djfrosty

28 Jul 2023

5 Takeaways From Travis Scott’s ‘Circus Maximus’ Album Film

After a five-year album hiatus and a deadly festival tragedy in 2021, Travis Scott is back in the public eye with his long-awaited new album Utopia out today (July 28).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Scott originally planned a grand entrance for the album via a concert at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, but the event was officially canceled earlier this week (July 26) due to “complex production issues,” according to a statement from Live Nation Middle East. However, Scott took to Twitter to reassure fans that the show will happen at a later time. “Egypt in the pyramids will happen but due to demand and detail logistics they just need a bit a time to set lay on lands. I will keep up posted on a date which will be soon love you alllll,” he wrote.

Between briefcases, billboards, and pyramids (or lack thereof), the 32-year-old showed off his knack for going above and beyond for his album promotion with the Utopia rollout. Earlier this summer, artists like Bad Bunny and The Weeknd (who are both featured on the album’s first single “K-POP”), SZA (who is featured alongside Future on “TELEKINESIS”) and Mike Dean (who mastered the album) had been spotted with brown Utopia-marked briefcases. Cryptic billboards promoting the album were also seen around Los Angeles last month. This past week, Scott also revealed five grainy album covers featuring men wearing white colored contacts — who, fans suspected, might represent song features due to their loose resemblance of Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Juice WRLD, Baby Keem and Lil Baby. (None of these artists are on the album.)

Beginning last night (July 27), Scott premiered an album film titled Circus Maximus in select AMC theaters. Directed by the musician along with five additional directors, Scott “takes his audience on a mind-bending visual odyssey across the globe, woven together by the speaker rattling sounds of his highly anticipated upcoming album Utopia,” reads AMC’s website. “The film is a surreal and psychedelic journey, uniting a collective of visionary filmmakers from around the world in a kaleidoscopic exploration of human experience and the power of soundscapes.”

Billboard attended the film screening last night. Here’s what we gathered.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=KvLg2LAg5kQ&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

Free merch

Fans were gifted free Circus Maximus t-shirts upon checking in at the theater. The shirts are black with the Cactus Jack and film’s logo on the front and back, respectively. Scott also revealed that some of them were hidden in theaters, sending fans on a scavenger hunt.

Scott’s inner thoughts

Circus Maximus begins with Scott being choked by an octopus, before transforming into a new version of himself. He then climbs a mountain to meet with producer Rick Rubin, who engages him in a conversation about his feelings as of late. Rubin tells Scott that he’s come a long way and acknowledges that the rapper has experienced tragedy, seemingly alluding to the deadly crowd crush that killed 10 people at his Astroworld Festival in 2021. At times, Scott seems flustered. He quickly deflects the topic, saying he didn’t visit Rubin to discuss that, though he shows remorse about the situation later on when asked, “How’s home?” “Home ain’t been the same in a while,” Scott replies. “I hear echoes half the day.”

Scott’s conversations with Rubin occur in the first half of the film, and are sandwiched between cinematic music videos of him in different countries. In one clip, he’s a part of what looks like an acrobatic trick, where people are standing on each other’s shoulders to help a child climb out of a hole. The camera shows a close-up of Scott straining under the pressure, a possible metaphor for the weight he’s felt over the past few years processing his grief and figuring out how to move forward with his career. However, other scenes are more jovial: One scene sees him DJing a party to Utopia‘s “MODERN JAM” while in another, he’s seen riding camels and dirt bikes with people in Nigeria to the set’s “HYAENA.”

The world-building and meaning of UTOPIA

Travis Scott has become exceptional at creating worlds around his music. Whereas 2018’s Astroworld was more straightforward in concept, UTOPIA is a bit more loose in meaning and open to interpretation. For Circus Maximus — which he directed, wrote and starred in — the artist traveled to Iceland, Nigeria, Denmark, France and Italy to make sense of his personal utopia. When asked about the album, the Houston artist explains that his concept of a utopian world “is not all that pretty and confrontational,” but rather, he’s trying to transfer his energy without breaking or disrupting it along the journey. He also mentions that he’s trying to find a new way to rage.

Scott seems the most in his element during the last half of the film, when he performs a handful of UTOPIA songs at an amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy. At this point, Circus Maximus pivots from a collection of music videos and Rubin conversations to a concert film. Dressed in white and backed by a wall of speakers, dusk turns to dawn as Scott rehearses some of his new catalog in the empty historical venue.

Special guest appearances

During his performance, special guests — some of whom are also featured on the album — joined Scott to perform. Teezo Touchdown (“MODERN JAM”), Sheck Wes (“FE!N”), Yung Lean (“PARASAIL”), James Blake (“TIL FURTHER NOTICE”) and model Jazzelle all joined Scott and were thanked for their participation in the closing credits. Other artists featured on the 19-track album include Beyoncé, Drake, Young Thug, Future, SZA and Sampha. In conversation with director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids) for i-D in early 2021, the Scott said that with UTOPIA he is “expand[ing] the sound. I’ve been making beats again, rapping on my own beats, just putting everything together and trying to grow it really,” he said. “That’s been one of the most fun things about working on this album. I’m evolving, collaborating with new people, delivering a whole new sound, a whole new range.”

Cactus Jack and gamma?

Circus Maximus is in association with Larry Jackson’s new media company gamma, according to the film’s closing credits. In whatever capacity that is, it doesn’t seem far-fetched, since Scott attended the company’s launch party back in March. gamma is a company that specializes in distribution, creative guidance, marketing and more. Its clientele so far includes Snoop Dogg, Usher and Sexyy Red.

28 Jul 2023

Kylie Minogue Headed to Las Vegas For Venetian Residency at Intimate Voltaire: ‘VEGAS BABY!’

Kylie Minogue is headed to Las Vegas. The “Padam Padam” singer announced on Thursday (July 27) that she has scheduled her first-ever residency at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas’ Voltaire this fall. “VEGAS BABY! [star emoji],” she tweeted in a video set to her latest global dance smash. “So excited to headline the all-new @VoltaireLV at starting this fall. See you there! #MoreThanJustAResidency.”

The gigs for the first headliner run at the 1,000-seat cabaret-style space at the Venetian are slated to kick off on Nov. 4, with tickets going on sale on August 9. The space was described in a press release announcing the shows as “blurring the line between an intimate club, concert, and non-stop entertainment venue.”

“Today is the day where it all becomes, beautifully real,” Minogue said at the Los Angeles event announcing her residency according to EW. The singer said she and the resort have been “living with” their plans for the residency for nearly three years. “So to finally be able to say, yes, I am doing a show in Vegas and to be at Voltaire at the Venetian Resort, it’s just, it’s such a good match. And, yeah, I couldn’t be more excited.”

Minogue is prepping her 16th studio album, Tension (Sept. 22), which has been set up by the global hit “Padam Padam.” The Australian singer hinted at her plans to join Adele, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson and other current Vegas residency artists earlier this month during an episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in which the host asked if she had any plans to do a “tour or Vegas residency.” Squinting her eyes mischievously, Minogue teased, “very possibly.”

“The spirit of Voltaire is one of pure, authentic fun. It’s one I resonate with as a pop artist. My new album Tension is all about the space where the intimate and universal come together and Voltaire represents just that,” Minogue said in a statement announcing the residency on Friday morning (July 28). “The creative team has designed an environment where people can get up and dance at their tables and revel in the night – that’s what my music is for.”

Producer Michael Gruber described his vision for Voltaire as an “interactive night out with some of the world’s biggest superstars” in an intimate setting where “anything can happen and no two evenings are the same.”

With a theme of “Belle de Nuit” (Beauty of the Night), Voltaire aims to capture a spirit “evocative of veils and mystery, of come-to-play and dress-to-express,” with table service that will include everything from champagne and caviar to cookies. “The creative team has designed an environment where people can get up and dance at their tables and revel in the night,” said Minogue. “That’s what Voltaire is and I can’t wait to perform in this intimate and exciting setting.”

Venetian president/CEO Patrick Nichols said that, “Voltaire will lead a revival in high-caliber nightlife giving guests an unexpected night out, but also the opportunity to see some of their favorite artists in an intimate way.” Gruber added, “Everything about Kylie reflects the essence of Voltaire. Her music is fun. Her spirit is absolutely infectious. And she’s at the top of her game, which makes this a truly special moment for fans to connect in such an intimate environment.”

Minogue will wear custom high-fashion costumes for the residency created by a designer who has worked with her before, as well as with Beyoncé and Mariah Carey, for what is described as a “heavy couture influence [that] lends the entire evening an unforgettably glamorous lens.” Emmy- and Tony-winning production designer Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge, MJ on Broadway) conjured the “immersive key-hole themed room design, centered around modern-day art deco fantasy.”

“I really wanted it to feel like an escape from the environment of the casino floor. Something that felt like a completely different world. An intimate, exciting, and inviting world,” said McLane. Information on tickets, tables and packages for the opening show and residency run is available here.

Watch the residency announcement below.

28 Jul 2023

Executive Turntable: ‘Barbie’ Music Supervisor Joins Premier as Creative Director; AWAL Names Urban Music Head

Music strategy and supervision company Premier Music Group has acquired the music supervision services of George Drakoulias, a longtime music supervisor who has worked on films and TV series including Joker, The Batman, Marriage Story and, most recently, the smash hit Barbie.

At Premier, Drakoulis joins the leadership team as a partner and creative director and will open the company’s new West Coast offices this summer. He’ll be tasked with expanding Premier’s music supervision team and the company’s West Coast footprint while striking new creative opportunities and partnerships.

Over the course of his career, Drakoulis has held executive A&R roles at Def Jam — where he worked with LL Cool J and The Beastie Boys — and (Def) American Recordings, where he signed and produced albums for The Black Crowes, The Jayhawks and The Freewheelers. He has also produced albums for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Maria McKee, Primal Scream and Susan Tedeschi, as well as tracks for Wu-Tang Clan.

“George is a legend in our business, and I’ve admired his impeccable creative and commercial instincts for years,” said Premier Music Group CEO Josh Deutsch in a statement. “His body of production and supervision work, exceptional artistry and deep relationships in music and entertainment make him the ideal partner at this key point in Premier’s growth.”

Premier Music Group creative director Randall Poster added, “George and I have been working together for years. He loves movies and music as much as anyone I know, and brings that passion into every operation and project he takes on. George has produced some of my favorite records, the first two Black Crowes albums, the Jayhawks, many more. He’s been anchoring our West Coast operation for years and I couldn’t be more excited to have him join us in a more substantial way.”

“I couldn’t be happier to be joining the Premier Music team,” said Drakoulis. “Randy and I have been running around together, working on movies and record projects for forever. He has been the most exquisite guide into the world of music supervision. I’ve come to rely on the support of the Premier team, Meghan Currier, Winslow Bright, Milena Erke, and Ian Herbert for years, since they were interns actually, and love and respect them all.”

AWAL named Norva Denton as senior vice president/head of urban music. In his new role, he’ll bolster and develop the label’s urban music roster via strategic signings and an artist development-focused mindset. Based in Los Angeles, Denton will join the company’s A&R team, reporting to president Pete Giberga. Before AWAL, Denton served as senior vp of A&R at Warner Records, where he signed, developed and spearheaded the careers of artists such as YFN Lucci, Wale, Taykeith, Chika and 2KBABY. – Griselda Flores

Negla Abdela was promoted to MD at Sony Music UK’s Ministry of Sound. She was previously GM and has been responsible for managing the marketing and digital teams. Abdela joined the label in 2015 as a social media manager and was promoted to head of digital in 2018.

Diana Sanders was appointed senior vp of business affairs at Prescription Songs and label counterpart Amigo Records. Prior to joining the companies, she served as a partner at Russ August & Kabat and co-chaired the firm’s music practice group. Sanders has been named to Billboard‘s Women in Music and Top Music Lawyers lists multiple times.

Christopher Mauberqué was named head of international A&R at independent digital distributor IDOL, where he’ll be tasked with continuing to drive the company’s business development in territories outside Europe. He previously served as senior label manager at !K7 Music and as A&R and label manager for French independent distributor La Baleine (now known as Bigwax). Mauberqué can be reached at christophe.mauberque@idol.io.

Gerardo Martinez and Sven Bogner announced their partnership in a new heavy metal record label, Reigning Phoenix Music. Martinez, who was a longtime GM at Nuclear Blast America, has been instrumental in the careers of such artists as Dimmu Borgir, Carcass and Hypocrisy. Bogner, an avionics and tech entrepreneur, is a “self-professed metalhead and musician,” according to a press release. The label is headquartered in Los Angeles and Hamburg, Germany. “Our collective blueprint for RPM is to help hard, extreme, and heavy metal music thrive globally,” said Martinez in a statement. Artist signing announcements are forthcoming.

Luis Mesa was appointed director of marketing at Bichota Records, Karol G’s newly-announced imprint. The Colombian executive will focus on creating and executing strategies and day-to-day promotion for Karol G’s musical releases through the label. Before joining the Bichota Records team, Mesa had been SoundOn’s (TikTok’s distribution platform) marketing manager U.S. Latin and, previously, label manager and artist strategy at Universal Music Latino. He will be based out of the company’s Miami headquarters. – Griselda Flores

Artist manager Max Gredinger was named partner at Foundations Artist Management, joining company founder/partner Steve Bursky as well as partners Brian Winton and Drew Simmons. Gredinger has been with Foundations since 2012; his current clients include Laufey, mxmtoon, Ricky Montgomery and rainbolt. He can be reached at max@foundationsmgmt.com.

Discogs promoted four employees to executive leadership positions: Anbu Ilangovane to vp of engineering, Jeffrey Smith to vp of marketing, Jen Agosta to brand director and Richard Gleeson to director of people operations.

Mike Rogers was named vp of business development at blockchain-based ticketing platform DeFy Tickets, which is powered by NFT ticketing provider GET Protocol. Rogers has worked in the ticketing business for nearly 20 years, most recently serving as GM of partnerships at Dice FM. In his new role, he will oversee DeFy’s growth strategy while securing new partnerships with venues, promoters, festivals and conferences in North America. Rogers can be reached at Mike@DefyTickets.com.

Provident Entertainment’s publishing division, Essential Music Publishing, promoted Jamie Rodgers to the role of vp. Rodgers was previously Essential Music’s senior creative director and has been with the company since 2017. Prior to her work with Essential Music Publishing, Rodgers served as manager of national promotions and commercial partnerships for Capitol Christian Music Group. – Jessica Nicholson

John Bowditch was promoted to senior director of marketing at Seeker Music, where he has worked since 2021. In his new role, he will oversee all marketing activity across the company’s catalog and frontline businesses. He can be reached at John@seekermusic.com.

Deron Johnston was appointed chief program officer at BRIC, the Brooklyn-based arts and media institution. In his new role, Johnston will lead the integration of BRIC’s platforms and programming while also overseeing the creative direction of its media and non-media programming, including BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, BRIC JazzFest and Contemporary Art. He was previously director of community development, strategy & innovation at the Center for Justice Innovation.

Grayson Clotfelter was named creative manager at Play It Again Music Group, where he will oversee the creative direction of the company’s roster of songwriters. He previously worked as a catalog manager at Universal Music Publishing Nashville and has also toured with acts including Seaforth and Lily Rose. Clotfelter can be reached at grayson@piamusic.com.

28 Jul 2023

Madonna Dances in Post-Hospitalization Video Update and Thanks Fans For Support: ‘You Must Be My Lucky Stars Too!’

Madonna had a lot to celebrate this week as the pop icon continued recuperating from her recent hospitalization for a bacterial infection. In an Instagram video posted on Thursday (July 27), the singer promoted the 40th anniversary celebration of her 1983 debut album and the song that helped boost her to global stardom, “Lucky Star.”

“To be able to move my body and dance just a little bit makes me feel like the Luckiest Star in the world!” Madonna wrote in the video in which she wears an all-black outfit as she swivels her hips up to the camera, pulls down her gold shades and winks while a digital star sparkles in her left eye. “Thank you to all of my fans and friends! You must be my lucky stars too! And Happy 40th Birthday to my very. First Album- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.” The clip ends with Madonna blowing a kiss to the lens and mouthing the words to the song’s chorus.

The clip of the singer looking mobile and healthy — it’s unclear when the video was shot — got an enthusiastic thumbs up from one of her besties, fashion icon Donatella Versace, who commented, “Loookinnnnggg great!! ???,” plus some love and support from pals actresses Debi Mazar, Rosanna Arquette and Julia Garner, as well as Roots drummer Questlove, 3Lau and many more.

In another video posted to Twitter (né “X”), she wrote, “Happy 40th Birthday to my very. First Album – [four star emoji] Thank you to all of my fans and friends! You must be my Lucky Stars!” That one was accompanied by the legendary clip of her talking to Dick Clark during her North American TV debut on American Bandstand in Jan. 1984 in which he asked, “What do you hope will happen for the rest of your professional life? What are your dreams, what’s left?” Wearing her signature off-the-shoulder black tank top and armloads of bracelets, Madonna bit her lip and said coquettishly, “hmmm… to rule the world.”

The happy updates were a welcome sight for fans who’ve been fretting about the 64-year-old singer’s health since she was hospitalized last month for what her manager Guy Oseary described as a “serious bacterial infection” that landed the singer in the ICU for a few days.

The “Lucky” vids were the latest update from Madonna on her recovery, following a July 18 return to Instagram in which she was pictured embracing and smelling a large bouquet of pink roses. “‘A single rose can be my garden. A single friend my world.’ Thank You,” she captioned the image, quoting writer Leo Buscaglia along with a black heart and red rose emoji. The health scare prompted the postponement of Madonna’s career-spanning Celebration world tour, which will skip over planned North American dates this summer and instead launch with a European leg in the fall.

Check out the videos below.

28 Jul 2023

Rudy Giuliani Concedes To False Statements Against Georgia Elections Workers

HipHopWired Featured Video

Rudy Giuliani Attends Court Hearing In Poll Worker Defamation Case

Rudy Giuliani made strong accusations against a pair of Georgia election workers connected to the state swinging in favor of President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election against former president Donald Trump. In a court filing earlier this week, Rudy Giuliani conceded to making false statements against the workers that he accused of tampering with ballots.

Rudy Giuliani, 79, stated his admission in a court filing this past Tuesday (July 25) in connection to a defamation lawsuit brought by the two Georgia election workers that the former New York mayor accused of fixing the ballots in favor of President Biden. Back in 2021, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss filed a defamation lawsuit in Washington, D.C.

In the statement filed by Giuliani, he is no longer contesting the statements he made against Freeman and Moss, which could essentially be seen as an admission that he falsified the claims. Politico adds in its reporting that this isn’t a signal Giuliani is allowing the lawsuit to move ahead unchallenged but instead moves the case to the legal arguments stage in order to determine if he will be held responsible for the damages requested in the lawsuit from the mother and daughter.

“Mayor Rudy Giuliani did not acknowledge that the statements were false but did not contest it in order to move on to the portion of the case that will permit a motion to dismiss,” aide Ted Goodman said. “This is a legal issue, not a factual issue. Those out to smear the mayor are ignoring the fact that this stipulation is designed to get to the legal issues of the case.”

While Giuliani’s side maintains that his statement falls just short of an admission of making the charges against the workers, the legal team for Freeman and Moss are seeing this as a favorable outcome for their clients.

“Giuliani’s stipulation concedes what we have always known to be true — Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss honorably performed their civic duties in the 2020 presidential election in full compliance with the law, and the allegations of election fraud he and former-President Trump made against them have been false since day one,” Michael J. Gottlieb, partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, offered in a statement. “While certain issues, including damages, remain to be decided by the court, our clients are pleased with this major milestone in their fight for justice, and look forward to presenting what remains of this case at trial.”

—

Photo: Getty

HipHopWired Radio

Our staff has picked their favorite stations, take a listen…

28 Jul 2023

Hyperion Records Starts Catalog Rollout on Streaming Platforms

Hyperion Records has entered the streaming age.

From today (July 28), the venerated British classical label begins the rollout of its catalog on streaming platforms, starting with a batch of 200 titles.

The initial run includes “key recordings” from Hyperion’s roster, including Arcangelo, Mahan Esfahani, Marc-André Hamelin, Angela Hewitt, Sir Stephen Hough, Alina Ibragimova, Steven Isserlis, Steven Osborne and Polyphony.

All 2,000-plus LPs from the Hyperion vault will be available to stream by spring 2024, reads a statement. Collections should follow every two weeks from Sept. 15, 2023, until the complete set is ingested and available across the myriad platforms.

The long-overdue streaming push follows Universal Music Group (UMG) acquisition of the label, in a deal announced in March which sees Hyperion join Decca Classics and Deutsche Grammophon in UMG’s classical portfolio.

Also from today, three new Hyperion releases are made available for streaming, including the latest Dvořák album from the Takács Quartet; and a collection of choral anthems from Stephen Layton and Trinity College Choir Cambridge.

Going forward, all new Hyperion titles will be simultaneously available for streaming, physical purchase and download, explains the statement from UMG.

The 43-year-old label — which is home to artists like Marc-André Hamelin, Angela Hewitt and Stephen Osborne, and some works which date back to the 12th century — was founded in South London by Ted Perry, a classical enthusiast who moonlighted as a mini-cab driver to fund its early recordings.

“These first 200 albums tell our story, and we look forward to presenting all our work from the past four decades to a new global streaming audience artist-by-artist, series-by-series,” comments Simon Perry, managing director of Hyperion and son of the label’s founder. “Each had their challenges and now they come together to tell a narrative, hopefully a powerful one, of what can happen when you make space for musicians to thrive: it’s why Hyperion has worked.”

The second release phase will “showcase some of Hyperion’s great piano and keyboard stars” including pianists Danny Driver, Stephen Hough, Pavel Kolesnikov, Steven Osborne, and harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani.

Subsequent “release chapters” will feature choral music, string quartets, Baroque, early music and solo vocal, and more.

The acquisition came as the classical music world emerged as a hive of activity. Last November, Deutsche Grammophon launched a new standalone streaming service, Stage+, catering to its own catalog and that of Decca Classics. And earlier this year, Apple Music launched its own standalone streaming app, Apple Music Classical, which stems from its August 2021 acquisition of Primephonic.

“The arrival of Hyperion on the world’s streaming platforms,” comments Dickon Stainer, UMG’s president of global classics & jazz, “offers a special moment of discovery for this precious and pioneering label.”

28 Jul 2023

‘Barbie The Album’ Strolls to No. 1 In Australia

As Barbie blows up box-offices around the globe, the official soundtrack struts its way to No. 1 in Australia.

Barbie The Album (via Atlantic/Warner) opens at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, published July 28, while several tracks from it climb the singles survey. The big gainers include Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” up 8-2; “Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua soaring 23-3; and “Dance The Night” by Dua Lipa shimmying 27-6.

Barbie, which features “Journey to the Real Word” by Tame Impala, and “Forever & Again” by The Kid Laroi, both artists from the land Down Under, is the first soundtrack to lead the national tally since Disney’s Encanto completed an 11-week climb to the top in March 2022, ARIA reports.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Starring Aussie actor Margot Robbie in the titular role, Barbie raked in a “dazzling global debut of $356.3 million,” according to The Hollywood Reporter, a sum that includes a biggest opening ever for a Warner Bros. title in Australia ($14.6 million).

Jack is back on the albums chart. John Farnham, the legendary, ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted singer, has four albums in the top 100, powered by the July 24 TV debut of the documentary John Farnham: Finding The Voice.

Leading the charge is his Greatest Hits (Sony), vaulting 169-9 for a new peak position. Farnham, who has battled health issues in recent months, boasts the highest-selling album ever in Australia by a domestic artist, 1986’s Whispering Jack. The album spent 25 weeks at No. 1 following its release, en route to shifting more than one million copies. Whispering Jack reenters the ARIA Chart at No. 41.

Also debuting on the latest tally is Blood Red (Sony) from Australian folk-rock duo Busby Marou, new at No. 14; and River Runs Dry (Universal) by Cold Chisel’s Ian Moss, new at No. 18.

Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, “Sprinter” (Virgin/Universal) by Dave and Central Cee outraces the pack for a seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1.

The top debut this week belongs to Travis Scott, Bad Bunny and The Weeknd, whose collaborative single “K-Pop” (Epic/Sony) is new at No. 27. “K-Pop” is lifted from Scott’s new album Utopia, which dropped Friday.

There’s some K-pop in the top 20, specifically, cuts from NewJeans’ second EP Get Up (ING/Universal). All six tracks from the EP impact the top 100, including “Super Shy,” up 26-14 for a new peak position, while “ETA” bows at No. 34, “Cool With You” starts at No. 40, “ASAP” is at No. 64 and the title track appears at No. 82. The girl group has an Aussie connection: Danielle Marsh is born-and-raised in Newcastle, Australia, and Hanni Pham is a Melbourne native, who featured on The Voice Kids Australia back in 2014.

28 Jul 2023

Quavo Talks Grief, Unfinished Songs With TakeOff and Forthcoming Album ‘Rocket Power’

When Quavo discusses TakeOff and making those delicate steps forward in life without his nephew and Migos bandmate, the grief is palpable.

“I think about him all the time,” he explains in a new interview — a “conversation for the fans,” in which he bears his soul in black and white. “Sometimes I cry myself to sleep.”

TakeOff (real name: Kirshnik Khari Ball) was shot and killed during a private party he attended at 810 Billiards & Bowling in downtown Houston with his uncle and bandmate, Quavo, on Nov. 1, 2022, an action that still weighs heavy on the rapper.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Grief, when you’re not prepared, and who is, can put you in a “messed up place, in a bad place,” he explains. Everything, from the day-to-day, which now includes therapeutic stints of chilling out, meditating, swimming in the ocean, and gym, to the creative process, is turned upside down.

As a record takes shape, Quavo has a particular style of working. He’d cut the hook and the verse, show it to his bandmates. “Now he’s gone and I don’t have nobody to play the music for,” he recounts. Instead, “I just try to connect with the earth and just try to hear them like that.” Quavo doesn’t “really like nobody else’s opinion.”

Quavo’s forthcoming solo album Rocket Power is slated for release Aug. 4, and it’s fueled by his late nephew and former partner-in-rhyme.

With Rocket Power, his first LP since 2018’s Quavo Huncho, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, he lets it all out in one blaze of energy.

He’s been “bottling all these emotions,” he notes, “all the pain, all the hard times, all the times I cried and all the times I just made music” to cope with loss. “And to pull up and try to play songs and he’s not there, and I’m just trying to get this fuel from above and this feeling from the sky and just call it Rocket Power.”

Quavo also opened up on his favorite song on the album, “11.11,” a date that captures the moment he hit record and got to work (“It felt like it was a sign”), and talked the residual energy of his fallen bandmember.

There’s not just energy floating out there in the ether, there’s a stash of unfinished music. A lot of it, apparently.

“In this phone alone, it’s 150 songs. Every phone probably has 350 songs.” Quavo admits he’s got five phones. TakeOff had three phones. “He’s got songs I never heard, ‘I’m like, bro why you never played me this’.”

One of the standouts, he explains, is called “Put That S— On.” “The Silent Assassin, he saved it for a reason. I got you though. We’re gonna finish strong,” he enthuses, adding, “that’s just in the phone. We’ve probably got like a thousand….we’ve got a lot of songs.“

With the announcement of the new LP back in May, Quavo remarked, “This album is for the Rocket, our true fans, and also this is my therapy. This album is a true reflection of how I feel right now.”

Watch the interview below. Part 2 is said to be coming soon.

27 Jul 2023

Carly Rae Jepsen Returns With ‘The Loveliest Time’: Stream It Now

Carly Rae Jepsen‘s new album, The Loveliest Time, is officially here! The LP — the seventh by the “Call Me Maybe” hitmaker — was released to streaming services on Friday (July 27).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The album contains a total of 13 tracks that were first teased in a New York Times-style crossword puzzle. The track include “Anything to Be with You,” “Kamikaze,” “After Last Night,” “Aeroplanes,” “Boy,” “Kollage,” “Shadow,” “Psychedelic Switch,” “So Right,” “Come Over,” “Put It to Rest,” “Stadium Love,” “Weekend Love” and the project’s lead single, “Shy Boy.”

In the announcement for the record, Jepsen shared that the album came as a result of experiencing a period of positivity following isolation.

“I got to know loneliness and discover the beauty in it. The loneliest time taught me that growth comes from being planted in darkness. But now the world has opened itself back up again and in turn so have we. It’s time for celebration and for all the lessons we have learned to burst into joyful action. The Loveliest Time…” she wrote. “I can’t really call it a b sides as if these were cast off ideas – it’s the completed set to a body of work that taught me so much about love and loneliness and myself.”

The album serves as Jepsen’s follow up to The Loneliest Time, which was released last year on Oct. 5. The set peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard 200 and became her fourth top 40 album on the chart.

Listen to The Loveliest Time below.

27 Jul 2023

Post Malone’s New Album ‘Austin’ Has Arrived: Stream It Now

The wait is finally over. On Friday (July 27), Post Malone returned with his fifth studio album, Austin. The set is available to listen to on streaming services now.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The album contains a total of 17 tracks — “Don’t Understand,” “Novacandy,” “Too Cool to Die,” “Sign Me Up,” “Socialite,” “Something Real” “Speedometer,” “Hold My Breath,” “Enough Is Enough,” “Texas Tea,” “Buyer Beware,” “Landmine,” “Green Thumb” and “Laugh It Off” arrived with the release of the record on Friday, while tracks “Chemical,” “Mourning” and “Overdrive” were dropped as singles preceding the album’s arrival. The latter three singles charted at Nos. 13, 36 and 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

Upon announcing the name of the project back in May, Malone revealed that recording the project was incredibly rewarding, and highlights the true nature of his artistry.

“This whole deal has been one of the most challenging, rewarding, and exciting records I’ve worked on. I feel it captures who I am as a man and as an artist in this moment,” he wrote in a May 16 Instagram post. “Thank y’all so much for your patience, and thank you for being there with me in my hardest times. I love y’all so much, and am ready to f—ing party with y’all. Cheers, and keep spreading love.”

Austin follows 2022’s Twelve Carat Toothache. Toothache peaked at No. 2 on the all genre Billboard 200 chart, and became Malone’s fourth studio album to chart within the top five.

Listen to Austin below.