We Can Survive 2014: What Have the Performers Been Up To?
By Radio.com Staff
Unless you’ve been glued to social media or news sites religiously over the past few weeks — and that’s okay, we know it’s hard — it’s tough to be on top of what each and every artist playing this year’s We Can Survive has been doing and what they’ve got on their plate in the weeks after our big concert at the Hollywood Bowl.
Luckily for you, we decided to get you up to speed on what the lineup of WCS is up to as the concert draws near. From Taylor Swift’s extensive album rollout to Gwen Stefani’s return to a solo career, here’s what’s been happening in the news for these artists recently. And don’t forget: We Can Survive will be held Oct. 24 at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, Calif.
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Taylor Swift
The last few weeks for Taylor Swift have been her biggest in eons. We already have heard three songs at her new album 1989 — “Shake It Off”, “Out of the Woods” and “Welcome to New York” — in addition to various secret pizza parties and listening sessions for her fans. She already said she’d be playing new songs at We Can Survive. Will it be one we haven’t heard yet? Jack Antonoff told us in an interview that he worked on another song on her album 1989. Maybe that’ll be the one.
Pharrell Williams
Ever since storming back into the spotlight in a big way with “Happy,” all while wearing the most memorable hat of the year, Pharrell has become a more literal household name by manning a chair on The Voice. Live, he has made noteworthy appearances at the NFL’s opening game and will headline the upcoming Odd Future Carnival in November. Where he finds the time to make music videos like the one for “It Girl” is anyone’s guess.
Ariana Grande
My Everything is only two months old, but it is safe to say that 2014 has been Ariana Grande‘s breakout year, and not just in music. From her SNL season premiere appearance and an upcoming role in the animated Underdogs to her hilarious spot on Ellen and her pitching of water, Grande has found countless ways to into our homes and hearts. But if you think that makes her massive winter tour an afterthought, you’d be dead wrong.
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum have been busy since and leading up to the release of their new album 747 on Sept. 30, their sixth LP. But the lead-up to the album saw a bevy of promotion in terms of music videos (“I Did For You”) and advance songs (“Freestyle”). They even sat down to talk with Radio.com about leaving their comfort zone. And We Can Survive isn’t the only recent instance of the country stars giving back, as they recently set forth fulfilling seven fans wishes in seven days.
Iggy Azalea
We Can Survive isn’t the exploding Australian rap star Iggy Azalea‘s only high profile appearance in the coming days. The very next day, she will be premiering a new song on Saturday Night Live. And though she is making headlines with a different upcoming new song featuring Ellie Goulding and a co-starring music video with Jennifer Lopez, Azalea hasn’t lost sight of her fans, as demonstrated by her recent “Doing the Gopher” at the University of Minnesota. Did we mention she led all AMA nominees with six nods? Yeah, it’s Iggy’s world and we just live in it.
Paramore
It’s been a year and a half since the Hayley Williams-led band Paramore delivered their self-titled fourth LP, but that hasn’t kept the Tennessee natives from making headlines. There was Williams’ collaboration with Zedd on “Stay the Night,” videos for “Ain’t It Fun” and “Daydreaming,” and a heartfelt live tribute to Robin Williams at a Denver concert. Thought their WCS appearance will undoubtedly celebrate their past, it’s just about getting time that we can start talking about what’s next for Paramore.
Sia
While many WCS performers are celebrating career years, Sia‘s may have been the longest in the works. After years of steadily rising, the Australian pop star and songwriter finally landed her first No. 1 album with 1000 Forms of Fear in July. Since, she has collaborated with Eminem, seen Lena Dunham dance for her song and has been remixed by Blood Orange. A slot at WCS is just icing on the cake.
Gwen Stefani
No Doubt frontwoman and solo star in her own right, Gwen Stefani has returned to the spotlight of late, both with her latest solo material (recent single “Baby Don’t Lie”), a collaboration with Maroon 5 on “My Heart Is Open,” and joining the cast of The Voice. Between all of that, she has found time for fun, lip syncing with fellow Voice-er Blake Shelton on The Tonight Show. And though her next album has yet to be announced, it will likely be soon, and is expected to feature work from fellow WCS performer Pharrell.
Alicia Keys
Of all the performers for We Can Survive, the most recent lineup addition, Alicia Keys is the quietest as far as making headlines at the moment. But that doesn’t mean Keys isn’t busy. Word is she is working on her next album, which she is aiming to use it to empower women. She has also recently contributed to Pharrell’s latest album, as well as the last Spiderman soundtrack, and released a music video for “We Are Here.”
