Bruce Springsteen releases a new single tonight called “Hello Sunshine” and a new solo album on June 14th called “Western Stars.”

Springsteen says, “This record is a return to my solo recordings featuring character driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements. It’s a jewel box of a record.”

Ron Aniello produced the album with Springsteen and plays bass, keyboard, and other instruments. Bruce’s rocker wife, Patti Scialfa, assists with vocals and contributes vocal arrangements on four tracks. More than 20 other players are involved including Jon Brion (who plays celeste, Moog, and farfisa), as well as guest appearances by David Sancious, who appeared on early Springsteen records, as well as Charlie Giordano, and Soozie Tyrell. The album was mixed by Tom Elmhirst.

No one else from the E Street Band is involved.

Bruce says the record is inspired by music from Southern California in the 60s and early 70s. “Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, those kinds of records. I don’t know if people will hear those influences, but that was what I had in my mind. It gave me something to hook an album around; it gave me some inspiration to write. And also, it’s a singer-songwriter record. It’s connected to my solo records writing-wise, more ‘Tunnel of Love’ and ‘Devils and Dust,’ but it’s not like them at all. Just different characters living their lives.”

Will Springsteen tour? My guess is, he will. The word went out after his hit Broadway show ended that there was no touring in 2019– for the E Street Band. That was the loophole.

“Western Stars” tracklist
1. Hitch Hikin’
2. The Wayfarer
3. Tucson Train
4. Western Stars
5. Sleepy Joe’s Café
6. Drive Fast (The Stuntman)
7. Chasin’ Wild Horses
8. Sundown
9. Somewhere North of Nashville
10. Stones
11. There Goes My Miracle
12. Hello Sunshine
13. Moonlight Motel

The Prince estate will release an album of “Originals, ” consisting of songs he wrote that were hits for other people. For some idiotic reason they’re going to stream it exclusively on Tidal for two weeks, then release it on June 21st via Warner Bros. No one has Tidal, and no one cares. I hope they got a big fat fee for that.

Here’s the tracklisting:

1. “Sex Shooter” — Apollonia 6, Apollonia 6 (1984)
2. “Jungle Love” — The Time, Ice Cream Castle (1984)
3. “Manic Monday” — The Bangles, Different Light (1985)
4. “Noon Rendezvous” — Sheila E., The Glamorous Life (1984)
5. “Make-Up” — Vanity 6, Vanity 6 (1982)
6. “100 MPH” — Mazarati, Mazarati (1986)
7. “You’re My Love” — Kenny Rogers, They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To (1986)
8. “Holly Rock” — Sheila E., Krush Groove (OST) (1985)
9. “Baby, You’re a Trip” — Jill Jones, Jill Jones (1987)
10. “The Glamorous Life” — Sheila E., The Glamorous Life (1984)
11. “Gigolos Get Lonely Too” — The Time, What Time Is It? (1982)
12. “Love… Thy Will Be Done” — Martika, Martika’s Kitchen (1991)
13. “Dear Michaelangelo” — Sheila E., Romance 1600 (1985)
14. “Wouldn’t You Love to Love Me?” — Taja Sevelle, Taja Sevelle (1987)
15. “Nothing Compares 2 U” — The Family, The Family (1985)

Can you remember what happened in the last two weeks in the pop world? We were inundated with Korean K Pop group BTS. Remember? They were compared to the Beatles. There was a media frenzy.

And now, it’s over.

Two weeks ago, BTS released a new album in America called “Map of the Soul: Persona.” It’s distributed by The Orchard, formerly known as Sony-Red. The Orchard is part of Sony Music.

By the publicity, you’d have thunk BTS sold a million copies in the first week. According to Buzz Angle, they sold 160,000 albums. Add another 30,000 from streaming. That’s it.

Now we’re in the second week, which ends tomorrow. Total sales so far this week: 4,300. With streaming: 11,200.

Are you thinking what I am? That BTS is somehow gaming us with numbers? That they’re actually not so popular? Mmm hmmm.

“Map” is currently number 7 on iTunes, which doesn’t say much for how many downloads it takes to make that position.

Curiously, a similar situation happened last summer when BTS suddenly burst onto the charts with its last album, “Love Yourself.” After a big two day splash, the whole week ended with just 48,868 albums sold and streamed. The second week dropped to 5,161. Total sales of that album since last September are just 235,456. That’s not even “gold.”

Hard to say what the heck is going in Madonna’s new video for “Medellin.” It’s six minutes, forty seconds long and looks very expensive. It’s a slow, slow, song– I don’t know what dance clubs will do with it, except maybe speed it up. To me, this is like “Havana” as a senior social. The imagery is brilliantly filmed, but it also looks like stuff we’ve seen before. I don’t know why but the words Gogo Bordello came to mind. On You Tube one of the commenters said Maluma, her latest Spanish boy toy, has the face a guy who bullied you in school. Interesting.

Anyway, here’s “Medellin,” which has nothing to do with Medellin. I thought Madonna had spent all this time in Portugal. It would have been more interesting to see a Portugese-influenced song.

Madonna fans: Don’t you like what’s below better?