Encore: The Stories Behind The Songs You Love

When Maroon 5 came up with their smash hit “Moves Like Jagger,” they knew Jagger was a name that would resonate with listeners. And in 2011, Maroon 5 definitely knew what their fans wanted to hear. But it wasn’t always that way. Have you ever heard of the ‘90s alt-rock band Kara’s Flowers? If you haven’t you’re not alone. They were one of the more forgettable bands of their time. Kara’s Flowers did catch the attention of Rob Cavallo, who you may remember as the guy who produced Green Day’s American Idiot. He saw a lot of potential in Kara’s Flowers and produced their second album, the power-pop-tinged The Fourth World. Upon its release in August 1997, the album only sold 5,000 copies. In 2001 Kara’s Flowers resumed band activity, changing up their sound by trying a number of different styles, including country and folk, before settling on becoming what they deemed "a soul band, but with five white dudes.” They cut a demo for MCA Records, but the label rejected it. However, they did find an interested label in Octone Records, whose co-founder Ben Berkman had worked at Warner Music and knew of the band from their time with Reprise.  In a 2004 interview with Hit Quarters, Berkman said he loved what he heard in a song called “Sunday Morning” but couldn’t believe it was the same band because they had such a completely different sound. It was clear to Berkman that the band was ready to take off. All they needed now was another guitarist and a brand new name. Eventually the band decided on the name Maroon 5. Why “5” and not, say, Maroon Moon? Well, the answer remains to be a secret between band members… and Billy Joel. Wait, Billy Joel? Now with a record deal and a brand new name, Maroon 5 were a whole new band. Their first single, “Harder To Breathe” was a slow-mover on the charts, but eventually earned the band some airplay. Once it caught on the band decided to re-release the album one year later, and at the beginning of 2004 they issued a second single, “This Love,” a song influenced by Stevie Wonder and written about Jane moving out after the breakup. As you may already know, “This Love” became a smash hit, followed by “She Will Be Loved” and “Sunday Morning.” You know them all. And just like that Maroon 5 were now a household name. Their second album "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" was an instant hit - thanks to lead single “Makes Me Wonder,” which became the band’s first song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It actually broke a record by jumping from #64 to #1 based purely on its first week of iTunes sales.  Maroon 5 wanted a different experience when it came to making album number three. Luckily they received a phone call from Mutt Lange, the famous South African producer, who asked if he could make their next record with them.  Mutt has quite the résumé. He got his start in the late ‘70s, by producing both AC/DC’s Highway To Hell and Back In Black. From there he would produce classic records by Def Leppard, The Cars, Michael Bolton, and Canada’s own Bryan Adams. Maroon 5 released their third album, Hands All Over, on September 2010. It would debut at #2 on Billboard’s album chart and receive mixed reviews, but got some love from Rolling Stone, which called it “the band's brightest-sounding and poppiest yet.”  The upbeat, funky pop on singles like “Misery” and “Give A Little More” demonstrated a punchier sound. Although the album sold well enough and kept them on the road, something was missing.Up until this point, Maroon 5 had only ever written songs themselves. They had never worked with anyone outside of their circle. But they felt it was time to open the door to other songwriters and see what could happen.Luckily for Maroon 5, two up-and-coming producers were working on a song that would become not just the year’s biggest hit, but the band’s biggest hit ever.  This is the true story of Maroon 5's 'Moves' Like Jagger' ft. Christina Aguilera - with newly unearthed audio. Also features audio from: Adam Levine Revealed the Secret Behind Maroon 5’s Band Name to Billy Joel 'Moves Like Jagger': The Making Of Maroon 5's Megahit Adam Levine Reacts to Mick Jagger Dancing to "Moves Like Jagger," Teases New Maroon 5 Music Maroon 5 "Moves Like Jagger" Q&A Maroon 5 Get 'Overexposed' to Fans  

It isn’t easy to shed a boyband or girl group image.  Over the years, plenty of artists have tried and failed to hit the heights of superstardom that they have seen in a group setting. In many ways; the bigger the group, the more of an uphill battle it is to prove to fans that a solo career is a serious, worthwhile endeavor.   Without re-litigating the entire NSYNC-to-solo-star trajectory of Justin Timberlake, it is important to look back at what was one of the more seamless breakout transitions to solo stardom in pop history, and where Justin Timberlake stood in the pop world in the years leading to SexyBack. In 2002, NSYNC finished up their heralded Celebrity Tour that was praised by critics as a more ‘accessible and down-to-earth’ show.  As if specifically crafted to give all of the boys in the group a glow-up, the tour included medleys of the Beatles and the Temptations, and focused on downtempo songs with more musicality to them. The pop hits were still there of course, but the message was certainly that NSYNC had grown up. The tour was short; just under two months long - and they even canceled BOTH Canadian dates in Toronto and Montreal in the run-up, (thanks for that boys) and by April 28th - just in time for fans to say “It’s gonna be MAY” - it was all over.  Justin was just getting started though, and began working on his debut album Justified almost immediately. Working with 2000s hitmakers like The Neptunes, Scott Storch, and Timbaland, JT was ready to embrace the R&B sound that NSYNC had been toying with near the end of their run, but never fully committed to. Although Jackson-Inspired Singles “Like I Love You”, “Senorita” and “Rock Your Body” didn’t have as much success as the album’s most iconic song “Cry Me A River” they certainly were not flops - and Justified went triple platinum in America, double platinum in Canada, and SIX times platinum in the UK. By 2004, Justified was nominated for multiple GRAMMY awards, and beat out Christina Aguilera, George Harrison, Annie Lennonx and Michael McDonald for best pop vocal album.  All of this is to say what is blatantly obvious - Yes, Justin Timberlake was a star, all by himself. Moving on from music as a whole in the years that followed, Justin Timberlake spent the majority of 2004-2006 getting his feet wet in Hollywood, with roles in such films as Edison, Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, and Southland Tales. While not exactly undeniable successes, the films did help Justin continue to shed any last remnants of boyband smell on him, and allowed him to reinvent himself as a true polymath - Justin wasn’t just a run of the mill every day *singer* - he was a full-fledged *artist*, a tastemaker, and he was ready to bring us into the future - and with him; he was bringing Sexy… back. This is the true story of Justin Timberlake's 2006 return hit 'Sexyback' Also Contains audio from: Pharrell On How Prince & Michael Jackson Both Turned Down His Music. Peep What Songs! Johnny Harris dissects 'Nipplegate'

She is both the Queen of Pop and the Queen of Reinvention. She is the most successful female solo artist of all-time with more than 300 million records sold. In one word, she is Madonna.  It is safe to say that without Madonna we wouldn’t have the likes of Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Dua Lipa, or insert the name of any up-and-coming pop star that interests you. One could argue that Madonna is the most influential icon of her generation. Emerging from New York City’s underground in the early ‘80s, it was as if a bomb went off in the world of pop music with her arrival. Almost immediately, Madonna would change music’s landscape with her music, while grabbing headlines with her controversial opinions, outfits and actions.  Madonna ended the ‘90s remaining one of the world’s biggest artists with perhaps her best album, Ray of Light, which flirted with electronic music and integrated the teachings of Kabbalah. As the ‘90s came to a close and gave way to the new millennium, Madonna would be the mother of two children and be married to English filmmaker Guy Ritchie. But that didn’t slow her down, she was still on top of the world. She won a Grammy for #1 single “Beautiful Stranger,” her contribution to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and topped the charts again with her cover of Don McLean’s “American Pie.”. Madonna would then follow that up in 2000 with the album Music, which saw her once again reading the zeitgeist and scoring big with an album of kaleidoscopic dance-pop and electronica that saw her return to the top of the Billboard 200 for the first time in 11 years. On top of that, she was cast as a lethal fencing instructor in the James Bond film, Die Another Day, for which she sang the title track.  There was quite simply no stopping her. In April 2003, Madonna released her ninth album, American Life. The lead single was the title track, a pointed, hot take on the emptiness of commercialism, pop culture and American values.  Unfortunately for Madonna, both the song and the album were considered a commercial flop. Despite selling 4 million copies worldwide, American Life was the worst-performing album to that point of her career. For the first time in 20 years, Madonna was facing potential irrelevance. When Madonna began working on her next album, she needed to make a change. She reconnected with producer Mirwais, who had helped produce both American Life and her wildly successful 2000 album, Music. Looking to leave the serious tones of American Life behind her, the two recorded a few tracks together before Madonna realized it wasn’t heading in the direction she wanted. It wasn’t just about getting away from politics, Madonna wanted to do a complete 180 and have a good time. Like she did in the early days. In an interview with MTV, she said, "I was angry. I had a lot to get off my chest. I made a lot of political statements. But now, I feel that I just want to have fun; I want to dance; I want to feel buoyant. And I want to give other people the same feeling. There's a lot of madness in the world around us, and I want people to be happy." Dance music was nothing new for Madonna. She holds the record for most number one songs on the U.S. Billboard Dance Club Songs chart with 50. But despite their excitement, dance music was experiencing a real slump in America. After undergoing a renaissance in the late ‘90s thanks to electronica, which Madonna was a part of - dance music and club culture had taken a bit of a nose dive when the mid-2000s arrived. Naturally, that didn’t faze Madonna. She was soaking up all different eras of dance music - '70s disco, '80s electro-pop, ‘90s electronica and present-day club anthems - and focusing on classics by Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, Kylie Minogue, Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, and of course, ABBA. This is the true story of Madonna's comeback Dance Single 'Hung Up' - with newly unearthed audio from Madonna Herself! Also contains audio from Madonna's 'Confessions on a Promo Tour', and the Making of 'Hung Up'. Also contains audio from Sirius XM's 2009 Interview with ABBA for OutQ

Welcome to Season 3 of Encore! When the Landmark Las Vegas sphere opened up in September of 2023, with its $2.3 Billion dollar price tag, its 300 tons of steel, 16K resolution screens, 1,600 speakers and 4D machines capable of pumping in wind, scent and more into the venue… There was never any doubt that there was only one band in the world capable of matching the Sphere’s fantastical ambitions… and that band was the Iconic U2. Officially forming in 1976,U2 had an unbelievably successful run from around 1980 all the way through to about 1997, culminating with their first Best of Collection released in ‘98 with such classics as Pride (In The Name Of Love), New Year’s Day, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Desire, and many more. Normally, in any band’s career - this would probably be enough - you’ve had the better part of 20 years on top, with critical and commercial success rivaling *literally* any artist that ever lived - it’s probably time to realize that your best days are behind you. Right? U2 did *not* get that particular memo to take it easy, because they did none of the above, and as the world prepared to roll over into a brand new millennium... U2 knew there was plenty of a ‘Beautiful Day’ to be had. This is the story of U2's comeback single, the iconic 'Beautiful Day' with newly unearthed audio from the band. Also features audio from the official Making Of Beautiful Day Music Video Encore is now available on the following Radio Stations in Canada! Newstalk 1010 610 CKTB 580 CFRA Ottawa AM 1150 CFAX 1070 AM800 CKLW CJAD 800 Check your local listings for air times  

There was no artist bigger than Mariah Carey in the 1990s. She was the Artist of the Decade, according to Billboard, the ​​World Music Awards’ Female Artist of the Millennium, and the owner of 15 number one singles in the ‘90s alone. And that doesn’t even include “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” arguably her biggest song ever. That song didn’t become a #1 hit until 25 years after its release. And it has continued to top the Billboard Hot 100 every year since. On the surface, Mariah was on top of the world, but as the new millennium struck, Mariah was going through some changes, both privately and professionally. After years of trying she was finally exiting her tumultuous marriage to record executive Tommy Mottola. Despite filing for a separation in 1997, it wasn’t until the end of 2000 that Mariah was granted her divorce. At the same time she was leaving a bad situation with her label Columbia, where her husband was the Chairman and CEO. As she was gearing up for the release of Glitter, her feature film debut, Mariah reportedly suffered a physical and emotional breakdown.  Glitter’s theatrical release was delayed three weeks as a result, but it didn’t really matter - nothing could have saved the film from the savage critics, who called it “heroically bad” and “infinitely mockable.”  Glitter became one of the decade’s biggest box office flops, winning Mariah Worst Actress at the Golden Raspberry Awards, aka the Razzies. The film’s failure didn’t help Glitter’s soundtrack either. Her first release for new label Virgin, Glitter was neither a hit with fans or critics. One writer called it an "utter meltdown -- the pop equivalent of Chernobyl."  Mariah’s official follow up to Glitter came out in December 2002. Charmbracelet was her opportunity to make a fresh start, a “new lease on life,” she called it. Unfortunately, Charmbracelet didn’t exactly get things back on track for Mariah. While the album was one of her highest debuts on the Billboard Albums chart, sales dropped off quickly. Then at the beginning of 2004, famed music executive L.A. Reid left his job at Arista to become the new chairman and CEO of The Island Def Jam Music Group. This would prove to be a pivotal moment for both Reid, who was forced out of Arista following the merger of Sony and BMG, and Mariah, who was in need of some career rehabilitation.  Reid had just orchestrated a career makeover for Usher, who was riding atop the Billboard Hot 100 with his hit “Yeah!” - With that song, Usher had become the biggest artist on the planet, and Reid was looking to do the same for Mariah.  The first step was to set her up with the right producer. Enter Jermaine Dupri, Usher’s longtime mentor who co-wrote and produced Mariah’s 1996 #1 hit “Always Be My Baby.” More collaborations followed and Mariah was hooking up with the Neptunes, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, and more. In November 2004, Mariah presented an album’s worth of songs to L.A. Reid, but Reid felt she needed a few more bangers. Mariah went back to Atlanta to work with Jermaine Dupri again and guess what? They created some magic. In just two days they came up with two songs that would end up being her album’s first two singles: “It’s Like That” and “We Belong Together.” This is the True story of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" with newly unearthed audio from Mariah Carey. Also contains audio from Genius' Interview with Mariah, Released November 16, 2018.

You've likely heard the news by now; Canadian Pop-Punk Icons SUM 41 are embarking on their final world tour, releasing their final album, and hanging up the Vans and Studded belts forever.  That’s right, Ajax, Ontario’s finest are calling it quits. It might surprise you to hear that Sum 41 have been a staple of Rock radio in this country for the better part of 25 years, and that even through lineup changes, health scares, label moves, and  musical experimentation, Deryck Whibley and the boys have helped keep the spirit of pop-punk, heavy metal, and good old fashioned Canadian Rock 'n' Roll alive and kicking. Originally conceived as young teenagers in 1994, but officially shaped up as SUM 41 in 1996, by 1997 SUM 41 making waves in the underground scene, working with the likes of manager Greig Nori's band Treble Charger, Len, and pre-Broken Social Scene Brendan Canning. In 1998, the guys recorded a demo tape, and homemade video footage to try and catch record labels attention, and by 1999, SUM 41 ultimately signed on the dotted line with the world famous Island Records. After a stop-start major label foray with their EP Half Hour of Power, it was make or break time for SUM 41 as they geared up for their full length debut 'All Killer, No Filler' luckily, the band was sitting on a secret weapon of a song that Deryck Whibley had been working on for years... albeit one they didn't even know how to play! This is the true story of SUM 41's classic 'Fat Lip' featuring an ALL NEW interview with Deryck Whibley for Encore. Also features footage from the Chris Demakes a Podcast Episode 31

Did you ever catch Bieber Fever? The first reported cases of this communicable disease began popping up in 2009, throughout Canada, or maybe it was the United States. It was hard to tell considering the fever was spread via performance videos on YouTube by an aspiring teenager named, you guessed it, Justin Bieber. Before he was captaining NHL all-star teams and selling over 150 million records, Justin Drew Bieber was just a young boy being raised by a single mother and his grandparents in Stratford, Ontario. From the young age of seven, Justin took a shine to music, first singing around the house, then performing in front of others at church. He taught himself how to play piano, guitar and trumpet, and took drum lessons. Soon after he began covering popular songs. Then one day he took his guitar with him and began singing on the streets of Stratford. Busking led to Justin competing in the Stratford Star talent contest when he was 12 years old. He sang a cover of Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” that earned him a respectable second place. His mom filmed his performance and proceeded to upload the video to YouTube for family and friends to see. But soon it wouldn’t just be friends and family watching his videos. Singing the songs of Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake and more and posting homemade videos of the performances online, Justin was beginning to build an audience at the age of 12. He was one of the first real YouTube sensations. And he was getting noticed. Some executives from a few record labels reached out to Justin’s mom, but she couldn’t afford to hire a lawyer to look over any offers so they were forced to pass. And then along came a guy named Scooter. This is the true story of Justin Bieber's first hit 'One Time' with newly unearthed audio from Justin Bieber, including interviews from the Encore team. Contains audio from 'And The Writer Is... Tricky Stewart!'

It might be hard to think of Rihanna as anything other than the multi-hyphenate superstar that she is today.  At time of recording, fans have been waiting for more than eight years for a proper new RiRi album, with 2016’s ANTI being the last full release from the original Bad Gal - but this period of waiting hasn’t made Rihanna any less popular. Back in the year 2007, Rihanna was at a bit of a crossroads - She’d released two albums as a teenager in ‘05 and ‘06, and although her second record A Girl Like Me achieved a decent amount of success in the US, and ended up becoming her first Platinum album in Canada, critics were starting to become… well… critical of her sound.  Despite the fact that she was still so young, Some critics were growing tired of the Caribbean sound she’d made her name on with ‘Music of the Sun’ and ‘A Girl Like Me’  and some were anticipating that Rihanna would pan out to be nothing more than a Beyoncé knockoff.  Still only 19, Rihanna just needed a chance to grow, and she had the superstar quality that afforded her the support she needed to bet on herself, and experiment with her sound.  In the early days of 2007, Rihanna began working on her third album, which would of course go on to be titled ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ - a not so subtle message to the world that she was shedding the innocent-girl image that she was synonymous with.  This is the true story of the monster first single off of that album 'Umbrella' ft. Jay Z. With newly unearthed audio and additional clips from MTV News and Genius.

It’s hard to remember a time when Drake wasn’t the biggest rapper in the world. He is Canada’s most successful AND influential artist of the 21st century. As both a rapper and a singer he has pretty much single-handedly put our country on the map for hip-hop and R&B.  He is a five-time Grammy winner, has 85 million monthly listeners on Streaming Services- more than any other rapper - and holds the record for most number 2 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. He also ranks fifth behind the likes of the Beatles and Mariah Carey with the most number 1 singles. By the mid-2000s when Drake embarked on a rap career, Canadians already knew him from Degrassi The Next Generation. Of course, His name wasn’t Drake back then, it was Aubrey Graham, a teenager from the Toronto neighbourhood of Forest Hill, who caught his break when he was cast as Jimmy Brooks.  Aubrey left the show during its eighth season to pursue music full time. As much as he had become a star on Canadian television as an actor, he wanted to go global with his music career.  Drake dropped his first mixtape, Room For Improvement, on Valentine’s Day 2006. He was still working on Degrassi at the time, but had already made some connections in the rap game. Drake would wait a year before he followed up Room For Improvement. But in that time he had already made connections that would help him advance his music. Among the producers he brought in to make beats for him were 9th Wonder, who had worked with Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child and De La Soul, Atlanta’s DJ Toomp and a couple of local guys: Boi-1da once, and Noah “40” Shebib. Jas Prince was an aspiring rap mogul from Houston, Texas looking to become a legit rap mogul like his father, J Prince, founder of Rap-A-Lot Records.  While he was looking around MySpace one day in 2006, he found Drake’s artist page and saw a lot of promise in the tracks posted. He played some of the songs for his dad, J Prince, but he couldn’t hear what Jas was so excited about. Then one day Jas shared Drake’s music with New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne, who had just struck gold with his album Tha Carter II. At first, Wayne wasn’t impressed. Jas persisted though, and months later on New Year’s Day, he played Wayne a few more songs in the car, one of which was Drake’s remix of Wayne’s own “A Milli,” a song that had yet to be released commercially. That was the moment Drake became legit. Jas put Lil Wayne in touch with Drake and the next day Drake was flying to Houston to meet with one of his heroes. Drake ended up joining Lil Wayne for his I AM Music Tour at the end of 2008 and the Toronto kid quickly became the New Orleans legend’s protege.  Every opportunity they could get they would record new tracks, some of which ended up on Drake’s next project. So Far Gone, Drake’s third mixtape, was released on February 13, 2009. One song on the mixtape stood out more than others and it began to catch fire, leading Drake to make a video with one of the biggest artists in the world. This is the true story of Drake's 'Best I Ever Had' with newly unearthed audio from MUCH, as well as sound from Rap Radar, MTV News, Myspace, and CBS News.

Usher was born to entertain. It might be hard to believe, but this year marks the 30th Anniversary of his debut album! Usher was discovered at the age of 13 on television by famed record exec, L.A. Reid, who wasted no time signing him to his LaFace label. Usher’s ascent truly began three years later with the release of his second album, the game-changing My Way, which catapulted him from baby-faced R&B up-and-comer to bona fide casanova. By the age of 20, he was winning Billboard and Soul Train Awards for his music, but he was also making a name for himself as one of the best dancers in the business, taking cues from his idol Michael Jackson. Throughout 2001, Usher showed he could evolve as an artist while giving his fan base what they wanted. His next record, 8701 was a smash hit, outselling My Way and establishing Usher as one of the biggest stars on the planet. Songs like “U Got It Bad” and “U Remind Me” both topped the Hot 100 for multiple weeks. But having finished touring 8701 in 2002, Usher felt the need to get back to music. And this time he wanted to leave an even bigger mark.  Over the better part of 2003, Usher and his expansive pool of producers recorded 40 tracks for his next album. But there was a problem. Usher presented songs to Arista but the album was rejected by the label. Not only that, but Usher’s label boss, L.A. Reid, had reservations about the R&B star’s appeal to audiences. He told Usher to go back into the studio and record some bangers. But Usher was feeling dejected.  Usher needed a hit. And he would find one with some help from the King of Crunk. This is the true story of Usher's Yeah! With newly unearthed audio from Mr. Entertainment himself.

When it comes to the origin cities of hip hop stars over the last 20 plus years - it's safe to say St. Louis, Missouri is not the first to come to mind. But St. Louis, Missouri is the home of at least one rap superstar that had the world of music following his every move for the better part of the 2000s; Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. Better known to you and I as Nelly. Nelly released his first single ‘Country Grammar (Hot Sh*t)’ in early 2000, with album release plans on hold until he could prove to his label that he was worth the investment.  He soon proved to be worth the investment and more, spawning 4 hit singles from his first record, and featured on a number of turn-of-the-century classics as well.  While all pretty ubiquitous in their own right; none of these tracks went any higher than #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.   Perhaps Nelly really *was* too tied to St. Louis, much like the label feared back in ‘99.  Maybe what he needed to do to get that Chart topping single was to relocate… maybe he needed to move on from St. Louis and show the world what it was like in a place called Nellyville, because in Nellyville it was getting Hot. This is the story of Nelly's iconic single 'Hot in Herre' with newly unearthed clips from Nelly Himself, and Interviews conducted by Encore's Myles Galloway. Also includes audio from: The Fader, June 8th 2017. Nelly Reveals The Secret History Behind "Hot In Herre" Previous Encore episodes referenced:  I'm Looking Crazy Right Now: The True Story of Beyoncé and Jay Z's 'Crazy in Love' This Song is B-A-N-A-N-A-S: The True Story of Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl'

Since the turn of the millennium, Nelly Furtado has been cementing her legacy as one of Canada’s most successful pop stars.  The Victoria, BC native went from unknown newcomer to overnight sensation in 2000 with the release of her debut single, “I’m Like A Bird.” That song won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, over heavyweights like Janet Jackson and Sade.  At a time when music was obsessed with teen pop, nu-metal and hip-hop, Nelly emerged with a genre-hopping sound that felt very much her own. She struck gold with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, which spawned two hit singles - “I’m Like A Bird” and “Turn Off The Light”.  For her second album, 2003’s Folklore - Nelly chose to take a more focused path for her music. Crediting her pregnancy at the time as the reason for its mellower direction, Nelly wanted to create “a modern folk record.”  Folklore featured a variety of instruments like the banjo, the Portuguese ukulele, and the dulcimer, as well as “Força,” which Nelly sung in her parents’ native Portuguese. That song even gained a ton of exposure when it was chosen as the official theme of EURO 2004, held in Portugal… But in the end, the album proved to be both a critical and commercial disappointment.  Luckily Nelly already had a vision for her next release.  Nelly wanted to make something that was “smooth but sexy, universal, epic, iconic,” she told Fader in 2016. Madonna’s massive comeback album, Ray of Light, was her main inspiration and the template she began working from. During a meeting with Interscope president Jimmy Iovine, Nelly was referred to work with Timbaland, who was riding high from his recent success with Justin Timberlake. As the album was taking shape, Nelly began to see she was changing as an artist.  The whole world was about to see a new side to Nelly Furtado. And she was ready to show it off. Released in April 2006, the first single from Nelly Furtado’s third album, Loose, introduced a new era for the 27-year-old singer.  This is the story of Nelly Furtado's hit song 'Promiscuous' ft. Timbaland, with newly unearthed audio from Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, and Director X.

By early 2004, Britney Spears had FIRMLY established herself at the pinnacle of pop Music.  Britney had already claimed the title of being the best selling teenage artist of all time thanks to the successes of her albums Baby One More Time and …Oops I Did it Again, and she had just become the youngest artist to be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame at age 21.  Britney had also already gone a whopping 26x times platinum for her first three mega hit records released in 1999, 2000, and 2001, and she would quickly add another 2 million records to that tally for her 2003 Effort In the Zone, essentially as soon as it was released. The debut single from In The Zone; a Madonna collab called 'Me Against The Music' peaked at a very un-Britney-like #35 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it wouldn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things,  because like the album title implied - Britney Spears was In The Zone, and as 2003 turned to 2004 - we were all about to go on a ride. Just in time for it's 20th Anniversary; this is the story of Britney Spears' 'Toxic' with newly unearthed audio from Britney Spears herself. Note: a previous version of this episode identified Joseph Kahn as Joseph Hahn. We regret the error.

Amy Lee and LZZY Hale sit down with our team for Encore to discuss the impact of Evanescence's 'Bring Me To Life' 20+ Years later, what it did for Rock Music, and why the 'rap' part of the song has become a blessing in disguise! Listen to the Season 1 Episode of Encore - 'Wake Me Up Inside'

The United Kingdom and Ireland has a long, rich history of creating boy bands that have taken the British isles, and often the world by storm.  From the early ‘British Invasion’ and the aptly named ‘Beatlemania’ brought on by the Beatles in the 1960s, to the British glam pop influence of the Bay City Rollers in the 70s, Wham!’s iconic sound of the 1980s, to the well established 90s groups like Take That, Westlife, and Boyzone, to the modern pretenders to the throne like JLS, The Wanted, and McFly - British and Irish boy bands have been influencing music and pop culture consistently for more than 6 decades. But let’s be honest, there is only ONE DIRECTION this episode could be headed when talking about a British and Irish Boy Band that took the world by storm - this is the story of One Direction’s very first single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ with newly unearthed audio from Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne If you want to see Myles' Journey opening for 1D in Dubai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMaJJYnP4y0 

Katy Perry is one of the biggest names in pop music today.  Her albums have sold in the millions and she’s had numerous number one singles, including five consecutive songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 from her 2010 album, Teenage Dream, alone. But things didn’t come easy for Katy, and her early career looked much different to that of the megastar we know today. Katheryn Hudson was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Her parents were both Pentecostal ministers, and restricted her from such things as cartoons and sugary cereal, claiming something as harmless as Lucky Charms were evil because the word “lucky” reminded her mom of Lucifer. Her parents did allow her to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She sang in church and her parents would drive her to local farmers markets where she would perform weekly. When she turned 13, they escorted her to Nashville, where she promoted herself as a young gospel singer. Katy later left high school to pursue music, eventually setting herself up in Nashville where she was discovered by some songwriters. They helped her record a demo of contemporary Christian music and at the age of 16 she signed a deal with Red Hill Records.  Despite its cool, alternative pop sound, the album was a flop, selling only 200 copies, largely due to her label going bankrupt months later.  By 2004, Katy Perry was all set to launch a new, exciting chapter in her new recording career.  She signed with Glen Ballard’s label, but that quickly fell through. Not long after that opportunity, Ballard helped her get a deal with Columbia Records, and she began writing her next album she called Fingerprints... which was also soon shelved.  Finally in June 2008, Katy released her debut album proper, One Of The Boys, a collection of provocative, tongue-in-cheek bangers that announced pop’s newest sensation had arrived. With her controversial first single, “I Kissed A Girl,” Katy was all of a sudden everywhere, and One of The Boys earned her plenty of accolades in its own right.  Things would only get bigger for Perry, with 2010's Teenage Dream aiming to launch Katy Perry in the the stratosphere. While California Gurls and Teenage Dream brought success - it was Firework that lit up Katy's career. This is the story of Katy Perry's Firework, with unearthed audio from Katy Perry herself!

As the ‘90s came to an end, rock music was in a very aggressive state. Bands like Deftones, Korn and Limp Bizkit were reaching the Billboard charts with their loud, angry and often rapped vocals, leading the way for a new breed of heavy music that was referred to as nu-metal.  But there was one overwhelming observation with this type of music: it was all just a bit too… bro-y.  With the exception of Canada’s own Kittie, the nu-metal scene was dominated by men in backwards baseball caps, dreadlocks and JNCO jeans. It was time for a change, and in the early 2000s, one band from Little Rock was on the verge of something. As a teenager, Amy Lee was an aspiring songwriter. Music was in the family. Her dad was in a rock band but gave it up to be a radio disc jockey when Amy was born. Growing up in Chicago, Lee was a happy kid, but then her family moved to Little Rock when she was 13, and things changed.  Amy described herself as “miserable,” and an outcast who couldn’t fit in because she didn’t want to dress and act like everyone else. She channeled these feelings, using them to write poetry and music - something she would continue to do throughout the years. That summer in youth camp she met Ben Moody, a fellow teenager who also felt like he didn’t belong. He and Amy hit it off immediately and eventually they were an item. With Amy on piano and Ben on acoustic guitar, the two began writing and recording songs that reflected their feelings of teen angst. Amy would also give him songs and ask Ben to make them sound “cool”. Soon, Evanescence was born. Evanescence released their first EP, titled Evanescence in 1998, followed by the Sound Asleep EP in 1999. A local radio station began to play some of their music, which helped them earn a modest following and get some gigs in the area. When mastering their demo tape 'Origin' - the band got the attention of label Wind-Up Records, who didn't exactly know what to do with the band. As months and years went by. Evanescence were blindsided by their label. As the album was coming together, the label threw them a curveball: they wanted a male singer in the band to share vocals with Amy. This was an immediate no-go for Amy and Ben, and when they refused to cooperate, the label pulled the plug on the album and the record deal. So the two of them headed back to Little Rock. And just like that, the dream was apparently over. Flash forward a few weeks and Wind-up came back with a new offer: if they hired a rapper to contribute vocals to their chosen first single, “Bring Me To Life,” the label would honour their deal. The band begrudgingly agreed to this compromise - they wanted their album to see the light of day after all. But the introduction wouldn’t be with the album, it would be through the Marvel Universe. This is the true story of Evanescence's smash hit - complete with unearthed audio from Amy Lee.  

Formed back in 1996 in California as rap-rock band XERO, Linkin Park went through massive changes to become the band we know today. Original singer Mark Wakefield left the band in 1999 when record labels began noticing the group - but felt he wasn’t a strong enough vocalist to truly push the band forward.  Mark was soon replaced with Chester Bennington, a singer from Arizona who had just left his band Grey Daze.The Chemistry between Xero and Chester was much better; the Hybrid of sounds between rapper and vocalist Mike Shinoda’s Rap influences and Chester’s hard rock background inspired the band to change their name to Hybrid Theory. Hybrid Theory *the band* self-released Hybrid Theory *the EP*  in 1999, and although initially still struggling to court a major label to sign with- they were signed to Warner Brothers records on the third time of trying. Warner Brothers was still quite skeptical of Hybrid Theory - they asked the band to change their name so that people wouldn’t confuse them with a Welsh band called ‘Hybrid’ and even suggested they demote or fire Mike Shinoda and refocus their efforts to creating a more traditional rock record with Chester as the sole frontman. The band took the label’s first piece of advice - They officially re-christened themselves as Linkin Park, but they refused the second directive - the ‘Hybrid’ in Hybrid theory was important to Bennington and Shinoda and they carried on with both vocalists playing a crucial part in the band. Not only was the album a success, it was the MOST successful album of 2001, and included hit after hit after hit, with singles Crawling, One Step Closer, and In the End topping charts worldwide.  Pressure was now incredibly high for Linkin Park - they went from being a band that very few people believed into the biggest band in the world. They knew that in order to avoid the 'second album slump', they'd need to make a really great record. Recorded all throughout 2002, and released in March 2003, Linkin Park’s second effort entitled Meteora gave Linkin Park fans what they wanted and then some. This is the story of the third and most recognizable single, with words from MIke Shinoda and Joseph Hahn from the time.

For such a fun and chaotic band, No Doubt was always a safe space for Gwen Stefani. The flexibility in the band’s style and sound paired with Stefani’s undeniable star power as front woman of the group meant that you could be forgiven for thinking that Gwen Stefani the artist, and No Doubt the band were interchangeable.  In an alternate timeline - No Doubt could have carried on through the 2000s and beyond with hit after hit - but artists rarely play it safe; it’s part of the reason we love them so much. After playing the Super Bowl in 2003, and releasing a solid No Doubt Greatest Hits collection, the iron was hot for Gwen to move forward with what MTV initially reported as an intended ‘fun little dance record’ - a hiatus from the band that would let Stefani Flex her creative muscles a little bit… but nothing too serious. Initially she was even hesitant to call it a solo project at all! Love. Angel. Music. Baby. or L.A.M.B. was released on November 12, 2004 - after a painstaking year of writing and recording with everyone from Linda Perry, to Andre 3000, to Canada’s Chantal Kreviatzuk, and even her No Doubt Cohort Tony Kanal.  From the get-go Stefani was intentional, but open. She wanted control, but to be free - and it seemed like her artistic vision wasn’t always the easiest to nail down. Even after recording more than 20 songs for the project, Gwen felt as if she was yet to nail down her 'attitude song'. A chance reconnection with Pharell Williams and an uncalled for diss in the media by a Grunge Music legend was about to change all of that. This is the True Story of Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl'. Listen to NEW Episodes of Encore: The Stories Behind The Songs You Love every Thursday on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your Podcasts.

By the time the new millennium arrived, Green Day were thriving as one of the world’s biggest rock bands. The ‘90s had been good to the band. After years of building a following as an independent act, in 1994 the trio of Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt signed to a major label and released their third album, Dookie.  To just about everyone’s surprise, Dookie became a cultural phenomenon, bringing punk rock back to life in the mainstream, winning the band’s first Grammy Award, allowing them to steal the show at Woodstock ‘94, and go on to sell 20 million copies.  It is credited as an influence on everyone from Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy, to Sum 41 and even Billie Eilish, who has said “growing up, there was no band more important to me.” But, after fulfilling all of their commitments in 2002, Green Day were at a standstill. The band met up and questioned whether they wanted to even keep going anymore. While their personal lives were in shambles, the band’s existence was on the verge of crumbling. One idea Green Day decided to pursue was a radical one, based on a dream Armstrong had of writing a punk rock “‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ of the future.” That song would eventually become “Jesus of Suburbia,” which helped shake up the foundations of the band and push them into a brave new world.  From that point on, Green Day had begun writing a full-on rock opera. Even better: the first ever PUNK ROCK opera. Green Day announced that their seventh album would be called American Idiot. Released as the album’s first single, “American Idiot” wasted no time declaring Green Day’s mission: to address their sociopolitical concerns and kick-off their new punk rock opera opus with three minutes of politically-charged fire. Listen to NEW Episodes of Encore: The Stories Behind The Songs You Love every Thursday on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your Podcasts.