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24 Mar 2024

Russia Observes National Day of Mourning Following Moscow Concert Hall Attack

Russia observed a national day of mourning on Sunday (March 24) for the victims killed in an attack at a suburban Moscow concert hall.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Sunday that 137 bodies had been recovered from the Crocus City Hall, where the mass shooting took place on Friday, The New York Times reports.

“The whole country, our whole people, mourns with you,” Putin said of the country’s deadliest terrorist attack in 20 years. He also vowed to punish those responsible for the violence. “The main thing now is to prevent those who were behind this bloody massacre from committing new crimes,” he added.

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The Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate has taken responsibility for the deadly attack, a claim that was confirmed by U.S. intelligence officials. But Russian state news broadcasts are laying the blame on Ukraine, which is currently at war with Russia. Ukraine has denied any involvement, according to the Times.

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Putin did not single out either side in his address to the country.

“We know what the threat of terrorism is,” he said. “We are counting here on cooperation with all countries that genuinely share our pain and are ready, in their deeds, to truly unite efforts in the fight against the common enemy of international terrorism.”

On Saturday (March 23), Russian authorities arrested four men suspected of carrying out the attack at the concert hall in Krasnogorsk. Putin claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine, the Associated Press reports. The Russian president said authorities detained a total of 11 people in the attack.

The company that owns Crocus City Hall has reportedly pledged to rebuild everything that was destroyed in the attack. The Times reports that the venue had more than $100 million in damages.

24 Mar 2024

Xbox Reportedly Working On A “Fully Native” Handheld Device

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Xbox Allegedly Has Working

Source: Anadolu / Getty / Xbox

Xbox has been in the news A LOT as of late, primarily due to fanboys losing their sh*t about the company’s new direction, but this latest development is something many gamers are on board for.

Spotted on VG247, the Microsoft gaming division is reportedly looking to make a big splash in the handheld gaming department after seeing Sony’s surprising success with its cloud-based/remote-play PS5 companion device, the PlayStation Portal.

On a recent episode of the Xbox Two podcast, Windows Central managing editor Jez Corden claims the Microsoft gaming company already has working prototypes.

Per VG247:

Speaking on the Xbox Two podcast, Jez Corden said that he knows that “[Xbox] have got handheld prototypes right now.” He clarified that they are “new prototypes” and not old ones that were supposedly previously in the works, and he also made sure to point out that it’s “not a cloud handheld” it’s “a fully native Xbox handheld.” This was pointed out on the podcast too, but it should be noted that just because Xbox is working on a handheld prototype, if it is, that doesn’t mean it will ever actually release. Projects like these are cancelled all the time, so don’t go writing any comments complaining it never came out when it was never guaranteed in the first place.

A “Fully Native” Handheld Sounds Clutch

This news isn’t all that surprising because Xbox is pushing the plan to make Xbox Game Pass available on devices other than Xbox Series X, S, or PC.

You can now run the subscription gaming platform on handhelds like Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Logitech G Cloud, the Lenovo-Legion Go, or your smartphones via a cloud gaming app still in beta.

However, a dedicated device would be a clutch, especially if paired with an Xbox Game Pass.

Gamers are reacting positively to the rumor of a “fully native” handheld console.

“I want a Xbox Handheld – its time As much as I like my ROG Ally, portable hardware that plays all my Xbox games with a simplified UI and not having to worry about system settings with improved battery life In other words a pick up and play experience,” Kinda Funny (XCast) and Gamertag Radio host Parris Lilly wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 

You can see those reactions in the gallery below.

1. From your lips to God’s ears.

2. We hear you Parris

3. It would be nice

24 Mar 2024

Kyle Rittenhouse Run Out Of Memphis College Event

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Source: Jason Davis / Getty

Right-wing figure Kyle Rittenhouse fled the stage during his appearance at a college event in Memphis after being confronted by protesters.

Kyle Rittenhouse, who gained notoriety in 2021 after being acquitted of killing two people and wounding another during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, fled off stage during an appearance after being confronted by protesters in the audience. The event at the University of Memphis on Wednesday (March 20), was hosted by members of the conservative Turning Point USA organization at the school.

As the event began, close to 200 protesters made their presence known with signs that read “put Rittenhouse behind bars not a podium” and “no killers on my campus” as Rittenhouse took the stage. One protester asked a question about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, saying that he “said a lot of racist things,” which prompted Rittenhouse to retort, “Like what? What racist things has Charlie Kirk said? We’re gonna have a bit of a dialogue of what racist things Charlie Kirk said.”

The protester was unmoved, and shot back: “He says that we shouldn’t celebrate Juneteenth, we shouldn’t celebrate Martin Luther King Day—we should be working those days. He called Ketanji Brown Jackson an affirmation action hire, he said all this nonsense about George Floyd and he said he’d be scared if a Black pilot was on a plane. Does that not seem racist?”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Rittenhouse replied, resulting in jeers from the audience. The questioner pressed him. “After all that I just told you, you wouldn’t consider that hate speech?” they asked. Rittenhouse replied, “I’m not gonna comment on that,” before storming off the stage amid a chorus of boos. The 21-year-old was only onstage for a half hour. A video of the moment posted on X, formerly Twitter, has since garnered 7 million views. 

Rittenhouse would later claim in a series of posts on X that he wasn’t forced to leave. “No one forced me to leave the stage… The event was scheduled for 30 minutes and I was on stage for 30 minutes,” he wrote in one post, before adding: “What I find hilarious is that everyone is saying I was ‘chased’ out of Memphis, when in reality, we went to this restaurant called Huey’s, grabbed some food, and nobody seemed to care or notice.”

24 Mar 2024

Maurizio Pollini, Acclaimed Italian Pianist, Dies at age 82

Maurizio Pollini, a Grammy-winning Italian pianist who performed frequently at La Scala opera house in Milan, has died. He was 82.

Pollini died on Saturday (March 23), La Scala said in a statement. The announcement didn’t specify a cause of death, but Pollini had been forced to cancel a concert at the Salzburg Festival in 2022 because of heart problems.

During a six decades-long international career, Pollini’s repertoire expanded beyond the standard classics. He embraced early 20th-century masterpieces by Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern and postwar modernists such as Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez and Luigi Nono.

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La Scala defined the pianist as “one of the great musicians of our time and a fundamental reference in the artistic life of the theater for over 50 years.”

Pollini was considered a pianist with unique intellectual power, whose unrivaled technique and interpretive drive compelled listeners to think deeply.

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He was born in Milan on Jan. 5, 1942, into a family of artists. His father, Gino Pollini, was a violinist and a leading rationalist architect. His mother, Renata Melotti, sang and played the piano, as did her brother, Fausto Melotti, who was also a pioneer of abstract sculpture.

“I grew up in a house with art and artists,” Pollini said in an interview. “Old works and modern works coexisted together as part of life.”

Pollini began giving concerts before his 10th birthday, performing Chopin’s Etudes at age 14 and then winning the International Chopin Piano Competition at 18, as the youngest foreign pianist among a group of 89 contestants.

Arthur Rubinstein, president of the jury, reportedly said that the young pianist “already plays better than any of us.”

After his first international recognition, however, Pollini put his career on hold to study, explaining that performing right away would have been for him “a little premature.”

“I wanted to study, get to know the repertoire better, play the music of Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms,” he said.

In the late 1960s, Pollini participated in improvised concerts in factories and programs for students and workers at La Scala, conducted by longtime friend Claudio Abbado.

During his long international career, he also collaborated with other famous conductors, including Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim and Riccardo Chailly.

Pollini performed his first American tour in 1968. From the 1970s to the ‘90s, he made a series of recordings with the Deutsche Grammophon label, becoming a celebrated interpreter of classics like Beethoven, Schumann and Schubert.

His albums won several awards, including a Grammy in 2007 for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) for Chopin: Nocturnes.

He is survived by his wife Marilisa, and his son Daniele, also an acclaimed pianist and conductor.

23 Mar 2024

Tate McRae, Daniel Caesar and Aysanabee Win Major Awards at 2024 Juno Opening Night Awards: Full Winners List

Tate McRae won both major awards she was nominated for at the 2024 Juno Opening Night Awards, which was livestreamed from the Halifax Convention Centre on Saturday (March 23). The Calgary-born breakout superstar continued her big year both in Canada and internationally, one that included a major Billboard chart hit and appearing on the cover of Billboard. She won single of the year for “greedy” and artist of the year, though the California-based singer was not in attendance to accept either award.

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McRae performed at last year’s ceremony and was nominated for five 2023 awards but didn’t win any of them, but 2024 brought her to even bigger heights with the release of her album Think Later. She’s also nominated for the TikTok Juno Fan Choice Award on the main Juno Awards telecast on Sunday (March 24), which gives her the chance to win four this year.

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Several breakout Canadian stars earned accolades at the Opening Night Awards. According to Allan Reid, President & CEO of the Juno Awards, 2024 had the most submissions in Juno Awards history, which led to 90 first-time nominees.

Aysanabee won for both songwriter of the year and alternative album of the year for Hear and Now, and talked about his rags-to-riches journey. “I grew up in a trailer in North Ontario without electricity or running water,” he said. “And now I’m here.”

Until recently, it was rare for Indigenous musicians to win Junos outside of the Indigenous category, but that’s begun to change as First Nations artists have made a major impact in the country’s music industry. Aysanabee shouted out Amanda Rheume and ShoShona Kish, who founded the female and Indigenous-owned label Ishkodé Records. He recognized that this was the most Indigenous artists who had ever been nominated, and invited them all to stand up.

Despite his two wins, he actually lost in the contemporary Indigenous artist or group of the year category to Quebec’s Elisapie, whose album Inuktitut reimagines classic pop and rock hits in the title language. Peguis First Nation singer-songwriter William Prince’s Stand in the Joy won for contemporary roots album of the year.

The Beaches and Charlotte Cardin both had their first American chart hits since last year’s Junos, and both won major awards this year. The Beaches won for rock album of the year for Blame My Ex, while Cardin won for pop album of the year for 99 Nights. The Montreal-based Cardin led all artists for most nominations this year and will have a chance to win two more on Sunday for the popular-voted fan choice and for the year’s biggest award, album of the year. “This is so cool!” she said, accepting the award.

New West won for breakthrough group of the year and joked that they were a “very very famous TikTok band.” Co-hosts Aba Amuquandoh and Damhnait Doyle, both CBC personalities, earlier commented that being an artist in 2024 often meant becoming a TikTok star or being rediscovered by a new generation, but that Canadians “punch above our weight” because of both hustle and support from government arts funding. That’s under the microscope in the industry right now during an updating of the Broadcasting Act. The event also recognized this year’s Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award to music executive, author and lawyer Chip Sutherland, one of the architects of the Radio Starmaker Fund, which helps launch emerging Canadian artists with support from radio.

Winning electronic album of the year for INFINITY CLUB, Bambii talked about the unparalleled strength of Toronto’s underground scene, “the real Toronto,” and implored journalists and industry stakeholders to “do your research” and dig deeper.

Several Juno winners have also done well in the U.S. market. R&B star SZA won for international album of the year for SOS, while Shawn Everett won for both producer of the year and recording engineer of the year for his work with Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard. Daniel Caesar won in the contemporary R&B recording of the year category for Never Enough, while long-running singer-songwriter Feist won adult alternative album of the year for Multitudes. And Nashville-based Allison Russell’s video and its director Ethan Tobman won music video of the year for “Demons.”

A total of 42 awards were presented in rapid-fire succession at the Opening Night Awards. Performers included Aqyila, LU KALA, Begonia, Jah’Mila and Lili-Ann De Francesco.

Four more awards will be presented on the televised broadcast on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music, CBC Listen, and globally at CBCMusic.ca/junos and CBC Music’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.

Here’s the complete list of winners at the 2024 Juno Opening Night Awards.

Single of the Year

“Confetti,” Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard

“Always,” Daniel Caesar, Republic*Universal

“Pretty Girl Era,” LU KALA, LVK/Amigo Records*AWAL

“A Little Bit Happy,” TALK, Capitol*Universal

WINNER: “greedy,” Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

International Album of the Year

Gettin’ Old, Luke Combs, River House/Columbia*Sony

HEROES & VILLAINS, Metro Boomin, Boominati*Universal

One Thing At A Time, Morgan Wallen, Big Loud/Republic*Universal

WINNER: SOS, SZA, Top Dawg/RCA*Sony

1989 (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift*Universal

Artist of the Year

Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard

Daniel Caesar, Republic*Universal

Lauren Spencer Smith, Universal

Shania Twain, Republic*Universal

WINNER: Tate McRae, RCA*Sony

Breakthrough Group of the Year

Busty and the Bass, Arts & Crafts*Universal

Crash Adams, Warner

Good Kid, Good People*The Orchard

Men I Trust, Independent

WINNER: New West, Republic*Universal

Songwriter of the Year

Allison Russell, Publisher: PO GIRL MUSIC / CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING

WINNER: Aysanabee, Publisher: SELF PUBLISHED

Charlotte Cardin, Jason Brando & Lubalin, Publisher: BIG BOY ED

Nicholas Durocher & Connor Riddell, Publisher: SUMMER CAMP MUSIC PUBLISHING LTD. / ARTHAUS MEDIA INC. / PEER MUSIC CANADA INC.

William Prince, Publisher: SELF PUBLISHED

Country Album of the Year

The Compass Project – South Album, Brett Kissel, Big Star*Universal

Right Round Here, Dean Brody, Starseed*Stem

Do It Anyway, Jade Eagleson, Starseed*Stem

WINNER: Ahead Of Our Time, James Barker Band, RECORDS/Columbia*Sony

Spillin’ My Truth, Tyler Joe Miller, MDM*Universal

Adult Alternative Album of the Year

Powder Blue, Begonia, Birthday Cake*The Orchard

WINNER: Multitudes, Feist, Universal

Are We Good, Hayden, Arts & Crafts*Universal

Motewolonuwok, Jeremy Dutcher, Secret City*F.A.B.

Revolution, Shawnee Kish, Amelia*Symphonic

Alternative Album of the Year

WINNER: Here and Now, Aysanabee, Ishkōdé*Universal

Dizzy, Dizzy, Royal Mountain*Universal

To Learn, Leith Ross, Republic*Universal

See You In The Dark, Softcult, Easy Life*The Orchard

Lord of the Flies & Birds & Bees, TALK, Capitol*Universal

Pop Album of the Year

WINNER: 99 Nights, Charlotte Cardin, Cult Nation*The Orchard

Mirror, Lauren Spencer Smith, Universal

Saturn Return, Rêve, 31 East*Universal

Queen Of Me, Shania Twain, Republic*Universal

Lost In Translation, Valley, Universal

Rock Album of the Year

Fearless, Crown Lands, Universal

Formentera II, Metric, Metric Music*Thirty Tigers/The Orchard

WINNER: Blame My Ex, The Beaches, AWAL*Independent

Pretty Monster, The Blue Stones, MNRK*Outside

Glory, The Glorious Sons, TGS*Warner

Vocal Jazz Album of the Year

Songwriter, Alex Bird & Ewen Farncombe, Independent

You’re Alike, You Two, Caity Gyorgy & Mark Limacher, La Reserve*Independent/The Orchard

Little Bit a’ Love, Denielle Bassels, Independent

WINNER: Our Roots Run Deep, Dominique Fils-Aimé, Ensoul*F.A.B./Believe

Your Requests, Laila Biali, Empress*Independent/Believe

Jazz Album of the Year (Solo)

WINNER: Day Moon, Christine Jensen, Justin Time*F.A.B./Nettwerk

Walls Made of Glass, Gentiane MG, TPR*Propagande/A-Train

Sonic Bouquet, Jocelyn Gould, Independent

Twelve, Noam Lemish, TPR*Independent/A-Train

The South Detroit Connection, Russ Macklem, TQM*Independent/IDLA

Jazz Album of the Year (Group)

Migrations, Allison Au with the Migrations Ensemble, Independent

Septology-The Black Forest Session, Canadian Jazz Collective, HGBS Blue*MIG/Proper/UMV/MVD/Independent

WINNER: Cry Me A River, Hilario Duran and His Latin Jazz Big Band, Alma*Universal

Recent History, Mike Murley & Mark Eisenman Quartet, Cornerstone*Outside/The Orchard

Convergence, Nick Maclean Quartet feat. Brownman Ali, Browntasauras/Independent

Instrumental Album of the Year

Néo-Romance, Alexandra Stréliski, Secret City* F.A.B.

WINNER: When we were that what wept for the sea, Colin Stetson, 52 Hz

Calibrating Friction, Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis, New Amsterdam*Naxos

Fourth Album, Markus Floats, Constellation*Secretly

Tesseract, Meredith Bates, Phonometrograph*Independent

Francophone Album of the Year

Zayon, FouKi, Disques 7ième, Ciel*Believe

Dans la seconde, Karkwa, Simone*Sony/The Orchard

WINNER: En concert avec l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (sous la direction du chef Simon Leclerc), Les Cowboys Fringants & l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Les Disques de La Tribu*Propagande/Believe

À boire deboutte, Salebarbes, Productions Grand V.*The Orchard

Non conventionnel Souldia, Disques 7ième Ciel*Independent/Believe

Children’s Album of the Year

Big Words, ABC Singsong, Independent/The Orchard

Going Back: Remembered and Remixed Family Folk Songs, Vol. 1, Ginalina, Independent

Love-a-By, Splash’N Boots, Independent/The Orchard

WINNER: Welcome to the Flea Circus, The Swinging Belles, Independent

Maestro Fresh Wes Presents: Young Maestro, Stick To Your Vision For Young Athletes, Young Maestro, Independent

Classical Album of the Year (Solo Artist)

Infinite Voyage, Barbara Hannigan, Alpha Classics*Naxos/Independent

WINNER: Nielsen: Violin Concerto, Symphony No. 4, James Ehnes, Chandos*Naxos/The Orchard

Fauré: Nocturnes & Barcarolles, Marc-André Hamelin, Hyperion*Universal

De Hartmann: Cello Concerto, Matt Haimovitz, Pentatone/Naxos

mouvance, Suzie LeBlanc, Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos

Classical Album of the Year (Large Ensemble)

Bekah Simms: Bestiaries, Cryptid Ensemble, Ensemble Contemporain de Montreal, Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos

WINNER: Maxime Goulet: Symphonie de la tempête de verglas, Orchestre classique de Montréal, conducted by/dirigé par Jacques Lacombe, ATMA*Universal

Sibelius 3 & 4, Orchestre Métropolitain, conducted by/dirigé par Yannick Nézet-Séguin, ATMA*Universal

Mahler: Symphony No. 5, Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal, conducted by/dirigé par Rafael Payare, Pentatone*Naxos

Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3; Isle of the Dead, The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by/dirigé par Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Deutsche Grammophon*Universal

Classical Album of the Year

Mythes, Andrew Armstrong & James Ehnes, Onyx*The Orchard

Portrait: Alex Baranowski, Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà, Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard

Portrait, Cheng² Duo, Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos

WINNER: Il Ponte di Leonardo, Constantinople, Glossa*Naxos

Basta parlare!, Les Barocudas, ATMA*Universal

Classical Composition of the Year

Simulacra, Amy Brandon, Independent

Portrait of an Imaginary Sibling, Dinuk Wijeratne, Centrediscs*Canadian Music Centre/Naxos

…and the Higher Leaves of the Trees Seemed to Shimmer in the Last of the Sunlight’s Lingering Touch of Them…, Emilie Cecilia LeBel, Redshift

Shāhīn-nāmeh, for Voice and Orchestra, Iman Habibi, Analekta*Naxos/The Orchard

WINNER: Don’t Throw Your Head in Your Hands, Nicole Lizée, Redshift

Rap Album of the Year

bag or die, bbno$, Independent*Stem

Spin the Globe, Connor Price, Independent

Crying Crystals, Haviah Mighty, Mighty Gang*Foundation Media

KAYTRAMINÉ, KAYTRAMINÉ, Independent

WINNER: PANIC, TOBi, RCA*Sony

Dance Recording of the Year

“Eat Your Man,” Dom Dolla & Nelly Furtado, Three Six Zero*Sony

“Crew Thang,” DVBBS, Jeremih & Sk8, Ultra*Sony

WINNER: “Need Your Love,” Felix Cartal & Karen Harding, Physical Presents*Fontana North

“I Go Dancing” (feat. Ella Henderson), Frank Walker, Ultra*Sony

“Next To You” (feat. Kane Brown), Loud Luxury & DVBBS, Armada*Sony

Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year

“For the Better,” Aqyila, Sony

WINNER: “Never Enough,” Daniel Caesar, Republic*Universal

“Heartbreak Hill,” Jon Vinyl, Vinyl*Foundation Media

“When It Blooms,” Nonso Amadi, Universal

FACETS, Shay Lia, AWAL

Reggae Recording of the Year

“Stir This Thing,” Ammoye, Donsome*Ingrooves/Virgin

“Feel Like Home,” Exco Levi, Penthouse*High Priest/ONErpm

“Roots Girl,” Jah’Mila, Independent

WINNER: “Dread,” Diamond & Finn, Independent

“Rush Dem” (feat. 4Korners, Haviah Mighty), Omega Mighty, Independent*Foundation Media

Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year

Here and Now, Aysanabee, Ishkōdé*Universal

Scream, Holler & Howl, Blue Moon Marquee, Independent*IDLA

WINNER: Inuktitut, Elisapie, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard

Revolution, Shawnee Kish, Amelia*Symphonic

Bekka Ma’iingan, Zoon, Paper Bag*Fontana North

Contemporary Roots Album of the Year

The Returner, Allison Russell, Fantasy*Universal

We Will Never Be The Same, Good Lovelies, Outside

Beyond The Reservoir, Julian Taylor, Howling Turtle*Warner

A Light in the Attic, Logan Staats, Red Music Rising*Believe

WINNER: Stand in the Joy, William Prince, Six Shooter*The Orchard

Traditional Roots Album of the Year

Paint Horse, Benjamin Dakota Rogers, Good People*The Orchard

WINNER: The Breath Between, David Francey, Independent

Roses, Jackson Hollow, Mountain Fever*Syntax Creative

Second Hand, James Keelaghan, Borealis*Universal/IDLA

Resilience, Morgan Toney, Ishkōdé*Universal

Blues Album of the Year

SoulFunkn’BLUES, Blackburn Brothers, Electro-Fi*Isotope Music/The Orchard

WINNER: Scream, Holler & Howl, Blue Moon Marquee, Independent/IDLA

One Step Closer, Brandon Isaak, Independent

The Big Bottle of Joy, Matt Andersen, Sonic*Warner

Gettin’ Together, Michael Jerome Browne, Borealis*Universal/IDLA

Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year

Glory To God, Brooke Nicholls, Independent

ALL YE LEPERS, Joshua Leventhal, Independent

WINNER: Arrow, K-Anthony, Independent

Where I’m Meant to Be, Stirling John, Independent

Alive, Tuzee, Independent

Global Music Album of the Year

Donte sann yo, Bel and Quinn, Independent

Kizavibe, Kizaba, Disques Nuits d’Afrique*Believe

SMS for Location Vol. 5, Moonshine, Moonshine/FORESEEN*MNRK

WINNER: Okantomi, OKAN, Lulaworld*Symphonic

Soap Box, Waahli, Wyzah Musk*Lemont

Jack Richardson Producer of the Year

Hill Kourkoutis

Jason Brando, Lubalin, Mathieu Sénéchal & Sam Avant

Joel Stouffer

WINNER: Shawn Everett

“Used To Be Young” (co-producers/coproducteurs Michael Pollack, Miley Cyrus)

ENDLESS SUMMER VACATION – Miley Cyrus Columbia*Sony

“What Now” (co-producer/coproducteur Brittany Howard)

WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard Island*Universal

Wondagurl

Recording Engineer of the Year

Denis Tougas

George Seara

Matty Green

Serban Ghenea

WINNER: Shawn Everett

“Used To Be Young” (co-producers/coproducteurs Michael Pollack, Miley Cyrus)

ENDLESS SUMMER VACATION – Miley Cyrus Columbia*Sony

“What Now” (co-producer/coproducteur Brittany Howard)

WHAT NOW – Brittany Howard Island*Universal

Album Artwork of the Year

Carolyne De Bellefeuille (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Jessica Ledoux (Designer & Illustrator/Concepteur & Illustrateur), Mali Savaria-Ille (Designer & Illustrator/Concepteur & Illustrateur), Veronique Lafortune (Designer & Illustrator/Concepteur & Illustrateur), Leeor Wild (Photographer/Photographe); INUKTITUT – Elisapie, Bonsound*Sony/The Orchard

Heather Goodchild (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Colby Richardson (Designer/Concepteur), Colin Fletcher (Illustrator/Illustrateur), Sara Melvin (Photographer/Photographe), MULTITUDES – Feist, Universal

Kit King (Illustrator), Vanessa Heins (Photographer/Photographe), THE LOVE STILL HELD ME NEAR – City and Colour, Dine Alone*The Orchard

WINNER: Nicolas Lemieux (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Mykaël Nelson (Designer & Illustrator/Concepteur & Illustrateur), Albert Zablit (Photographer/Photographe), RIOPELLE SYMPHONIQUE – Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, GSI*Independent

Quinton Nyce (Art Director/Directeur artistique), Brodie Metcalfe (Designer/Concepteur), Davis Graham (Illustrator/Illustrateur), Kaylee Smoke (Photographer/Photographe), I’M GOOD, HBU? – Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Independent*Fontana North

Music Video of the Year

“Of Woods and Seas,” Andrew De Zen, Alaskan Tapes, Nettwerk*Amped

WINNER: “Demons,” Ethan Tobman, Allison Russell, Fantasy*Universal

“onetwostep” (feat. juicelover), Jordan Clarke, des hume des hume*Independent

“DAMN RIGHT,” Sterling Larose, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Distorted Muse*Fontana North

“feral canadian scaredy cat,” Sterling Larose & Zachary Vague, young friend Nettwerk

Electronic Album of the Year

WINNER: INFINITY CLUB, Bambii, Innovative Leisure*Red Eye

Birds, Bees, The Clouds & The Trees, Harrison, Last Gang*MNRK

Creatures of the Late Afternoon, Kid Koala, Envision*Amplified/Believe

Synthetic Season 2, Rich Aucoin, We Are Busy Bodies*Redeye

No Highs, Tim Hecker, Sunblind/Kranky*The Orchard

Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year

WINNER: As Gomorrah Burns, Cryptopsy, Nuclear Blast*AEC/Believe

Electric Sounds, Danko Jones, Sonic Unyon*Universal

Goliath, Kataklysm, Nuclear Blast*AEC/Believe

VOID, KEN mode, Artoffact*MVD/The Orchard

Morgöth, Tales, Voivod Century*Sony

Adult Contemporary Album of the Year

WINNER: Heavy Lifting, Amanda Marshall, Metatune*The Orchard

I Wish I Was Flawless, I’m Not, BANNERS, Nettwerk*Amped

To Be Loved, Vol. 1, Josh Sahunta, Independent*Believe

Run Where the Light Calls, Luca Fogale, Amelia*Symphonic

Wildflower, Steph La Rochelle, Independent

Comedy Album of the Year

Life of Leisure, Derek Seguin, Independent

Never Was, Graham Clark, Independent

WINNER: A Lylebility, Kyle Brownrigg, Independent

Sexiest Fish in the Lake, Laurie Elliott, Howl & Roar*Independent

SAP, Mae Martin, Independent*Netflix

Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year

WINNER: “Hello,” Aqyila, Sony

“Unbreakable,” Jhyve, Independent

“Where To Find Me,” Katie Tupper, Arts & Crafts*Universal

“9 to 5,” Luna Elle, Hot Freestyle*Independent/Believe

“Real World,” RealestK, Columbia*Sony

Rap Single of the Year

“American Nightmare,” Belly, XO/Roc Nation*Universal

“Spinnin” (feat. Bens), Connor Price, Independent

“Honey Bun,” Haviah Mighty, Mighty Gang*Foundation Media

“Minimum Wage,” Pressa, RCA*Sony

WINNER: “Someone I Knew,” TOBi, Same Plate/RCA*Sony

Underground Dance Single of the Year

WINNER: “Call My Name,” BLOND:ISH, Warner

“Mad Mess,” DJ Karaba, DJ Karaba*The Orchard

“Could Be Wrong,” LOSTBOYJAY, Universal

“Eclipse,” Peach, Psychic Readings*One Eye Witness/Music Deli

“Concorde Groove,” Smalltown DJs, Fool’s Gold*Virgin Music

Traditional Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year

WINNER: Sing. Pray. Love., Joel Wood, Independent

LFS5, Nimkii & the Niniis, Independent

Mitòòdebi (For My Relatives), The Bearhead Sisters, Independent

Reverie, The Red River Ramblers, Independent

Drum Nation, Young Scouts, Independent

23 Mar 2024

Katy Perry Reacts to Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Wide Awake’ Kellyoke Cover

Kelly Clarkson‘s “Wide Awake” cover made quite the impression on Katy Perry.

The Kelly Clarkson Show host performed Perry‘s 2012 hit, stripping it down to just piano and vocals, for a segment of Kellyoke on Tuesday (March 19). She slowed down the track, letting her strong voice shine throughout the ballad.

Fans were smitten by Clarkson’s arrangement — including Perry herself.

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“ok dang I can never sing that again,” Perry commented on a video posted by the official Kelly Clarkson Show account on Instagram.

“I was in the dark/ I was falling hard/ With an open heart/ How did I read the stars so wrong?” Clarkson sings as the clip starts. “And now it’s clear to me/ That everything you see/ Ain’t always what it seems/ Yeah, I was dreaming for so long.”

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“Wide Awake,” the final single from Perry’s Teenage Dream album cycle, was included on the set’s 2012 deluxe reissue, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed on the chart for 26 weeks in total.

Previously, Clarkson has covered Perry’s “The One That Got Away” and “Roar” on her Daytime Emmy-winning talk show. 

Perry recently sat down with Billboard at Women in Music 2024 to have a quick chat about her upcoming Rock in Rio performance and her love of dance music. On the red carpet, she talked about presenting the executive of the year honor at the event, her love of Karol G and her decision to leave American Idol.

See the video of Clarkson’s version of “Wide Awake” that Perry shared her thoughts on below.

23 Mar 2024

Sabrina Carpenter Shares Eras Tour Photos, Reflects On ‘Taybrina Era’

Sabrina Carpenter has shared a collection of photos from The Eras Tour, including a snapshot from her visit to the Sydney Zoo with Taylor Swift.

The singer commemorated her time on tour with Swift, which concluded on March 9, in a post on Instagram two weeks after the most recent Eras Tour leg ended. Carpenter was Swift’s opening act across several dates in Latin America, Australia and Asia. The Eras Tour returns in May for a European leg, with Paramore as opener.

“that’s a wrap for us on the eras tour,” Carpenter wrote Saturday night (March 23). “sitting at home reflecting on what a whirlwind this was and how very honored i feel to have been part of it. I want to thank every crowd for being so welcoming and generous to us and making some of the most impressive friendship bracelets I’ve ever received. also a huge thank you to the incredible crew for being so hardworking and talented.”

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She then penned some heartfelt words directly to Swift: “and the most thank you’s I’ve ever thank you’d to Taylor. I feel so lucky to witness the magic that is you and this tour. there is truly no one like you and there never will be! i love you with all my heart and i will cherish this taybrina era (and all the eras) till the end of time.”

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Photos shared included Eras Tour stage shots, backstage moments and a picture of Carpenter walking by Swift’s side at the zoo in Sydney.

Another special Eras memory happened in Sydney: When Carpenter was unable to perform her set one night due to rain delays, Swift invited her to sing a mashup of Evermore‘s “Coney Island” and Fearless‘ “White Horse” with her.

“She heroically sacrificed her show, which I think is a crime against Sydney,” Swift explained during the acoustic section at Accor Stadium on Feb. 23.

Swift said “White Horse” was a favorite of Carpenter’s. YouTube footage exists of the “Nonsense” singer (and longtime Swiftie) covering the song when she was a young girl.

See Carpenter’s photos from The Eras Tour on Instagram.

23 Mar 2024

Hiroshi Kitadani on His History with ‘ONE PIECE’ TV Anime & His Work as ‘We Are!’ Pirates: Interview

Twenty-five years have passed since anime song singer Hiroshi Kitadani released “We Are!,” the first opening song of the ONE PIECE TV anime series and the first of many opening songs he would go on to sing for the show. “UUUUUS!” the opening theme for the Egghead Arc, with its rapid shifts and changes, is the creation of Kitadani, composer Kohei Tanaka, and lyricist Shoko Fujibayashi — the golden trio known as the “‘We Are!’ Pirates.” “UUUUUS!” means not only “us” but sounds similar to the Japanese pronunciation of “earth” and the Japanese word for “tomorrow” (Asu), pointing to the future of the series. Hiroshi Kitadani talked with Billboard Japan about what went into the creation of this stunningly densely-packed song and what lies beyond.

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You debuted “UUUUUS!” on-stage at the BANDAI CARD GAMES Fest 23-24 World Tour in Los Angeles, held in late January. What was the atmosphere like?

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Hiroshi Kitadani: I sang “We Are!” “OVER THE TOP,” and ” UUUUUS!” With “UUUUUS!” I was a bit worried about debuting it in L.A. I felt like it might be safer to start the song off with a bang in Japan first… But now, because of video streaming sites, overseas viewers can watch the latest episodes at the same time as in Japan, so the crowd went wild. On stage, we were playing the opening animation to ONE PIECE, and the lyrics were also shown on-screen, written phonetically in the English alphabet, so the audience sang along.

When we were kids, we’d learn old anime songs from reruns on TV, but now, with subscription-based streaming services and streaming sites, it’s easy to hear “We Are!” which was released 25 years ago. So not only do people who were kids back then know it, but even modern kids know it. I think that’s why people around the world love “We Are!” even 25 years later.

Why do you think ONE PIECE is so popular worldwide?

Hiroshi Kitadani: Talking with people overseas, I often hear that “In Japanese anime and manga, the main characters and their friends always get completely thrashed by their enemies, but they usually come back stronger, which really gets you in the feels.” That’s true of Luffy, and also of Goku from Dragon Ball. Overseas heroes like Batman or Superman are incredibly strong right from the start, so I think Japanese anime and comics resonate with audiences because of how the characters turn their frustration into power.

You’ve performed five of ONE PIECE‘s theme songs. Could you reflect on what each of those songs meant to you? Let’s start with “We Are!” the first opening theme song for ONE PIECE, which came out in 1999.

Hiroshi Kitadani: “We Are!” was my debut song as Hiroshi Kitadani. The director I worked with when I first debuted under a previous stage name, later joined an agency called Imagine, who Kohei Tanaka was with. Because of that connection, one day I was approached and told, “They’re going to make an anime version of the most popular manga in Weekly Shonen Jump. Kohei Tanaka is going to submit a song for the opening song competition, and we’d like you to do a temporary vocal track for it.” Then they made the decision to go with “We Are!” for the theme song, but they still hadn’t yet decided who would sing it. Due in part to Kohei’s prompting, the staff began saying “Why not just have it sung by the singer who did the temporary vocal track?” My record company had just told me that they didn’t really see a future for me with them, so I was wondering what to do, career-wise. So this “We Are!” offer came out of the blue. That was the start of my rags-to-riches story.

In 2011, 12 years after releasing “We Are!” you sang “We Go!” which was used in the Fish-Man Island arc, when the crew reaches the New World.

Hiroshi Kitadani: Kohei wrote “We Go!” as a response song to “We Are!” At the time, I was really concerned with what people thought about me, so I was reading a lot of 2channel (laughs). I was worried I’d go on there and see people saying “Hiroshi Kitadani is back, but this song is terrible.” But, instead, when “We Go!” was broadcast, there were a lot of comments like “Dani’s back!” and “Cool!” and “That’s the One Piece sound!” I was so happy I cried.

Then in 2016 you sang “We Can!” with Kishidan.

Hiroshi Kitadani: The offer from Kishidan was totally unexpected. It was the first time I’d sung with someone else as solo artist Hiroshi Kitadani, but we had great chemistry. Kishidan wrote the song, instead of the same trio that had started with “We Are!” but even now there are fans who say they love “We Can!” which makes me really happy.

Then at the start of the Wano Country arc, in 2019, you sang “OVER THE TOP.”

Hiroshi Kitadani: “We Are!” began without anyone knowing who would even sing the song. “We Go!” was a response song to “We Are!” So “OVER THE TOP” was the first song that Kohei wrote to-order, just for me. We’ve worked together a long time, so he was able to write a song with the vocal range where I do my best singing, where I could give the song a distinctive appeal and bring out its flavor. The pandemic started after I released the song, so I haven’t had many opportunities to perform it on stage, but it’s a song that I wish even more people would have chances to hear.

How did you feel when you first heard “UUUUUS!” the current opening song?

Hiroshi Kitadani: To be honest, my first response was “Huh?” Like “It’s not bad…but I prefer music more like ‘OVER THE TOP.’” But Kohei said “It grows on you,” and, sure enough, the more I heard it the better and better it sounded. The show opening is on YouTube now, and it has over 10 million views. One of the comments on the video said “It’s the best song so far.” I know Kohei must always be under a lot of pressure, so I’m amazed that he suggested this song, which is so ambitious but risky.

I feel like “UUUUUS!” must have been harder to sing than any of the past songs. Do you have any basic advice for anyone trying to sing it?

Hiroshi Kitadani: It’s hard to come up with any kind of succinct advice (laughs). However, for all five of the ONE PIECE songs, not just “UUUUUS!” I’d say it’s important to sing it with a smile on your face. When you sing while smiling, that smile comes out in your voice, making the song brighter and more exciting. When I was recording “We Are!” there were a lot of important people in suits at the recording. It was my first time recording in that kind of atmosphere, and I got really tense. On top of that, every time I’d finish recording a take, they’d be whispering to each other. I was in the recording booth, so I had no idea what they were saying. I was starting to get into a negative mindset, thinking “Was that a bad take?” when Kohei said “This is a song that’s going to give hope and inspiration to people around the country, so smile when you sing it. When you sing with a smile, your voice will have a smile.” That snapped me out of it. I sang while smiling, and they said it was a good take. I’m really glad for the advice Kohei gave me, and it’s something I cherish in my heart even now.

—This interview by Harunoto first appeared on Billboard Japan

23 Mar 2024

El Star Q&A y Showcase con Nicki Nicole | Encuentro de la Música en Español

La estrella argentina conversa en una charla íntima sobre relaciones, cómo vuelca sus sentimientos en canciones, y su próxima colaboración con Alejandro Sanz. Moderado por Leila Cobo de Billboard.

Nicki Nicole:
Al sacar esa canción, ya no era más mía, era de muchas otras mujeres y también personas que dijeron: “Che, ya no quiero vivir más en el pasado, simplemente quiero vivir el presente, disfrutarlo”. Entonces sí, obviamente que se habla de amor hacia otras personas que se fueron o que están o que vienen, pero también se habla mucho de uno mismo, que es para mí la catarsis más importante. Me gustó mucho también el hecho de los mensajes que recibí de muchas mujeres. Mucho apoyo, mucho cariño, que es algo que es un poco difícil cuando se te mezcla lo privado con la exposición, porque como que sale mucha gente a decir: “Ah, bueno”, ¿entiendes? “Ahora van a hacer esto”. O sea, como que salen a opinar y esas cosas y es difícil. Entonces, yo dije: “Okey, esto está pasando, está en mí decir algo o no decirlo, pero siento que lo tengo que decir y también va de la mano con lo que soy”. Yo canto lo que vivo y digo lo que siento. Y si no fuera así, no estaría siendo yo al 100%.

Leila Cobo:
Muchas gracias por haber sido parte de nuestro primer Encuentro de la Música en Español. Ahora, nuestro grandísimo finale, una artista que realmente es ejemplo de lo que es cruzar este Atlántico. Nicki Nicole viene de vender nueve Movistar Arenas en Buenos Aires. Más de 100.000 personas pagaron para irla a ver tocar. Y pasado mañana, toca aquí mismo en el WiZink Center su primer sold-out en España, aquí en Madrid.

23 Mar 2024

Russia Detains 11 in Attack on Moscow Concert Hall That Killed at Least 133

Russian authorities arrested four men suspected of carrying out the attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday (March 23) in an address to the nation. He claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine.

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Kyiv strongly denied any involvement in Friday’s assault on the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, and the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate claimed responsibility.

Putin did not mention IS in his speech, and Kyiv accused him and other Russian politicians of falsely linking Ukraine to the assault to stoke fervor for Russia’s war in Ukraine, which recently entered its third year.

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U.S. intelligence officials confirmed the claim by the IS affiliate that it was responsible for the attack, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. U.S. intelligence agencies gathered information in recent weeks that the IS branch was planning an attack in Moscow, and U.S. officials privately shared the intelligence with Russian officials earlier this month, the U.S. official said. The official was briefed on the matter but was not authorized to publicly discuss the intelligence information and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Putin said authorities detained a total of 11 people in the attack, which also injured more than 100 concertgoers and left the venue on Moscow’s western rim a smoldering ruin. He called it “a bloody, barbaric terrorist act” and said Russian authorities captured the four suspected gunmen as they were trying to escape to Ukraine through a “window” prepared for them on the Ukrainian side of the border.

Russian media broadcast videos apparently showed the detention and interrogation of the suspects, including one who told the cameras he was approached by an unidentified assistant to an Islamic preacher via a messaging app and paid to take part in the raid.

Russian news reports identified the gunmen as citizens of Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia that is predominantly Muslim and borders Afghanistan. Up to 1.5 million Tajiks have worked in Russia and many have Russian citizenship.

Tajikistan’s foreign ministry, which denied initial Russian media reports that mentioned several other Tajiks allegedly involved in the raid, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Saturday’s arrests.

Many Russian hard-liners called for a crackdown on Tajik migrants, but Putin appeared to reject the idea, saying “no force will be able to sow the poisonous seeds of discord, panic or disunity in our multi-ethnic society.”

He declared Sunday a day of mourning and said additional security measures were imposed throughout Russia.

The attack, the deadliest in Russia in years, is a major embarrassment for the Russian leader and happened just days after he cemented his grip on the country for another six years in a vote that followed the harshest crackdown on dissent since the Soviet times.

Some commentators on Russian social media questioned how authorities, who have relentlessly suppressed any opposition activities and muzzled independent media, failed to prevent the attack despite the U.S. warnings.

The assault came two weeks after the U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a notice urging Americans to avoid crowded places in view of “imminent” plans by extremists to target large Moscow gatherings, including concerts. Several other Western embassies repeated the warning. Earlier this week, Putin denounced the warning as an attempt to intimidate Russians.

Investigators on Saturday combed through the charred wreckage of the hall for more victims, and authorities said the death toll could still rise. Hundreds of people stood in line in Moscow to donate blood and plasma, Russia’s health ministry said.

Putin’s claim that the attackers tried to flee to Ukraine followed comments by Russian lawmakers who pointed the finger at Ukraine immediately after the attack. But Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, denied any involvement.

“Ukraine has never resorted to the use of terrorist methods,” he posted on X. “Everything in this war will be decided only on the battlefield.”

Ukraine’s foreign ministry accused Moscow of using the attack to try to build support for its war efforts.

“We consider such accusations to be a planned provocation by the Kremlin to further fuel anti-Ukrainian hysteria in Russian society, create conditions for increased mobilization of Russian citizens to participate in the criminal aggression against our country and discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the international community,” the ministry said in a statement.

Images shared by Russian state media showed emergency vehicles still gathered outside the ruins of Crocus City Hall, which could hold more than 6,000 people and hosted many big events, including the 2013 Miss Universe beauty pageant that featured Donald Trump.

On Friday, crowds were at the venue for a concert by the Russian rock band Picnic.

Videos posted online showed gunmen in the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range. Russian news reports cited authorities and witnesses as saying the attackers threw explosive devices that started the fire, which eventually consumed the building and caused its roof to collapse.

Dave Primov, who survived the attack, told the AP that the gunmen were “shooting directly into the crowd” in the front rows. He described the chaos in the hall as concertgoers raced to escape: “People began to panic, started to run and collided with each other. Some fell down and others trampled on them.”

After he and others crawled out of the hall into nearby utility rooms, he said he heard pops from small explosives and smelled burning as the attackers set the building ablaze. By the time they got out of the massive building 25 minutes later, it was engulfed in flames.

“Had it been just a little longer, we could simply get stuck there in the fire,” Primov said.

Messages of outrage, shock and support for the victims and their families have streamed in from around the world.

On Friday, the U.N. Security Council condemned the attack and underlined the need for the perpetrators to be held accountable. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the terrorist attack “in the strongest possible terms,” his spokesman said.

IS, which lost much of its ground after Russia’s military action in Syria, has long targeted Russia. In a statement posted by the group’s Aamaq news agency, IS’s Afghanistan affiliate said it had attacked a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk.

On Saturday, the group issued a new statement on Aamaq saying the attack was carried out by four men who used automatic rifles, a pistol, knives and firebombs. It said the assailants fired at the crowd and used knives to kill some concertgoers, casting the raid as part of IS’s ongoing war with countries that it says are fighting Islam.

In October 2015, a bomb planted by IS downed a Russian passenger plane over Sinai, killing all 224 people on board, most of them Russian vacation-goers returning from Egypt.

The group, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq but also in Afghanistan and Africa, also has claimed several attacks in Russia’s volatile Caucasus and other regions in the past years. It recruited fighters from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.

The group’s Afghanistan affiliate is known variously as ISIS-K or IS-K, taking its name from Khorasan Province, a region that covered much of Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia in the Middle Ages.

The affiliate has thousands of fighters who have repeatedly carried out attacks in Afghanistan since the country was seized in 2021 by the Taliban, a group with which they are at bitter odds.

ISIS-K was behind the August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport that left 13 American troops and about 170 Afghans dead during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal. They also claimed responsibility for a bomb attack in Kerman, Iran, in January that killed 95 people at a memorial procession.

On March 7, just hours before the U.S. Embassy warned about imminent attacks, Russia’s top security agency said it had thwarted an attack on a synagogue in Moscow by an IS cell and killed several of its members in the Kaluga region near the Russian capital. A few days before that, Russian authorities said six alleged IS members were killed in a shootout in Ingushetia, in Russia’s Caucasus region.