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The 12th and final issue of Far Sector is out now! You won’t want to miss the finale of this epic story. And not only is today the final chapter of the book, but…

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Former frontman for My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way , has announced he'll be embarking on a small North American tour to support his new debut solo album 'Hesitant Alien' . His second-ever solo tour will kick off May 15th in Minneapolis and hit the cities of Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Toronto and Montreal. Gerard will finish up the tour with an appearance at the Boston Calling Festival on May 23rd. He spent last fall touring the U.S. for a handful of dates in San Fran, West Hollywood, LA, Philadelphia, Boston, NY and Sayreville, NJ (near his hometown of Belleville).

Gerard Way released his debut album 'Hesitant Alien' on September 29th and saw it reach #16 on the Billboard 200. The album feature lots of Britpop, a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the UK, and will be his first since 2013's 'Conventional Weapons' with My Chemical Romance . Aside from vocals, the pop punk also performs with the piano, guitar and keyboard.

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Gerard Way: Hesitant Alien

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Gerard Way: Baby You're a Haunted House

Gerard Way: Happy Together (feat. Ray Toro)

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Gerard Way: Hazy Shade of Winter (feat. Ray Toro)

Gerard Way: Pinkish / Don't Try

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Gerard Way Announces First U.S. Solo Tour Dates

Just days after performing on his own at last weekend's Reading and Leeds festivals in England, former My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has set his sites stateside.

Way announced today (Aug. 26) that he'll embark on his first solo tour of the U.S. this October in support of his upcoming debut, 'Hesitant Alien,' set for release Sept. 30 via Warner Bros. In February, Way will also perform four shows at Australia's Soundwave Festival. Tickets for the U.S. dates go on sale Aug. 27. Get more information on the schedule  here .

Way said in a press release that he knew exactly what he wanted 'Hesitant Alien' to be. "My intention was to make 100 percent uncompromised art, using the currently least radio-friendly instrument, the guitar," he said. "I knew there would be lots of fuzz pedals. I knew I would play Fender instruments. I knew I would look at who my guitar heroes were in art school, Mary Timony [of Helium] and Carrie Brownstein [of Sleater-Kinney], and I drew a lot of influence from shoe-gaze and Britpop. I want the record to sonically galvanize people."

Gerard Way U.S. Tour Oct. 12: San Francisco, Calif. -- The Fillmore Oct. 13: Los Angeles, Calif. -- Troubadour Oct. 14: Los Angeles, Calif. -- Fonda Theatre Oct. 17: Philadelphia, Penn. -- Trocadero Theatre Oct. 19: Boston, Mass. -- Paradise Rock Club Oct. 20: New York, N.Y. -- Irving Plaza Oct. 22: Sayreville, N.J. -- Starland Ballroom Oct. 23: New York, N.Y. -- Webster Hall

Gerard Way's Official Music Video for 'No Shows'

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While You’re Waiting For The My Chemical Romance Reunion Shows, Here Are Four New Gerard Way Songs

My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way dropped four new solo songs over the weekend.

By Gil Kaufman

Gil Kaufman

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While we all wait for the My Chemical Romance reunion tour that has been put on hold due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, MCR singer Gerard Way is making things a little easier with a four-song solo EP he dropped over the weekend called Distraction or Disrepair .

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“Hey all, with all this uncertainty I just wanted to start uploading some unreleased stuff,” he wrote on Sunday (April 5). “Just so people can check it out and have something to listen to. Just felt like sharing. I think I have a bunch of this stuff, as Doug and I have been recording little bits here and there over the years. Some of these, like ‘Phoning It In,’ were things that I planned on releasing as singles, and I may still do that at some point when I finish them, but I figured why not. It feels good to share. Who knows if some of this stuff would have ever come out?”

The songs range from the 14-second vocal sound collage “Success!” and the blown-out 40-second sound assault “Welcome to the Hotel” to the blown-out, distorted guitar jam “Crate Amp_2” (“messing around with this Crate amp I got off of Reverb for cheap”) and what “Phoning,” the most complete song in the bunch.

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Upgrading the parade: how my chemical romance returned to play arenas on its reunion tour.

It definitely sounds like the most polished of the bunch, with a driving beat and swaggering vocal, in which Way sings, “Some folks make hasty decisions They live their life on the go/ I can’t be bothered to give a damn bout anything and/ Some people say I’m a pro/ You’re busy climbing the ladder, I’m busy lying in bed/ It doesn’t matter if anybody calls me names and/ I’m gonna f–k off instead, because… We’re gonna phone it in, we’re gonna phone it in.”

Way, who asked fans to contribute to the COVID-19 Response Fund , also posted an Instagram pic of his vocal cord from when he went to see an ear, nose & throat doctor before embarking on the MCR reboot to make sure everything was okay. “He said, ‘It’s a little red, but looking good.’ I’m calling all of this stuff Distraction Or Despair , since that seems to be the two things I keep shifting between. Probably a lot of other people too. But I think only some of the tracks are tied to an ‘album’ of that name. I’m just winging it, keeping it casual. May add some notes to the tracks.”

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Gerard Way Shares Four New Songs For 'Distraction Or Despair'

Calling all MCR fans

There are still months to go until My Chemical Romance's highly-anticipated 2020 reunion tour, but those searching for an end to the MCR drought right now can thank the band's frontman for some new relief. Gerard Way released new solo songs on SoundCloud on Sunday, calling the impromptu drop Distraction Or Despair . The four songs, though raw and seemingly unfinished, are being released now "so people can check it out and have something to listen to," he shared on Instagram.

"Hey all, with all this uncertainty I just wanted to start uploading some unreleased stuff," Way wrote . "Just so people can check it out and have something to listen to. Just felt like sharing. I think I have a bunch of this stuff, as Doug and I have been recording little bits here and there over the years. Some of these, like Phoning It In, were things that I planned on releasing as singles, and I may still do that at some point when I finish them, but I figured why not. It feels good to share. Who knows if some of this stuff would have ever come out?"

The songs — "Phoning It in (2) VOC," "Crate Amp_2," "Success!," and "Welcome to the Hotel"— range from a fleeting 14-second snippet to a full three-minute track. And "Crate Amp_2" is just two minutes of Way shredding on the guitar or, as he so modestly writes in the track's description, "messing around with this Crate amp I got off of Reverb for cheap." They may not be the polished, robust products of a new MCR album, but, to the dedicated fans, their unfinished nature will surely make them all the more valuable.

My Chemical Romance made their long-awaited return in late 2019, playing their first show in years in December in Los Angeles . Since then they announced a 20-show tour to take place in fall 2020. There's no word yet if the tour will be postponed or canceled amid coronavirus pandemic, but you can follow their Instagram for updates . In the meantime, hear Way's new songs below.

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Former mcr pin-up hits the solo trail..

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On a cold, wet, midweek January night, Gerard Way and his new band the Hormones are trying to start a love riot in Southampton.

Promoting his so-so debut album Hesitant Alien with his second British mini-tour in the space of three months, Way is pulling significantly smaller crowds than during his My Chemical Romance pin-up peak. Even so, his screaming female fans are out in force, showering him with socks and flowers. And the singer works hard to repay their loyalty. A woman who comes dressed as Lola, Way’s monkey-faced pink mascot, is rewarded with an invitation to join him onstage.

Hurtling, hand-clapping, punk-pop riff-slammers like Action Cat and Millions blast along with an adrenalised energy that nudges Way into Green Day territory. But his less frenetic, more glam-tinged numbers evoke a Britpop hinterland including Suede and Blur. Nothing here quite touches the anthemic swagger of MCR in their prime, so it seems oddly self-defeating that Way completely ignores his old band’s songs, especially since his slender current repertoire barely fills 70 minutes on stage.

Besides the Hesitant Alien tracks, Way plays a handful of new tunes including the heart-tugging power ballad Piano Jam and a raunchy, raucous, party-rocker called Kidnapper . The singer’s post-MCR career plan is clearly still a work in progress, but these are promising pointers for a second solo album.

Stephen Dalton has been writing about all things rock for more than 30 years, starting in the late Eighties at the  New Musical Express  (RIP) when it was still an annoyingly pompous analogue weekly paper printed on dead trees and sold in actual physical shops. For the last decade or so he has been a regular contributor to  Classic Rock  magazine. He has also written about music and film for  Uncut, Vox, Prog, The Quietus, Electronic Sound, Rolling Stone, The Times, The London Evening Standard, Wallpaper, The Film Verdict, Sight and Sound, The Hollywood Reporter  and others, including some even more disreputable publications.

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My Chemical Romance alumnus, founder and front man, Gerard Way has branched off on his own to put together an album under his own name entitled “Hesitant Alien”. Demos of songs such as “Zero Zero” and “Millions” have in fact been circulating the web for the last couple of years, creating a buzz in the underground scene but now they have really come to light in the form of this brand new album, which has gained plenty of positive critical acclaim.

Gerard Way, with a band behind him launches into songs from this album, such as “No Shows” and “Brother” both as a short case study have all the elements a song needs to really crack it with an audience both songs have epic openings with a hook that immediately grabs your attention and draws you in followed by catchy hooks in the verse. Basically, Way is demonstrating with this performance that he is one of the best fisherman in the music industry with almost fifteen years of designing hooks that can reel in some pretty heavy fish.

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One of the best concerts I have EVER been to! The O2 academy Brixton is an amazing place, with a sloped standing area, so every one could see... And Gerard Way is a truly spectacular performer and artist- I will definitely be watching out for his next tour!!

Special thanks to Third Eye Comics for hosting the signing! The event was well organized and worth it. I took my daughter who may possibly be Gerard' s biggest fan and she thoroughly enjoyed It!

Thank you songkick for the notification!!

The 6 hour wait was WAY worth it!! I was one of the last people able to meet him and he was able to keep a good demeanor and smile throughout! wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world!

It was good to see him, after so many years. And the magic was the special guest of this show, once again. Amazing night, thanks to an amazing artist, this action cat whose wearing drugstore perfume.

It was awesome , when I meet him he signed my Starbucks coffee cup. I do feel bad though because I must of seemed like a weirdo when I meet him.

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Gerard Way Steps Out With Debut Solo Album

Former My Chemical Romance frontman embraces self-realization and liberation on Hesitant Alien

In March 2013 My Chemical Romance announced their split after more than a decade of thoughtful and ambitious rock, which reached its peak with 2006's hit album The Black Parade . Since then, the band have released a greatest hits collection — 2014's May Death Never Stop You: The Greatest Hits 2001–2013 — and rhythm guitarist Frank Iero announced his new project, Frnkiero And The Cellabration, who released their debut album Stomachaches on Aug. 26.

While frontman Gerard Way has remained mostly out of the public and musical limelight since the band's split, he is set to return Sept. 30 with his debut solo effort, Hesistant Alien , an equally thoughtful and compelling album that ties together many of his influences, from David Bowie and T. Rex to Brian Eno and the Stone Roses. Produced by GRAMMY winner Doug McKean (Dave Matthews Band, Green Day), the album features 11 tracks written or co-written by Way, including the lead single " No Shows ," which he co-wrote with Ian Fowles of the Aquabats.

Ahead of the album's release, Way participated in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview, discussing going solo, his dream GRAMMY collaborator and being a musical "outsider."

What song made you realize you were writing for your debut solo album? When I realized it was an album and when I realized it was a solo album are two different times. So when I realized it was an album was by the time I hit "No Shows." But after a lot of tracking, almost principle tracking for a lot of the songs, then I realized, "Wait, this is a solo album." I didn't know what it was going to be, I just knew I was compelled to keep making music. But it was probably "No Shows." That's when I realized, "Hey, this is an album and it's becoming more ambitious."

Are there songs on this album that involve topics you didn ' t realize you were thinking about at the time? Yeah, a lot of them because I just wrote them down immediately and sang them immediately, so I wasn't thinking too much about what they meant. And then later on I looked back and I was like, "Yeah, a lot of this was about self-realization and liberation and a lot of it was in fact about ending a big part of [my] life, some of it directly about ending the band." So it all crept in while it was going on, and that is usually what happens.

Were there any particular songs that stood out to you? The thing about "No Shows" and why I chose it to be the first single is it's also the song [on which] I realized things about myself. It was the song where I realized, "You don't need any structure to fit in, you don't need a show, you don't need a band, you don't need any of that stuff. The most important thing is the connection to other human beings." That's the most important thing, and you don't need all of the fanfare that goes with performing to have that. You can have connections with human beings in many different ways. But I look back at stuff like "Millions" and it's very obviously about leaving a big machine. "Get The Gang Together" … felt like it was about the business. It felt like it was about a group of friends that you knew in your 20s and what happened to everybody by the time they got to their 30s. And "Bureau" is directly about my experience in the business and [what] I didn't realize while I was doing it.

Is there one recurring theme on the album? I think the record is largely about celebrating my own differences and not only accepting [them], but really embracing [them]. I always struggled to figure out where I fit in a musical landscape and I think I finally realized I fit in by not fitting in and people [who] don't fit into that are just as vital — people [who] are trying different things and taking certain kinds of risks. … There are more people than me, there are other people [who] fit in that way too. You have your Nick Caves and your Tom Waits and they're legendary, and Morrissey and Bowie and they fit in by not fitting in.

Is this album reflective of where you are today musically than where you would ' ve been with My Chemical Romance? Absolutely. It was very of the moment, of the entire year and a half. It had gotten to a point in My Chemical Romance where I felt that certain things were expected of me, and thus certain things were expected of that band, almost like people could count on it or rely on it to sound a certain way. And it just wasn't where I was anymore. I just couldn't make the kind of music that we were going to make anymore. So [ Hesitant Alien is] very representative of who I was during that year and a half, during that tough time.

Are there any artists you admire who have made the transition from band to solo act? I look to Morrissey a lot. I look to him a lot because … he's not dependent on radio, he's not dependent on hits. What he's dependent on is his audience and giving his audience the best and truest art he can. And the funny thing about [him] is when you [went] to a Morrissey concert I don't think anybody came to that show to [hear the] Smiths' songs. He'll play one occasionally in an encore, but that was never the highlight of the show. The highlight of the show was really [that] there were so many Morrissey songs that were your favorites, you wanted to hear those. It didn't seem like the excitement was any greater for the Smiths songs than like "Suedehead." It seemed like the same type of enthusiasm.

Were you surprised by the fervor and dedication of My Chemical Romance fans? Yeah, I think there's a lot of people who feel they don't fit in as well. … There are a number of different ways you don't fit in; being an outsider is a more aggressive stance, it's more combative and I think that really resonated with a lot of teenagers because at that age you're feeling that kind of angst and aggression toward being an outsider. Later on, as I got older, I felt like I was coming from a different place; I did feel more like an alien. So there's something in it that's a lot softer and it's not aggressive and you just realize you're coming from somewhere different. So it's interesting to see how fans of My Chemical Romance respond if they come along for the ride, because it is different. It's not an army thing, it's not a call to arms, it's very much accepting yourself as different and being really cool and happy with that.

Who would be your dream GRAMMY collaborator? Probably Bowie, that would be it. There's a lot of glam [on] this record, too. … There's that Berlin period that Bowie had, and he's my biggest influence. And I think that would be pretty incredible if this record got to a point where it made enough of noise to warrant a nomination or [GRAMMY] performance. That would be the dream for me, to perform with Bowie.

(Steve Baltin has written about music for  Rolling Stone ,  Los Angeles Times ,  MOJO ,  Chicago Tribune , AOL,  LA Weekly ,  Philadelphia Weekly ,  The Hollywood Reporter , and dozens more publications.)

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly . Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly .

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube . This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg , Doggystyle . This is for Illmatic , this is for Nas . We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal , Anna Wise and Thundercat ). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift 's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN ., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers .

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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8 Times Dance Stars Channeled Their Inner Punk Kid, From Deadmau5 & Gerard Way To Rezz & Silverstein

With the release of Rezz's new emo-loving EP, 'It's Not A Phase,' dig into eight songs that saw the dance and rock worlds collide.

At first glance, the worlds of rock and dance music might appear diametrically opposed. Dig a little deeper, though, and the two genres share more than just a love for all-black outfits.

In recent years, a wave of dance stars have embraced their inner mosher by collaborating with their favorite metal, post-hardcore, emo, and pop-punk artists, creating a mutant sound with a foot in both spaces. Just this month, Canada's dark bass maestro Rezz released a winkingly titled EP, It's Not A Phase , which channels the punk and metal she loved as a teen. (On release day, she posted an old photo in front of a My Chemical Romance poster, with the caption, "this one's for everyone who had an emo phase.") 

The EP followed Illenium's self-titled album in April — which features several of the Denver producer's rock heroes — while the likes of Marshmello , Kayzo and Excision have also tried their hands at rock/dance collaborations. For DJ-producers who grew up on raw guitars and tear-the-house-down vocals, it's a natural next step. 

Of course, this mixing of worlds is not just a recent phenomenon. For decades, dance artists have remixed, borrowed from, and occasionally collaborated with their rock counterparts. From the punkish ferocity of the Prodigy 's 1997 album The Fat of the Land to Justice's Slipknot -sampling "Genesis" ten years later, the examples are endless. 

In the decade since the EDM boom minted a new generation of superstars, crossover collaborations have increasingly positioned the dance artist in the lead. In honor of this phenomenon, we're head-banging our way through eight of the best. 

deadmau5 feat. Gerard Way — "Professional Griefers" (2012)

Back in 2012, as EDM was taking over America, deadmau5 was busy touring an early iteration of his eye-popping 'Cube' show and preparing to release his sixth studio album, > album title goes here < . Ahead of the LP, the producer born Joel Zimmerman released "Professional Griefers," a hard-charging dance-rock stomper featuring My Chemical Romance vocalist Gerard Way.

While fans had already heard an instrumental version of the track in deadmau5's live shows, Way's vampy vocals brought the rock swagger, even as the production remained resolutely electronic. To celebrate the release, the collaborators appeared as gamers piloting a UFC battle between two giant mau5-headed robots in what Zimmerman told SPIN was "one of the highest-budget electronic music videos of all time ." And yes, it's as extra as it sounds. 

Steve Aoki feat. Fall Out Boy — "Back To Earth" (2014)

Steve Aoki is one of dance music's most voracious collaborators, teaming up with everyone from will.i.am to Louis Tomlinson to Backstreet Boys . He's also a punk rocker from way back, having jumped between hardcore bands as a singer and guitarist in his pre-fame life.

These passions have intersected throughout Aoki's DJ/producer career in his collaborations with Linkin Park and blink-182 , as well as Rifoki, the straight-up hardcore band he formed with Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo of the Bloody Beetroots. 

In 2014, Aoki joined forces with pop-punk favorites Fall Out Boy on "Back To Earth," which featured on his collab-stacked album, Neon Future I . In an interview with Billboard , Aoki explained that the band worked on their live instrumentation in a separate studio before he added the dance elements, and the result was "one of my favorite rock collaborations." 

The Bloody Beetroots feat. Jason Butler — "Crash" (2017)

Like his friend and collaborator Steve Aoki, the Bloody Beetroots' masked leader Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo is a punk at heart. That raucous spirit was present on the breakout Aoki/Beetroots team-up, "Warp 1.9" (2009), then turned up to 11 in their aforementioned hardcore band, Rifoki.

In 2017, after a few years away from the limelight, Sir Rifo delivered the third Bloody Beetroots album, The Great Electronic Swindle , featuring guests like Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell , GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Greta Svabo Bech , and Australian rock band Jet. 

On "Crash," the Italian producer hooked up with post-hardcore singer Jason Butler , of Letlive and Fever 333 , to make a heavy, distorted and shouty head-banger that honors both of their styles. In true punk fashion, it's over and out in just over two minutes. 

Kayzo & Underoath — "Wasted Space" (2018)

Few DJ-producers relish the opportunity to slam together dance music and rock quite like Houston-born Kayzo. For his 2019 album, Unleashed , the rising star secured some of his favorite metal, hardcore and pop-punk acts as guests, including Of Mice & Men, Boys of Fall, Blessthefall, and Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low.

One of the album's standouts, "Wasted Space," pairs Kayzo with Underoath , the Florida metalcore outfit who previously collaborated with Rezz on her 2019 release, "Falling." The collaboration is equal parts metal — with dueling vocalists Aaron Gillespie and Spencer Chamberlain at full-tilt — and shuddering bass drops built for an EDM main stage. 

Marshmello feat. A Day To Remember — "Rescue Me" (2019)

Perma-helmeted producer Marshmello has enjoyed a whirlwind decade, with a famously prolific output that includes several dance and pop hits. In 2019, he surprised fans by announcing a team-up with Florida four-piece A Day To Remember, whose metalcore meets pop-punk sound is a far cry from Marshmello's usual vibe.

Their collaboration, "Rescue Me," finds an easy middle ground between crunching rock guitars, frontman Jeremy McKinnon's impassioned vocals, and Marshmello's skittering trap-pop beats. In an interview with Kerrang! Radio , McKinnon recalled his surprise at how quickly Marshmello shared the chorus on socials, adding that he wishes rock artists could be as spontaneous. 

Illenium and All Time Low — "Back To You" (2023)

Hot on the heels of his first GRAMMY nomination in 2022, Denver-based phenom Illenium got back in the studio to make another album straight from the heart. The producer's self-titled fifth LP took inspiration from his teenage years listening to the likes of blink-182 and Linkin Park, while staying true to his own bass-heavy aesthetic.

Thanks to his stadium-filling stature, Illenium assembled a starry lineup of guests, including pop-punk royalty Avril Lavigne and Travis Barker on "Eyes Wide Shut" and metalcore band Motionless in White on "Nothing Ever After." Early fan favorite "Back To You" features the full force of pop-punkers All Time Low going up against Illenium's furious drops — and achieving perfect harmony. 

Excision, Wooli, and The Devil Wears Prada — "Reasons" (2023)

Fellow bass lovers Excision and Wooli are frequently paired, whether they're going back-to-back as DJs or co-producing EPs like 2019's Evolution and 2023's Titans . This time around, the collaborators decided to try something outside their comfort zone, calling up Ohioan metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada to bring their distinctive grit to "Reasons."

In contrast to more pop-leaning entries on this list, "Reasons" is unapologetically heavy from the halfway mark, morphing back-and-forth from metalcore theatrics to hard-hitting wubs. In a statement, The Devil Wears Prada described this team-up as "uncharted territory" for the band, and their gamble paid off. 

Rezz, Tim Henson, and Silverstein — "Dreamstate" (2023)

In a statement accompanying her new EP, It's Not A Phase , Rezz notes that she "grew up listening to bands exclusively, and over time developed an understanding of what it was about those songs that I loved."  

That innate grasp of rock dynamics is on full display throughout Rezz's most vocal-driven release to date, with guest turns from the likes of Alice Glass, Johnny Goth, and Raven Gray. On "Dreamstate," Rezz embraces her inner emo kid with the help of Canadian post-hardcore band Silverstein and metal guitar prodigy Tim Henson, undergirding her guests' contributions with dark, stabbing bass.

"I listened to a bunch of Silverstein growing up, so it felt nostalgic to me," Rezz told Front Row Live Ent. , before admitting that it was "the hardest song I've ever mixed." The extra sweat resulted in a one-of-a-kind collaboration, proving once again that dance music and rock are a potent mix — one with plenty of fuel left in the tank.

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Photo:  Rachel Kupfer  

A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea

James Brown changed the sound of popular music when he found the power of the one and unleashed the funk with "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Today, funk lives on in many forms, including these exciting bands from across the world.

It's rare that a genre can be traced back to a single artist or group, but for funk, that was James Brown . The Godfather of Soul coined the phrase and style of playing known as "on the one," where the first downbeat is emphasized, instead of the typical second and fourth beats in pop, soul and other styles. As David Cheal eloquently explains, playing on the one "left space for phrases and riffs, often syncopated around the beat, creating an intricate, interlocking grid which could go on and on." You know a funky bassline when you hear it; its fat chords beg your body to get up and groove.

Brown's 1965 classic, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," became one of the first funk hits, and has been endlessly sampled and covered over the years, along with his other groovy tracks. Of course, many other funk acts followed in the '60s, and the genre thrived in the '70s and '80s as the disco craze came and went, and the originators of hip-hop and house music created new music from funk and disco's strong, flexible bones built for dancing.

Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins learned the power of the one from playing in Brown's band, and brought it to George Clinton , who created P-funk, an expansive, Afrofuturistic , psychedelic exploration of funk with his various bands and projects, including Parliament-Funkadelic . Both Collins and Clinton remain active and funkin', and have offered their timeless grooves to collabs with younger artists, including Kali Uchis , Silk Sonic , and Omar Apollo; and Kendrick Lamar , Flying Lotus , and Thundercat , respectively.

In the 1980s, electro-funk was born when artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, and Egyptian Lover began making futuristic beats with the Roland TR-808 drum machine — often with robotic vocals distorted through a talk box. A key distinguishing factor of electro-funk is a de-emphasis on vocals, with more phrases than choruses and verses. The sound influenced contemporaneous hip-hop, funk and electronica, along with acts around the globe, while current acts like Chromeo, DJ Stingray, and even Egyptian Lover himself keep electro-funk alive and well.

Today, funk lives in many places, with its heavy bass and syncopated grooves finding way into many nooks and crannies of music. There's nu-disco and boogie funk, nodding back to disco bands with soaring vocals and dance floor-designed instrumentation. G-funk continues to influence Los Angeles hip-hop, with innovative artists like Dam-Funk and Channel Tres bringing the funk and G-funk, into electro territory. Funk and disco-centered '70s revival is definitely having a moment, with acts like Ghost Funk Orchestra and Parcels , while its sparkly sprinklings can be heard in pop from Dua Lipa , Doja Cat , and, in full "Soul Train" character, Silk Sonic . There are also acts making dreamy, atmospheric music with a solid dose of funk, such as Khruangbin ’s global sonic collage.

There are many bands that play heavily with funk, creating lush grooves designed to get you moving. Read on for a taste of five current modern funk and nu-disco artists making band-led uptempo funk built for the dance floor. Be sure to press play on the Spotify playlist above, and check out GRAMMY.com's playlist on Apple Music , Amazon Music and Pandora .

Say She She

Aptly self-described as "discodelic soul," Brooklyn-based seven-piece Say She She make dreamy, operatic funk, led by singer-songwriters Nya Gazelle Brown, Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham. Their '70s girl group-inspired vocal harmonies echo, sooth and enchant as they cover poignant topics with feminist flair.

While they’ve been active in the New York scene for a few years, they’ve gained wider acclaim for the irresistible music they began releasing this year, including their debut album, Prism . Their 2022 debut single "Forget Me Not" is an ode to ground-breaking New York art collective Guerilla Girls, and " Norma " is their protest anthem in response to the news that Roe vs. Wade could be (and was) overturned. The band name is a nod to funk legend Nile Rodgers , from the "Le freak, c'est chi" exclamation in Chic's legendary tune "Le Freak."

Moniquea 's unique voice oozes confidence, yet invites you in to dance with her to the super funky boogie rhythms. The Pasadena, California artist was raised on funk music; her mom was in a cover band that would play classics like Aretha Franklin’ s "Get It Right" and Gladys Knight ’s "Love Overboard." Moniquea released her first boogie funk track at 20 and, in 2011, met local producer XL Middelton — a bonafide purveyor of funk. She's been a star artist on his MoFunk Records ever since, and they've collabed on countless tracks, channeling West Coast energy with a heavy dose of G-funk, sunny lyrics and upbeat, roller disco-ready rhythms.

Her latest release is an upbeat nod to classic West Coast funk, produced by Middleton, and follows her February 2022 groovy, collab-filled album, On Repeat .

Shiro Schwarz

Shiro Schwarz is a Mexico City-based duo, consisting of Pammela Rojas and Rafael Marfil, who helped establish a modern funk scene in the richly creative Mexican metropolis. On "Electrify" — originally released in 2016 on Fat Beats Records and reissued in 2021 by MoFunk — Shiro Schwarz's vocals playfully contrast each other, floating over an insistent, upbeat bassline and an '80s throwback electro-funk rhythm with synth flourishes.

Their music manages to be both nostalgic and futuristic — and impossible to sit still to. 2021 single "Be Kind" is sweet, mellow and groovy, perfect chic lounge funk. Shiro Schwarz’s latest track, the joyfully nostalgic "Hey DJ," is a collab with funkstress Saucy Lady and U-Key.

L'Impératrice

L'Impératrice (the empress in French) are a six-piece Parisian group serving an infectiously joyful blend of French pop, nu-disco, funk and psychedelia. Flore Benguigui's vocals are light and dreamy, yet commanding of your attention, while lyrics have a feminist touch.

During their energetic live sets, L'Impératrice members Charles de Boisseguin and Hagni Gwon (keys), David Gaugué (bass), Achille Trocellier (guitar), and Tom Daveau (drums) deliver extended instrumental jam sessions to expand and connect their music. Gaugué emphasizes the thick funky bass, and Benguigui jumps around the stage while sounding like an angel. L’Impératrice’s latest album, 2021’s Tako Tsubo , is a sunny, playful French disco journey.

Franc Moody

Franc Moody 's bio fittingly describes their music as "a soul funk and cosmic disco sound." The London outfit was birthed by friends Ned Franc and Jon Moody in the early 2010s, when they were living together and throwing parties in North London's warehouse scene. In 2017, the group grew to six members, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Amber-Simone.

Their music feels at home with other electro-pop bands like fellow Londoners Jungle and Aussie act Parcels. While much of it is upbeat and euphoric, Franc Moody also dips into the more chilled, dreamy realm, such as the vibey, sultry title track from their recently released Into the Ether .

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Photo: Steven Sebring

Living Legends: Billy Idol On Survival, Revival & Breaking Out Of The Cage

"One foot in the past and one foot into the future," Billy Idol says, describing his decade-spanning career in rock. "We’ve got the best of all possible worlds because that has been the modus operandi of Billy Idol."

Living Legends is a series that spotlights icons in music still going strong today. This week, GRAMMY.com spoke with Billy Idol about his latest EP,   Cage , and continuing to rock through decades of changing tastes.

Billy Idol is a true rock 'n' roll survivor who has persevered through cultural shifts and personal struggles. While some may think of Idol solely for "Rebel Yell" and "White Wedding," the singer's musical influences span genres and many of his tunes are less turbo-charged than his '80s hits would belie.  

Idol first made a splash in the latter half of the '70s with the British punk band Generation X. In the '80s, he went on to a solo career combining rock, pop, and punk into a distinct sound that transformed him and his musical partner, guitarist Steve Stevens, into icons. They have racked up multiple GRAMMY nominations, in addition to one gold, one double platinum, and four platinum albums thanks to hits like "Cradle Of Love," "Flesh For Fantasy," and "Eyes Without A Face." 

But, unlike many legacy artists, Idol is anything but a relic. Billy continues to produce vital Idol music by collaborating with producers and songwriters — including Miley Cyrus — who share his forward-thinking vision. He will play a five-show Vegas residency in November, and filmmaker Jonas Akerlund is working on a documentary about Idol’s life. 

His latest release is Cage , the second in a trilogy of annual four-song EPs. The title track is a classic Billy Idol banger expressing the desire to free himself from personal constraints and live a better life. Other tracks on Cage incorporate metallic riffing and funky R&B grooves. 

Idol continues to reckon with his demons — they both grappled with addiction during the '80s — and the singer is open about those struggles on the record and the page. (Idol's 2014 memoir Dancing With Myself , details a 1990 motorcycle accident that nearly claimed a leg, and how becoming a father steered him to reject hard drugs. "Bitter Taste," from his last EP, The Roadside , reflects on surviving the accident.)

Although Idol and Stevens split in the late '80s — the skilled guitarist fronted Steve Stevens & The Atomic Playboys, and collaborated with Michael Jackson, Rick Ocasek, Vince Neil, and Harold Faltermeyer (on the GRAMMY-winning "Top Gun Anthem") —  their common history and shared musical bond has been undeniable. The duo reunited in 2001 for an episode of " VH1 Storytellers " and have been back in the saddle for two decades. Their union remains one of the strongest collaborations in rock 'n roll history.

While there is recognizable personnel and a distinguishable sound throughout a lot of his work, Billy Idol has always pushed himself to try different things. Idol discusses his musical journey, his desire to constantly move forward, and the strong connection that he shares with Stevens. 

Steve has said that you like to mix up a variety of styles, yet everyone assumes you're the "Rebel Yell"/"White Wedding" guy. But if they really listen to your catalog, it's vastly different.

Yeah, that's right. With someone like Steve Stevens, and then back in the day Keith Forsey producing... [Before that] Generation X actually did move around inside punk rock. We didn't stay doing just the Ramones two-minute music. We actually did a seven-minute song. [ Laughs ]. We did always mix things up. 

Then when I got into my solo career, that was the fun of it. With someone like Steve, I knew what he could do. I could see whatever we needed to do, we could nail it. The world was my oyster musically. 

"Cage" is a classic-sounding Billy Idol rocker, then "Running From The Ghost" is almost metal, like what the Devil's Playground album was like back in the mid-2000s. "Miss Nobody" comes out of nowhere with this pop/R&B flavor. What inspired that?

We really hadn't done anything like that since something like "Flesh For Fantasy" [which] had a bit of an R&B thing about it. Back in the early days of Billy Idol, "Hot In The City" and "Mony Mony" had girls [singing] on the backgrounds. 

We always had a bit of R&B really, so it was actually fun to revisit that. We just hadn't done anything really quite like that for a long time. That was one of the reasons to work with someone like Sam Hollander [for the song "Rita Hayworth"] on The Roadside . We knew we could go [with him] into an R&B world, and he's a great songwriter and producer. That's the fun of music really, trying out these things and seeing if you can make them stick. 

I listen to new music by veteran artists and debate that with some people. I'm sure you have those fans that want their nostalgia, and then there are some people who will embrace the newer stuff. Do you find it’s a challenge to reach people with new songs?

Obviously, what we're looking for is, how do we somehow have one foot in the past and one foot into the future? We’ve got the best of all possible worlds because that has been the modus operandi of Billy Idol. 

You want to do things that are true to you, and you don't just want to try and do things that you're seeing there in the charts today. I think that we're achieving it with things like "Running From The Ghost" and "Cage" on this new EP. I think we’re managing to do both in a way. 

** Obviously, "Running From The Ghost" is about addiction, all the stuff that you went through, and in "Cage" you’re talking about  freeing yourself from a lot of personal shackles. Was there any one moment in your life that made you really thought I have to not let this weigh me down anymore ? **

I mean, things like the motorcycle accident I had, that was a bit of a wake up call way back. It was 32 years ago. But there were things like that, years ago, that gradually made me think about what I was doing with my life. I didn't want to ruin it, really. I didn't want to throw it away, and it made [me] be less cavalier. 

I had to say to myself, about the drugs and stuff, that I've been there and I've done it. There’s no point in carrying on doing it. You couldn't get any higher. You didn't want to throw your life away casually, and I was close to doing that. It took me a bit of time, but then gradually I was able to get control of myself to a certain extent [with] drugs and everything. And I think Steve's done the same thing. We're on a similar path really, which has been great because we're in the same boat in terms of lyrics and stuff. 

So a lot of things like that were wake up calls. Even having grandchildren and just watching my daughter enlarging her family and everything; it just makes you really positive about things and want to show a positive side to how you're feeling, about where you're going. We've lived with the demons so long, we've found a way to live with them. We found a way to be at peace with our demons, in a way. Maybe not completely, but certainly to where we’re enjoying what we do and excited about it.

[When writing] "Running From The Ghost" it was easy to go, what was the ghost for us? At one point, we were very drug addicted in the '80s. And Steve in particular is super sober [now]. I mean, I still vape pot and stuff. I don’t know how he’s doing it, but it’s incredible. All I want to be able to do is have a couple of glasses of wine at a restaurant or something. I can do that now.

I think working with people that are super talented, you just feel confident. That is a big reason why you open up and express yourself more because you feel comfortable with what's around you.

Did you watch Danny Boyle's recent Sex Pistols mini-series?

I did, yes.

You had a couple of cameos; well, an actor who portrayed you did. How did you react to it? How accurate do you think it was in portraying that particular time period?

I love Jonesy’s book, I thought his book was incredible. It's probably one of the best bio books really. It was incredible and so open. I was looking forward to that a lot.

It was as if [the show] kind of stayed with Steve [Jones’ memoir] about halfway through, and then departed from it. [John] Lydon, for instance, was never someone I ever saw acting out; he's more like that today. I never saw him do something like jump up in the room and run around going crazy. The only time I saw him ever do that was when they signed the recording deal with Virgin in front of Buckingham Palace. Whereas Sid Vicious was always acting out; he was always doing something in a horrible way or shouting at someone. I don't remember John being like that. I remember him being much more introverted.

But then I watched interviews with some of the actors about coming to grips with the parts they were playing. And they were saying, we knew punk rock happened but just didn't know any of the details. So I thought well, there you go . If ["Pistol" is]  informing a lot of people who wouldn't know anything about punk rock, maybe that's what's good about it.

Maybe down the road John Lydon will get the chance to do John's version of the Pistols story. Maybe someone will go a lot deeper into it and it won't be so surface. But maybe you needed this just to get people back in the flow.

We had punk and metal over here in the States, but it feels like England it was legitimately more dangerous. British society was much more rigid.

It never went [as] mega in America. It went big in England. It exploded when the Pistols did that interview with [TV host Bill] Grundy, that lorry truck driver put his boot through his own TV, and all the national papers had "the filth and the fury" [headlines].

We went from being unknown to being known overnight. We waited a year, Generation X. We even told them [record labels] no for nine months to a year. Every record company wanted their own punk rock group. So it went really mega in England, and it affected the whole country – the style, the fashions, everything. I mean, the Ramones were massive in England. Devo had a No. 1 song [in England] with "Satisfaction" in '77. Actually, Devo was as big as or bigger than the Pistols.

You were ahead of the pop-punk thing that happened in the late '90s, and a lot of it became tongue-in-cheek by then. It didn't have the same sense of rebelliousness as the original movement. It was more pop.

It had become a style. There was a famous book in England called Revolt Into Style — and that's what had happened, a revolt that turned into style which then they were able to duplicate in their own way. Even recently, Billie Joe [Armstrong] did his own version of "Gimme Some Truth," the Lennon song we covered way back in 1977.

When we initially were making [punk] music, it hadn't become accepted yet. It was still dangerous and turned into a style that people were used to. We were still breaking barriers.

You have a band called Generation Sex with Steve Jones and Paul Cook. I assume you all have an easier time playing Pistols and Gen X songs together now and not worrying about getting spit on like back in the '70s?

Yeah, definitely. When I got to America I told the group I was putting it together, "No one spits at the audience."

We had five years of being spat on [in the UK], and it was revolting. And they spat at you if they liked you. If they didn't like it they smashed your gear up. One night, I remember I saw blood on my T-shirt, and I think Joe Strummer got meningitis when spit went in his mouth.

You had to go through a lot to become successful, it wasn't like you just kind of got up there and did a couple of gigs. I don't think some young rock bands really get that today.

With punk going so mega in England, we definitely got a leg up. We still had a lot of work to get where we got to, and rightly so because you find out that you need to do that. A lot of groups in the old days would be together three to five years before they ever made a record, and that time is really important. In a way, what was great about punk rock for me was it was very much a learning period. I really learned a lot [about] recording music and being in a group and even writing songs.

Then when I came to America, it was a flow, really. I also really started to know what I wanted Billy Idol to be. It took me a little bit, but I kind of knew what I wanted Billy Idol to be. And even that took a while to let it marinate.

You and Miley Cyrus have developed a good working relationship in the last several years. How do you think her fans have responded to you, and your fans have responded to her?

I think they're into it. It's more the record company that she had didn't really get "Night Crawling"— it was one of the best songs on Plastic Hearts , and I don't think they understood that. They wanted to go with Dua Lipa, they wanted to go with the modern, young acts, and I don't think they realized that that song was resonating with her fans. Which is a shame really because, with Andrew Watt producing, it's a hit song.

But at the same time, I enjoyed doing it. It came out really good and it's very Billy Idol. In fact, I think it’s more Billy Idol than Miley Cyrus. I think it shows you where Andrew Watt was. He was excited about doing a Billy Idol track. She's fun to work with. She’s a really great person and she works at her singing — I watched her rehearsing for the Super Bowl performance she gave. She rehearsed all Saturday morning, all Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning and it was that afternoon. I have to admire her fortitude. She really cares.

I remember when you went on " Viva La Bam "  back in 2005 and decided to give Bam Margera’s Lamborghini a new sunroof by taking a power saw to it. Did he own that car? Was that a rental?

I think it was his car.

Did he get over it later on?

He loved it. [ Laughs ] He’s got a wacky sense of humor. He’s fantastic, actually. I’m really sorry to see what he's been going through just lately. He's going through a lot, and I wish him the best. He's a fantastic person, and it's a shame that he's struggling so much with his addictions. I know what it's like. It's not easy.

Musically, what is the synergy like with you guys during the past 10 years, doing Kings and Queens of the Underground and this new stuff? What is your working relationship like now in this more sober, older, mature version of you two as opposed to what it was like back in the '80s?

In lots of ways it’s not so different because we always wrote the songs together, we always talked about what we're going to do together. It was just that we were getting high at the same time.We're just not getting [that way now] but we're doing all the same things.

We're still talking about things, still [planning] things:What are we going to do next? How are we going to find new people to work with? We want to find new producers. Let's be a little bit more timely about putting stuff out.That part of our relationship is the same, you know what I mean? That never got affected. We just happened to be overloading in the '80s.

The relationship’s… matured and it's carrying on being fruitful, and I think that's pretty amazing. Really, most people don't get to this place. Usually, they hate each other by now. [ Laughs ] We also give each other space. We're not stopping each other doing things outside of what we’re working on together. All of that enables us to carry on working together. I love and admire him. I respect him. He's been fantastic. I mean, just standing there on stage with him is always a treat. And he’s got an immensely great sense of humor. I think that's another reason why we can hang together after all this time because we've got the sense of humor to enable us to go forward.

There's a lot of fan reaction videos online, and I noticed a lot of younger women like "Rebel Yell" because, unlike a lot of other '80s alpha male rock tunes, you're talking about satisfying your lover.

It was about my girlfriend at the time, Perri Lister. It was about how great I thought she was, how much I was in love with her, and how great women are, how powerful they are.

It was a bit of a feminist anthem in a weird way. It was all about how relationships can free you and add a lot to your life. It was a cry of love, nothing to do with the Civil War or anything like that. Perri was a big part of my life, a big part of being Billy Idol. I wanted to write about it. I'm glad that's the effect.

Is there something you hope people get out of the songs you've been doing over the last 10 years? Do you find yourself putting out a message that keeps repeating?

Well, I suppose, if anything, is that you can come to terms with your life, you can keep a hold of it. You can work your dreams into reality in a way and, look, a million years later, still be enjoying it.

The only reason I'm singing about getting out of the cage is because I kicked out of the cage years ago. I joined Generation X when I said to my parents, "I'm leaving university, and I'm joining a punk rock group." And they didn't even know what a punk rock group was. Years ago, I’d write things for myself that put me on this path, so that maybe in 2022 I could sing something like "Cage" and be owning this territory and really having a good time. This is the life I wanted.

The original UK punk movement challenged societal norms. Despite all the craziness going on throughout the world, it seems like a lot of modern rock bands are afraid to do what you guys were doing. Do you think we'll see a shift in that?

Yeah.  Art usually reacts to things, so I would think eventually there will be a massive reaction to the pop music that’s taken over — the middle of the road music, and then this kind of right wing politics. There will be a massive reaction if there's not already one. I don’t know where it will come from exactly. You never know who's gonna do [it].

Living Legends: Nancy Sinatra Reflects On Creating "Power And Magic" In Studio, Developing A Legacy Beyond "Boots" & The Pop Stars She Wants To Work With

• 1 Gerard Way Steps Out With Debut Solo Album
• 2 GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
• 3 8 Times Dance Stars Channeled Their Inner Punk Kid, From Deadmau5 & Gerard Way To Rezz & Silverstein
• 4 A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea
• 5 Living Legends: Billy Idol On Survival, Revival & Breaking Out Of The Cage

• Cover Story

One Of Gerard Way's New Solo Songs Was Intended For A Post-My Chem Band

Gerard Way says one of his newly-released solo tracks was intended for a band that he wanted to call Baby Animal Hospital.

Following the surprise release of four solo songs over the weekend, Gerard Way has provided a whole bunch of background information on the newly-heard tracks – including the fact that one of them was intended for a post- My Chemical Romance band that never materialised.

Before he went all Britpop on us for his excellent 2014 debut solo album Hesitant Alien, Gerard reveals that he planned to "start a band and just sing and play guitar" after My Chem parted ways in 2013.

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"The name of the band was going to be Baby Animal Hospital (the record label hated the name, especially since it included both the words ‘baby’ and ‘hospital’ in the same phrase), and I did a bunch of rough graphic design for it, but in the end, it really felt like a solo thing, so that’s what it became," Gerard explains .

Going on to record Success! for this project, he remembers: "But when it was Baby Animal Hospital (I wanted something that sounded warm and fuzzy and loud, like the tones) I recorded this track with Doug for the opening of the record. The lyrics/sounds are just the word BAH over and over again, which where the first letters of each word of the band name, but that wasn’t intentional, I just liked the sound. And this was us really messing with auto-tune to try and make it sound like an instrument. It was supposed to be this track as track one and go right into Action Cat. Later on, I figured I would just make a zine with the name Baby Animal Hospital, but I didn’t get very far with it. Still like the name, and may do something with it in the future. Maybe one day I’ll share all the graphic design I did for it when it was a band, a lot of which was cut and paste by hand."

It is a pretty ace name, tbf. Check out the song below:

In addition to Success!, Gerard also unveiled the songs Welcome To The Hotel, Crate Amp_2 and Phoning It In (2) VOC. Announcing the release of this material, the musician said he was using "this uncertainty" in the world right now “to start uploading some unreleased stuff. Just so people can check it out and have something to listen to.”

“Just felt like sharing,” he continued. “I think I have a bunch of this stuff, as Doug and I have been recording little bits here and there over the years. Some of these, like Phoning It In, were things that I planned on releasing as singles, and I may still do that at some point when I finish them, but I figured why not. It feels good to share. Who knows if some of this stuff would have ever come out?”

Quiz: How well do you know My Chemical Romance’s lyrics?

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Gerard Way: Touring With Linkin Park ‘Changed My Life’

By Ryan Reed

Gerard Way reflected on the late Chester Bennington in a recent interview, saying that  Linkin Park “changed [his] life” by bringing his former band, My Chemical Romance , on the touring Projekt Revolution festival. “I met my wife [Mindless Self Indulgence bassist Lyn-Z on the tour],” Way told Nerdist . “We have an amazing life now and a daughter. My memories of that period and meeting Linds again are tied into Chester and his band.”

“He was actually at my wedding,” the singer continued. “Not a lot of people were there because we got married super quickly at the end of the tour when half the people had gone home. So there were literally only 30 or 40 people there, and he was one of them.”

Linkin Park created Projekt Revolution in 2002, recruiting major acts from alternative metal, hip-hop and alternative rock for the traveling fest. My Chemical Romance joined for the 2007 trek, and Way married Lyn-Z backstage during the final show.

Bennington beamed with pride about his accidental matchmaking role during a 2008 Rolling Stone interview alongside friend Chris Cornell, saying, “I felt really proud that … Gerard and [Lyn-Z] reignited their friendship and then ended up getting married backstage on the last show. I was like, ‘This is freaking awesome.'”

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Way, who has ventured into comic book writing in recent years , told Nerdist he was “devastated to hear” about Bennington’s suicide last week, adding that he aims to tackle the subject of mental health in DC Comics’ Doom Patrol series.

“It’s so sad,” he said. “I think a lot about mental health, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to address in Doom Patrol , so I definitely think we’ll see a lot more of that now. I’ve been through depression, dark times, and therapy. I can really apply that stuff to these characters.”

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Fell to Earth, but He’s Back on His Feet

My Chemical Romance, co-founded by the singer-songwriter Gerard Way, was an apt rock band for the hectic 2000s. Unlike the Strokes or Interpol, it was uncool and a bit manic, five comics-obsessed outsiders from the New Jersey suburbs. In 2004, the group’s second studio album, the histrionic but hooky “ Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge ,” set it apart from the pop-punk Warped Tour bands they had toured alongside when they began their career. Next up was an ambitious rock opera, “The Black Parade,” with Mr. Way casting himself as the Patient, a dying, defiant, messianic narrator. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum.

But songs about death and the afterlife were beginning to haunt Mr. Way as he played to packed arenas. “I was dancing a lot with the notion of mortality,” he saiHe got sober after a period of hard partying, he said, but “I was waiting to relapse, and waiting to see who wasn’t going to make it.” The following album, 2010’s “ Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys ,” a “straight up post-punk record,” as he describes it, seemed to some an act of downsizing or creative burnout. Then, in 2013, came an abrupt announcement that My Chemical Romance was over.

Now, Mr. Way, 37, is back, a family man with a wife and young daughter. In late September, he released a new solo album, “ Hesitant Alien ” (Reprise). At heart, it’s power pop that revels in guitar effects, radio friendly and full of well-produced fuzz. “I didn’t treat this record like a revival record,” he said. “I treated it like something new: taking an instrument that is right now looked down upon and apparently dead like the guitar and asking, ‘How do I make it fresh?’ ” He has a spruced-up new stage look, too — an electric-blue suit and orange quiff — drawn from David Bowie’s ’80s closet.

Opening a solo tour (he plays Irving Plaza on Monday; the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, N.J., on Wednesday; and, as part of the CMJ Music Marathon, Webster Hall on Thursday), he spoke with Marc Spitz by phone from the Fillmore in San Francisco about his second act and how he survived the first. These are excerpts from the conversation.

Q. So, has your idea of the role of a musician changed with time? Many young My Chemical Romance fans took the band extremely seriously, and your lyrics were often about not breaking bonds or letting people down.

A. I definitely felt a really strong responsibility. We were touring with a lot of bands that had the ear of the youth, but nobody was saying anything. They were just entertainers. I was saying to myself: “You have all these kids. You can make a big impact on them and inspire them. You can change the way people think about gender or sexuality.” When we started opening for more commercial acts, I noticed the bigger the platform, the less was being said. I said, “We’re going to use it.” I actually had a potential manager come and watch us once and critique our set. He said to me, “You need to be saying less in between songs.”

On the Bret Easton Ellis podcast recently, you described the “burning ambition” you had while making “The Black Parade.” Given the level of popularity it brought you, in a lot of ways the band was done. There was nothing to rebel against anymore.

That’s exactly what happened. I broke the band up for many reasons, but that was surely one of them. And it was not to confuse people or remain an enigma forever but to preserve the band. To say: “It’s done. It’s not coming back, and it was beautiful while it existed.” We never atrophied too badly.

Ending a band is doubly awkward when you have family members in it. Was your brother Mikey, the group’s bassist, on the same page?

That was obviously going through my head. “This is my kid brother, and he’s living out his dream and you’re ending it.” But he could see the really dark place I was in.

Why did you feel the need to write a manifesto about it? Usually when there’s a split, fans get a curt statement from the publicist and a “thank you.”

That was exactly why I wrote it — everything about M.C.R. was so different and unexpected — what’s the first thing that I can do that nobody’s ever done in this situation? And that was write a giant explanation . A big, heartfelt, semi-abstract letter.

What’s it like to start over as a solo artist? When you debuted at the Reading Festival in Britain in the summer, you told the crowd, “I’m sorry you don’t know any of these songs, but you’re still going to love them.” You have to win an audience over all over again.

What I’m learning about myself is that it’s my favorite thing to do. There’s obviously a healthy rock ’n’ roll arrogance at work there.

You’ve also been involved in comics for a long time, and now you’ve co-created an “alternate universe” Spider-Man issue as part of the Marvel mini-series “Edge of Spider-Verse.”

They said to me: You get to make up a Spider-Man, any one you want. I came up with Peni Parker, whose dad was the pilot of a machine called “Spider.” He co-pilots the machine with a psychic radioactive spider.

Peni Parker instead of Peter Parker?

Yeah, she’s a young girl, about 14. When the comic starts, she’s about 9.

Did you want to provoke people by playing around with such a famous character?

I think I’m just really plugged into who I speak to. I just went with basically what I know. I strongly identify with women.

What inspired your new look? It’s comparatively dressed down, given what you used to wear onstage.

Bryan Ferry was a huge point for me, and Bowie’s ’80s period. I was asking, “How do I be an alien in the suit as opposed to dressing like a space alien in silver makeup?” I’m going to do the opposite of androgynous now. Something that’s come up recently is that I was a bit gender confused.

In your 20s?

No, from when I was a little boy. I was often confused for a little girl all the way up to my teens. I think I tried to do whatever I could do to try to combat that. I didn’t identify with strong masculinity. You look at the early days of M.C.R. after I got that leather jacket off and started wearing makeup, I was pushing against homophobia and gender boundaries. Right around “Three Cheers,” I created a persona which was allowing me to express to myself and where I fit in gender-wise. I just didn’t relate to men, never could. I knew I was straight. But my identifying more with females was something I just expressed through the look.

Given your disparate fan base, you might must have prevented some bullying in ways you’ll never know.

I’d like to think that. I remember being at Warped Tour and seeing a lot of macho guys and saying: “If you’re a homophobe, if you’re a racist or sexist, please don’t watch us. There’s no point.” And a lot of the big, gnarly dude-dudes would cheer. Because of music, my acceptance of it expanded. Getting into Bowie and Suede. It helped me not feel so different.

The title “Hesitant Alien” seems to reflect where you’re at in your personal life and career. You’re a dad. But you also have a wild past, and now you have to go out and support this record on the road. You’re like E.T.: You like it here with Elliott, but you know you can’t stay.

(Laughs.) I was thinking more about “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” but I wanted to look like someone who’s on the run from the government and they’ve tried to clean themselves up the best they could, and it’s still not working and they’re going to get caught. I’m trying to fit in, but there’s just no possibility. It’s just not going to happen, so: “Let’s just embrace this. I’m an alien and that’s cool. I’m proud of it.”

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Shakira surprises crowds at Coachella with announcement of new world tour

The colombian superstar showed up for an unscheduled performance with argentine producer bizarrap on a night that also featured lana del rey, peso pluma and the french electronic duo justice.

Festivals like Coachella remind us of the power of brands. For companies, events like this one, which each year attracts more than 100,000 people, are an opportunity too good to miss. Would you like a beer? Walk a few feet that way to the sponsor’s drink garden. Do you want to see celebrities? Come see Paris Hilton in an exclusive area sponsored by a famous vodka brand. But on stage, artists continue to be the biggest consumer products. Shakira, one of the most valuable brands in the music industry, showed up on Friday night by surprise with the Argentine musician Bizarrap. To the surprise of everyone who unlocked their phones to record the moment, she made an announcement:

-”I’m leaving,” said the Colombian singer.

-“Where are you going?” responded the Argentine producer, who had barely spoken until then.

-“I’m finally going on a world tour,” Shakira said excitedly. A huge screen behind them announced “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.”

The moment remained etched in the collective memory like one more advertisement in a sea of advertising impacts. Shakira will begin promoting her new album in November. Minutes earlier, the star had sung the now famous Session 53 , with which she settled her accounts in plain sight with her ex-partner, the Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué . The song became an international hit and helped Bizarrap consolidate his reputation as a producer capable of conquering global charts. This collaboration was followed by La Fuerte , the song with which Shakira took the stage on Friday and which is included on the album that lends its name to her new tour. On stage, the duo showed good chemistry. “Biza, you are my partner, my colleague,” Shakira told Bizarrap. When she left, the Argentine said: “And they asked me if I was going to have guests at Coachella…”

Before the star’s fleeting appearance, Bizarrap (whose real name is Gonzalo Julián Conde), dressed in his tracksuit de rigueur , had performed a great DJ set with samples of his sessions. He started out with a song with Nathy Peluso, released three years ago, then made his way through more recent ones, such as the session he did with the Puerto Rican singer Villano Antillano or the one with the Mexican artist Natanael Cano, which has been on the air for less than 10 days. But the musical trip through the region was not done by jumping from genre to genre, but rather by uniting the voices in a solid package of electronic music that explored house, classic techno and even the dubstep popularized by Skrillex. He closed with another of his most viral songs, Quédate , by the Spanish artist Quevedo.

An hour later it was time for Peso Pluma , who occupied the main stage of the festival. His presence there made his meteoric rise crystal clear. It was only last year that the artist also known as Dople P and whose real name is Hassan Emilio Kabande made his debut at Coachella. His participation only lasted a few minutes, as a guest of Becky G on Chanel . On Friday he returned the invitation from the American artist with Mexican roots. Peso Pluma’s performance was the next to last, followed by the melancholic closing act by Lana del Rey and her guests, which included the multi-award winning Jack Antonoff, Jon Batiste, with whom she sang the opening of Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd; and Billie Eilish, with whom she sang Ocean Eyes , composed by the two-time Oscar winner.

Just as 1986 was the year of rap and 1991 was the year of grunge, 2023 went down as the year of the takeoff of Mexican regional music, a label that the industry has used to sell a wide range of sounds that include traditional corridos, Sinaloan bands, grupero and Tex Mex. It was that wave that gave drive to Génesis , the album that helped Peso Pluma become known to the general public after two more modest releases. On Friday he touched on several topics. These include the controversy outside his country for glorifying drug trafficking and the Sinaloa Cartel in songs like PRC , one of his corridos tumbados. Behind him were headlines from the world press that highlighted his “uncomfortable” relationship with organized crime.

“Up with Mexico, to hell, old man!” was his war cry during the concert. His guests were Arcángel, the rapper Santa Fe Klan and Junior H, whom he also paid tribute to in the video that closed the show. In the images, the 24-year-old Mexican artist talked about what he considers the history of the corrido, which starts with Chalino Sánchez and leads to himself, the self-proclaimed heir of that tradition.

Meanwhile, inside a tent, an unclassifiable event was taking place that showed one of the most alternative faces of Coachella. Clown Core made its debut at the festival with a sample of its act, which is half performance, half nightmare, a mix that has garnered the band quite a few followers online. The Nevada trio is made up of musicians who have remained anonymous behind their clown masks, letting the videos they publish from time to time and which are recorded in moving vehicles or in public latrines speak for them. These function as enigmatic video clips that leave a passing taste of a bad trip set to music with a mix of easy listening, jazz and ambient noise. The group has become a sensation in Los Angeles, where they quickly sell out their concerts. On Friday several people came to see them and quench their curiosity.

French electronic music duo Justice returned to Coachella with a stylish live number to present their new album, Hyperdrama , which will be available on April 26 and features a collaboration with Tame Impala. It is their first trip to the Californian desert since Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé became known in 2007 with a memorable performance. Last night they opted for an incredible set of moving lights that went up and down to form a roof over their heads and a maze of lights. Wearing suits and dark glasses, the French musicians left another great visual show using only the color white and their large cross, with which they usually accompany the gospel of electronic dance music.

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