NEWS
Elton John and Brandi Carlile have launched a campaign to try to offset the Trump administration’s cuts to HIV/AIDS funding.
The duo, who released their collaborative album ‘Who Believes In Angels’ earlier this month, are now working together on a joint venture between the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Carlile’s Looking Out Foundation.
Explaining the need for action, John has said in a statement: “Without prompt action, decades of progress in the global fight against HIV could be reversed, creating a global health crisis that we have both the power and the tools to prevent.”
“Our mission is more important than ever – we refuse to leave anyone behind – and I’m so fortunate that Brandi is not only a wonderful collaborator and artist, but a dear friend who shares my vision of a world where HIV care is prioritised and protected.”
Looking Out Foundation have committed to matching every donation up to $100,000, claiming it will “double the impact to protect HIV prevention and care services across the US and around the world”. You can donate here.
Carlile has said: “It was a lifelong dream come true for me to come together with my hero and friend Elton John to make our album ‘Who Believes in Angels?’, and now, we’re excited to announce that our foundations are also partnering to make our music mean even more.”
“Elton’s activism and work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation was what led me to Elton before I even heard a note of his music. It’s an incredible honor to launch this partnership and raise funds for the life-saving work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Rocket Response Fund at a time when support is needed the most.”
After his inauguration in January, Trump passed an executive order slashing the funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has resulted in major setbacks for many HIV/AIDS programs that rely on USAID funding.
The Elton John AIDS Foundation worked closely with USAID to co-fund HIV prevention and treatment programs around the world. In response to the cuts, the Foundation launched the Rocket Fund and Rocket Response Fund in an attempt to fill the gaps left by Trump’s actions.
John launched the foundation in 1992 and it is reported to have raised over $500million over the last three decades.
Elsewhere, John and Carlile brought their new songs to SNL earlier this month, playing ‘Little Richard’s Bible’ and ‘Who Believes In Angels’ as the musical guests on April 4.
The pair’s new album follows on from John’s 2021 collaborative LP ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, which featured Carlile along with the likes of Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks and Lil Nas X.
John has since opened up about his deteriorating eyesight, admitting that it has been a “very stressful time” adjusting to his new reality.
Meanwhile, the ‘Rocket Man’ star has co-signed Ed Sheeran’s open letter to the UK government calling for immediate and long-term funding for music education.
NEWS
Panic! At The Disco are preparing to release a special deluxe anniversary edition of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out.
The I Write Sins Not Tragedies icons marked the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking 2005 debut album during their performance at When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas over the weekend, and have now confirmed the new edition.
On January 23, the group — originally formed by Brendon Urie, Spencer Smith, Ryan Ross and Brent Wilson — will unveil a limited edition box set that features a remastered version of the record.
The package, priced at £164.99 and available for pre-order, includes 11 unreleased demos and a vinyl pressing of 2006’s Live In Denver. The full live set has also been uploaded to YouTube.
On the band’s UK store, they shared a message:
“To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Panic! At The Disco’s seminal debut album, this limited edition box set brings together a comprehensive time capsule celebrating the record's impact.
This release includes the original album remastered for the first time ever, 11 unreleased demos, plus the legendary 2006 Live In Denver performance — never before released on vinyl or CD.
The box set also includes a 12-page zine with never before seen photos from the era, a sticker set, a door hanger, and a paper doll set.”
By 2023, the band had essentially become a solo project for Urie. Their final show was held in Manchester, UK, where the frontman said: “Sometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin.
“We’ve been trying to keep it to ourselves, though some of you may have heard… Sarah and I are expecting a baby very soon!
The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure.”
Panic! returned to the stage at WWWY over the weekend, performing A Fever You Can't Sweat Out in full alongside fan favorites like This Is Gospel and Nine in the Afternoon.
To end the night, they performed I Write Sins Not Tragedies once again, as Smith reunited with Urie for the emotional closing moment.
