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It’s Wakanda forever! The day has arrived (Friday, Nov. 11) where the much-anticipated Black Panther sequel will be watched in theaters across the nation. Along with the film, the soundtrack to the movie arrived last Friday, with appearances from the likes of Tems, Future, E-40 — and the collection’s marquee attraction, Rihanna’s first new single in six years, “Lift Me Up.”
Ludwig Göransson, who won his first Oscar for best original score for Black Panther, worked on the soundtrack, including “Lift Me Up.”
“It was extremely special. Ryan and I created this spark, and Tems and Rihanna sort of turned that spark into a supernova,” Göransson tells Billboard. “They’re each tapped into something that borders on the divine — and looking back, it almost felt like ‘Lift Me Up’ had a life of its own, floating around the world, which felt right both for the film and the person who inspired it.”
The film’s director, Ryan Coogler, echoes these sentiments, saying that working with Tems, Rihanna, and Göransson was a rewarding experience. Göransson and Coogler’s relationship goes back over a decade and it’s “always great to collaborate with him,” he says.
“Tems, I’ve become very fond of in recent years, since learning about her and her story. I was amazed to be able to sit with her and have her contribute her artistry and genius to the song,” Coogler continues. “Rihanna, I’ve been listening to her since she came out, since ‘Pon de Replay.’ And her music has had a very meaningful effect on my life and the life of my family. I think back on some of our most memorable moments, and she was like a soundtrack for a lot of them. So it was amazing that it worked out.”
Göransson notes that the lullaby came together when he and Coogler flew to Nigeria to meet with artists and experience the music there. The pair talked about what kind of song they wanted to write for the late Panther Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020 at 43 after a battle with colon cancer. Coogler then started writing lyrics in his notebook on a flight, after hearing some chords Göransson had written and recorded.
While Coogler says he doesn’t consider himself a songwriter, he still felt honored to write the lyrics to the song. “I didn’t want to not do what he asked me to do,” Coogler says.
“We worked on a melody, which would become the chorus, and brought those ideas to Tems in Lagos,” Göransson continues. “She really brought it to life. Rihanna saw the movie a few months after becoming a mother and wanted to get involved — so we spent three weeks kind of painstakingly going through every part of it and it just came together.”
Co-Producer of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Archie Davis, who has produced films Judas and The Black Messiah and Space Jam: A New Legacy, says that the song and the project as a whole changed the mourning process of Boseman for him in many ways. “I think it’s probably the most beautiful sonic love letter I ever could’ve imagined,” he says.
When it comes to the late Boseman, Davis hopes his legacy is remembered by people forever. “He was our Black Panther, and that goes beyond what he displayed on film.”
Now that the film is released, Coogler can’t wait for viewers to finally see it. “It’s just belonged to us for four years, so I’m excited to get it out to people and see what they think,” he says.
Göransson is similarly breathless about the film’s long-anticipated release: “I’m excited for audiences to connect with the story and the characters in a way that is uniquely intimate and deeply personal, and I’m excited for people to go home and be able to relive this experience with the soundtrack and the score.”
Ordering a plate of flautas at his favorite Mexican restaurant in Lincoln Heights, Jean Dawson is in his element.
The staff quickly recognize him — not because of his growing popularity as a genre-agnostic indie performer, but as a frequent patron of the restaurant’s Sinaloan cuisine, which feels like home for the half-Mexican, half-Black American artist. He cracks jokes with the waiter in his native Spanish, oozing with charisma as he sips his watermelon agua fresca. (He finds it to be a little “too sweet.”)
Within minutes, it’s clear that Dawson’s personality is a far cry from the elusive, hard-to-define character he embodies through his melange of sounds. His latest album, CHAOS NOW*, has something for everyone, relentlessly swerving between indie rock, punk, folk, country and hip-hop. On cuts like “THREEHEADS*” and “0-HEROES*,” we find the 26-year-old Tijuana native yelling an anthemic chorus at the top of his lungs, sandwiched between rap-cadence verses. For the cinematic album closer, PIRATE RADIO*, he delivers gentle country-tinged melodies and reflective lyrics, a soft exhale to follow the high-intensity tracks before it. As the title suggests, CHAOS NOW* is beautifully impossible to place, and that’s exactly what Jean Dawson wants.
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“I don’t necessarily fight categorization — I don’t want to go to a grocery store where there’s gum in the milk aisle,” he says between bites of flautas. “Where categorization becomes a problem is when you’re pigeonholed into a certain category.”
CHAOS NOW* reached No. 35 on Billboard‘s Heatseekers chart, with “PIRATE RADIO*” also appearing on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Following the release of his album, Jean Dawson clocked in at over 100 million career streams and tripled his Spotify listenership to 1.4 million.
Born David Sanders, Jean Dawson grew up between Tijuana and San Diego, having moved back to Mexico as his mother battled depression. “My mom carried the weight of the world on her back,” he explains. “But my mom also did everything in the f—ing world for us.”
After his parents separated, the singer-songwriter’s father would send money to his mother to help support their family, but even then, it was tough to make ends meet. “I woke up every day and made sure we subsistence ate,” he explains — clarifying quickly, “Meaning we would only buy the groceries for the day. As a five- or six-year-old, my grandmother would send me to the store around the corner to buy tortillas, eggs, ham — she’ll make breakfast, then for lunch I’d go back to the supermarket to get meat and seasonings.”
While his father was largely absent from his life, Jean Dawson’s mother did everything she could to keep her multi-cultural son aware of the entirety of his heritage. “I was a result of my mom’s love for Black culture and my dad’s love for Mexican culture,” he says. “My mom made us recognize that the world was gonna treat us a certain way for not only being Hispanic, but being Black. But one of the biggest things for my mom was like, ‘Never let nobody take away your Blackness.’ She’s like, “Because you are Mexican as f–k. But you’re also Black as f–k.’”
Navigating the in-between became commonplace for the artist, who went on to study film at California State University, Los Angeles before dropping out, and later released his first album, Bad Sports, in 2019. Since then, his sound has evolved with time, but the essence remains the same. Now, embarking on his sold-out headlining tour, he continues forging his own path while keeping in mind the greats who inspire him.
“I’m informed by Prince [and] Michael Jackson,” he explains. “Do I make music like [them]? Absolutely not. But I’m informed by the decisions they made, because they were so them. That opens up a space where you’re not dictated by your complexion or your appearance. Now, it’s going to be like, ‘What’s your spirit?’”
Jean Dawson caught up with Billboard to discuss CHAOS NOW*, his creative process, his upbringing in Tijuana and more.
How are you feeling about the way CHAOS NOW* has been received?
I always go with zero expectation. Maybe it’s just a defense mechanism to protect [myself]. I reference Prince, who said it best: “When you’re putting something out, you look at it as a success before anybody else does.” So my opinion was fully formed about my album before anybody got a chance to listen to it. We tried our very best to [make] something worth the minutes that you spend listening. I’m really, really happy and grateful.
A lot of people that I played it for, they’re like, “People are going to have a super-tough time understanding it.” I feel like there’s a weird consensus that the audience is not as smart as they are.
Did you ever feel any uneasiness about how the world would respond to what you’re creating?
How people receive me never instilled fear in my heart, because I didn’t care to begin with. I’ve gone through all of that. I was judged when I was in high school and middle school. I lost 100 pounds during my junior year of high school and came back extra skinny. People were like, “Do you have a brother that goes here?” I’m like, “It’s me, in a different form.” I found out the shallowness of the world when I was really young.
What was it like growing up in Tijuana?
A beautiful experience. Being a Black Mexican kid, I was always culturally uninformed. When I was here, I didn’t know how to be American. When I was there, I didn’t know how to be Mexican. We lived in a house that my great-great-grandfather built. Nothing fancy — when you used the bathroom, the toilet [didn’t flush]. It’s a very humble reality. My day revolved around doing a lot of studying because my tias were on my ass. I have been raised by women my entire life. My tias would take care of me around the time my mom was going through [something] that was very unfortunate for our family.
What was your childhood like?
We were poor as f–k. And not in a “I made it out the mud” way. That s–t sucked. My mama always had exactly what we needed, never more, never less. By the time I lived in the United States, I was a latchkey kid, so I was alone a lot. In fifth grade, I’d get myself up in the morning, make myself breakfast, walk to school, come back and make myself dinner. I was way too introspective way too young. It f–ked me up. I had my first existential thought when I was like, nine.
My mom worked two jobs: 7-Eleven and for the school district. I’d go to sleep by the time she got home, so I didn’t see her much. She’d just give me a kiss before she went off to work. Because my pops had worked for the military, he gave my mom money to support me and my brother. [But] in all honesty, my mom carried the weight of the world on her back. I don’t glamorize being poor.
Are you supporting your mom now?
Yeah! I fixed her whole house. She lives in San Diego. I’m trying to get her to move [to Los Angeles] because I want to have babies in the next few years. I want to be a dad so bad.
Were your parents supportive of you making music?
They had no f–king idea. My mom always knew I loved music. I used to rap when I was a little kid. When I was in the eighth grade, I was going over to my friend’s house to record, He taught me pretty much everything I know. He taught me how to record, how to count bars. We’d record on Magix Music Maker 6 with a USB microphone.
When it comes to CHAOS NOW*, what inspired your lyrics?
This album, I was having a really hard time toting a line that I was trying to create for myself. I wanted to use myself as a conduit to talk about something bigger than myself. Imagine writing a novel about yourself, without once saying your own name.
One song that stands out to me is “0-HEROES*” — what was the inspiration behind that?
I don’t want people to feel like I’m out here trying to save anybody. I have kids in my DMs saying “Your music made me not kill myself,” and I’m like, “Dude, so unhealthy. I get it and I really appreciate the sentiment, but you need to get help. You need to tell your mom and dad this. If you don’t have anybody, here’s this hotline.” So, I made the song. There’s this part [going] into the hook that’s saying, “Oh, I know I can” over and over again. Having a crowd of kids saying “Oh, I know I can” with this guitar ringing out, for me felt like I was doing something.
What’s your creation process like? Do you like making music with lots of people in the room?
If you’re here, it’s because you’re contributing something. The place is supposed to be a safe space for us to feel uninhibited. I have friends that really like having a bunch of people in the studio, because it adds to that quote-unquote vibe. But not me. We’re not hanging out as much as we are having fun and exploring our own abilities and propensities to do things. It’s kind of like a construction game. You’re not just sitting around on the job-site.
As a Black artist in an “alternative” space, what are your thoughts on how you’re categorized?
I cared a whole lot after my first album. People were like, “You’re pop-punk.” And I [associate] pop-punk to these Southern Californian, predominantly white boys that have gone through a very specific life that I hadn’t. I don’t consider myself punk. And at first, I wanted to control [the narrative]. I’m like, “No, I’m not that.”
Then what would you say you were?
I wouldn’t. I relinquished control. I’m not dictated by [any] perspective. I feel like once I [categorized my music], it would sully it. What I follow a little bit is Freddie Mercury. Freddie was like, “I’m gonna make this ballad album. I’m gonna I’m gonna make this club album. I’m gonna make this thing that’s acoustic-sounding.” He was touching everything in a way that’s just Freddie. So, what do you call Freddie? Well, Freddie was a star.
Do you want to be a star?
I want the music to be bigger than me. The disassociation of myself from the music. I romanticize the everyman, because I don’t live it.
It’s also because I grew up with very humble beginnings. The idea of what a star is, to me, is profoundly confused. It’s very hard for me even to be considered important. I’m important to myself. I’m not a fatalist in any kind of way. But I want to be as big as the world wants me to be. Because then I can open up institutions to help kids make music. Like a sick, state-of-the-art musical recreation center for kids — because I was a rec center kid. I want to have my famous friends come in once a month to talk to these kids for 20 minutes. That’s one of my life’s goals.
What are your goals as an artist?
I think about this a lot. My ethos was to be a proverbial sledgehammer to the door that people have to knock on. I don’t want that door to ever be closed. I want that s–t to be stuck open so you could just run in. It became less about genre-defining and [more about] generational-defining.
But no matter what I say I want music to accomplish, it’s not up to me. I’m just the conduit. What it does for people is definitely indicative of what they need. What I would hope is that music just serves as a supplement. You plug me in and whatever you need me for that moment, that’s what I’m here for.
Singer-songwriter Ambré made noise in 2015 with her debut project Wanderlust and has been working nonstop since, following up with 2090’s in 2016. In 2019, Ambré finally signed to Jay-Z’s record label Roc Nation, dropping her EP Pulp, a soulful project that showcased her songwriting, producing, and singing abilities. Additionally, she earned a Grammy for best R&B album for her contribution to H.E.R.’s self-titled project at the 2019 Grammys.
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Now, the 26-year-old Ambré is back with her 3000° project, which was released in June. The project is an ode to a pair of New Orleans classics – Juvenile’s 400 Degreez and Lil Wayne’s 500 Degreez.
The album’s Jvck James-featuring single “I’m Baby” has gone on to be the most-added at R&B Radio and Sirius’ Heart and Soul, according to a press release. She’s also dropped visuals for her song “Illusionz ” featuring BEAM and Destin Conrad, which was directed by child, who has worked with the likes of Future and Doja Cat.
To commemorate the release of her latest EP, the Grammy-winning artist is headlining her The Wild Magnolia Tour, which will kick off on Sunday (Nov. 6) in Atlanta and wrap up on Sunday (Nov. 20) in Los Angeles. The tour announcement follows Ambré’s set and appearance at Afropunk and performance at this year’s Made in America Festival.
With now 66 million global streams, Ambré is turning heads with her unique sound, which infuses jazz and trap. As she gears up for the seven-stop tour, Ambré chatted with Billboard about her tour, signing to Roc Nation, LGBTQ+ representation in music, working with H.E.R. and Jay Electronica, and more.
1. Let’s go back to New Orleans. Where did your love of music develop?
I think naturally, I just always loved music. Everybody knows in my family — since I was a kid, I always loved to sing and stuff. But I think what probably helped spark it was I was in choir growing up in church. I was in choir at school, too, so that was one of the things that I think helped me to keep singing. I was also in the marching band and stuff like that. I think just being around music my whole life, too. New Orleans is a musical city, so I think it helped [with my] love of music for sure.
2. How have Juvenile and Lil Wayne been pivotal to the music you make, considering you all are from the same place?
My mom, she always loved Juvenile, and just the whole city in general. There was no way to get around it. But my momma used to love Juvenile, and she would play his albums. I was more of an R&B kid, but I still feel influenced by those eras of music.
Obviously, when I was in high school and stuff, Lil Wayne was super-popping. Every time he dropped a mixtape, I would play that. You know what I mean? Those are definitely some of my top influences when it comes to just how I approach [my music] lyrically, I think.
3. What other artists were you listening to growing up?
I listened to a lot of music. I definitely listened to Nat King Cole, Nina Simone, Brandy, super heavy, and Frank Ocean. And then on the hiphop side, Andre 3000, Kendrick Lamar. I like those blended artists that bend the genre a little bit.
4. How does 3000° differ from your earlier projects like Wanderlust and Pulp?
I think the way that it’s different, in my opinion, is it’s just more personal. I think with my other projects, I was trying to create a world, basically. With this one, I was more focused on telling my story and letting people know where I come from and what I’m about.
5. How did your collaborations with Jay Electronica and Jvck James on the EP come about?
I met Jay at a movie premiere for The Harder They Fall. My friend Kehlani actually introduced me to him, and she was like, “You need to know her,” or whatever. She from New Orleans, you’re both from New Orleans.” He was like, “Oh yeah, what part you from?” That whole little thing where you meet somebody from where you from, you got to be specific and stuff like that.
I started talking my s–t and he like, “All right, bet, bet, bet.” We had a little moment there. And then from there, I just kept seeing him. Also, he signed to Roc Nation, so my A&R is super cool with him. Yeah, basically, that’s how that happened. He just was like, “I’m down, let’s do something.” I sent him the song [“Jay’s Reprise”] and he liked it. He sent something back, he was asking me my opinion and stuff. I’m like, “Dude, you’re Jay Electronica.”
Jvck, I had been following him for a while on social media, and when he finally came to the States, we linked up and we did some sessions. Funny enough, none of those songs ever came to be anything. But after one of the sessions, I sent him “Baby,” and he was just like, “I like this,” so he just hopped on it. I feel like all the features I do are usually super easy like that, but it’s organic, and I prefer that rather than the label situation.
6. Tell me about your music deal with Roc Nation. How did that partnership come about?
I got into management in 2019 after being with a few different people that were helping me out. I had already recorded Pulp, which was my last EP. I had the whole idea for everything. I was like, “I just need to put it out.” They were like, “Bet. We going to find a way to get it out.” Roc Nation was one of the first people that we had a meeting with. Honestly, I went for songwriting and then I played them my stuff and Omar [Grant] was just like, “Yeah, we got to put this out.”
Also, I knew Lawrence “Law” Parker, he’s not at Roc Nation no more, but he from New Orleans and he was like, “Yeah, they good people over here.” I trusted him and it felt like the right thing to do. I signed with them in 2019 and that’s how this journey began.
7. You and Jvck James have the most-added song at R&B Radio and Sirius’ Heart and Soul for “I’m Baby.” How does that feel?
Honestly, at first, I didn’t know what it even meant. But when I figured out what it meant, I was very excited. But I was also shocked. “Wow, that’s a little crazy.” But it made me feel happy and excited that people just genuinely like the song. That was a cool thing for me, a first for me. I’m trying to get in the habit of celebrating myself more.
8. What does the song mean to you in your own words?
I think it means just allowing yourself to be vulnerable with somebody. Because specifically, I say the word “submissive” in the hook. I don’t know if people think I’m talking sexually, but I mean in the sense of emotionally, just allowing somebody to break down an emotional wall. That’s what it was about for me. Just being comfortable and okay with that and having that balance and a relationship.
9. How would you describe your unique sound?
I think my sound is psychedelic — but I wanted to be a rapper at first, so I always try to be super-melodic, and my cadences, I try to do some different stuff with it. Also, I used to play trombone, so I feel like I have a naturally rhythmic cadence or whatever. But I think I’m a mix of soulful with some, I don’t know, new age.
10. How do you feel about the thought from people like Diddy that R&B is dead?
I don’t think it’s true. I don’t think it ever was true — but for some reason, R&B is one of those genres that people consistently want to talk about. There’s literally so many great R&B artists, and there always have been and there always will be, but it just depends on what you’re paying attention to.
I don’t think it’s dead, though, and I don’t think it will ever die — because it’s real music that it comes from, so I just don’t think people share it as much, because it’s a vulnerable type of music, generally. It’s not something that you’re not going to hear in the club all the time.
11. How are you making your mark in R&B, with so many different artists trying to make their stamp in the genre?
I think about being authentic to myself and [making] things that I want to hear. I just feel like I’m just a different person in general — so if I’m being myself, then my music is going to be different, too. I try not to think about everybody else.
12. I want to know how sexuality plays in your music. Do you put much thought into it and make sure that representation is there for LGBTQ+ audience?
Honestly, I don’t think about it. I’m being myself and just being honest and I’m speaking about my life and my experiences. I think it’s important, but I’m going to be honest — when I’m recording and stuff, it’s not something that I think about.
13. Do you see the masses embracing more from LGBTQ+ artists in the industry?
Slowly but surely. For sure. Hopefully eventually, it won’t be a thing to even discuss or talk about. Yeah, I do feel like the world is slowly accepting of other people’s just sexualities and the way people want to live their own lives.
14. You’ve collaborated with the likes of Thundercat, and D Smoke — who else would you like to work with in the music business and why?
I really want to work with PinkPantheress, because I love her voice — and I don’t know, I think she has a cool, unique sound. Also Hiatus Kaiyote, which is a band that I love. And obviously Andre 3000.
15. What is the writing process like writing for artists, specifically H.E.R.?
With H.E.R., pretty much every time we have a session, we’ll talk for honestly two hours or something like that — and just, “How you doing, what’s going on with your life,” or whatever. Usually, from that conversation, it would spark something creatively, and we might write a song about it.
But the process for pretty much everybody I write with is similar. We all just go based off how it’s feeling. If we pull up a beat, we might lay some melodies or whatever, but it’s really collaborative. I feel like if we are in a studio together, then everybody’s opinion is important. It’s a community effort. We constantly checking, “Oh, you think this is cool or should I do this?” Everybody’s ideas are valued, and we end up coming up with something cool every time.
16. You’re a solo artist, but I want to know — if you could put together a five-man band of any artist past or present, who would it be and why?
Including me. Okay. Five man band. I would say my best friend Destin, Kehlani. I’m going to throw, let’s see a rapper. I don’t know. Let’s say John Doe, and Ravyn Lenae.
17. Your tour, The Wild Magnolia Tour, kicks off on Nov.6. What’s the meaning behind the tour name?
Yeah, it’s some New Orleans stuff. It’s a saying. I don’t know how to explain it, but if somebody does something crazy or says something crazy, it be like, “Oh, you Wild Magnolia.” It’s a saying. But also, magnolia is the state flower and everything. So it’s just another extended homage to New Orleans.
18. What are you looking forward to most from this tour?
I’m looking forward to sounding really good. Hopefully I get to stage dive or crowd surf. That’s a goal of mine. I know people don’t expect that from an R&B show, but hey. I’m just looking forward to having fun, and seeing the people that I love and that support me, and just having a good time.
19. What do people need to know about Ambré inside and outside of music?
I want people to know that I’m a very sensitive person. I’m an artist. I’m sensitive about my s–t. [Laughs.] Nah, I’m just kidding. I feel like just that I care a lot about everything that I’m doing, and that I’m always learning, always growing. I’m just very grateful to be here.
20. What can fans expect next?
Outside of the tour, I’m working on some new music. Hopefully I’ll be able to put something out soon, but I’ve been recording a lot and shooting some more visuals and stuff like that. But I’m ready to drop a whole nother project.
Tickets for The Wild Magnolia Tour are available at ambremusic.com.
The Wild Magnolia Tour Dates11/6: Atlanta, GA @ Heaven At The Masquerade11/7: New Orleans, LA @ The Parish at HOB11/10: Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall11/15: New York, NY @ SOB’s11/17: Washington, DC @ Union Stage11/19: San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord11/20: Los Angeles, CA @ Peppermint Club
It’s fitting that Phoenix’s live show, specifically on a temperate night at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 9, is buzzing with electric energy. After all, the lauded French band — consisting of members (and decades-long pals) Thomas Mars, Laurent “Branco” Brancowitz, Deck D’Arcy and Christian Mazzalai — had been waiting with bated breath and crossed fingers for this exact moment.
After a glittering showcase of the band’s beloved material — including the No. 6-charting Adult Alternative Airplay hit “Entertainment,” fan favorite “Too Young” from its self-titled debut LP and multiple cuts from the group’s Grammy-winning classic Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix — the quartet stripped things back for the live debut of “Winter Solstice,” a stark insight into Phoenix’s mindset amid a pandemic that left the members starving for connection. That outlook frames the band’s seventh studio album, Alpha Zulu, out now via Glassnote Records.
To be clear, Phoenix “didn’t want to make a cliché pandemic album” with Alpha Zulu. But when France was under lockdown due to COVID-19 and Mars was separated from his friends, musical bits acted as the band’s letters to each other. On the other side of the world away from Branco, Mazzalai and Deck, Mars penned and recorded stream-of-consciousness lyrics that would later become “Winter Solstice” to speak to the isolation he felt amid the wildfires in northern California. Out of this bleakness, the light that would inspire the rest of Alpha Zulu started to shine through.
“It sounds corny, but music became the way to communicate when we were separated. It was our way of saying we knew everybody was okay, but on standby,” Mars explains of the brooding, synth-driven track over a four-way Zoom call, accompanied by his bandmates. “We wanted something to happen in our lives, but the only thing that could happen was a good song and the possibility of playing it live someday.”
The quartet didn’t want to steep in the sorrow for too long. “After we recorded ‘Winter Solstice,’ we wanted to escape and think about a brighter future,” Branco adds. As lockdown restrictions across countries began to ease, hope started to break through the clouds. In between pockets of travel for Mars — “he could come back to Paris, but no more than a week or 10 days and had to rush back because of new waves in other parts of the world,” according to D’Arcy — Phoenix was feverish with inspiration when they finally were able to reconvene.
Hunkered down for weeks in a storage room-turned-studio located at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs (“real studios are very boring,” says Branco), the musicians were immersed in both chaos and solitude, a combination that set their creativity aflame.
“We were surrounded by Napoleon’s throne and works from the medieval period and the second century. All this culture melting together in a sordid, empty museum with no one seeing us…it was a big mess!” Mazzalai explains with a certain glee. “But it was helpful to us. Very freeing and joyful, in a way.”
He further recalls, “We’ve never been that inspired, because Thomas was stuck in confinement during lockdown for many months in the United States. It was the first time we didn’t see Thomas for more than a month, so once he could travel to the studio after weeks of waiting, we produced more than ever. It was maybe the most creative time of our entire life.”
“The stillness made recording the album even more intense for us. The world was asleep, and that gave gravity to us and depth to the record,” Mars adds.
The trying conditions resulted in some of Phoenix’s brightest and most ambitious work to date. “After Midnight,” a cut from the top half of Alpha Zulu, sees the group tapping into a euphoria that leaves its listener equal parts jittery and energized; “Season 2” calls back to Phoenix’s classic — and infectious — use of wordplay (“giddy up, I’m bored”), while “Artefact” highlights the band’s consistent, artful use of synthesizers and lyrical repetitions, also seen in the tongue twisters on the album’s title track, “Alpha Zulu.”
For the first time, the band needed a friend to help bring one of its songs to life. On single “Tonight,” Phoenix enlists fellow indie pop heavyweight Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend to provide supporting vocals and a verse on the upbeat track. Marking the band’s first time collaborating with another artist, the band spent months cultivating a relationship with Koenig. At first, the uptempo track started off like any other Phoenix song, with the group jotting down lyric ideas on the makeshift studio’s whiteboard and assigning names to each of the song’s parts for easy swapping. But when the track’s second verse rolled around (“What if we last ’til it’s dawn like you promised me?/ Who let the boys spill their entrée?”), the band knew something — or rather, someone — was missing.
“The playfulness of the track reminded us of Ezra, so we had to call him. We were intimate enough with him that we knew the song was safe,” Mars says. “If it wasn’t good, we wouldn’t have to put it out or he could say no if he didn’t like it. It’s rare that we know people well enough to do that.”
To be let into Phoenix’s circle is a privilege not afforded to many. The group — friends since elementary school who have been in a band together for the past 25 years — still manages to maintain an unwavering chemistry without resorting to breaking up or bringing in new members. So what’s the secret? “The lead singer is not one of the brothers. If you look at every band where the lead singer is one of the brothers, they’re totally collapsing and hating each other,” the frontman jokes.
The true formula to Phoenix’s tight-knit nature resides in the most benign form of communism — each member of the band has a hand in all moving parts. “We share everything in four, in a very communist manner,” Branco explains. “Our music belongs to us because we control everything, from the publishing to the production, the four of us, equally. It’s the French motto ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité’ (liberty, equality, fraternity).”
Whereas other bands might rely on the lead singer to craft lyrics or handle most of an album’s production, Branco insists It’s Never Been Like That for the French quartet: “There is not one of us that is more gifted than the other. There’s not that one genius songwriter and the others are just following. We are pretty average — or bad — when we are on our own, but when we add our forces, we produce a result that is better than the sum of our individual qualities. We know we need each other.”
The band’s unofficial member, Philippe Zdar, was also crucial to Phoenix’s friendship story. Alpha Zulu marks the first album the band has worked on without the guidance of the French music producer, who passed away in 2019 — the quartet touches on the producer’s passing in the LP’s stunning closer, “Identical.” The track, which also appears in Sofia Coppola’s (Mars’ wife) 2020 movie On the Rocks, serves double duty by shedding light on the band’s perception of life post-pandemic.
Speaking of Zdar’s role in “Identical,” Mars says the track “was the best way to end the album because he was the main thing that was missing in us working together. The song has the light at the end of the tunnel, which fits the pandemic. That’s the strong identity of the album. We’re trying not to be in denial of what happened or to wash it away. It’s a reminder that every album is a Polaroid of its time.”
Whereas Phoenix’s previous studio effort, 2017’s Ti Amo, saw the band tapping into Italo disco sounds and nostalgia sweeter than scoops of melted gelato, Alpha Zulu has no set purpose. There’s no obvious takeaway, just the unbridled “joy of creating things as different as possible from each other.”
The band’s message, however, has always remained the same — to infiltrate their listener’s most human senses to make them feel something at their core.
“The power of music…it’s like a charm or a spell. This magical trick that is so powerful that even us, the magicians, we don’t understand how it’s working,” says Branco. “That’s why we make music.”
Last summer, Ethan Curtis of the firm Plush initiated a management conversation with an unknown artist named JVKE (pronounced “Jake”), whose unfinished song had just been used in a TikTok video by influencer Charli D’Amelio. It quickly went viral, and Curtis was eager to move just as fast. He reached out to the 21-year-old Cranston, R.I.-based singer, challenging him to flesh out the song in just one day.
“I spent the next 24 hours nervously hoping the song didn’t suck,” recalls Curtis, who had previously launched the TikTok marketing agency PushPlay, “but it was great.” The resulting hit was “Upside Down,” a bouncy, hip-hop-inflected pop song that has garnered 48.8 million streams, according to Luminate. What followed was even bigger.
COS t-shirt, Acne denim jacket.
Nicole Nodland
After officially signing with Plush’s Curtis and Aton Ben-Horin for management, the artist born Jake Lawson turned in his next song, the unabashedly romantic “golden hour.” Underpinned by a sweeping piano and violin melody over which Lawson sings about a lover with “glitter for skin,” the ballad similarly took off on TikTok — only this time, it raised the stakes to unexpected highs.
In September, “golden hour” scored JVKE his first hit on the Billboard Hot 100, soon sparking a major-label bidding war with offers in the multimillion-dollar range — all of which the artist rejected. And while many considerations came into play (including a desire to reap a bigger cut of his earnings), his decision to remain indie ultimately came down to accountability. “I’m a little scared that if I were to bring on a big team that I wouldn’t be as tenacious, or if I got a really big check that I would slack off a bit,” he says.
Even so, he notes that his eventual decision to remain unsigned, despite the flashy offers, “was against the counsel of some people.” Curtis and Aton-Horin admit they were less certain. “Obviously, long term, we don’t know what’s going to happen. But our job as manager is to always support our artists’ vision, whether or not we agree with it,” says Aton-Horin.
JVKE has shown a rare knack for promoting his music through TikTok ever since he launched his account in early 2020 — and that sort of knack is becoming increasingly valuable to record companies as the platform balloons. Now, with over 8 million followers on the platform, he and his older brother/co-writer Zac have been churning out a steady stream of content to promote the remainder of his relatively small catalog, which includes streaming hits like “this is what falling in love feels like” and the Galantis collaboration “Dandelion.” The former opened JVKE’s debut album, this is what __ feels like (Vol. 1-4), which arrived on AWAL in September.
JVKE got his start playing music in church growing up, exclusively listening to contemporary Christian artists before later discovering hip-hop on his brother’s iPod. Though he played piano, drums and guitar as a preteen, it wasn’t until he began using Logic Pro to create his own songs at age 14 that his desire to pursue a career in music took root.
Now, with his debut album behind him, JVKE is already working on new music and linking up with collaborators he won’t name yet but hints are well-known. In the live space, he and his management team are looking to take a cue from TikTok by architecting “viral elements” for in-person performances. Curtis teases that fans can expect “a scaled-down version” of a JVKE tour early next year before hopefully bringing on partners for a bigger outing later on. Already, he has teamed with MTV on a Push campaign in October, and in December, he’ll be American Airlines’ artist of the month, with his music given prime placement on in-flight entertainment screens.
KENZO sweater, COS T-shirt and pants.
Nicole Nodland
One thing JVKE is sure he won’t be doing, however, is releasing another conventional full-length. “The way that people consume music is a lot different nowadays … so we need to change how we release music,” he says. Instead, he plans to consistently tease song snippets on TikTok to get input from fans on what he should release next — which he sees as key to connecting with them as an independent artist. “I think if you’re going to go independent, you really do need to … listen to the [fans] because that’s where you’re going to find the most success,” he says.
And though “golden hour” has climbed to No. 28 on Billboard‘s Pop Airplay chart, Curtis says that radio promo is one area they may need help in to scale even higher. “We can spark our own fires, but the question becomes, ‘How capable are we at keeping them burning? For how long?’ ” he says. “To be clear, we’re not saying we’ll never need a label. But I know Jake wants to see how far we can push it on our own.”
JVKE photographed October 20, 2022 in London. Kenzo vest, COS pants, H&M socks, Reebok sneakers.
Nicole Nodland
This story will appear in the Nov. 5, 2022, issue of Billboard.
If you’re a hip-hop head that was around in 2004-2009 during a revolutionary time in mixtape evolution, you more than likely came across a Gangsta Grillz. DJ Drama’s well-established mixtape series began with T.I., who was the first to allow him to take a collection of songs from one individual artist and make it a street album. Drama would add his sermons and bells and whistles to the tracks as the mixtape host, charging up the listener’s experience. Distribution was hand-to-hand and promotion was word-of-mouth, growing Gangsta Grillz’ allure as a way to certify your buzz in the streets. Drama has done tapes with Lil Wayne, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, Cam’ron, Pharrell, Little Brother, and too many others to name. The “Gangsta Grillz” tag is now timeless.
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Thanks to Tyler, the Creator —who teamed up with Drama in June 2021 to execute the perfect album with a mixtape feel with his Billboard 200-topping Call Me If You Get Lost — the Gangsta Grillz series is having a revival. Give credit to Dram, who has stayed dropping Gangsta Grillz sets even before Tyler paid homage, but this current moment shows the excitement over artists wanting that stamp of approval again. It wasn’t too long ago that Jack Harlow teased a Gangsta Grillz with his song “Ghost,” and to see the likes of Benny the Butcher, Fat Joe, Jim Jones, Dreamville and Snoop Dogg all get one in with the veteran DJ makes it feel to fans like they’re reliving the golden era of mixtapes.
In fact, on the latest Billboard 200, two Gangsta Grillz projects — Youngboy Never Broke Again’s Ma’ I Got a Family and Jeezy’s Snofall — are new entries in the top 10, at No. 7 and No. 9. But the career achievement has unfortunately come the same week a dark cloud has emerged over hip-hop, as Billboard‘s conversation with Drama falls on the same day that news breaks about Migos member Takeoff’s death in Houston.
Below, Drama discusses Takeoff and his relationship with the Migos, the impact of Gangsta Grillz, his chemistry with Jeezy, DJ Kay Slay, his next Gangsta Grillz offerings, and his advice for younger DJs.
I don’t know if you heard the news about Takeoff. How do you feel about that right now?
I think I’m still kind of processing it. You know, just waking up to the news. It just feels like a never-ending cycle. I don’t know if it is getting worse. It feels like it’s going from every three months to every month to every other week. He was a figure in hip-hop. I was just thinking about it earlier, if you look back at the last four or five years, everyone that we lost is literally 33 and under.
It’s like these young Black men who haven’t even lived a fraction of their lives. We all know Takeoff when it comes to the Migos. He’s the most laidback of the trio. In a sense, he’s the backbone and minded his business. Stayed out the way. It just sucks, man. And it’s just sad.
You and the Migos had a Gangsta Grillz in 2014. Solid Foundation.
Yeah, we did a QC, Solid Foundation tape. My history runs deep with the Migos. I was introduced to them probably 2011 before they were signed to QC. I actually took Takeoff and Quavo to New York. Their first time ever going to New York was with me.
Really?
Yeah, I took them to a label meeting. I took them to eOne about potentially signing. We had a meeting with them. And yeah, the first time they ever went to New York was with me. And the first time they ever did Birthday Bash was me bringing them out during my set. I have a lot of history with those guys. I’ve known them for over a decade. When I met Takeoff, he was 18, 19. We did the tape together, Solid Foundation tape. It’s a sad day.
Are there any stories that you want to share about it? When you stamp someone with a Gangsta Grillz early in their career, it’s a big deal.
Me and Migos, we’ve had some disagreements at times. And one instance being on The Breakfast Club and talking about Atlanta. Quavo was vocal at the time because I didn’t mention their name. I think I said Thug and Future and a couple other people. And I didn’t mention Migos. We had a little back and forth, but it was literally because of that they were saying they are the culture, and hence naming their album Culture. I think because of our back and forth, they went on to name their album Culture.
I got nothing but love for those guys. My condolences to his friends and his family. It’s a tough time for the city, for sure.
So at this point, what do you value more? Is it the street validation from Gangsta Grillz or the mainstream recognition?
I think it all means a lot to me. I’ve had conversations recently just about like [being] the hottest I’ve ever been in my career. You know, just in the thought of barbershop talk. People are like, “Nah, when you did Dedication 2, you were on fire in the streets.” “’06-’07, this time.”
For me, to be where I’m at right now in 2022 off the legacy that I built and off the history of what I accomplished within the culture, to stand on all that and to be where I’m at… One of my earliest goals for when I first kind of felt like I got on, my main point was always like, “Okay, you got here. How do you stay here? How do you stay relevant?” So to be in a space where 22 years later after creating Gangsta Grillz, 30 years later after DJing as a hobby to two albums in the top 10. Or even after going from a mixtape DJ to an A&R to an executive and doubling back. It’s a very surreal time for me.
On the Billboard 200 albums chart, the YoungBoy project is at No. 7 and the Jeezy project cracked the top 10 at No. 9. At this point, does it feel good to see the Gangsta Grillz movement reach the masses at this level?
Absolutely. It feels great, having Gangsta Grillz [in the top 10]. Again, I think at this point there’s no argument that Gangsta Grillz is the most important mixtape series of all time. What I think is dope is that particularly with Jeezy, and Youngboy too — I also dropped a Snoop tape — the fact when you listen to those projects and you listen to Jeezy, the word mixtape has gotten construed in the last few years as just a word. There was no separation from a mixtape to an EP to an album. But now with this Gangsta Grillz resurgence, it adds the mixtape feel to it. It feels like a mixtape. You know, doing what I do with my personality and talking on the records and the bells and the whistles and bringing back records, the nostalgia of it is just exciting. I see a lot of people saying that was missing, and this is bringing some excitement to the projects.
What’s your process when you’re choosing to stamp someone with a Gangsta Grillz? What do you look for?
The majority of the time, they come to me. The Jeezy project is something we’ve been talking about for quite some time. It’s been in the work for over a year now — Cannon executive produced it, and Cannon and Jeezy were working adamantly in the last year on the records and the project. We discussed it even before we did the Legendz of the Streetz Tour. But the majority of the time when I do a tape, it’s the artists coming to me and saying, “Hey, I want to do a Gangsta Grillz.” If it was that easy for me to reach out, everybody would have a Gangsta Grillz.
Yeah, you’d be stamping everyone.
It’s literally, my phone rings and someone says, “Hey, I’m working on this and I want to make it a Gangsta Grillz.”
You shared something on your Instagram Stories from Sonny Digital saying that you’re not going to that next level until you got a Gangsta Grillz. Is that pretty accurate?
I mean, that’s something that Sonny said. There’s been plenty of artists that have been successful without a Gangsta Grillz. But I think coming from Atlanta, and what Sonny means — growing up for him and for most artists that come out of the city, Gangsta Grillz was the ultimate stamp.
Even if I take it back, 2 Chainz has an old line before we did our tape where he said “I’m the hottest in the city without a Gangsta Grillz.” It was like a jab and a compliment at the same time when he said that because he literally was saying “I’m the shit without a Gangsta Grillz.” He was also saying normally if you’re the shit or if you’re gonna be the shit, you have to go through Gangsta Grillz.
People sometimes even forget in 2017, Harder Than Hard, Lil Baby’s project that “My Dawg” was on, that was a Gangsta Grillz. Through the eras, I’ve always been right there to stamp the majority of the artists, particularly in Atlanta. But it reaches out even further. It’s not just a Southern trap brand like when it first started. Literally, you name it, everyone under the sun has done a Gangsta Grillz, from all facets of the culture.
Jeezy told us that you and him coming back together was like watching Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan playing one-on-one. Basically, he’s saying we get to see our favorite basketball players or boxers spar at the gym. Being in the game for so long, how does doing collaborations like this make you better?
It’s because I work off the artists. I think he’s accurate in saying that or like a Kobe a Shaq. Or a Steph and a Klay. Artists bring out the best in me in a sense and vice versa. I think it’s so funny when I see people say like, “Why DJ Drama talk over the song?” and so forth. I’m like, “Yo, the crazy part is the artist that you’re listening to tells me to go crazy.”
And it’s just like, for me — I really found my formula, or found my blueprint of how I attack the music. And I literally work off the music in so many ways. So it makes me better, because the records, the subject matter, or even the concepts — like how I may attacked YoungBoy’s project in comparison to Jeezy’s project — my tone is different. Because of YoungBoy’s direction, I’m literally taking real-life experiences that I may have and using them, based on his subject matter. In comparison to Jeezy, where if it’s a song called “Scarface” or “Most Hated,” I’m using my influences on that. Or “Street Cred” when it comes to that, [I’m using my influence] in a different light.
Many people appreciate what I do. When it is all said and done, people will be discussing how I will attack the music. Just recently, I did Westside Gunn’s project, 10 — the last song “Red Death” and I’m literally talking about movie franchises. What I’m doing is I’m comparing the Hitler Wears Hermes series to the best movie franchises of all time. The only thing I’m not doing is make my s–t rhyme, but I’m literally giving bars out.
On “MJ Jeezy,” you say Tha Streets Iz Watching is Off the Wall, Trap or Die is Thriller, and Can’t Ban the Snowman is Bad. Can you break that down for me?
Again, that’s me playing off Jeezy with the song, you know? That’s a true story for him, as far as him going to Florida and him being called Michael Jackson Jeezy even before the rap. When I was listening to the song in comparison, it’s like, “Okay, here he is comparing himself to Michael Jackson.” So what better way for me to break it down, saying Tha Streets Iz Watching is Off the Wall and Trap or Die is Thriller and Can’t Ban the Snowman is Bad.
When I think about the projects and I think about hip-hop, they really add up that way. If Thriller is Michael Jackson’s most heralded album then Trap or Die is Jeezy’s most heralded mixtape. Off the Wall is still noted as a classic just as Tha Streets Iz Watching is. When we came with Can’t Ban the Snowman, people were hungry for it just as when Bad came out. People couldn’t wait for the follow up to Thriller. And then at the end, I go and compare myself to… if he’s Michael Jackson Jeezy, then I’m Quincy “Drama” Jones.
I want to jump to the Snoop Dogg project because “I’ll Holla Back” has Kurupt and “Lit” has Daz Dillinger. Did you have anything to do with getting Tha Dogg Pound back together?
That was me telling Snoop when we were talking about I Still Got It, you can’t be in the space of saying “I still got it” and not have the original Dogg Pound Gangstaz. That was what a lot of us [were] introduced to Snoop, Daz, and Kurupt early on, as [DPG]. I felt it was only right to have those guys on this project.
And then the first thing you say on YoungBoy’s project is you’re “Jeffery Dramer.” That s–t was wild.
I think that’ll definitely go down in my top ten craziest things. I saw a lot of reactions to that. But I love it. It had a lot of shock value on it. I actually did it over the beat, and then YoungBoy took the vocals and made it a cappella, which made it hit even harder. It’s a creative license. I’m a fool when it comes to the nicknames.
In your opinion, what has changed about the audience when dropping a Gangsta Grillz during the LiveMixtapes/Datpiff era versus the streaming era?
I think the fact that these projects are on DSPs, it reaches a lot more people these days in a lot of ways. The Datpiff/LiveMixtapes era came after the physical era. Mixtapes were always a certain segment of hip-hop that were kind of hip to the new s–t, or came from a certain demographic of hip-hop, and now…
The crate-digging kind of people.
Exactly. And now, we’re literally touching everybody. At the same time, there’s new fanbases that I am being introduced to that may not have been familiar with Gangsta Grillz. Tyler [,the Creator] introduced me to a whole new fan base in a lot of ways. Even me this summer, I was on tour with Wiz [Khalifa] and Logic. I would walk out for my first set and they would be chanting my name. These are kids that are 18, 19, 20, that were born when I first started making Gangsta Grillz. When I play Tyler or I play “Stick” off the Dreamville project, they are getting familiar with me that way.
Or my daughter’s friends. My daughter is 16 and her friends are going crazy off the NBA YoungBoy tape. And she sent me a group chat with them, like, “Wow, we touched the hand of somebody who probably touched the hand of YoungBoy.”
That’s crazy.
Just recently, with the Snoop, the Jeezy, and the Youngboy, there’s an older demographic that has the nostalgic feel of being around when Trap or Die came out and reminiscing in that feel — and there’s a younger demographic that are excited to see me and somebody like a YoungBoy tap in. Even like this year or last year alone, from Tyler to [J.] Cole to Symba to you know…
You’re also adapting to the streaming world, with projects with OMB Peezy and Badda TD. You know the artists that are getting the most streams on these platforms.
Nah, absolutely. Again, I’m just trying to touch as many years as possible. Again, it’s exciting that this Gangsta Grillz resurgence is happening. [Funkmaster] Flex said something to me one time when we were just talking about the different eras of mixtapes and the various times of people having their reign. To have him tell it, it’s like — for me, since I became the top of the food chain in mixtapes or became the mixtape king, nobody has come along and taken that crown from me. That’s quite the statement, especially coming from someone like Flex.
Even thinking about my run when it comes to mixtapes with all due respect to others that came before me, no one has had the longevity and run that I’ve had. From ‘05 to 2022, I’m literally going on 20 years. People have came and had the crown for time periods — but again, Gangsta Grillz is still the hottest brand in mixtapes in 2022, as it was when it was first introduced.
When you were coming up, did you ever imagine you would get a Grammy for the mixtape series?
Never in my wildest dreams. I’ve done so many things I never imagined. And it’s just like, again, it’s so surreal. Even on my Instagram, I showed one of my original tapes that I made. And to think going from that to winning a Grammy off a mixtape series. Off of something I just started out of love. It really is, “Sky isn’t the limit.” I always say, “Sky is what we stand on to reach the beyond.”
On top of that, just beyond having the last couple years of success, thinking about the success of [Lil] Uzi [Vert] and Jack [Harlow] and Generation Now. On top of that, the individual success that I am having… It’s really a dream come true. It’s beyond a dream come true. I think a lot of it really comes down to the passion and the dedication I have to hip-hop and the culture.
Earlier this year, you released a single called “Forever.” What did DJ Kay Slay mean to you?
Kay Slay, he’s the culture. If you go back to his appearances in Style Wars as a graffiti artist to what he did for the mixtape game and being the Drama King. And even that, us sharing the name Drama. Kay Slay is a giant in hip-hop. Sadly, we lost him earlier this year so when I was doing the “Forever” record, it felt only right to dedicate it to Slay. Specifically, it being such an East Coast, New York record. That was just me paying homage to somebody who was a giant in the mixtape game before me. And having KRS-One there as well, it was me just saluting Slay and giving him his flowers.
Last time we spoke was when you were releasing Quality Street Music 2. Are there any thoughts on a Quality Street Music 3? Is it too early to talk about?
Nah, I’m naming my new album I’m Really Like That. I thought about maybe making it Quality Street Music 3: I’m Really Like That or I’m Really Like That. I don’t know if it is going to be Quality Street Music 3, but I am in the process of finishing up the new album and that is the title.
So, who’s next on the Gangsta Grillz list? Is there anyone you want to throw out there?
We got some things coming. Definitely Icewear Vezzo. Me and Meek [Mill] got something coming. Me and Lil Wayne have something exciting coming next year.
Is it Dedication 7?
I won’t say what it is. Definitely me and Wayne have something exciting coming next year. Dave East project is coming. And to be honest, my phone has been off the hook with projects. To be honest, there’s no telling how we are going to end the year.
Personally, I hope you and Fab do something together. Like a There Is No Competition.
That would be exciting. Me and Fab have definitely talked recently about getting back in.
With your whole career and how it has matured over the years, what advice do you have for the younger DJs just trying to make it?
You know, definitely be a student of the game. Study those who came before you. I think the thing about being a DJ is the majority of us get into it because of our love for the music. And trust the process. Find a niche, find a lane. For me, I studied all facets of DJing, whether it was battling DJ, regular DJs, party DJs. The Mixtape DJ was something that I always focused on. I knew that was my niche. I went full-throttle. I manifested a lot of things. Early on, I would say “I’m the king.” Manifesting a Gangsta Grillz album way before it was even time. Just put things into the universe and a lot of things I manifested or put out in the universe wound up coming true.
I would tell younger DJs, before you necessarily reach out to the hottest artist in the game or the hottest DJ or what have you, look to your left and look to your right and build movements around you. When me and T.I. or me and Jeezy were working, we were all coming up together. We created movements together. Find a rapper that’s within your city or within your stratosphere, and create movements with them before you necessarily go after the A-listers and try to make a mixtape or a song with them. Come up with those around you. Those are the real ways of really making movements within the culture.
Britt Daniel was well into his thirties when he first got into dub music. In 2006, as his band Spoon was working on their sixth album — and eventual commercial peak — Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, producer Mike McCarthy told Daniel to check out a new compilation, King Tubby’s In Fine Style, by the Jamaican sound engineer and dub pioneer King Tubby.
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“That record really had a big impact on the sound of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga,” the 51-year-old Spoon frontman tells Billboard. “Which is not a dub record. But there are trippy little dub elements all throughout it.”
For instance, “Finer Feelings” opens with a prominent sample from reggae singer Mikey Dread — which Daniel remembers clearing with Dread himself. “He was a real character. Very friendly to me, but at the same time, he seemed to hate lawyers,” Daniel says. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I know you want to do it, but we do have to have something on paper.’ And if it came from the lawyer, he would just say, ‘No, no, no. This isn’t right.’”
In the years since, Spoon fans could be forgiven for not sensing much dub influence in the band’s famously exacting indie-rock hooks. Now, though, comes a fully fledged fusion: on Friday (Nov. 4), the Austin band will release Lucifer on the Moon, their first remix album, which is a song-by-song deconstruction of Spoon’s recent album Lucifer on the Sofa by Adrian Sherwood, the English dub producer and founder of On-U Sound Records. Sherwood turns tightly chiseled rockers like “On the Radio” and “The Hardest Cut” inside out, reimagining them with rattling rhythms, wobbly bass sounds and disorienting waves of vocal echo.
The idea grew out of a routine request from Spoon’s label, Matador, for bonus material from the band, such as B-sides or remixes. Daniel felt bored with cookie-cutter digital reworking. “I wanted to find someone who could do things in a less computer-y and more… musical way?” Daniel explains. “Adrian seemed like the right guy for that.”
He sent Sherwood the album and invited him to remix a few songs. Daniel gave him just a few instructions: “Avoid things that wouldn’t be possible on tape. Add whatever you want to add. Don’t make it computer-y. And the less modern, the better.”
A week later, the Spoon frontman received Sherwood’s dub-inspired remixes of “The Devil & Mister Jones” and “Astral Jacket.” He was blown away. “I was driving around in my car, listening to those mixes over and over again that night. I was very psyched,” Daniel said. “Next we said, ‘Well, maybe we should do one or two more.’ Then we got those done. And then we said, ‘Well, maybe we should do one or two more.’”
Pretty soon, Sherwood had remixed the entire record. Spoon decided to release it as a standalone companion piece to Lucifer on the Sofa, available digitally and on vinyl this week (and on CD in Japan).
If Spoon has a surprising kinship with dub, it derives from the fact that the band has long placed an emphasis on groove and empty space, epitomized in indelible tunes like “I Turn My Camera On” and “Stay Don’t Go.”
“When we started out, it wasn’t like that. A thing that would hit you over the head with our records was distorted rhythm guitar,” Daniel says. “At some point, around the Girls Can Tell era [in 2001], we started realizing that less could mean a lot more. When you get rid of that element, then a lot of what you’re focused on is the bass and drums. It makes the tracks feel more open. Around that time, people started to say we were minimalists.”
For Spoon, Lucifer on the Moon culminates a triumphant year of renewal and reinvigoration. After releasing Lucifer on the Sofa in February, the band spent a big chunk of 2022 on the road, touring both with labelmates Interpol and on their own headlining tour. Those runs have gone well, though Daniel concedes that it is not an easy time to be a mid-level touring band.
“It has been a much harder year to turn a profit,” the singer says. “We had like a week’s worth of shows in the middle of this tour that had to get postponed because a couple of us got COVID. We tacked them onto the end of the tour. But basically all that meant was, we were still paying for all of the crew, all of the busing, all of our trucking, everything for an additional week, but with the same amount of income. That made it a lot less profitable. It was almost unprofitable.”
Is it still worth it? “Yeah, it’s worth it. I have a good time,” Daniel says. “I guess we’re gonna have to assess how things go. Even on the tours where we didn’t have to postpone, the cost of busing is up two or three times what it was when we were touring last September. That takes a huge chunk. So that’s why, when I see Animal Collective canceling a tour, I’m not surprised. Things have just really gone nutty.”
Spoon’s future plans are uncertain. In March, Daniel made fans nervous when he admitted he wasn’t sure there would be another Spoon record after Lucifer. Asked to clarify, Daniel says, “Should we do another one? We will see. I don’t know what’s next. I haven’t figured that part out yet. We basically just finished touring.”
For years, Spoon has been held up by fans and critics as a paragon of indie-rock consistency. It’s hard not to wonder if they ever feel the urge to enter their ‘80s-Neil-Young phase and make a tossed-off record just for fun.
“Maybe we should do that,” Daniel laughs. “I do remember when [2010’s] Transference came out, a lot of people did not like that record, especially coming after Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, which had some of our biggest, most commercial, universal songs. And then we came out with this record that was very much an ugly record. I think it’s a great record. But there were a lot of people that didn’t like it. Mostly did not get amazing reviews. We’ve done a record that people said was us falling off. And yet the word ‘consistent’ gets thrown about.”
Asked if he feels inclined to give any of Spoon’s prior albums the remix treatment, Daniel quickly points to the band’s 1996 debut, Telephono. “Not in terms of, like, a dub remix. I’d just been thinking of it in terms of, ‘Wow, I know we could make this sound so much better.’”
It’s the only Spoon album Daniel feels unsatisfied with. “It doesn’t feel as much like us,” he admits. “It’s like I almost don’t recognize the person who wrote those songs. Even when you get to [1998’s] A Series of Sneaks, that sounds more like us. And then Girls Can Tell really sounds like us. And then we settled in.”
In May, regional Mexican act Grupo Frontera performed at Houston nightclub El Rodeo Disco to approximately 300 people. Three months later, in August, the act returned, and this time, much to the surprise of 19-year-old vocalist and bajo quinto player Adelaido “Payo” Solis III, the crowd had increased to 3,000. “I had to take off my in-ear to listen to everyone sing with us,” he remembers. “This was a dream come true.”
The experience would have been unfathomable a year ago, when Grupo Frontera was a local band from the Texas border town McAllen, creating music merely as a hobby. After recruiting Solis, fresh out of high school, into its now six-man ensemble — also comprised of Juan Javier Cantú, 29 (vocalist and accordionist), Julian Peña Jr., 26 (percussionist and animator), Alberto “Beto” Acosta, 30 (bajo quinto), Carlos Guerrero, 28 (drums), and Carlos Zamora, 32 (bass) — the group officially launched this March with an independently released debut EP that contained four cover songs, including Diego Verdaguer’s “La Ladrona.” “When choosing our covers, we decided to focus on timeless pop songs,” says Peña.
But it was a one-off released just one month later — their norteño rendition of “No Se Va,” a 2019 single by Colombian folk-pop group Morat — that catapulted them to fame. “We practiced that song just 16 hours before recording it,” says Peña. “Payo began singing it, then I added rhythms with the congas, and then Beto followed with the bajo quinto, and we all stared at each other thinking, ‘Wow, this sounds cool.’ We practiced it three times on a Wednesday, and the next day we recorded it live in one take.”
Following its release on April 28, its music video gained steam on YouTube on the heels of the EP, though at first the band still “didn’t understand why” it was performing so well, says Peña. “Then we went on TikTok.” Its engagement has sustained momentum on the platform, ultimately exploding due to a video from September that shows a suave man named Elmer and his dance partner, Erika, moving in rhythm to the song in Chihuahua, Mexico. The clip, which has now amassed more than 12 million views, “gave the song the push it needed to get to another level,” says Peña.
“No Se Va” debuted on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in September and has since climbed to No. 4. Meanwhile, the track became only the fifth regional Mexican song in Hot 100 history, reaching a No. 57 high after entering the all-genre songs chart in early October. “Honestly, I think it was the seasoning that we put with the congas,” Cantú says of its runaway success. “It doesn’t sound like your typical norteño song; in fact, it sounds like something fresh with that reggaetón vibe.”
Despite Grupo Frontera’s success with its cover version, Morat’s original “No Se Va” has yet to appear on any Billboard charts (though the band did reach the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart in June with “Paris,” a collaboration with Argentine rapper Duki). While Grupo Frontera has not had any communication yet with Morat, Cantú insists the act deserves all the credit. “We wanted to pay tribute to a group that many of us admire,” he continues.
Amid all of its recent success, Grupo Frontera has added indie record label VHR Music founder Victor Ruiz as its manager. Ruiz — also the vocalist of Grupo Zaaz and manager of a handful of other Texas-based groups — additionally serves as the band’s booking agent and has already secured various performances in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, New York, California, Florida and Mexico. Plus, he’s worked with the group to help boost its visibility, insisting on the importance of vlogging for each member. “I want them to get to the point that everyone can identify who’s who in the group,” he says. “People love seeing the intimacy of an artist, how they prepare for their shows and how they are behind the scenes.”
But beyond touring and vlogging, Grupo Frontera wants to keep testing its success as an independent act — even after multiple record labels have made generous offers, according to Ruiz. Adds Cantú: “I’m not saying that we won’t ever sign with a label but for now, we’re very happy this way. We want to see how far we can get as indie artists.”
Todd Spoth
The band plans to flood the space with new material, starting with a recent song titled “Vete.” Grupo Frontera aims to release at least five more original tracks before the end of 2022, with some help from reigning Latin Grammy producer of the year winner — and fellow McAllen native — Edgar Barrera. “I’m worried that they’ll become a one-hit wonder, and that’s why I tell them they need to release music constantly because if not, the momentum fades away,” Ruiz says.
“You’d think we’ve been playing together for 10 years, but we’ve only been out for eight months,” Cantú adds. “I still can’t believe everything that’s happening to us.”
A version of this story will appear in the Nov. 5, 2022, issue of Billboard.
How is Taylor Swift going to pull this off?
Her new “Eras” tour, promising a journey “through all the musical eras of my career,” was announced Tuesday (Nov. 1) and will visit U.S. stadiums beginning in March 2023. But to consider what this tour’s setlist might resemble is like trying to understand the true size of our galaxy — there’s just so much … of everything.
There are synth-pop bangers, the acoustic slow burns, the twangy throwbacks, the fan-worshiped deep cuts — not to mention the fact that Swift has dropped six No. 1 albums totaling 86 new or previously unreleased songs since her last roadshow, the Reputation Tour, in 2018.
Where does one even begin to cobble together an ideal setlist that can represent her prolific catalog and celebrate her latest world-beater in Midnights? Right here, that’s where!
Below is our dream setlist, which visits all 10 of her studio albums, keeps past tour tendencies in mind, and still makes the spectacle somewhat manageable. By our count, she could blast through all these hits and medleys in about two-and-a-half hours — a reasonable show length, considering it’s her first trek in nearly five years.
This set would surely bring incredible highs and torrents of tears — what more could a Swiftie want? Until then, we’ll keep dreaming!
What began as a grandson’s personal mission to preserve his Nana’s unpublished musical legacy turned into a passion project that led to an album, a documentary, a role in a Hollywood movie, and ultimately, a Latin Grammy nomination for best new artist.
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At 95, Angela Alvarez is fulfilling a lifelong dream that began in her native Cuba, where she learned to sing and play the piano early on, and later took on the guitar and started writing her own songs.
“I loved music very much,” Alvarez tells Billboard Español in a video-call from her home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana — where the work of her husband, a mechanical engineer in the sugar industry, took her decades ago. “When I was a child, I had two aunts that played the piano and taught me how to sing. Whenever there was a family gathering, I was the artist; they made dresses for me and I always liked to perform.”
It’s something that kept growing with her. So when she was about to graduate high school and her father asked her what she wanted to do next, she didn’t hesitate: “I want to be a singer.” Not finding that kind of life suitable for his only daughter, he said, “No. You sing for the family, but not for the world.”
“I loved him very much and I obeyed him — I did not insist,” Alvarez says with a sweet, infectious smile, not a hint of resentment in her voice. She decided to put her dreams on the back burner, eventually finding happiness in marriage and a family of her own. (Alvarez had four children and today is the grandmother of nine and the great-grandmother of about 15, she says beaming with pride.)
But music was always there for her, as it helped her cope with the ups and downs of life: from love and motherhood, to a months-long separation from her children after the Cuban Revolution triumph, when she was supposed to travel to the U.S. with them but was not allowed to board the plane; to her relentless efforts to reunite her family and the eventual loss of her beloved husband and, years later, of her only daughter — both to cancer.
“I think that music is the language of the soul,” says Alvarez, who estimates that she has written around 50 songs, including “Romper el Yugo” (Break the Chains,) “Añoranzas” (Yearnings,) “Mi Gran Amor” (My Great Love”) and “Camino Sin Rumbo” (I Wonder Aimlessly,) all included in her 15-track, self-titled debut album, independently released (via Nana Album LLC) in June, 2021.
“If I could break the chains that imprison you with such great might / How happy I would be, I would sing a hymn of peace,” she sings to Cuba, in Spanish, in the 1969 Afro Cuban tune “Romper el Yugo”.
“I wonder aimlessly, how sad it makes me / I wonder aimlessly finding nothing / I look for solace, I look for peace”, she cries in “Camino Sin Rumbo,” a Cuban Bolero-Son she wrote in 1978 after her husband’s passing.
Angela Alvarez & Carlos José Alvarez
Bryony Shearmur
Listening to many of these songs while growing up was especially impactful on her grandson Carlos José Alvarez, a professional musician based in Los Angeles who attributes his love of music largely to his Nana, as her grandchildren call her. As Angela was getting on in years without ever recording any of her work, he had an “epiphany” that made him fly quickly to Louisiana to document each and every one of her songs, for “the legacy of our family.”
“I didn’t know there were so many, I had no idea,” Carlos recalls on the same video call, laughing as he recounts the conversation he had with his grandmother about finally recording those songs. “When I got back to L.A., that’s when it clicked. I called her up and I said, ‘Nana, do you want to do this?’ First she said, ‘¡Yo no voy para Los Ángeles! ¿Pa’ qué?’ (‘I’m not going to Los Angeles! For what?’) And I say, ‘To record your album!’ And she’s like, ‘OK, I’m there!’”
But a few more years went by as he kept “waiting for the perfect moment” to undertake the project, while juggling family and work. Then, during a trip to Spain, a fire was lit under him by his close friend, producer Misha’al Al-Omar, who looked him in the eye and bluntly asked him: “Are you waiting for her to die? […] Whatever you need, let’s go do it.”
“I owe that man the credit for waking me up,” Carlos says of Al-Omar, also a producer on the album. “I got back from Spain, I called her, and I said ‘Nana, I’m already doing your arrangements. You’re coming to L.A. We’re doing this.’”
With his grandmother on board, he started calling musicians he knew to help bring the project to life. “These are friends of mine and people that I admire, the best of the best,” Carlos says of the professionals he recruited. “I play them her music and they just can’t believe it. They’re like, ‘We’re in!’ They were blown away. They were like, ‘These are her songs? These sound like classics, but I’ve never heard them before!’”
Angela Alvarez
He also contacted Cuban-American actor and musician Andy Garcia, who was very impressed, and immediately on board. So much so, in fact, that he not only served as executive producer and narrator of a documentary on Alvarez, Miss Angela, but also invited her to appear in his Father of the Bride remake as Tía Pili (Aunt Pili), and to sing “Quiéreme Mucho” (Love Me a Lot) as part of the soundtrack.
“Her story just blew me away — she represents a generation, perhaps our greatest generation of Cubans,” Garcia says of Alvarez in Miss Angela. The quote comes as Garcia is introducing Alvarez before her concert at the historic Avalon in L.A — her first ever concert, on the day of her 91st birthday — where the actor also played the bongós with the band.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in finally making a teenage girl’s dream come true and welcome the star of tonight’s show singing her own songs, the extraordinarily talented and sublimely beautiful, Mrs. Angela Alvarez,” Garcia continues.
In a written statement, Al-Omar tells Billboard Español that working with Angela and Carlos was always a “labour of love” for everyone involved. “It was never about money, or recognition, dimensions that can really get in the way of doing things for ‘the right reason’. And the simplicity of that purpose made it a lot easier to stay focused on what’s important,” he noted.
As for how Angela Alvarez ended up with a nomination to the Latin Grammys in one of the most coveted categories, her grandson explains that it was Al-Omar’s idea. “He said, ‘You know how fitting and incredible it would be if she was nominated for best new artist at her age? You know the message that that would send to the world?’” Carlos recalls. “And we laughed about it! We sent it, and two days ago I was checking on my neighbor’s cat, and I’m standing there and I get text messages: ‘Congratulations!’ And I’m like, ‘For what!?’ And it hit me, based on the person who was writing, and I said ‘No way!’ […] It’s unimaginable”.
Angela couldn’t believe it either. “It was a very big but very beautiful surprise, and I thought afterwards that all my dreams came true. At 95, but that doesn’t matter,” she says, laughing.
Now both grandmother and grandson plan to attend the Latin Grammy celebrations in Las Vegas the third week of November — where Alvarez is scheduled to perform at the Best New Artists showcase on the 15th, and attend the awards ceremony on the 17th.
“I hope this entire project inspires young people to sit down and talk to their elders. Ask them questions. Ask them about the dreams they had once upon a time. They will be surprised at what they will find,” Carlos concludes. “If we don’t ask them, they won’t tell us, and their wisdom and dreams will leave with them.”
Kimberly Yatsko