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20 Sep 2024

Previously Unknown Mozart String Trio Composition Discovered in German Library

More than 230 years after his death, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is dropping new music. While the vaunted classical composer died in 1791 at age 35, according to Agence France-Presse a previously unknown piece of music experts believe was written by a teenage Mozart was recently discovered at a library in Germany.

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The 12-minute piece referred to as “Ganz kleine Nachtmusik” dates to the mid- to late-1760s and is described as consisting of seven miniature movement for a string trio according to a statement from the Leipzig Municipal Libraries. Researchers reportedly discovered the piece at Leipzig’s music library when they were compiling the latest edition of the so-called “Köchel” catalogue, an exhaustive, chronological list of all of Mozart’s known compositions.

While the unearthed manuscript was not personally written by Mozart, researchers said it is believed to be a copy of the original made in 1780. The piece was performed for the first time by a string trio at the unveiling of the latest edition of the catalogue in Salzburg on Thursday (Sept. 19) and will get is German premiere at the Leipzig Opera on Saturday (Sept. 21).

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“Since the inspiration for this apparently came from Mozart’s sister, it is tempting to imagine that she kept the work as a memento of her brother,” said Ulrich Leisinger of the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg in a statement about the piece, which is unique because until now researchers thought of Mozart as mainly a composer of piano music, arias and symphonies.

The Köchel catalogue described the piece as “preserved in a single source, in which the attribution of the author suggests that the work was written before Mozart’s first trip to Italy” in December 1769 when the child prodigy composer was just 13-years-old.

20 Sep 2024

Woj Out: Adrian Wojnarowski Leaves ESPN To Be College GM

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Celebrities At The Los Angeles Lakers Game

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NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced that he is leaving ESPN and taking a newly created role at his alma mater.

The sports world was shocked on Wednesday (Sept. 18) when ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski announced that he was retiring from his reporting career. “The craft transformed my life, but I’ve decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. I understand the commitment required in my role and it’s an investment that I’m no longer driven to make. Time isn’t in endless supply and I want to spend mine in ways that are more personally meaningful,” he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, ending with: “After all these years reporting on everyone’s teams, I’m headed back to my own.”

The 55-year-old reporter began his career at the Hartford Courant, rising to become a national NBA correspondent with Yahoo Sports. It was there where he delivered some of the more impactful news in basketball, from his coverage of LeBron James and “The Decision” in 2010 and his coverage of the NBA Draft to scooping the league on draft nights, which would be issued in posts to X and come to be known as “Woj Bombs” by writers and the public alike. “What he did so effectively was take a lot of that traditional journalistic insider work and transition and use Twitter,” said Hofstra University assistant professor of radio, TV, and film Laith Zuraikat. “I’m sure others thought of it, but nobody did it as well as he did. He was the guy.”

Wojnarowski is leaving the network that he’s been a part of since 2017 to take a newly created position of general manager at St. Bonaventure University. The reporter is a 1991 graduate of the institution’s Jandoli School of Communication in western New York. “It is a thrill of a lifetime to be able to return to a university and community that I love in a role of service to our student-athletes, coaches and institution,” Wojnarowski said in an ESPN interview on his departure. “I am hopeful that I can bring value in a lot of areas to our basketball program and open doors for our young men’s futures in ways both professionally and personally.” The GM role is a fairly recent position with college basketball, thanks to the creation of the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness deals for student-athletes.

20 Sep 2024

Arrest Warrant Issued For Lil Reese For Allegedly Assaulting His Ex-Girlfriend

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Lil Reese In Concert

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It seems like Lil Reese just can’t help but attract legal troubles. The Chicago rapper is once again in hot water after allegedly putting hands on a woman.

Two months after the “Distance” rapper was booked on suspicion of rape in Los Angeles, TMZ is reporting that an arrest warrant has been issued for Lil Reese after he allegedly punched and choked his ex-girlfriend at a Texas strip club last week. The alleged assault took place at the Pinkhouse fka Barbie Nightclub around 6:30 a.m. when the woman in question was making her way out of the nightclub as Reese was entering the establishment.

Though the two had dated in the past, the woman wasn’t interested in rekindling the relationship as Reese apparently approached her in an amorous manner. That’s when things allegedly went left.

Per TMZ:

The woman claims she and Reese ended their relationship a month ago … after dating over a period of 2 months, and says she rejected him several times as he attempted to kiss her flirtatiously.According to the docs, the woman says Reese grew enraged once he realized his charm wasn’t working — and when the woman began to disengage from the situation, Reese allegedly punched her in the right cheek and applied pressure to her neck with both arms.The woman told cops she “was gasping for air” and was in fear for her life.

It wasn’t until a friend of hers saw what was going on and flagged security to intervene that the situation came to an end. After officers noticed the “fingernail scratches and redness along the victim’s throat,” an arrest warrant was issued for the “Come Outside” rapper.

TMZ reached out to Lil Reese’s attorney for comment but have yet to hear anything as of press time.

When will men learn that no means no? SMH.

What do y’all think about Lil Reese’s latest setback in life? Let us know in the comments section below.

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20 Sep 2024

All Things Go Creators on Expanding the Fest and Embracing the ‘Gaychella’ Moniker

In a year fraught with festival cancelations due to increasing costs of production and severe weather events, All Things Go festival has taken the opposite approach and doubled down. After 10 years in Washington, D.C., All Things Go organizers announced they were adding a New York edition on the same weekend of Sept. 28-29 at Forest Hills Stadium. With more than 40,000 fans on a waitlist annually, according to ATG partner Stephen Vallimarescu, the additional location seemed less like a gamble and more about meeting demand.

“By hosting both festivals on the same weekend, we’re able to serve more of our community and deliver a lineup that we feel is best-in-class,” Vallimarescu tells Billboard.

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For several years, ATG has made a concerted effort to create lineups that reflect its growing community. Since 2018, the highest billed artists on their lineups have been women or non-binary musicians including Lorde, HAIM, Mitski, Maggie Rogers, Chvrches, Lana Del Rey, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX and more. And the equity isn’t only represented in gender. With performers including MUNA, Girl in Red, King Princess, Arlo Parks, Fletcher, MICHELLE, St. Vincent, Tegan and Sara and Ethel Cain, over the past five years ATG has landed some of the most LGBTQ+ filled lineups outside of LGBTQ+ events (and even many specifically LGBTQ+ events) and earning the nicknames “gaychella” and “lesbopalooza.”

This year ATG have landed some of the buzziest names in touring including Laufey, Remi Wolf, Hozier, Janelle Monáe, Reneé Rapp and Chappell Roan, who has been drawing record-breaking crowds across festivals.

“We’ve got Hozier, Conan Gray and Bleachers featured on our D.C.-area lineup alongside Laufey, Reneé Rapp, Janelle Monáe and Chappell Roan at the top of the bill,” says ATG partner Will Suter. “We’ve been able to see each of these artists perform live – either in a club or festival setting – and we’re expecting big sets from each of them.”

Billboard caught up with Vallimarescu, Suter and ATG manager of partnerships and experiential Carlie Webbert to discuss the festival’s growth, their embrace of the “lesbopalooza” nickname and how they managed to book the right acts at just the right time.

Why did you decide to add an additional All Things Go on the same weekend as the Washington, D.C. one?

Vallimarescu: After growing the festival for the past decade in Washington, D.C., and with over 40,000 fans on the waitlist annually, the decision to introduce an additional festival in New York City felt like a natural step. We were inspired by the success of festivals like Reading and Leeds and recognized that coordinating artists between both markets on the same weekend would allow us to curate the most compelling lineup possible. This approach is especially helpful for international artists, who constitute a growing portion of our lineup and often find it challenging to travel to the U.S. for a single show.

How did you land on New York for that second location?

Vallimarescu: New York City has always been on our radar, despite its reputation as a challenging market for festivals. The turning point for us was reconnecting with Mike Luba, the visionary behind Forest Hills Stadium. The unparalleled atmosphere he and his team have cultivated at the venue made it clear that this was the perfect location to bring the magic of All Things Go. There is clearly a void in New York City for a new festival experience centered around music above all else, and we’re thrilled to see the excitement around our inaugural year.

How has the reception been to the lineups for both editions?

Vallimarescu: The reception to the lineups for both editions has been phenomenal. Both festivals sold out instantly, with hundreds of thousands of fans joining the queue for tickets — a reaction we don’t take for granted, especially at a time when many established festivals are facing challenges.

Our approach to booking the festival, often more than a year in advance, focuses on building a lineup that peaks at the right moment and showcases the next generation of artists. This year, artists like Reneé Rapp, Chappell Roan, and Laufey are at the forefront of this new era, and we’re beyond grateful to be collaborating with them.

Why is it important for ATG to have a lineup with a heavy presence of women and non-binary artists?

Suter: So much of our artist booking is based on our audience feedback – and it’s become a clear direction that supports female and non/binary artist dominated lineups, especially as we’ve moved to multiple stages and homed in our genre-focus. The website Book More Women has a methodology that has our DC-area festival at about 58% female/non-binary and New York at 93%.

Was it your mission at ATG to become “gaychella” or “lesbopalooza”?

Suter: “Lesbopalooza” is a term that Naomi McPherson of MUNA coined closing out our Chrysalis stage in 2023 – and has definitely stuck. “Gaychella” popped up around the 2023 lineup announcement in a few TikTok videos. Our mission has been to create a festival and a space that’s reflective of our community – it’s a mission that has evolved over time as our direct communication with our fans has via Discord, our Boomfy’s Besties Fan Club and other fan-forward initiatives in addition to closer dialogue with many of the artists on the lineup.

What do you make of the moment queer women are having in pop culture now? With the dominance of Chappell, Reneé Rapp, MUNA, etc.?

Webbert: Queer women have a long history in the spotlight, but it feels like there has been a noticeable shift in the positive reception of these artists. With the growing fandom of this generation of pop stars, there has been an even stronger surge in self-expression and pride in being queer. Look at Chappell Roan, for instance, she grew up under the belief system that being gay was a sin. Many of the artists on the All Things Go lineup, along with their communities, share a history of shame around their sexuality. It feels like we are collectively shedding that repressed part of ourselves and creating an environment of acceptance. It’s beautiful — there’s a lot of embracing who we are and being truly seen happening.

Besides the lineup, how does ATG create an inclusive environment at the festival?

Webbert: There is a big emphasis for representation at the festival and how we platform advocacy/mission-based organizations, such as Propeller, The Ally Coalition, Reverb, Calling All Crows, Headcount, Women in Music and Amplify Her Voice. Last year, we had an activism village on-site at the D.C.-area festival where fans could interact with different non-profits and engage in a meaningful way. Our community is intentional, and by including LGBTQ+, environmental, healthcare, voter registration and other organizations, we acknowledge a clear passion for creating change that our community wants. All that said, we are hopeful that over the years this side of our festival will grow and we’re able to have an increased number of diverse voices represented throughout our programming.

20 Sep 2024

Katy Perry’s ‘143’: All 11 Songs Ranked

Katy Perry is having fun again. “I was frozen, I was hopeless/ Now there’s poetry in every moment,” she sings in the mid-album reflection track, “All the Love.”

Perry’s been open about her struggles with mental health over the past few years, especially after the tepid critical and commercial reaction to her 2017 LP, Witness. “After being on a rocket ship and just going straight up, it was just a small change in the trajectory, but it felt seismic,” the pop star explained back in 2020, noting that thanks to medication and therapy, she was able to fuel her creative side once more.

She also has a lot more love in her life these days. Her husband Orlando Bloom remains her biggest fan and supporter, and the couple welcomed daughter Daisy Dove together in August 2020. That family unit inspired 2020’s Smile, which featured songs like “Daisies,” “Never Really Over” and “Harleys in Hawaii,” as well as a much smilier Perry.

After years of inner work, Perry unveiled her sixth studio album, 143, on Friday (Sept. 20). “I set out to create a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message,” Perry previously shared in a statement about 143, which is text message code for “I love you.”

The album is characteristically Katy Perry, something her beloved fans, the KatyKats, are sure to enjoy. The entire project is boosted with serotonin, as Perry belts about being in love with her partner, her family, herself and her life all over breezy, synth-driven beats. She’s healing and she’s not taking life too seriously, and after a wild few years, it’s great to see the pop star be herself again.

While all of 143 is worth listening to, there are some clear early standouts. Here is a ranking of all 11 tracks on Katy Perry’s latest album.

20 Sep 2024

Ice-T and Body Count Team With David Gilmour For ‘Quite Radical’ Metal-Ized Cover of ‘Comfortably Numb’

How do you take one of classic rock‘s most ominous tunes and make it somehow even more foreboding? Just ask Ice-T to give it a spin. The veteran rapper’s hard-rock side project, Body Count, released a radically made-over version of Pink Floyd‘s iconic tale of isolation and medically induced paralysis, “Comfortably Numb,” on Friday (Sept. 20), with new spoken word lyrics from Ice and backing vocals from Floyd singer/guitarist David Gilmour.

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“Body Count’s version of ‘Comfortably Numb’ is quite radical, but the words really struck me,” said Gilmour, 78, in a statement of the new take on one of the emotional centerpiece songs from Pink Floyd’s iconic concept album The Wall. “It astonishes me that a tune I wrote almost 50 years ago is back with this great new approach. They’ve made it relevant again. The initial contact from Ice-T was for permission to use the song, but I thought I might offer to play on it as well. I like the new lyrics, they’re talking about the world we’re living in now, which is quite scary. Ice-T and Body Count played in London recently, sadly I couldn’t make it, but if another opportunity came up to play with them, I’d jump at it.”

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Ice-T makes the song his own with a radical reworking in which the only remaining lyrical bits are the “Hello… is anybody out there?/ Can anybody hear me?” refrain sung by Gilmour. Instead, the MC talk-sings a new narrative about fearing for humanity’s future as well as chronicling the dual ravages of perpetual war and strife and time’s inexorable march toward death.

“We’re in perpetual war, and that’s the only law/ Can I change it? I doubt it/ So I write songs about it/ I was young once but now I’ve grown old/ Right in front of your еyes you’ve seen my life unfold,” Ice-T narrates in an ominous tone over screaming guitars and a funereal beat. “I had no choicе as I became the underdog’s voice/ A young black kid… look what the f–k I did!/ When I’m gone there’ll be someone to carry on/ We can give in, give up, or we can stay strong/ How accepting of the bullshit we’ve all become/ This whole world is… comfortably numb.”

The original song featured music by Gilmour and haunting lyrics by the guitarist’s estranged former bandmate, bassist/singer Roger Waters.

In a statement, Ice-T said, “For me ‘Comfortably Numb’ is an introspective song — it’s me acknowledging that I’m older now. I’m telling the younger generation, you’ve got two choices: you can keep the fire burning or you can give up. It’s me trying to make sense of what’s happening, but also pointing out that we’re all in a place where we don’t have to face reality. We’ve got flat-screen TVs and popcorn, and we can just sit back and watch the chaos of the world like it’s a TV show. It doesn’t feel real until it shows up at your door. I’m a little numb, too—we all are.”

The song will appear on Body Count’s upcoming studio album, Merciless, due out on Century Media Records on Nov. 22; the collection is the follow-up to the hardcore group’s Grammy-winning 2020 LP Carnivore.

Listen to Body Count and David Gilmour’s “Comfortably Numb” below.

20 Sep 2024

Warner Music Group Discloses Expected Financial Impact of Atlantic Layoffs

Warner Music Group is going through a transformational year by cutting costs, reducing its headcount and restructuring some label groups to save an estimated $260 million on an annualized basis, the company disclosed Thursday (Sept. 19).  

According to a Warner Music Group SEC filing that details the reduction in headcount and financial impact of the company’s ongoing restructuring plan, the total head count reduction increased from 600 after February’s announcement to 750 people with Thursday’s update. The filing did not specify that all 150 additional job losses could be attributed to the Atlantic Music Group layoffs announced Thursday. Billboard’sinitial report on the layoffs stated that between 150 and 175 people would be affected. 

WMG also updated the pre-tax cost savings, on an annualized basis, from “about $200 million” to “about $260 million,” meaning the company expects to save an additional $60 million annually. The restructuring plan’s severance costs increased $70 million to $210 million. The “significant majority” of severance payments and other termination costs from this year’s restructuring are expected to be paid by the end of fiscal 2026, according to the filing. WMG will pay approximately $30 million in the current fiscal year (ending Sept. 30) and about $85 million in fiscal 2025.  

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“WMG is transforming swiftly this year, in a fast-paced, fiercely competitive industry,” CEO Robert Kyncl wrote Thursday in an internal memo to staff. “As always, delivering outstanding results for artists and songwriters is our highest priority in all our choices.” 

WMG began its restructuring plan in February by announcing it would sell its owned and operated media properties and eliminate some corporate and support roles. As Billboard reported at the time, WMG reduced its headcount by 10% of the company’s workforce, or 600 people. Not all of that reduction in staff was the result of layoffs, however. Uproxx, HipHopDX and Dime Magazine were sold to a duo of media veterans: Uproxx founder and CEO Jarret Myer and Complex founder and CEO Rich Antoniello, in consortium with musician will.i.am.  

This latest round of layoffs came two weeks before 10K Projects founder and CEO Elliot Grainge assumes the position of Atlantic Music Group CEO on Oct. 1 (the first day of WMG’s new fiscal year). Atlantic chairman/CEO Julie Greenwald announced her departure just five days after WMG announced Grainge would take the helm. Separately, Max Lousada, the London-based CEO of recorded music for WMG, stepped down and his role was eliminated. Kevin Liles, current chairman and CEO of 300 Elektra Entertainment, is also exiting the company without replacement. 

Atlantic’s ranks were further thinned on Thursday with the departures of high-level executives at both Atlantic Records and Elektra Records, including Atlantic executive vp/GM Paul Sinclair and co-president of Black music Michael Kyser, as well as head of marketing Grace James, head of press and media Sheila Richman and head of touring Harlan Frey. At Elektra, head of business and legal affairs Margo Scott, head of marketing Katie Robinson, head of sales and streaming Adam Abramson, head of promotion and streaming Aimee Vaughan-Fruehe and co-head of Roadrunner Records Chris Brown were all also let go. 

20 Sep 2024

Friday Music Guide: New Music From Future, Katy Perry, Bad Bunny and More

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

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This week, Future continues his victory lap, Katy Perry dives deep into her pop bag and Bad Bunny salutes his home. Check out all of this week’s picks below:

Future, Mixtape Pluto 

It’s been eight years since Future, once an absolute titan of the mixtape game, dropped an unofficial solo project, and Mixtape Pluto harkens back to the glory days of Monster and Beast Mode — 17 feature-less tracks of the superstar croon-rapping, sharpening his sword after a pair of collaborative albums with Metro Boomin kept him on top earlier this year.

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Katy Perry, 143 

Katy Perry’s recent singles have invited plenty of chatter regarding their studio collaborators and chart prospects, but at its core, new album 143 isn’t concerned with critique or commercial expectation — this is a celebratory pop album, Perry’s first since becoming a mother, and guests like Kim Petras, 21 Savage and Doechii help the singer return to her candy-coated sound.

Bad Bunny, “Una Velita” 

The devastation of Hurricane María, which made landfall on Puerto Rico in 2017, is not forgotten by Bad Bunny, as the superstar uses new single “Una Velita” to process his feelings, celebrate his home country, criticize those that did not do enough and reflect on the future as the bass steadily bumps beneath him.

Jamie xx, In Waves 

Robyn, The Avalanches, Panda Bear, his own The xx compatriots — the guest list for Jamie xx’s sprawling new album In Waves resembles a round-up of Pitchfork-approved artists from the 2000s, but the full-length bursts with the same dance vibrancy as In Colour, with the producer simply providing more grooves for a new decade.

Keith Urban, High 

A country veteran like Keith Urban is always going to try and locate a balance between providing more anthems for his live audiences and mining more personal anecdotes to reveal new parts of himself; High does an admirable job of walking that tightrope, with songs that stretch outward and others that share new details of a life in the spotlight.

Bon Iver, “S P E Y S I D E” 

As fall officially kicks off this weekend, Bon Iver is back to provide some mournful falsetto and gentle guitar strums for the brisk weather: “S P E Y S I D E,” the first of three new songs Justin Vernon is releasing as a new EP next month, combines the sparse intimacy of For Emma, Forever Ago with the clarity of his more recent productions, and lands an affecting, autumn-ready blow.

4batz feat. Lil Baby, “Roll Da Dice” 

After receiving a Drake co-sign with his breakout hit “Act ii: Date @ 8,” 4batz has corralled Lil Baby into his R&B-trap fusion on “Roll Da Dice,” which seamlessly blends both artists’ respective styles into a hazy single about pursuing love and the passion that sparks when it’s discovered.

Editor’s Pick: Gwen Stefani, “Somebody Else’s” 

The cowboy hat that Gwen Stefani sports on the cover of upcoming solo album Bouquet suggested a pivot towards Nashville, but new single “Somebody Else’s” actually nods back to No Doubt’s brand of new wave and radio-ready pop, with Stefani leaning into the rollicking guitar as she sings about lost romance with spunk and spirit (“Now that you’re dead to me / I feel so alive!”).

20 Sep 2024

Chappell Roan in London: 7 Best Moments From Her Biggest U.K. Gig Yet

The first time Chappell Roan played in London was at the capital’s Garage to 600 people. That was just over a year ago in June 2023 her introduction to the U.K. She’s since been booked and busy.

Roan had a mammoth run opening on Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour in the US, cementing her place as an artist with serious breakout potential. In spring, she had a scene-stealing appearance at Coachella and debuted her new song “Good Luck Babe”, which would go on to land at No.6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No.2 on the U.K. Singles Charts.

Further live appearances at New York City’s Governors Ball and Chicago’s Lollapalooza saw the crowds swell, and a win at the recent MTV VMAs last week took things even further. A day before the opening night at London’s O2 Academy Brixton (Sep 19) – the first of three sold-out shows – it was announced she’d perform on SNL in November. It’s all happening, all at once.

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A ticket for a gig like this was gold dust, a chance to see an artist in what will soon be considered intimate settings. And the crowd at Brixton knew it: they were giddy with excitement pre-show as local drag queens bossed it on stage and the crowd adhered to the night’s dress theme: black, red and love hearts in line with “My Kink Is Karma”, a crowd-favourite from debut 2023 album The Rise and Fall Of a Midwest Princess.

The show arrived amidst a sold-out run throughout the rest of the U.K. and Europe and despite the 5,000-strong crowd, already felt like a huge underplay. These were the very best moments from the night.

Chappell Roan performs during her 'Midwest Princess Tour' at the Brixton Academy on Sept. 19, 2024 in London, England.

Chappell Roan performs during her ‘Midwest Princess Tour’ at the Brixton Academy on Sept. 19, 2024 in London, England.

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Horns up

Each night at the tour has come with a theme for attendees inspired by the campness of her songs, ranging from Pink Pony Club (fuchsia cowboy hats) to Midwest Princess (plaid patters). Last night My Kink Is Karma called for leather, face-paint and devil horns: even the security were spotted getting in on the action with a glittering scarlet headband.

The U.K. love

Crowd flattery never hurts, but when Roan spoke directly to the Brixton crowd about their connection, it felt very real. “The U.K. has always been the most welcoming to me,” she said, reflecting on the journey she’s been on. From levelling up from the Garage to iconic gay club Heaven last December to now a trio of nights at the historic O2 Academy Brixton – to the tune of 15,000 tickets – the U.K.’s enthusiasm for getting out and supporting live emerging acts cannot be understated.

Knowing the moves

You have to admire Roan for attempting to explain to the crowd the moves to “Hot To Go!”, her viral hit and signature moves: not a single person needed any instructions to pull off the YMCA-aping moves spelling out the song’s title. A sea of arms flew up on every chorus to nail the collective dance that’s been all over your TikTok feed for the past few months at festival season.

Chappell Roan performs during her 'Midwest Princess Tour' at the Brixton Academy on Sept. 19, 2024 in London, England.

Chappell Roan performs during her ‘Midwest Princess Tour’ at the Brixton Academy on Sept. 19, 2024 in London, England.

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Nailing the notes

With just one album under her belt, Roan knows how to keep things fresh. “Subway”, which got its debut at Gov Ball in her Lady Liberty get-up, was already something of a crowd-pleaser, the wistful longing for an ex that still hangs around as she bounces around the city. When Roan belted out the closing refrain of “she’s got away”, her voice sounded sublime and powerful, as did the crowd’s.

A streamlined production

The expectation and scrutiny for stars to be arena-ready from the off feels more intense than ever with eager fans in the room and at home looking for faults and bones to pick. There’s no questioning Roan’s performance – her red cowboy boots barely hit the ground with all the high-kicks – but the streamlined setup played to her strengths. Her tight band, made up of Andrea Ferrero (guitar), Lucy Ritter (drums) and Allee Futterer (bass), kept things moving and the vibrant light show proved that visuals are not mandatory when the performer is as engaging as this.

Love for the queer community

Roan has been candid about the new attention that’s come her way and how toxic ‘fans’ occasionally overstep the line. But judging by last night’s crowd, that’s hopefully an anomaly, not the trend. She recognises as such about how this fanbase is crucial for the queer community and the need for allies. “I’m so thankful I have the queer community. I needed this when I was 15. You belong here. I don’t care where you are on your journey, I want you here – you are cherished and I want you to feel that. Thank God gay people exist. Thank God straight people support them.”

A dazzling deepcut

Before “Kaleidoscope”, Roan told the crowd that she’d shied away from playing this song on the U.K. leg and was considering dropping it all together. But when she spoke of the pressure to speak to her fans from the stage she explained “how much easier I find it just to sing” and let those words say it all. So for “Kaleidoscope”, she played it straight: no band members, just her and the piano. It goes to show just how strong a songwriter Roan, particularly once all the sequins have stopped shimmering and you tune into her hushed reverence.

Chappell Roan performed:

“Femininomenon”
“Naked in Manhattan”
“Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”
“Love Me Anyway”
“Picture You”
“HOT TO GO!”
“After Midnight”
“Coffee”
“Kaleidoscope”
“Casual”
“The Subway”
“Red Wine Supernova”
“Good Luck, Babe!”
“My Kink Is Karma”
“California”
“Pink Pony Club”

20 Sep 2024

Mason Ramsey Evolves Beyond His Viral Past With a New Retro Sound: ‘We Just Write What Is on Our Hearts’

It’s been six years since Illinois native Mason Ramsey, then 11 years old, caught the world’s attention after a video of Ramsey yodeling the Hank Williams Sr.’s classic “Lovesick Blues” went viral. In the years following, he’s proven adept at adding more musical milestones — from his song “Famous,” which reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in 2018, to joining Lil Nas X on a remix of “Old Town Road” the following year.

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Now 17, Ramsey is keen to show the world that his appreciation of classic music extends far beyond country’s pioneering greats such as Williams. Sure, he still includes “Lovesick Blues” in his concert sets, but on his debut full-length album I’ll See You In My Dreams (out on Atlantic Records) he delves headlong into the sonically varied, vintage sounds of the 1950s through the 1970s.

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Ramsey, who splits his time between Nashville and his home in Illinois, describes his sound as “American Country Soul,” adding, “I do Americana and classic gentlemen’s country with soul, and I blend those sounds together to create the sound I love.”

The 14-song platter of music easily conveys the inspirations of artists including Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Ricky Nelson. Ramsey’s voice has matured into an immensely versatile instrument, with a warm patina that makes classic crooner material a natural musical vessel. As his sound has changed, so has his aesthetic, swapping the jeans and starched shirts for ’70s-inspired, sometimes-embroidered suits, wide-collared shirts, flared pants and the occasional scarf.

Ramsey was raised in Illinois by his grandparents, who didn’t have access to the internet for many years. Shortly after experiencing that sudden rush of fame, he began searching out the music of Elvis, Johnny Cash and Orbison online.

“We didn’t stream music, but we did buy CDs,” he recalls. “I started getting into ’50s and ’60s music. Then, once we had internet access, I found songs from artists like Elvis and [Presley’s song] ‘That’s Alright,’ and everything went from that point.”

Earlier this year, Ramsey began working with writer-producer Dan Fernandez, known for his work with artists including Maren Morris and Lee Brice, with his songs having been recorded by Nate Smith, Boy Named Banjo and others. Ramsey and Fernandez co-wrote all 14 songs together, and recorded much of the project in Fernandez’s home studio. When they first began collaborating, Ramsey had previously released a few EPs, but says, “I felt like I was still missing my sound, as if I was still searching for what moved me, sound-wise.”

In January, they talked via phone, discussing Ramsey’s influences. The following day they went into the studio and began writing songs that evoked that timeless style of the songs of Nelson and Presley.

“It made me so happy for someone to understand my sound and just overall helped me feel more connected with my music,” Ramsey says. “I had actually ended up writing with him a few years before, so it was awesome to see him again. He helped me find the music part of what I wanted and I just put the lyrics to the music.”

The project is filled with the mellow, piano-based countrypolitan of “Come Pick Me Up,” and the smooth ’50s vibe of “Blue Over You,” while “All the Way to Memphis” sizzles with a soulful swagger that feels pulled from the heart on Sun Studio.

“I had been spending some time with this girl,” he says of the inspiration for “All the Way to Memphis.” “She lived pretty close to Memphis and I got to know her pretty well. Like I said, we were hanging out quite a bit, and I just really wanted to tell her what I would do to see her in the song. And it talks about that I would swim to Mississippi and I would run all the way to Memphis just for her. And so that song is pretty much just about doing whatever I can to go see her.”

Meanwhile, “The Woman From Havana” is flush with a sultry, old-school dinner club vibe and accented with a Latin flair.

“My producer has family from Cuba. He was playing a few licks on a Spanish traditional guitar, and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to have a song with like a little spaghetti guitar sound mixed with a bit of a Spanish flavor?’ We just started playing around with the music and the lyrics just kind of painted themselves. We made up this song about this guy that is in love with this girl and she’s from Havana. He just wants to dance with her and wants her to fall in love with him.”

It’s not only Ramsey’s fans who have taken notice of his new, retro-tilted sound. Lana Del Rey brought Ramsey onstage at her Fenway Park concert to perform Ramsey’s “Blue Over You” in June.

“I had put out ‘Blue Over You’ and posted a video of the song on my socials, and she commented and said, ‘We need to collab,’” Ramsey recalls. “A couple of months later, she invited me to Fenway, and we sang ‘Blue Over You’ together. It was such a magical moment for me and a fun time. She is very — if you were to talk to her, it is almost as if you’ve known her forever. She’s just a down to earth, very sweet person.”

However, though Del Rey has previously said she is set to release the country album Lasso, Ramsey says a collab between the two is not in the works at the moment.

“That has not been part of the conversation yet, but hopefully in the future,” he says. “I would love that very much — if she put out a country album and I could have a feature on it, I’d be so honored.”

As he was creating his new album, Ramsey and his producer did receive a request from Atlantic Records about writing and recording a song for the Twisters soundtrack, resulting in his foot-stomping rocker “Shake, Shake (All Night Long).”

“That was a huge deal,” Ramsey says. “We took a break from our album — which is great because we kind of needed it — but we wrote the song and it only took us about, 45 minutes to an hour to write, and then we immediately pitched it to the label. It just really had groove and it just had a good pocket, a high-energy type of song.”

Notably, Ramsey’s love of all things vintage extends beyond music and clothing. “I love trucks, specially older vehicles,” says Ramsey, who has a blue and white 1968 Chevrolet K10 that he’s fixed up. “I love that truck and I drive it all over town.”

With tour dates on the books for his Falls Into Place Tour Pt 2 trek, and a batch of music he closely connects with, he says, “I’m just super-excited to finally accomplish my first album. All of these songs came together simply and easy, because we don’t overthink on the writing — we just write what is on our hearts and minds, and put it on paper.”