuseries on Starz, and now with album of music inspired by the project, now available everywhere. At the helm for all of it is Jermaine Dupri, who is once again bringing his So So Def empire into another era of excellence. "To start in '92 and then be named the number one producer of Hip-Hop R&B of the 21st century in 2025, that's all the energy I need," Dupri reveals to DJ Buck and Big Regg, referencing the honor recently given to him by 'Billboard.' "I know what my work has done. It got me to that spot, so it's like I can't even think about stopping at this point." Not stopping for JD includes 'Magic City,' the soundtrack to the docuseries he recently produced for Starz. The project features the producer in top-form with a roster of ATL's finest. "We have a city with a pool of artists that sometimes we overlook. We only talk about 3 or 4 of these people, but we have like 20, 30, 40 artists in Atlanta that really have made a real contribution to Hip-Hop," says Dupri. "It felt like we just ignore that, right? And I feel like if I ignore that, they're gonna ignore me, you know what I mean? You gotta lead by example." The features on 'Magic City' stretch across decades of Atlanta influence from Pastor Troy to Quavo to YFN Lucci, and everyone in-between. Even Ludacris has bars the new project, who Jermaine Dupri considers the one that got away from his So So Def family. "One day I went in the office and felt like I wasn't giving people that I had hired an opportunity to work," shares Dupri. "I was making all the decisions. I was choosing the artists. I was picking the singles. I'm doing everything, but as a CEO is supposed to do. But I also was looking at Def Jam and I'm watching all these other labels. They had A&R meetings and they had people that was the A&Rs and they was letting them really become stars, right?" "One day on my way to the office, I was just like, 'you know, today I'm gonna have an A&R meeting and I'm gonna let these guys tell me what we should do,' And I went in there and I said, 'I wanna sign Ludacris,' and everybody in the meeting was like, 'no, no, no, no, no, no.' And I was like, 'what?' And it's like, 'nah, JD, he seem like he gonna, I don't know about that, that don't seem like that's gonna last long.'" "I was like, 'alright, I'm gonna listen to y'all guys,' and that was the last time I listened." For more on the making of 'Magic City,' why JD views music as therapy, and more, check out the full Audacy Check In with Jermaine Dupri above.

Mudvayne is ready to unleash a celebration of their breakthrough album, 'L.D. 50,' by touring across the country beginning this week. But first, Chad Gray Checks In with us to talk about the major milestone, the band's first new music in 16 years, and more. In addition to a quarter-century of punishing grooves on 'L.D. 50,' Mudvayne recently unwrapped the first new music from the band in 16 years. "This was the reason why I came back to Mudvayne, was to continue the legacy," admits Gray. "We went away before people were ready for us to go away, I think. So when we came back, that was my biggest reason for coming back, was to pick up where we left off and continue to create music, and give our fans what they need, what we didn't give them." "We tried this a couple years ago and it just didn't work. Then we got back in and we got back to it, and we went back and picked through some of those old parts and we're able to put these tracks together, and then, we went in the process of recording," adds Chad. "It was really cool, but it's a very necessary time. I think we came back and the ground was seriously rumbling. Like the ground was shaking. It was like, 'holy hell,' people are really excited about this." After their return a few years ago, Gray and Mudvayne knew it was time to take the next step and get back into the studio to build on what they've already created. "I wanna keep people excited about this. I don't just wanna come back, blow our wad and then just f***ing slowly drift off, you know what I mean? Like, no. I wanna come in with a bang, I wanna go out with a bang." In addition to their debut, 'L.D. 50,' sending shockwaves through the world of Rock, another reason for Mudvayne's success has to be their spotlight on Ozzy Osbourne's traveling Ozzfest. "His contribution to music we could never pay back," Gray says of Ozzy and his summer spectacle. "Just the inspirations he created from what he did is unprecedented, and then you gotta think about, he broke Metallica. Straight up. He took them on the road with him. He put Metallica on an Ozzy-sized stage on 'Master Of Puppets' and dude, from that moment on it was game over, right?" "So what does he do? He continues, now he creates a festival where it's not just one band or two bands that he can help, now it's a gaggle of bands every single year," he says of Ozzfest. "We were on that 2nd stage. System of a Down was on the 2nd stage. Slipknot was on the 2nd stage. I mean, just go down the list." Hear more from Chad on his past projects, what to expect on Mudvayne's anniversary tour, and more during our Audacy Check In above.

2025 has been another big chapter for the six members of BOYNEXTDOOR, playing to thousands of fans at Lollapalooza, grabbing a more intimate spotlight at the GRAMMY Museum, and continuing their musical legacy with the 'No Genre' EP. The group took a beat from their hectic year to sit down in our Los Angeles studio with Brooke Morrison for an Audacy Check In, and talk about their experience on stage, the evolution of their creative process, and more. Don't miss our Audacy Check In with BOYNEXTDOOR above, and find more exclusive interviews with your favorite artists at audacy.com/live.

Global K-pop powerhouses, MONSTA X, are back with their first six member mini album in 4 years, 'THE X.' The group recently stopped by our studios to celebrate their next chapter, talk about the first things they did after returning from military service, and comment on their milestone of 10 years together during a special Audacy Check In. The full group reunion comes on the heels of MONSTA X's 10 year anniversary, with 'THE X' honoring their decade together. Speaking with Bru, they take a look at some of the standout moments from the past 10 years, and reveal what advice they would offer up to that version of themselves just starting out. Don't miss MONSTA X giving insight into their new project, the frenetic new single, "Do What I Want," and what's next for the enduring K-Pop collective. 'THE X' is available to stream now, with a physical release set for September 5 in the U.S. Find more info here, and check out the full conversation above.

ATEEZ took a pause from playing massive shows around the globe to sit with Bru for an Audacy Check In, talking about their latest project, 'GOLDEN HOUR: Part.3 'In Your Fantasy Edition,' their latest gift to global fans, and how it feels on those sold out stages. The group shares with Bru the reason for the 'In Your Fantasy Edition' of their latest project, connecting their tour to the album for a cohesive thank you to fans around the world. "We just wanna connect," Hongjoong reveals. "We just want to give some gift to our global fans." Leaning into the "2000s vibe" on tracks like "In Your Fantasy," the songs feel like "home" for ATEEZ and their fans, and they still have more in store for 2025. "We just prepare many good and cool things for our fans and audience," he teases. "I can't say everything but, we just want to prepare for that, so please wait a little bit." For more about their current tour, the making of their album, and more, check out the full Audacy Check In with ATEEZ above.

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.