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Music News: Target Field books summer's most random lineup

Record art featuring Florida Georgia Line, Nelly, and Backstreet Boys
Record art featuring Florida Georgia Line, Nelly, and Backstreet Boysvarious labels

by Leah Garaas and Jay Gabler

March 07, 2017

Unlike with the July 28 Billy Joel show, Target Field didn't hold a press conference for this announcement, but maybe they should have, because there's a lot more explaining to do. On July 29, the Twins' stadium will host a triple bill featuring country stars Florida Georgia Line, hip-hop titan Nelly, and former teen idols Backstreet Boys.

Wait...what?

There is some reason behind the seemingly random lineup. Nelly is the rare rapper with country crossover appeal, having scored a hit in 2004 with the Tim McGraw collaboration "Over and Over." In 2013 he appeared on a remix of Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise," another top-ten hit. Florida-Georgia Line have also collaborated with Backstreet Boys, on last year's song "God, Your Mama, and Me."

So it all makes sense — kind of. Nelly and Florida Georgia Line are touring together all summer and fall, with Backstreet Boys joining "the Smooth Tour" for three dates: Minneapolis, then Boston and Chicago. (City Pages)

Jay Z to collaborate with Minnesota money management company

Jay Z is launching a new division of his Roc Nation entertainment company. The new division, Arrive, "will partner with a select group of early-stage start-up companies to offer brand and business development services and also may provide capital to support their growth," reports the Star Tribune. To run Arrive, Jay Z is partnering with GlassBridge Asset Management, a firm based in Oakdale, Minn.

Fleet Foxes announce comeback album

Fleet Foxes have announced their first new music in six years. Their third studio album, Crack-Up, will be released on June 16, and the band have shared an initial track: "Third of May / Odaigahara." Not part of Fleet Foxes' current lineup, Josh Tillman (a.k.a. Father John Misty), who parted ways with the group after their previous album, Helplessness Blues. (Pitchfork)

George Michael's cause of death determined

A British coroner has determined that the December death of George Michael, which came as a shock and a mystery to his fans, was due to natural causes.

As Billboard reports, "Darren Salter, senior coroner for Oxfordshire, says a post-mortem has found that the singer died of 'dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver.' Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart's ability to pump blood is limited, while myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle." Legally, the case is now closed.

Remembering Ric Marlow

Actor and musician Ric Marlow has died of undisclosed causes at age 91. Marlow acted in T.V. shows appearing Bonanza and Magnum, P.I., but he also made a lasting impact on the music world by co-writing the song "A Taste of Honey" with the late songwriter Bobby Scott.

The song has an interesting legacy in '60s music. Initially written as an instrumental theme for a Broadway play, it was first recorded in a vocal version by Billy Dee Williams (that's right, Lando Calrissian) in 1961. It was covered by the Beatles for their first album in 1963, but found its biggest success with a 1965 instrumental version by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass — a version that appeared on their iconic album Whipped Cream and Other Delights. Alpert's version became a top ten hit and won Record of the Year at the 1966 Grammys. (Billboard)

Hotel lobby music is the new street art

On March 11, anonymous artist Banksy will open a nine-room "art hotel" on the West Bank of Bethlehem. At $30 per night, it's on par with nearby Airbnbs, complete with "the worst view in the world": the wall that separates the Palestinian territory from Israel. Guests can meander a museum and gallery during their stay, but here's the selling point: every night a colonial-themed bar with a piano player will feature original scores from Trent Reznor, Flea, Massive Attack and more. (Stereogum)

Adele bugs out

Everyone loves how real Adele is — and what's realer than being freaked out by a mosquito? That's what happened to the singer at a concert in Brisbane. "It was sucking my blood!" she cried, shooing the bug away. "It was sucking my blood!" (Billboard)

Here's the video — heads-up that it contains some of the same strong language you might have used around mosquitos in the past.