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Warner Music Group is getting its game on.
The major music company joins forces with Hello There Games, the Sweden-based game studio for the release of Invector: Rhythm Galaxy, a rhythm game soundtracked by 40 chart hits from the likes of PinkPantheress, Duran Duran, Charli XCX and others.
Slated to drop July 14, initially on PC, Invector: Rhythm Galaxy marks WMG’s first leap into games publishing.
This venture into gaming “showcases our commitment to reimagining the boundaries of music and how it is defined by artists and fans alike within our evolving ecosystem,” comments Oana Ruxandra, WMG’s chief digital officer and executive VP, business development.
Invector: Rhythm Galaxy is said to intertwine “the power of music with the interaction of gaming to build active, immersive experiences for fans and new revenue streams for WMG’s artists.”
Gaming and music are generations-long buddies. During the presentation of the IFPI’s Global Music Report in March of this year, WMG’s Simon Robson, president, international, Recorded Music, noted the industry has “done a great job looking at opportunities in fitness and the games sectors.”
WMG has worked with Peloton and invested in Web3 companies, including Roblox, and sees the alliance with Hello There Games as one that also plays in the music discovery space for gamers.
Hello There Games co-developed the Avicii Invector with the late Swedish EDM star, a game that features the tunes “What Would I Change It To,” “Pure Grinding,” “You Be Love” and more, and was originally built for the PS4.
Adds Oskar Eklund, CEO and founder of Hello There Games, “our unwavering passion for music and gaming fuels our drive. Many of our team members are talented musicians themselves.” Eklund continues, “We are so excited to bring this game to the next level with Warner Music Group and their amazing artists. We can’t wait for everyone to experience the magic of Invector: Rhythm Galaxy firsthand.”
Watch the trailer below.
The race is on! Dave and Central Cee‘s “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) edges into the lead on the midweek U.K. singles chart, after JHus and Drake came out fast from the starting blocks with “Who Told You”. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news If “Sprinter” maintains its pace, it’ll land […]
After a very public divorce and custody fight, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme has quietly gone through a cancer battle.
Speaking with Revolver, the American rocker confirmed he underwent surgery following a cancer diagnosis last year. He’s said to be recovering from the operation.
“I never say it can’t get any worse. I never say that, and I wouldn’t advise it. But I do say it can get better,” he comments, without sharing further details on his illness.
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“Cancer is just the cherry on top of an interesting time period, you know? I’m extremely thankful that I’ll get through this, and I’ll look back at this as something that’s fucked up — but will have made me better. I’m cool with that. There’s a lot of stuff I want to do. And there’s a lot of people I want to do that with.”
That “interesting time period” he refers to is a dry assessment of his breakup from the Distillers’ singer Brody Dalle in 2019, which has seen both sides file domestic violence restraining orders, and an ongoing custody battle which, due to their profiles, attracts global media attention. And prior to that, he caught flak when video emerged of him kicking a photographer at a KROQ Acoustic Christmas show, an incident he repeatedly apologized for.
Those dramas fed into the creative process for QOTSA’s forthcoming new album In Times New Roman. “I think this is the first time I didn’t want to make a record, but I was dealing with a lot of stuff in my personal life,” Homme adds. “We recorded a lot of stuff. I think I was doing it because when I’m in trouble, this is what I do. This is where I go to get right.”
The band’s eighth and latest full-length studio album is due out June 16 via Matador Records, and features the newly-released cut “Carnavoyeur” (stream below). In Times New Roman was recorded by the lineup of Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Dean Fertita, Michael Shuman and Jon Theodore, and will be supported by a major tour dubbed, The End is Nero, slated to kick off Aug. 3. It’s the followup to 2017’s Villains, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
Niall Horan welcomed fans to The Show (via Capitol). Now he’s set to be rewarded with the U.K. chart title.
The Irish pop singer’s third solo album leads the midweek U.K. chart race, piloting an all-new top 5 featuring new releases from McFly, James, Christine & The Queens and Extreme.
If it holds its course, The Show will give the former One Direction star his sixth leader overall and second solo No. 1, following 2020’s Heartbreak Weather. Horan’s debut solo effort Flicker peaked at No. 3 in 2017.
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As a member of 1D, Horan landed four U.K. No. 1 albums and as many leaders on the national singles survey.
Arriving at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update is McFly’s Power to Play (BMG), which is set to become the pop-punk band’s seventh top 10 release.
The podium at the midweek stage is completed by Britpop-era Manchester band James, with Be Open to the Wonderful (Nothing But Love Music). James has ten U.K. top 10 albums, including a No. 1 for 1998’s The Best Of.
French alternative pop outfit Christine & The Queens could net a third U.K. top 10 with Paranoia, Angels, True Love (Because Music). The three-part LP is new at No. 4 on the midweek chart.
Close behind at No. 5 is veteran U.S. rock band Extreme with Six (Ear Music), which set to become the “More Than Words” act’s first U.K.-charting album since 1995’s Waiting for the Punchline (No. 10 peak). Six could be Extreme’s third top 10 release.
Further down the midweek tally is Tears For Fears’ 40th anniversary reissue of their debut album The Hurting (Mercury), which originally led the chart in 1983. The Hurting is poised to return at No. 7.
And finally, English singer, producer and rapper King Krule could bag his first top 10 LP with Space Heavy (XL Recordings), new at No. 8 on the chart blast.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday (June 16).
Idina Menzel rocked the stage at WeHo Pride and chatted with Billboard News about the differences between her Broadway and Pride performances, the upcoming ‘Frozen 3,’ her new music, a potential return to Broadway and more!
Tetris Kelly:Hanging out at WeHo Pride with the beautiful Idina Menzel. How are you?
Idina Menzel:I’m good, thank you!
Tetris Kelly:It was so great to watch you perform tonight, and now that “Move” is out in the world, how has your fans reaction been to the new single?
Idina Menzel:I think it might be something people didn’t expect of me but once they hear it, I think they’ll think it’s a pretty organic transition. You know, big voices, great disco grooves.
Tetris Kelly:We love the disco grooves and even watching your set tonight, I was like, this feels very queer-inspired. Am I right about that? Because I was feeling myself.
Idina Menzel:Well, it’s Idina-inspired. Idina’s life maybe is synonymous with the queer-inspired stores. It’s about having to find my self-esteem and empower myself to get up every day and believe in who I am, and live my life authentically, which is honestly what I learned from all my friends in this community. And I probably wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t learned how to conduct myself in this world, if it wasn’t for them.
Thank you all for showing up. Let’s let them hear our anger and our madness and our frustration.
Tetris Kelly:Living your life authentically. I love that. You’re also performing at London Pride, and you’re here at WeHo Pride. So tell me what’s different about these shows versus the average Idina show.
Idina Menzel:Everybody’s standing, which is really cool. No offense to Broadway or the theater, but everyone needs to sit and behave. Here, they don’t have to behave so much. They can stand, they can dance, they can scream, and that just feels really good.
Tetris Kelly:I love that. And you know, the community has been under a lot of attack lately. The drag community, the trans community — have you ever been at like a drag show and been like “This is everything to me”? Because we’ve seen the “Let It Go” drag queens, like, tell me how have you been inspired by the drag community?
Watch the full video above.
Femme It Forward, a female-led music and entertainment company, has partnered with Google Pixel to establish the Femme It Future Scholarship. Five mentees from Femme It Forward’s mentorship program for young women of color — Next Gem Femme — will be selected as recipients. The scholarship is being announced in conjunction with Femme It Forward opening the application window for the third year of its mentorship program.
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“This scholarship is our commitment to nurturing the next generation of female leaders who will shatter barriers, break stereotypes and create a future filled with equality and empowerment,” said Femme It Forward president/CEO Heather Lowery in a statement.
“Google Pixel is at the forefront of incorporating diversity and inclusivity in its technology and products. We believe that empowering young women with education and opportunities is the key to unlocking their limitless potential. By offering transformative scholarships and coveted mentorship opportunities, our partnership can create change together that empowers the next generation.”
“We’re thrilled to be partnered with Heather and the team at Femme it Forward,” added Ava Donaldson, Google’s senior marketing manager, U.S. Social, Influencer + Inclusion. “Our mutual mission is centered around helpfulness and supporting the advancement of underrepresented communities, especially women.”
Select students will also receive special care packages comprised of Google and other products sourced exclusively from women-owned businesses.
When Next Gem Femme begins its third year in September, it will be pairing mentors with more than 100 females pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees or presently working in entry-level positions in the music and entertainment industries. As before, the program plans to award at least half of its mentee openings to students from historically Black colleges and universities.
Encompassing career pursuits such as marketing, publicity, live and touring, business development, talent management and artist relations, the program’s mentors come from various companies including Google, Amazon, Apple Music, CAA, Live Nation, NBC Universal, Netflix and YouTube. Among the female music industry executive mentors Republic Records executive vp Danielle Price, Warner Records senior VP of A&R Ericka Coulter, Virgin Music president Jacqueline Saturn and Roc Nation vp, marketing Bianca Edwards.
“Through powerful relationships and practical education, Next Gem Femme opens so many doors for young women of color, a group that has been overlooked for far too long,” noted Lowery. “We’re thrilled to launch our third year of the program and build on its amazing momentum as we continue leading necessary conversations about the need to improve workplace equity. This brilliant group of mentors will give remarkable young women the wisdom and tools to expand their talents, overcome setbacks and reach their potential.”
The application window for Next Gem Femme closes on Friday, June 16, 2023 (9 p.m. PT). For more information and to apply, visit femmeitforward.com.
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CMA Fest 2023 came to a close Sunday night (June 11) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary with a stacked lineup of some of country music’s brightest stars across multiple decades, demonstrating the enduring impact of the genre on generations of fans. The lineup featured one of the best-selling groups in […]
Australian comedian Barry Humphries, internationally renowned for his over-the-top stage persona Dame Edna Everage, is posthumously awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) as part of the King’s Birthday Honours celebrations.
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Humphries, who died last month, aged 89, was saluted with the highest honor for “eminent service to the arts” as a comedian, actor, author, satirist and entertainer, and for “the promotion of Australian culture, and as a patron of organisations”. Just six ACs were awarded, from a total list of 1,191 Australians recognized for their achievements.
A law school dropout, Humphries found major success as an actor, writer and entertainer in Britain in the 1970s, both with his Dame Edna creation, the grotesque cultural attache Sir Les Patterson, and others characters. He remained an active entertainer, touring Britain last year with his one-man show The Man Behind the Mask.
The late funnyman leads recipients from the fields of entertainment and music, which includes soprano Marina Prior, who was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her “significant service to musical theatre as a singer and performer.”
Also, Dead Can Dance co-founder Lisa Gerrard was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “service to the performing arts through music.”
The honors roll marks the first time birthday salutes were awarded on behalf of King Charles, following his coronation in May.
The awards were established in 1975 by Queen Elizabeth II of England and the commonwealth states, which include Australia, in recognition of special achievements by the country’s citizens. Until now, they’ve been known as Queen’s Birthday Honours.
“Recipients have made substantial contributions and had a significant impact at the local, national or international level,” reads a statement from the Governor-General. “Some are volunteers, others have had a remarkable impact in professional roles – many have done both. They are all inspiring and their service is valued by us all.”
Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood) does just like its namesake, as it bolts to the U.K. No. 1 in record-setting fashion.
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The hip-hop collaboration scores the biggest streaming week ever for a rap song in the U.K., the Official Charts Company reports, for Dave’s third leader and Central Cee’s first.
The outright leader at the midweek point, “Sprinter” races to 108,200 chart sales, according to the charts compiler, for the biggest opening of 2023. That sum includes 13.4 million streams, for the biggest-ever week for a rap single, beating Stormzy’s “Vossi Bop” which accumulated 12.7 million streams in one cycle back in May 2019.
That’s the biggest opening week for streams since Adele’s “Easy On Me” posted 24 million plays in its first seven days in October 2021.
Previously, Dave hit the summit with 2018’s “Funky Friday” with Fredo and in 2022 with “Starlight,” while Central Cee’s previous best was a No. 2 peak for 2022’s “Doja.”
“Sprinter” also nabs a piece of chart history in Australia, by coming the first U.K. rap single to debut at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart.
It’s one of three top 20 U.K. debuts from Dave and Central Cee’s surprise EP drop, Split Decision, as “Trojan Horse” gallops to No. 14 and “UK Rap” is new at No. 17.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s 2023 Eurovision champ Loreen taps a well of energy on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, June 9, as “Tattoo” (Polydor) bounces 10-7 in its fourth week on the tally, while Rudimental improves 11-8 with “Dancing Is Healing” (Room Two) featuring Charlotte Plank and Vibe Chemistry, for the British drum & bass act’s first top 10 single in five years.
Kylie Minogue is within a whisker of the top 10 with her comeback track “Padam Padam” (BMG). The Aussie pop princess’ electro-pop cut lifts 23-12 for her highest-charting single in the U.K. since “Higher with Taio Cruz” went to No. 8 in 2011.
The queen of pop, Madonna, bags a 72nd top 40 appearance with “Popular” (Republic Records/XO), her collaboration with the Weeknd and Playboi Carti. Lifted from HBO’s The Idol, the new cut bows at No. 21 for Madonna’s highest-charting U.K. single since “Celebration” reached No. 3 in 2009. It’s the Weeknd’s 34th top 40 appearance, and Playboi’s second.
Finally, Dundee, Scotland DJ Hannah Laing and vocalist RoRo has the biggest gainer in the U.K. with “Good Love” (WUGD), up 63-22.
The Foos fought all the way to the finishing line, as But Here We Are (via Columbia) wins a tight U.K. chart race.
Foo Fighters’ 11th and latest studio album becomes their sixth leader in the U.K., racking up 44,500 chart units during the latest cycle.
But Here We Are follows One By One (2002), Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007), Wasting Light (2011), Concrete And Gold (2017) and their most recent effort, 2021’s Medicine At Midnight, by marching to the top of the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
Dave Grohl and Co. are currently on the road supporting the new LP, recorded in the wake of the sudden death last year of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Brits will likely have to wait until 2024 for their tune to catch the Foos in action.
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But Here We Are manages to overturn a deficit at the halfway point, to deny Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds another crown with Council Skies (Sour Mash).
The legendary British rocker starts at No. 2 with Council Birds, ending a record-owning streak of 10 studio albums dating back nearly three decades. Gallagher’s unbroken run included all seven albums with Oasis and the previous three with High Flying Birds.
Council Skies, which enjoyed a late push from a digital exclusives campaign powered by Serenade, and finishes the chart week as the best-seller on wax, is Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds fifth top 5 title on the Official Chart.
Further down the list, published Friday, June 9, Sophie Ellis-Bextor bags her fifth U.K. top 10, as HANA (Cooking Vinyl) bows at No. 8, while another veteran British pop artist, Louise, just misses out on a top tier berth with Greatest Hits (BMG), new at No. 11.
Finally, Bob Dylan lands a 67th career top 40 entry with Shadow Kingdom (Sony Music CG). The new album, a collection of studio recordings of the songs that appeared in the master songwriter’s 2021 streaming special, starts at No. 14 on the U.K. survey.