Music Features

The Demi Ramos Show: Catie Turner

Comedy & Tragedy:Act 1 is out now

The last time we talked to Catie Turner, she had just released her breakout single "God Must Hate Me." Since then, she's added singles like "Step Mom" and "Easy" to her catalog, demonstrating the emotional center and lyricism of a complete artist. Five years removed from American Idol, her appearance on the show is now the beginning of the story, not the main part.

Favorites and new tracks make up her latest project, Comedy & Tragedy. Act 1, which includes "God Must Hate Me" and five other songs, arrived on June 9. The second volume will be out later this year. To support the release, Turner starts a headlining tour tonight in Chicago with best friend Sophie Holohan opening.

Watch Demi Ramos talk to Turner about Comedy & Tragedy, life on tour, and how she feels about her experience on Idol.

Catie Turner | The Demi Ramos Show


For more from Catie Turner, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Island Records

On July 14, Lauren Spencer Smith will release her debut album, Mirror. It's the culmination of three years of hard work and growing as a songwriter and performer.

Appearing on American Idol in 2020, the 19-year-old used the momentum from the show to create a career that's earned her hit songs, a huge social media following, and an appearance on The Tonight Show. Many know the Vancouver native for "Fingers Crossed," but she's built a surprisingly deep catalog with tracks like "Flowers" and "Fantasy," a collaboration with friends GAYLE and Em Beihold.

The day the album drops, she'll kick off a headlining tour. The North American leg begins in Chicago, and the European shows start in early September. Several dates are already sold out.

Watch Lauren Spencer Smith talk to Jordan Edwards and Demi Ramos about her experience on Idol, developing her voice, and how she's handling all the success.

Lauren Spencer Smith | It's Real with Jordan and Demi


Lauren Spencer Smith North American Tour Dates
7/14/23 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
7/15/23 Detroit, MI - St. Andrew's Hall
7/17/23 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
7/19/23 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
7/21/23 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
7/22/23 Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
7/25/23 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
7/28/23 Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre
7/29/23 Orlando, FL - House of Blues
7/31/23 Austin, TX - Emo's
8/2/23 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
8/4/23 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
8/5/23 San Diego, CA - Observatory North Park
8/8/23 Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
8/11/23 Santa Ana, CA - Observatory
8/12/23 San Francisco, CA - August Hall
8/14/23 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
8/15/23 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
8/17/23 Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre

For more from Lauren Spencer Smith, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

David Cook is a proven champion.

On his new EP, The Looking Glass, the American Idol winner offers us a window into the private world and public ambitions of someone whose greatest competitor has always been himself.


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Culture Feature

Demi Lovato's Sexual Trauma, and the Christian Purity Movement

In a new docuseries, Demi Lovato recalls how a teenage "purity" pledge added a dimension of shame to her experience of sexual assault.

Content warning: Discussions of sexual assault, disordered eating, self harm, and addiction.

Back in 2008, a group of young Disney stars represented what was intended to be a new model of fame.

While the cliche of child stars was that they are quickly corrupted — drawn into the dark side of the entertainment industry, with exposure sex and drugs from a young age — these young singers and actors were supposed to be different.

They were going to hold onto their innocence as long as they could. They had made pledges.

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TV News

Sarah Palin Was on "The Masked Singer" and America Is Doomed

The former vice presidential candidate sang "Baby Got Back," because she's #relatable.

via FOX

The Masked Singer is simultaneously a mysteriously popular reality show and a furry's wet dream.

The singing competition series combines the celebrity appeal of Dancing With the Stars with the good old-fashioned talent contest of American Idol or The Voice. Notable public figures sport particularly frightening head-to-toe ensembles and take turns singing songs, and the judges must guess who is in the suit. And, as is the case with any reality show, things get cringey—especially when a costumed Sarah Palin gives a rendition of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back."

That's correct: The one-time vice presidential candidate (and Most Famous Alaskan Probably Ever) removed a monstrous bear head (as the entire crowd yelled "take it off," which isn't at all creepy) to reveal her identity before diving into the 1992 hit. She made sure to note that she tweaked the lyrics to be about men's butts instead. Because we can excuse a former governor for opposing same-sex marriage and being a life member of the NRA if they're funny and relatable, right? Right?

Before host Nick Cannon signed off, Palin assured the crowd: "This is something that our country needs right now, too." I can't say I agree, considering I'm typing this through an anxiety-ridden self-quarantine, but to each their own. Funny and relatable! We are in hell!

Watch the haunting performance below:

MUSIC

Casey Abrams Talks Inspiration for His New Album "Jazz"

The singer sits down with Popdust to discuss his new album, Jazz.

You may remember Casey Abrams from a string of impressive performances that landed him in sixth place on American Idol in 2011.

The 28-year-old singer and multi-instrumentalist has a unique and powerful voice. On his upcoming album, backed by a band of very talented musicians, he's loans that voice to a selection of jazz and blues standards. The aptly titled LP, Jazz, has a little something for everyone among its 12 tracks—it's the perfect soundtrack for unwinding with a glass of wine. Abrams discussed his creative process, musical influences, and vision for this album in a recent interview with Popdust.

Jazz presents a collection of re-imagined classics. Artists often speak of the writing process, but what is your process for approaching a canonized song that has a long history of being redefined? In other words, are there any insights that you might be able to provide as to what you aim for in presenting your unique version of a song —how does the band come to striking a balance between a certain faithfulness to the original song while also putting your signature spin on it?

We are each unique artists, and when unique artists get together, I feel we create a fresh and unheard of jazz experience each time. For me, jazz is the harvesting of our own unique feelings and experiences, and together we create a completely new experience of the song. In a way, we're using the paints presented in the original artwork (the song) to color it in our own communal way.

Who are some jazz/blues musicians/songwriters of today that you really admire? How about non-jazz/blues?

I love Gretchen Parlato, Taylor Eigsti, Robert Glasper and Aubrey Logan. Non Jazz, I will always love the entire spirit and fun of Tenacious D.

What do you think drew you to jazz and blues music? Do you recall any sort of clear or definitive moment of discovering it, a 'love-at-first-listen' experience?

Early on, the first time I heard "Autumn Leaves" by Cannonball Adderly and Miles Davis. A ten-minute long jazz jam that really hypnotized me with its haunting harmony, melody, and solos. Like, there was so many kinds of expressions in that one version of one song. And, so, it's the first song I'm presenting here on my new Jazz Album.

What do you hope fans get out of Jazz?

For this CD in particular, I hope they kick back and listen to this record with the one they love, or they get to meditate to it by themselves after a long day at work. We wanted to create that kind of mood. I loved the collaboration with the great musicians on the CD that make these songs a richer, kind of contemplative experience.

Pre-order the album here!

Casey Abrams Jazz Album Trailerwww.youtube.com

For more from Casey Abrams, follow him on Instagram or Facebook!