Interview
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As Aidan Noell, the keyboardist for New York-based synth-pop band Nation of Language, elaborates on her love of Death Cab for Cutie, her husband (and band frontman) Ian Devaney stealthily removes one of his boots and begins whacking at a spotted lanternfly that has landed near them in the backyard garden of a Brooklyn coffee shop.
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“I think he’s dead, Ian,” Noell deadpans as Devaney turns the invasive pest into paste with legs. “Ian is the No. 1 killer of lanternflies,” she says.
Devaney may want to talk to the Orkin people about a side hustle, but at the moment, he and Noell are a bit busy. On Sept. 7 they begin a nearly 50-date tour that will see them headline Rough Trade’s iNDIEPLAZA festival at Rockefeller Center in their hometown (Sept. 9) and perform in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America before the end of the year. The live run will coincide with the Sept. 15 release of the band’s third album, Strange Disciple on the PIAS label.
Nation of Language caught fire near the beginning of the pandemic when their first album, Introduction, Presence, was released in May 2020. At a time when music fans under lockdown were looking for comfort, their debut was an irresistible confection of familiar and new sounds. Devaney, who hails from Westfield, NJ and is the band’s principal songwriter, nimbly builds nostalgic hooks and loops from such synth-pop and post-punk masters as Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Human League, Flock of Seagulls and Talking Heads — into brand new songs that are as irresistible as their predecessors. In concert, he channels his musical forebears as well, stalking the stage with jagged, jerky moves, an asymmmetric haircut and (more recently) the beginnings of a Midge Ure mustache.
Devaney and Noell, who recently celebrated their fifth year of marriage (and often finish each other’s sentences), have been on the road almost nonstop since touring resumed in 2021, playing to larger and larger audiences such as the Primavera festival in Barcelona. They say they are looking forward to this next leg of shows because, Devaney explains, the band’s second album, A Way Forward, was released just as lockdowns were ending. “So we were essentially touring the first and second albums at the same time.” Their fall itinerary will be “the first time in quite a while where we are performing songs that people haven’t heard before.”
Below, they talk with Billboard about life on the road as a married couple, artists who have influenced them and much more.
How did you two meet?
Noell: Ian was on tour with his previous band, Static Jacks, who were opening for The Wombats in Kansas City. I was there with my mom because we love going to shows together, and I was enamored with him and his performance. My mom was like, “You should go talk to him.” So I did, and that’s how we met.
Devaney: I was terrified because this was a girl that came to the show with her mom. I was like, “Very nice to meet you.” Handshake.
Aidan, you didn’t know how to play an instrument when you joined the band. How did you learn so quickly.
Noell: Determination. All of Ian’s friends who had played in his bands had moved away, and I felt like it was my duty to do whatever I could to keep his project going. I thought, I can do this if I just try hard enough. Please just try teaching me. And he did.
Ian, as Nation of Language has graduated to progressively larger stages, you seem to have no trouble expanding your performance to fit the space. Have you worked with anyone on accomplishing that?
Devaney: I guess it’s instinctual. It’s very much just doing whatever feels natural. There are definitely moments where, because the stages we play can vary so greatly in size, I’m like, “Is what I’m doing right for this environment?”
But the goal is to let the moment take over as much of my decisions as possible. I try not to overthink what I’m doing in each moment. When I was in high school, my performance style was very showy and all over the place. There were more elements of Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison — classic rock frontman things — going on. Then I rejected that and wanted to stand still. Eventually, I found my way back into movement. Ultimately, it’s my form of dancing. The best way I can describe it is it’s like having a hairbrush in your bedroom when you’re playing your favorite songs.
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Obsession seems to be one of themes of Strange Disciple. You seem to be a happy couple. Where does the obsession come from?
Devaney: There’s our relationship to each other, but there are past relationships. There’s putting oneself in friends’ shoes and witnessing their relationships. Not all the obsessions that inspire the music are inherently romantic. Whether it’s obsession with…
Noell: An idealized version of yourself.
Devaney: Or with social media and your relationship to it. It’s anything that captures your attention so much that it warps everything else around you.
Would your fans’ idealization of you have anything to do with that?
Devaney: I don’t think so. I never saw myself as an — I definitely don’t want it to seem adversarial towards our audience.
Nation of Language doesn’t sound anything like The War on Drugs, but I feel like you’ve got something in common in that I’m able to hear your musical influences very clearly. Adam Granduciel’s love of Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen is evident in his songs; Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Human League, in yours. Did you ever worry that people would consider your music pastiche?
Devaney: Not really. Those sounds are just the palette that captivates me. It’s not me wanting to write a song that sounds like a Human League song. It’s just using some of the same tools.
What are the essential albums in your collection?
Devaney: When it comes to the albums that I would say are in the pantheon of what drives this band, The Man-Machine by Kraftwerk; Remain in Light by Talking Heads, Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. To me, they exist in that kind of rarefied area where the artists were striving to make something that can stand apart. They’re not going to mean everything to everyone but to me they have this mystique, and you can feel the ambition in each of them. I am always striving to be as ambitious as possible, especially now that we are in this third album phase where you start to feel like there’s some things that might be expected of you. I don’t want to find myself curbing my ambition in order to—
Noell: Hit those marks.
Devaney: But you don’t even know what the marks are because you can’t really know what people want from you. If you start trying to hit imaginary marks you could just end up screwing yourself — and feeling really uninspired and bad about it. In terms of what I’ve been listening recently: the New Alvvays album — actually all three because I missed the boat with them until very recently. Weyes Blood is another artist that I listen to a lot. Aldous Harding. Cola.
Noell: I had a very midwestern emo youth, but my first concert was Death Cab for Cutie and that was my very favorite band in high school. I really love their most recent album, and we get to go see them this fall with The Postal Service so I’m very excited about that.
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What have been the band’s biggest challenges?
Devaney: The first thing that comes to mind is health. We do a lot of touring, and I get sick on basically every tour. That makes everything so much harder.
Noell: Since the last tour, where we all got sick, we’re like, all right, we’re going to try every possible cure for bad immune systems. We’re all on crazy vitamins and Ian is drinking herbal remedies every day.
Devaney: Thinking larger than that, I struggle a lot with the idea of disappointing people, especially if they’ve invested emotionally in us the way that fans have started to [be]. And the health plays into that when you get onstage, you haven’t been feeling great and you feel like you haven’t given everything. It’s trying to find a balance where not everything feels like the highest stakes in the world every single day.
Noell: It takes a huge toll on Ian’s mental health. Before our show in London, which was going to be our biggest yet, Ian basically lost his voice and was really afraid of disappointing people on stage. That was one of the lowest mental health points that I’ve seen him in.
Ian, how did you deal with that?
Devaney: I was able to do that show fine — and the show the next night in Glasgow, I gave them the last shred of what I had.
Noell: And of course everyone was like, “That was the greatest show I’ve ever seen.” Meanwhile, Ian is dying on stage.
Devaney: I think what people want is to feel that you are present, and that what they are witnessing is not just the same exact thing you did yesterday. Trying to figure that out helps with fighting the perfectionism that can infiltrate your brain. If you can just roll with punches and erode the barrier between you and the people that are there to share in the moment, that makes everything so much easier and so much more fun. The pressure dials back then.
We’ve reported that indie bands have had a hard time touring because of inflation, expenses and other factors. Nation of Language seems to have avoided this. Can you offer some perspective how to tour successfully?
Devaney: We certainly feel what everyone else has been feeling. Our first several European tours were done with the understanding that we would definitely lose money even if we sold every ticket and everyone bought merch. We had to view those tours as investments for the future.
Still, last year was an especially perfect storm, in that our expenses all went up significantly, but our income went the other direction. We were getting paid the fees we had agreed to months before inflation took off. Add to that a very strong U.S. dollar versus weaker overseas currencies, and it was ugly to look at the budgets. We had a conversation about canceling last fall, but that felt like it’d be letting so many people down who wanted to attend these shows. It felt really special to us that there was a vocal audience in other parts of the world, and that it was growing with each trip we took. So, we just took the hit.
How did you make it work?
Devaney: We were able to use funds we were making from comparatively stable North American touring to offset the losses incurred overseas, and we hoped that doing so would eventually lead to sustainable touring in larger rooms. In June, we finally had a string of European dates where we came out ahead. So, for now we’re telling ourselves it worked out. Even so, our situation isn’t entirely duplicable for other artists. We don’t have to bring drums or amps, so we’re able to travel in much smaller vehicles and we can fly with all of our gear without incurring much in baggage fees. Pro-tip for young bands that we wish we’d been told sooner: Pick an airline and stick with it. As soon as you have status you’re saving significantly on every trip thereafter.
At the end of the day, the live show is just such a big part of this band’s identity. We can’t imagine not making it work so we’ve built everything around the idea that we need to be able to tour effectively and efficiently.
You use a company called Music Glue to sell your concert tickets and merch. Do you use it to avoid the fees and markups that more established companies such as Ticketmaster would charge?
Devaney: Fees are certainly a huge problem right now. It seems like you get punished for trying to keep your ticket prices low. Often, we agree to a ticket price and then somehow there’s 30%-40% arbitrarily added on. From top to bottom, no one is willing to have a real conversation about where that money goes or why this is the system we’re all going along with. On top of that, the ticketing companies then scoop up all the data on those fans who buy tickets and use it as they see fit. Music Glue allows us, in a small way, to step outside of that doom spiral. We can keep the fees low for tickets sold directly through our site, and it seems to net us a ton of signups to our mailing list by fans who want to have a direct relationship with us.
Alex MacKay is your new bassist. Why did Michael Sue-Poi leave?
Devaney: The lineup of the band has changed at least four or five times, and ultimately, as we were starting to tour more and more, the road does not always agree with everyone. It’s the sort of thing that many people idealize, and then once you’re actually there, you realize, oh, most of my time is not my own. I have pretty much no personal space, especially at that point, it was four of us in a hotel room every night. And especially touring in America, where so many of the drives are six to eight hours, you all stay in the same room; you wake up; you all go to breakfast together; you start the drive and you get to sound check and you’re always in the same exact space.
Noell: It’s not that making or playing music isn’t for them. It’s that the road life isn’t for everyone. Luckily, we have found someone, Alex MacKay, who absolutely loves the road life.
Does it help to be married when you are touring so much?
Noell: Oh yeah. We are spoiled, I would say. Getting to work with each other and see each other every day all the time is amazing and we’re super lucky. And we always have each other to fall back on when our mental health does really —
Devaney: Ultimately being able to effectively communicate is such a crucial part of any touring party whether they’re members who are married or not. So, having that with each other foundationally, and then also with the other people we travel with it just makes life so much easier.
I guess have you started writing the next album? What’s next for you?
Devaney: In these little downtimes we have this summer between festival trips. I’ve been trying to spend as much time as possible creating but in a very…
Noell: No-pressure way.
Devaney: There are some songs that have been around since the second album that, as each album has come up, I’ve been like, “It’s not right for that, but it could be a place we go.” I’m always trying to write without expectations so that I can potentially plant the seeds for future directions. There are a bundle of demos floating around where I’m like, I could lean into this vibe a little more or take things over here.
Noell: It’s hardest for me, who gets to hear all these demos. I become obsessed with these songs. I’m like, “They should be on this album. Come on, let’s put it out.” And he’s like, “No, it’s not right yet.”
Devaney: It is weird that some of my favorite songs I’ve written are not on any album — because I’m like, “No, now is not the time.” Making each record turns into more of a curatorial mindset, where you’re like, [figuring out] which things fit together and complete this puzzle that would be the record. Things get put off to the future, because they don’t seem exactly right, for a reason that you can’t even explain to yourself.
You put out the first single for this album in March and have since released three more. What’s the strategy behind putting out singles so far in advance of the album release?
Noell: It’s half-strategy, half-…. once again, the record printing is so slow. For the last two albums it was difficult to get records printed and pressed and shipped to people who preordered them on the date that the record came out.
Devaney: This time we wanted to make sure that those dates are fully aligned. With the first album we ended up releasing more singles than we anticipated because the release date was pushed back by a month. And we found that with each single, more people were finding the band and more [media] were covering each single. We tried that again for the second album, and it worked really well. So, this time we’re doing it again, with a fifth single dropping on the album release date.
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Bebel Gilberto embodies the essence of bossa nova’s modern evolution. Last Wednesday (Aug. 16), the singer-songwriter showcased this on stage at a sold-out show at Poisson Rouge, nestled in the heart of New York’s storied bohemian neighborhood Greenwich Village, where she gave audiences an early preview of her latest album João (out Friday, Aug. 25), a heartfelt tribute to her late Brazilian father, João Gilberto.
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As the daughter of the bossa nova legend — and also of Brazilian music icon Miúcha — Bebel’s art is deeply rooted in her musical heritage. Yet the singer has carved a distinct path of her own, fusing traditional Brazilian rhythms with electronic flourishes and global influences. On João, she brings it all back home. With her ethereal voice and innovative production, Bebel effortlessly transcends the classic genre, reimagining the sonic boundaries of Brazilian music with a New York state of mind, and a thrust for cultural exploration.
Last week on stage, the Brazilian chanteuse — who wore a vintage-style black Prada dress and her carefully messy hair pinned up — was a musical force: spunky yet elegant with a dashing sense of humor. “Sorry, but for some reason I’m feeling Beyoncé,” she said as she gave the sound engineers feedback to take out some reverb. Applying red lipstick, she declared, “I’m not just bossa nova, I’m punk. I lived in New York City for 29 years.” She then proceeded to invite a cute shih tzu dog on stage while crooning, “I love you.” For the encore, she came out sipping on a Corona, while her mellifluous melodies weaved an intricate tapestry of emotions.
New York City was just one stop of her international João Tour, where she’ll make her way to major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Quebec City, Stockholm and London. Recorded at Reservoir Studios in New York, João was created alongside producer Thomas Bartlett, with Bebel gathering a collective of musicians such as her nephew drummer Chico Brown, as well as guitarist Guilherme Monteiro and music arranger and trombone player, Clark Gayton.
Billboard Español caught up with the artist to discuss five essential songs from João.
“Adeus América”
I would start with the opening song, “Adeus América.” It’s a song that I discovered through my father’s voice. He had done a live presentation [of it] at the [19th] Montreux Jazz Festival, the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival [in Switzerland]. He was coming back to Brazil after being in the United States, and touring around the world for the last 20 years. The fact that he sang that song [to me] inspired me to open the album with it. It was the first song I recorded.
The guitar is from Guilherme Monteiro, who’s been touring with me. He did incredible work, researching my father’s chord changes, dissecting the way that daddy played, and the right vibe. I love the production by Thomas Bartlett — who was super open, opinionated, as he’s not Brazilian, you know? It was like a trip into my dad’s music. I have deep love for “Adeus América” in particular, and I love the result. It is catchy and I hold it in my heart. It’s one of my favorites.
Editor’s note: the original song was recorded in 1985, and released two years later on the album Live in Montreux.
“Eu Vim Da Bahia”
My second selection is “Eu Vim Da Bahia,” a song that’s on another album from my dad’s, which is known as the White Album [Ed. Note: It’s João Gilberto’s 1973 self-titled album]. “Eu vim da bahia” in English means “I came from Bahia.” The original song is from Gilberto Gil, who actually shares the same name as my father, and people kept confusing them. Gil’s recording has a totally different vibe.
When daddy did it, it was so intense — and it tells the story of Bahia, the background, why he came from Bahia and why he wants to come back. It’s also a nostalgic song, and I believe that is one of my best interpretations. I was a big fan for a long time, but I never thought I was going to one day record it. It was one of the songs that I easily did. I’m very happy with my vocals. It took me two or three takes; it wasn’t a big effort. I really took a trip on it and it was really beautiful. I love the results.
“É Preciso Perdoar”
“É Preciso Perdoar” is one of the most beautiful songs of the album, and maybe my favorite song ever. My father also recorded it on that same White Album and it’s been recorded by Cesária Évora, [Ryuichi Sakamoto and Caetano Veloso] on the Red Hot & Rio album that got so famous, [where] David Byrne also participated. But the words reflect the state of mind that I am currently in.
There is also an electronic effect that Thomas did. It’s really beautiful, and I think it captures the mantra that the song has. I’m very courageous to take the chance to re-record such a classic. I have beautiful drummers playing on it. One of them is my nephew, Chico Brown, Carlinhos Brown’s son. He did incredible work and programming. I also really love Guilherme Monteiro’s guitar.
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The video is really beautiful. When I created the vibe, I wanted to do a little bit of acting on it. [The song has] very deep words. I decided to do something inspired by Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” [music video]. Later, she left us. I wish she knew. She inspired so many people around the world, and probably she didn’t even know that.
“Undiú”
That one is my father’s composition. It’s an instrumental song my father created on his guitar. My father loved yoga and he loved mantras. He really practiced yoga as [much as] the guitar. His obsession with religion was also the way of playing the guitar. That song sounds like a mantra, it’s beautiful. Thomas Bartlett also plays accordion on that song. It’s quite psychedelic in a way. I’m very happy to take that step away from the classics and do an untouched song from my dad.
“O Pato”
The fifth one is called “the duck.” It’s a song that my father got very famous for at the beginning of his career. It’s very funny; it sounds like a song from a cartoon. I was involved in all the arrangements and invited this great, incredible trombone player, Clark Gayton, who developed all the arrangements with me. It sounds a little playful — [to have] the horns, which are adorable, playing against the guitar and the drums. I love it. It sounds a little funky and childish at the same time. It’s very fun and I’m very happy that I recreated such a classic in a totally different approach.
Full stream of João below:
Music wasn’t part of Jaboukie Young-White‘s plan. “It just kind of happened,” he tells Billboard with a laugh.
The 29-year-old performer spent the last few years carefully building his profile as a comedian, writer, actor and professional Twitter (err, X) troll. Between standup, writing for Big Mouth, working as a correspondent on The Daily Show, getting banned from the social media platform for impersonating CNN and starring in Disney’s Strange World alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Gabrielle Union, Young-White has seen his star rise immensely over the last five years.
As he tells it, music was a hobby that kept him occupied throughout the pandemic. “I had been making instrumental music since college, and it was mostly something that I kept to myself,” he says. “Fast forward, pandemic hits, and I was working on some animated stuff during that time. I had a vocal setup in my apartment, so I was like, ‘You know what, let me just do this.’”
Three years later, those quarantine sessions have transformed into All Who Can’t Hear Must Feel, the star’s debut album out Friday (August 25) via Interscope. On the expansive project, Young-White (performing under his first name, Jaboukie) hops into the nebulous spaces between genres like industrial hip-hop, bedroom rock and hyperpop to deliver immediately catchy insights on his life and his occasionally intrusive thoughts. And yes, the album is also very funny.
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The album also nearly didn’t happen. Young-White says that he never had any intention of releasing music until he began working on a script for an upcoming animated film inspired by Juice WRLD’s music. When pitching himself to Interscope Films as a writer-director for the project, he was asked if he had any experience with music that he could share.
“I sent a few little songs along, thinking that they were just gonna be like, ‘OK, this man is competent. He can write, he has taste,’” Young-White says. “Then [John Janick] offered me a record deal, and there just wasn’t a good enough reason to for me not to do it. I knew I would regret not doing this”
With a major label’s resources now at his disposal, Young-White could have worked with high-level producers and songwriters to put his first project together. The album does have plenty of assists — Grammy-winners Alex Tumay, Neal Pogue and Mike Bozzi mixed and mastered All Who Can’t Hear, respectively.
But in terms of production and songwriting, Young-White knew that creating an album that felt authentic meant doing it all solo, with the occasional help from his brothers Javaughn and Javeigh. “Because I’m so new to releasing music, if I got in the studio with somebody, I would want to be like, ‘Whatever you want to do is good by me, because you’re so great!’ I needed to put my stake in the ground first before I start inviting more people into the process,” he says.
After a beat, he can’t help but go for the punchline. “Listen, [Jack Antonoff] was so desperate to get in the studio with me,” he says, smirking. “I was like, ‘Hey, I’m so sorry, but it’s a no, Jack.’”
That urge to go for the joke is still present on Young-White’s album, but not in the same way that fans of his comedy would expect. While bars declaring himself a “midwest hoe, churning out magnum opes” on songs like “BBC” certainly land with laughs, All Who Can’t Hear is not a comedy album; it just so happens that hip-hop has always been naturally funny, Young-White says.
“Rappers have been some of my favorite comedians,” he says. “Young Thug is one of the most f–king hilarious surrealist comics alive. Wayne is so funny. There’s a Nicki song on the radio right now [‘Red Ruby Da Sleaze’] where she says ‘I don’t f–k with horses since Christopher Reeves,’ which is insane … for me, it’s not difficult to hold something as being sincere and funny at the same time.”
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Even the album’s title is a play on words — All Who Can’t Hear Must Feel, taken in its most literal sense, states what listeners can expect from the album’s sonics. “I was putting so much weight in the low end of these songs. I wanted you to really, truly feel this, and let it be a physical experience,” he says. “I was just alone in my apartment and my neighbors were probably mad as hell, but I was like, ‘I need to feel something, I gotta dance.’ That was the conversation that I was having with myself — I was trying to wake something up.”
But the phrase is also a Jamaican proverb — Young-White was raised by Jamaican parents in Harvey, Ill. — about learning from consequences after not heeding warnings. With his Saturn return in full effect while penning his album (“You could start and stop with that explanation alone depending on how good your astrological understanding is”), the comic says he couldn’t stop thinking about the oft-cited expression.
“There are so many lessons where no one can tell you what it means; you really do have to experience it for yourself,” he says. “That’s what life is like — you can be given so much advice and be told so many things, but there’s so much that will not be real to you until you feel it.”
One of those lessons Young-White simply had to experience was what it meant to have a career in the music industry. Despite his rapidly-building profile in film and television, he says that trying to figure out how to be a signed recording artist came with a significant learning curve.
Some of the lessons have been more positive than others — Young-White found creative output came much easier to him when writing songs. “I wish I could be as prolific with writing jokes as I was with music — I probably had 40 or 50 songs written for this album,” he says. “You really gotta go up in front of a bunch of audiences to work out a good joke. With songs, so many of them will suck, but every once in a while you hit on something and just say ‘OK, let’s run with this.’”
Other lessons have been harder to explain, like showing up on time to meetings when no one was expecting him to. “There have been people who were like, ‘Wow, you showed up? I didn’t think you would!’ And I’m like, ‘What do you mean? We had a meeting, I said I was gonna be here!’” he recalls, laughing. “You feel like such a goody two shoes in music just for being punctual.”
With his lessons learned, Young-White is now confident that a career in music can officially join his growing list of professions in entertainment; he’s already started planning out where he wants to go next. “I did industrial, I did experimental, now I want to do something that’s really pop, catchy, clean and glossy — kind of in the Charlie XCX blueprint,” he says. “Honestly, my ideal pop song kind of sounds like Animal Collective. Structurally and lyrically, it’s like, ‘This is a pop song,’ but then the sounds are absolutely wild, like kitchen appliances fighting each other.”
The rising star is quick to temper his ambitions; he knows that “everything is so a la carte” when it comes to music consumption nowadays, which makes marketing an entire album that much harder. “I know damn well you could be listening to any-the-f–k-thing after you listen to this project,” he says.
But that inherent understanding keeps Young-White’s music — and for that matter, his point of view — as fresh as it is. “Why would I stay in one lane when I can just give you everything right here?”
Last week (Aug. 4), Ciara debuted the Chris Brown-assisted “How We Roll,” the lead single from CiCi, her forthcoming EP. Today, the R&B powerhouse sat down with Billboard to reflect on the 20-year anniversary of her debut album, her recent K-Pop collabs, and the sound of CiCi.
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“I feel blessed. I feel like I’m just getting started at the same time,” Ciara gushed. “To know that it was 20 years ago that I was just really, really ambitious… dreaming big, I envisioned that I’d be sitting somewhere like this 20 years later.” In 2004, Goodies, Ciara’s debut studio album, debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The record spawned three consecutive smash hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the Missy Elliott-assisted “1, 2 Step” (No. 2), the Ludacris-featuring “Oh” (No. 2), and the No. 1-peaking “Goodies” (with Petey Pablo).
Reflecting on the dominance of Goodies, Ciara said that she was very aware of her success during that moment because she always “believed in [herself].” “I was on camera, documented right at the graduation, and the guy said, ‘So, Ciara, where do you see yourself a year from now?’” the “I Bet” singer recounted. “And in my super-Atlanta thick accent, I said, ‘I see myself having the No. 1 song on the Billboard charts!’ And then literally, “Goodies” was No. 1 on the Billboard charts. I dreamed big!”
Speaking on her more recent music, the Grammy-winner described her new Chris Brown duet as “a great example of that feel-good R&B, dance, rhythmic, melodic energy that you can play at a house party. It’s gon’ set the house party off right.” She noted that this collaboration with Chris Brown is something that the pair have wanted to do for “a long time.” “It was an artist’s dream come true for the both of us,” she remarked.
The pair’s new single, “How We Roll,” is the first official single from Ciara’s forthcoming CiCi EP, which she describes as “classic [Ciara], but elevated.” “It’s got a super strong R&B core,” she revealed. “CiCi is that ‘turn that lip up, get a lil stank… Ciara, she keeps it cute, she’s a mom of three, she’s unbothered,” she said, outlining the two sides of her that are present on the upcoming project. “I really wanted to bring that classic R&B energy to this project.”
CiCi follows a string of 2023 releases from Ciara including “Da Girls” and the Summer Walker-assisted “Better Thangs.” The “Level Up” singer also released a slew of collaborations with Asian artists this year including XG (“Left Right Remixx”, Jackson Wang (“Slow”), and Agnez Mo (“Get Loose”). “I feel like I’m touching and tapping into a lot of the boxes I always wanted to, and that was one of them,” she said. “That audience is so special. It’s fascinating to see how they react to their own artists, I’m like ‘That’s the energy that you want. That’s the energy that you want to be apart of.’”
Ciara has earned four top ten albums on the Billboard 200, including 2006’s chart-topping Ciara: The Evolution. On the Hot 100, the “Body Party” singer has notched 21 entries, including notable hits such as “Promise” (No. 11), “Level Up” (No. 59) and “Lose Control” (No. 3).
Matteo Bocelli‘s relationship with his father, beloved Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, means everything to him.
“Thanks to my dad, I had the pleasure to be on the most famous stages of the world and got to travel all over the planet,” 25-year-old Matteo tells Billboard. “Bringing our voices on stages, we were bringing a story that is true and authentic. As I always say, music is about authenticity, because when you’re not truthful to music, the music won’t work and people won’t feel it. Our duet ‘Fall On Me’ is a song that talks about a true relationship between father and son and it’s probably why people really felt the song and they were so excited to see us together all the time.”
While he’s already had an impressive amount of musical experience thanks to working and performing with his father, Matteo is ready to re-introduce himself to the world on his own — but not without paying tribute to the family who supported him along the way. The singer dropped a new solo single, “Chasing Stars,” on Friday (July 28), which was written by pop superstar Ed Sheeran and his brother Matthew about their own father.
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“When I was younger, my father was my hero / Let me hop on his shoulders, we sang to the moon,” Matteo’s honeyed vocals croon on the opening lines of the heartfelt ballad, which, as expected, Andrea loved. “Once my father heard that first line calling him my hero, he said, ‘I like this song,’” Matteo recalls with a laugh, before sharing how supportive the Italian legend has been while his son worked to carve his own creative path.
“My father helped this big step feel a little smaller,” he says. “I’m very grateful for everything that he taught me, the values that he gave to me and all the vocal techniques. Every time I have jobs, I still go to him and ask him how I should use my voice. He’s always saying, ‘I’m here for you to help you for whatever you need.’ I think that this is what father should always do. Let their sons live their lives but always be there to support and give advice.”
Having a song written by Ed Sheeran on his debut album made the song even sweeter, as Matteo has been a fan of the superstar since he released 2011’s “The A Team.”
“To think that in my very first album, I have a song with him, it’s incredible. It’s really a privilege,” Matteo says, noting that he met Sheeran “multiple times” over the years, but really got to know him back when he worked with Andrea on his 2017 “Perfect Symphony” duet. “We kept in contact, and later on, we asked if it was possible to have a song written by him. We thought it’d be a privilege to have one of his songs and he sent us ‘Chasing Stars.’ I fell in love with the song in the very first moment because it’s beautiful, the melody and also the lyrics. It wasn’t a song that he wrote for me. It was a song that he did for himself — but what’s cool is the song has a theme that is quite common because we both have a shared value of family and a passion for music.”
He continues, “I found so many connections on that song that I said, ‘I’ve got to do it.’ Not only because everything Ed touches is beautiful, but also because all the pieces of the puzzle were fitting perfectly.”
As for the age-old phrase, “Never meet your heroes,” the warning proved to be completely untrue in Matteo’s experience working with Sheeran. “One of the things that I appreciate so much about Ed is that in his music and art in general, he knows what it means to be free and to have the freedom to do what you love in your way,” Matteo says. “Many artists in their career have been judged for what they were doing or the way they were bringing music to people. For this reason, he gave me the freedom to perform the song the way I like. He wasn’t at all the type to be like, ‘No, you got to do this, you got to do that.’ He encouraged me to perform it the way I feel, because he said, ‘At the end of the day, you’re going to be on stage performing the songs.’”
The Parisi-produced “Chasing Stars” will be featured on the singer’s upcoming debut solo album, fittingly titled Matteo, set for release on September 22 via Capitol Records. The 12-track project will feature both Italian and English songs capturing this new chapter in Matteo’s life.
Despite his confidence in taking this next step as a solo artist, Matteo is still growing and learning who he is, just like any 25-year-old. “They always ask me who I am today and I always say, ‘Honestly, I don’t know,’ because it’s truly a specific and particular phase of my life,” he says of how he views himself at this moment. “This is why one of the first ideas we thought of was to call the album Fasi, which means ‘phases’ in English, because it’s a very important moment of my life with many, many changes. I’m super happy about all of the music I made these last two years and this record will be the product of getting to experiment and work with many writers and composers. You learn so many things, you have so many experiences and so many stories to tell. I hope that the concepts and all the stories and emotion will be able to connect with people.”
Listen to “Chasing Stars,” and watch the moving music video, below.
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If you took one look at 19-year-old Kenzie‘s Instagram, you’d see a smiling girl who loves spending time with her friends, playing with her sense of style and cuddling with her boyfriend.
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But, as we all know, social media isn’t always what it seems. “I feel like everyone thinks that all of these people on social media are perfect and don’t go through struggles. We all do,” the singer and dancer tells Billboard.
That’s why Kenzie decided on Friday (July 21) to release “Anatomy,” a heart wrenching ballad about her strained relationship with her father. “It’s just anatomy, you’re only half of me / But still you don’t know me at all / You’ve been my missing piece, so why aren’t you missing me?” she sings in the chorus, her voice nearly trembling in the way it usually does when being so deeply vulnerable for the first time.
The song, which acts as a musical therapy session, started out fittingly as a suggestion from her therapist. “When I turned 18, I started therapy and it was a big moment for me, because I just never trusted anyone to listen to my emotions,” she explains. “It just felt like a weird concept to me, you know, talking to a stranger. As I started doing therapy, she kept telling me write a letter to my dad and I felt that was so weird. So, I ended up just writing a song about it. I sent it to her and I was like, ‘Here’s my letter to my dad. Here’s everything.’”
She continues, “I ended up really loving the song and I hit the realization that there are people who will relate to this and I feel like it could help a lot of people in some way. It also gives people a chance to get to know me better.”
The track arrived along with an equally goosebump-inducing music video, in which the Dance Moms alum dances in an empty studio with the younger version of herself. “I’m healing my inner child for sure,” she says of the clip. “It was really important to me to add a younger version of myself in the video because when I was younger, I didn’t think about all of these issues. I think the second I turned 18, it all literally just came crashing down. I always used to make jokes about it. I’d just be like, “Yeah, well, that’s my life.” You know how kids are. But it’s a real life struggle that people go through and it really didn’t hit me until I was 18. Every time I watch the video, it just makes me cry because she’s so amazing in it.”
Before releasing the track, she showed it to her mother and sister — fellow dancer Maddie Ziegler — and, while she was “nervous,” the result was everything she hoped for. “I sent it to my sister and she just FaceTimed me and didn’t say anything and had tears coming down her face,” Kenzie recalls. “I also played it for my mom which I was a little nervous for because it’s a touchy subject. She’s just so supportive and she obviously cried as well. She just looked at me and was like, ‘that’s the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard.’”
In fact, Maddie ended up choreographing the music video. “I mean, she loves it so much because, of course, it’s her childhood too,” Kenzie explains. “It was so special having her there with me because it is a big moment in my life to be talking about this. Just having her be a part of it made me feel at home and comforted.”
As for how she perceives her relationship with her father now, Kenzie says “Anatomy” (and therapy) has helped her immensely in coming to terms with it. “I was really hesitant to release the song, because I have so much love for my dad no matter what because he is my family. I love very deeply and I don’t hold grudges,” she says. “But it definitely was healing because I just feel so content and I feel so happy with myself. I honestly don’t have these struggles anymore and I think it’s because I was so vulnerable and got to let everything out.”
Moving forward, Kenzie wants to continue being vulnerable in her music — not only to help herself heal, but also to help others. “I just feel like it’s just so personal and I really look up to people that are honest and share their story to other people. It helps other people in many ways,” she shares. “Bottling it up and acting like it doesn’t exist is not always the healthiest way. I think it’s important to talk freely about what you’re going through, and not be afraid to share your feelings. It’s also not embarrassing! That’s how I felt for a long time with my friends that had a mom and dad, and I just felt really embarrassed and left out. I learned that it made me a strong person and it’s made me who I am.”
Watch Kenzie’s “Anatomy” music video below.
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TOMORROW X TOGETHER‘s highly anticipated entrance into the music industry in 2019 generated immense interest as the latest addition to the esteemed roster of Big Hit Entertainment (now BIGHIT MUSIC), whose strong music history was laid by pop icons BTS, influential singer-songwriter Lee Hyun and ballad-focused boy band 2AM.
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Meanwhile, a cornerstone of TXT’s musical story has been the array of worldwide collaborators including global hip-hop stars (Coi Leray, iann dior, pH-1, Woodie Gochild), rising singer-songwriters (Salem Ilese, Seori, Lilas Ikuta), punk-rock icons (ModSun), EDM heavy-hitters (Alan Walker) and more. With TXT’s prime-for-pop-crossover smash “Do It Like That” alongside the Jonas Brothers, fans saw how the process goes beyond music.
Ahead of the July 7 release of “Do It Like That,” the K-pop stars shared a series of teaser videos to piece together their biggest Top 40 moment yet. Amid the U.S. leg of TXT’s Act: Sweet Mirage world tour, the quintet jetted off to meet OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder in the studio. While the super-producer behind multiple Hot 100 No. 1s already pumped some mainstream magic into the track, adding TXT’s Republic Records label mates in the JoBros expanded the song’s appeal to a broader generation of boy-band fans for maximum pop appeal.
With nearly 20 million views on YouTube since its release, the song is beginning to connect worldwide in its quest to become—as TXT’s eldest member Yeonjun describes it—”the perfect summer track” for 2023.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai‘s took a moment to delve into the collaboration with Billboard to share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, aspirations for the song, who would make the best TXT/JoBros sub-unit and the latest message to their fans, affectionately known as MOAs.
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Billboard: Tell us more about how TOMORROW X TOGETHER and the Jonas Brothers came together for “Do It Like That.” Have you ever previously connected with Jonas Brothers, or was anyone a longtime fan?
YEONJUN: It was our first time meeting Jonas Brothers for this collaboration and I had personally been a fan of their music growing up and even practiced with their music as a trainee, so it felt surreal to be working with them. “Do It Like That” seemed like the perfect summer track and when Jonas Brothers also expressed their interest in the single, we met up in the States during the U.S. leg of our world tour in May to make this collaboration happen.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER has collaborated with several artists, but we got to see you meet, interact and record fun content before the song release. What was the vibe like? Any fun stories from the day?
TAEHYUN: From recording the track to shooting content, this collaboration was such a fun project. Jonas Brothers were even cooler in person and their friendliness helped us work together in a chill environment.
BEOMGYU: Jonas Brothers were incredibly welcoming from the moment we met. They were just as enthusiastic as we were about shooting content, which we really appreciated.
YEONJUN: We gifted Jonas Brothers our most recent album The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION! We shot a lot of content together, and I remember being pleasantly surprised by how good they were at filming TikTok videos.
Do you want fans to look out for anything specific in the music video?
HUENINGKAI: Viewers will be able to see how much fun we had on the set if they pay attention to TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers’ facial expressions and gestures within the music video!
Fans loved Jonas Brothers’ sharing “concept photos” in the style of TOMORROW X TOGETHER on social media. Did you enjoy?
HUENINGKAI: We thought their concept photos turned out really well and felt a sense of pride seeing the positive reactions from fans.
In what ways do TXT and Jonas Brothers have similarities, and in what ways are they different?
TAEHYUN: I’d say TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers are both artists who have a jam-packed discography with quality music. We, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, are not related by blood like Jonas Brothers, but the five of us are a band of brothers too and a family nonetheless.
What are your personal and professional goals with this single?
SOOBIN: It would be amazing to achieve good results on the Billboard charts with “Do It Like That,” but more importantly we hope that this single acts as a window for more people to discover TOMORROW X TOGETHER and get to know us.
Sometimes K-pop groups split into “sub-units” for certain performances or albums. What would be the best combination if one member of TXT and Jonas Brothers formed a duo?
BEOMGYU: I think HUENINGKAI and Nick Jonas would make the perfect duo because their vocals complement each other very well.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER has a lot of big things coming up: Headlining Lollapalooza 2023, a Disney+ documentary, of course this new single. What’s your message to fans as you roll it all out?
SOOBIN: We can’t spoil too much, but including our new single, we have a lot of exciting plans coming up for the rest of the year beyond what you mentioned. It’s a busy time for us, but we’re thankful and working hard to put our best foot forward for the many opportunities to meet our MOA. As always, we would appreciate our MOAs’ excitement and support every step of the way!
Unlike their western counterparts, K-pop artists intentionally steer clear of any news or discussions regarding relationships. Dating within the realm of Korean idols remains a controversial subject and in 2018, DAWN found himself embroiled in a dating “controversy” with a senior artist from his record label—an incident that could have spelled the end of his career.
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Today, however, that very experience is shaping his most impactful music to date.
Following the infamous expulsion of DAWN and his then-girlfriend HyunA from Cube Entertainment after going public with their dating news (despite a wave of international media attention and fan support for the relationship that put the contract break on temporary hold), the then-24-year-old boy band member embarked on a solo journey. He became the first male artist to join PSY at his newly established P NATION label.
His second act delivered experimental pop and hip-hop singles like “Money,” “Dawndididawn” and “Stupid Cool,” with his relationship put on fully creative display with a joint EP with HyunA, titled 1+1=1.
By the end of 2022, both DAWN and HyunA decided to end their contracts with P NATION as well as their six-year relationship.
Now, DAWN’s personal and professional transformations have paved the way for his Act III, which commences with his latest single “Dear My Light.”
Now signed with the burgeoning hip-hop label AT AREA founded by production duo GroovyRoom (who have produced everyone from Korean hip-hop legends like Dynamic Duo to trending idol groups like (G)I-DLE and OnlyOneOf), DAWN has found a new home to build a dedicated creative team so “more people to understand me as a person better.”
With more music in the works, DAWN’s inaugural step with AREA through “Dear My Light” discards K-pop’s signature glossy veneer and unveils an acoustic-led and emotionally charged letter to his ex. This production is not the only thing stripped down as DAWN exhibits candidness through the lyrics that speak directly to his experiences with the K-pop industry and HyunA. Ironically enough, despite cultural norms prohibiting K-pop stars from dating freely, “Dear My Light” has emerged as DAWN’s most successful chart hit in Korea thus far.
Reflecting with Billboard from the comfort of his Seoul bedroom, DAWN opens up about this new chapter, the raw experiences charged into his new single and what lies ahead.
Billboard: You had a busy end to 2022 and start to 2023 with new professional and personal changes. First and foremost, how are you feeling these days?
DAWN: When I left P NATION, I had about four to five months where it was a time to recharge and also kind of rethink and plan out what I wanted to be and how I wanted to define myself as an artist. There were two things that came up as goals: One was trying to have my own artistic team and create a creative crew that I can work with. Another thing was finding a label that can really understand how and who I envision myself as as an artist. And, now, I feel confident that I’ve accomplished both so I’m very happy and continuing to work with that.
The music industry can be challenging and this was another significant shift for you. People can get disheartened or broken down by the industry. Did you ever consider leaving music or does it remain your core focus?
Sometimes I do think about not pursuing music anymore because in the back of my mind, I’m always [thinking], “Until when can I really do this? Is there an endpoint to this? Will I be able to continue?” I think that when listeners feel what I’m doing in terms of music is not trendy or I’m not putting out good quality of music, I feel like maybe that’s the time when I stop but, obviously, I don’t want to. That’s why I’m always putting in the effort to look for something new, trying to learn and be inspired because being inspired by something is also a big part. So, that’s also why I created our team because I felt like I could be inspired from other boundaries of art too—not just other musicians, but from paintings, a tattoo, graphic design. I obviously don’t want to stop, but I think about it and I’m doing everything I can to continue to deliver good-quality music.
What was the process in creating and finding this team with your new label, AT AREA? I don’t know if I’ve heard of a K-pop artist making an art team in this way.
I started in K-pop and there’s a lot of visual effects to the music. So, when the music comes out it’s very important to think about how we’re going to maximize the content creatively and visually. When a song comes out, you have to think about the artwork, the video and photos—I think K-pop is an interactive content and art form. With AT AREA, I obviously wasn’t only talking about the music with them, but I started sharing my ideas with them and creating an art team was one way for more people to understand me as a person better since the team would understand my stories the best. I feel very comfortable and safe brainstorming on how my music will be seen; I’ll talk about different styles like, “I want to be seen this way for this kind of music.” The synergy is really, really great now and I have the right partners for each aspect of my music.
I’m glad to hear that because “Dear My Light” is very different from the music we’ve heard in the past. Starting with the sound, what made you want to take this almost musical shift?
The change and transition happened very naturally from leaving P NATION. Although I left under good terms, one of the reasons why I did was because I knew I wanted to show a new side of myself as an artist. So, I don’t want to describe this as a “new” path for me really because I don’t see it as a transition but simply a change in my mindset.
Even the artwork for “Dear My Light” feels like a change from your past work, almost like a new artist, so it’s really exciting but you say it’s a transition?
Apart from the piercing, I guess my new mindset is that before it was very focused on talent. I would say, “I can dance like this, I can sing like this and I can perform like this” so I was very focused on that. But now I’ve changed to wanting to showcase more of who I am as a person. As in, “This is a type of story that I want to tell you and inspire you.” I want to talk more about myself and send a message, “This is my voice and I want to tell my stories more.”
You’ve shared how “Dear My Light” is about your relationship with HyunA, which was very brave to not shy away from and put into a song. What more can you share about the song in terms of your history together?
I can confirm that it is about my past relationship, but I want to add that it would be odd for me to deny that because, as an artist, I want to talk about what I’m going through now. So, I’d be lying because that is what I went through, that’s what I’m going through and that’s how I’m feeling. So, I’m confirming it is about that and the song is my story.
Do you have a favorite lyric?
It’s a part of the first verse, the [English translated] lyrics of, “Met you when you were most beautiful/ I could go through anything no matter what anyone said.”
Is that line referencing when things were unclear after you left Cube Entertainment?
It is referencing back to that time when I left the company and there were a lot of different comments, media, stories, a lot of talking happening. There was a lot of backlash from that, but also a lot of people worried about us and, of course, a lot of people supporting us too. I was also very young at the time. But if I think back to it now, I feel like that was such a hard time but I remember that even though it felt like the whole world was against us and we could really go through it because we had each other and because we loved each other so much—that was what kind of helped us get through it.
Thank you for sharing that. I loved the chorus’s last lines, “It’s okay if I lose everything/ As long as I can see you dazzling.” There’s a sense of being selfless even if you’re hurting. What inspired that?
It’s a pretty direct reflection of how I was feeling when I was in love and I still believe that that’s the right way to love because I heard someone say once that if I really love someone, then your brain oddly makes you think that your lover is actually you. So, you start cherishing them like you’re cherishing yourself. And so I believe that what I do for my partner is essentially what I’m doing for the two of us so that’s kind of my selfless attitude when I think about relationships.
Something that I thought was interesting was that HA:TFELT, or Yeeun from Wonder Girls, co-wrote “Dear My Light” with you. She also came from an idol group background and could show herself and her stories more as an artist. Was there any connection or common ground that you guys found together?
So, I’m not very good with words. [Laughs] Expressing myself and my emotions into words is very challenging sometimes. One of the challenges was, “How can I write my emotions in a beautiful way?” And HA:TFELT has been a friend ever since me and HyunA were in a relationship so she’s kind of seen the whole process of our history. And she’s an amazing writer too. So, I really wanted to work with her; there was a really good synergy between us writing this.
The artwork and concept photos are very powerful too I loved all the styles in “Dawndididawn” and “Stupid Cool,” but this feels like one, straightforward concept. What are the artwork aspects representing here too?
I think fashion is not just the wardrobe or what I’m wearing, but I use it as a tool to express myself. That’s why I think there’s consistency because me, as a person, doesn’t change. So, I feel very confident that it looks coherent together. In terms of the artwork and the photos itself in “Dear My Light,” it’s a song about the progression of a version of myself that was in a dark space finding a person, finding the light, and progressing into a more positive person that feels brighter. That’s why you see thorns around the neck and a hole in my heart on his chest; all of that expresses the void that I felt during my dark times, but the music video shows that void fills up and the same progression that the song portrays.
Is there anything that you want people to know who listen and connect to the song personally?
For people who either parted ways from their partners or are going through a dark time in their lives, I want those people to know that if you look around, there are people that can really shed light on them.. There are people who really love them and I really believe that. Through this song, I also want to be that for them and reassure listeners that maybe this song could be the light, or if you really look around there’s someone who could be that for you. I want to be a cure for those who need it sort of.
Anything else to share as you continue on this new chapter?
For my fans and listeners, I always aspired to make music that inspires others. Now with AT AREA, I have already written a lot of my stories and will continue to write more. I’m looking forward to people listening to that music and I’ll keep working very, very hard.
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Dr. Umar Johnson has his fair share of critics and detractors and it appears recent comments he made during a podcast interview will add to those ranks. During the discussion, Dr. Umar Johnson expressed disappointment in the perception some men hold regarding the role of women in society despite getting pushback on his stances from the show’s hosts.
Dr. Umar Johnson was a guest on the Daily Rap Up Crew show and a series of clips from Dr. Johnson’s appearance have since gone viral. In one especially heated exchange, Johnson explains
“At the end of the day, if I’m a call myself a man, the ultimate responsibility for the reconstruction of the Black community rests with me,” Johnson said to the trio of hosts for the Daily Rap Up Crew. “Yes, they [Black Women] have a role. Yes, they have responsibility. But as a man, as a leader, to say ‘I can’t fix this sh*t unless she changes’ — that’s not the definition of a man.”
Johnson received pushback at this point when one of the hosts retorted by saying that the current pool of women to choose for a mate is, in the host’s words, “masculine” and does not want to raise the children of another man. The host added that too much of the onus has been put on Black men to conform to women, but Johnson fired back.
“Why is she masculine? Because she had to raise the kids alone,” Johnson fired back before getting cut off and returning the energy. I’m telling you, mistakes made by Black men systemically gave rise to the conditions that allowed her to be masculine and made her end up with a man that you consider to be less than he should be. And I’m telling you, Black men are responsible for her being masculine because we have not helped her raise them children.”
To view the portion of the discussion we reference above, hop to the 10:00-minute mark in the video below.
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Photo: Daily Rap Up Crew / YouTube screenshot
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Before Juan Luis Guerra launched his smooth bachata to global fame; or before the samba of Gilberto Gil’s samba traversed beyond Brazil; or Cuban son exploded out of the Caribbean in the late ‘90s, Putumayo championed world music.
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The company, founded in New York by entrepreneur Dan Storper, began in the 1970s as a store of handicrafts and musical discoveries that the American globetrotter brought back from his travels in Latin America, Africa, India and elsewhere. But over time, the music became bigger than expected — and in 1993, he created Putumayo World Music, a record label that has served as a benchmark for captivating sounds from all over the planet.
Through the label, genres that in the U.S. had largely been considered world music curiosities — such as bachata from the Dominican Republic, bossa nova from Brazil, Afrobeats from West Africa or bhangra from India — became better-known, as Putumayo played a big role in their global growth.
“I look back with a certain measure of pride at the fact that we’ve really introduced so many people to music that they were not familiar with — whether it be Latin, African, Caribbean, European, and more,” Storper tells Billboard Español, as he reflects on his three-decade legacy. He mentions, for example, that Carlos Santana met certain African bands through his catalog that he later ended up working with.
With a discography of more than 200 physical albums — many of which are now available via most streaming services — the pioneering label drops their first digital full-length album today (June 16), Acoustic Latino. Continuing their quest for finding treasures for those seeking a journey into the heart and soul of disparate cultures, the ten-track compilation offers songs by Mexican son band Chéjere, whose folk style from the Yucatan peninsula reflects their Afro-Cuban influences; Colombian songwriter Alejo Garía, who explores elements of jazz, folk and rock with contemporary sounds; Cuban singer Niuver, who’s influenced by trova, bossa nova, and chanson; and more.
“Putumayo’s strength is not only selecting some great songs with that human touch, but putting together a sequence to take you on a musical journey, and as we say, it’s guaranteed to make you feel good,” says Storper.
Billboard Español caught up with the label’s founder to talk about Putumayo World Music’s most memorable moments in its 30-year history.
When you reflect back on your record label’s legacy, what comes to mind?
It’s hard to imagine that it is 30 years. I look back with a certain measure of pride at the fact that we’ve really introduced so many people to music that they were not familiar with, whether it be Latin, African, Caribbean, European, and more. The Putumayo company that I founded actually started as a little retail shop in New York City in 1975. I was importing handicrafts, and a bit of clothing from Latin America. The Putumayo store started 48 years ago, and Putumayo World Music is 30 years old.
Talk to me about the origins of the Putumayo shop.
I was a Latin American studies major in college and traveled to Latin America in 1974. I studied [abroad] and decided to import handicrafts from mostly Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. I opened a little shop [called Putumayo] in 1975 in New York City selling clothing and handicrafts from Latin America. I started playing African and world music in my shops. I mixed in the music I brought back from the Andean highlands with Latin music and [artists] I like, such as Bob Dylan and others, to help create an environment. People started freaking out — not just saying, “This is great music,” but “I want to buy it. Where is it from? Where can I find it?”
How did Putumayo World Music start?
That led me to Rhino Records, who I approached on doing a compilation. I knew its co-founder Richard Foos through an organization called the Social Venture Network. In 1993, we released our first two albums [as Putumayo World Music]. It was a time when no one really knew much about international music. If you were a Latino, you might know many of the artists outside [the U.S.], but the Anglo world wasn’t familiar with a lot of the great music that was coming out of Latin America and much of the world.
We needed a package. I really didn’t like the plastic jewel case, and the digipak had just started. Record stores didn’t care for [digipaks] because they tended to get damaged. Rhino was desperately trying to talk me out of using them, but I insisted.
The covers and artwork are emblematic of the Putumayo brand. What’s the story behind them?
By another happenstance, a woman that did the interiors and window displays of our retail shops happened to have a friend who was visiting from London [named Nicola Heindl]. [The interior designer] came into my office and said, “Dan, you know that greeting card you have on your bulletin board? That’s done by my friend. She’s from England and is coming to New York in a few days. Would you like to meet her?” I had picked up this greeting card that I really liked in a London store a year before — so I said, “Of course!” We were getting ready to start the record label and I liked her art. [When I met Heindl] I told her, “How do you feel about doing the first album cover?” She did, and the people really liked it. We’ve used her art forever.
How did you envision your role when Putumayo World Music was coming to fruition?
In a way, I saw my role as being an introducer [of world music] in a nontraditional or specialty retail outlet, where we introduced people to music from artists that they wouldn’t have known about or heard on the radio. We sold a lot of CDs throughout record stores, gift shops and museum shops, where this music created a background. That was a big part of our history. I had a Dominican assistant designer for our clothing and handicraft company and she said, “Now that you’re starting this label, you should listen to Juan Luis Guerra.” Juan Luis Guerra was on the first track of the first Putumayo album [World Vocal (1993)] with [“Ojalá Que Llueva Café”]. We also included Gilberto Gil and Jorge Ben from Brazil.
What are other big highlights that you recall fondly that were essential to your label’s success?
The first album we did, Cuba, came out at the same time as the Buena Vista Social Club [documentary in 1999]. We rode that wave with that album; it was good timing. Then, the first artist we signed was Ricardo Lemvo, a Congolese artist from L.A, and we did a music video called “Mambo Yo Yo” that became popular. I remember Carlos Santana telling me it was one of his favorite songs of all time. I bumped into Carlos at the [1996 Summer] Olympics in Atlanta, and I gave him a copy of the One World (1996) album. He told me he got inspired by [“Guerrilla”] by Touré Kunda that was on that album, and invited them to participate in his Supernatural (1999) project. The song that they worked on together is “Africa Bamba.”
[In 1998] we released Cairo to Casablanca that had a track by Rachid Taha called “Ya Rayah.” I’ll never forget getting a call from our Colombian distributor saying there was a DJ in Bogotá who started playing that track and people flipped out. It became this huge hit and we couldn’t keep up with it in Colombia. Then it spread to Latin America. I don’t want to take credit for the interest in Arabic music that exploded in Latin America in the ’90s, but to some small part, I think we played a role in that. One of the great things many have told me is that they’ve traveled to certain countries because they fell in love with its music and decided to visit.
[Another] favorite story is when Brasileiro (1999) was released, a Brazilian music expert I knew told me, “Dan, this is blowing my mind. I’m supposed to be the leading Brazilian music expert in the United States, and you’ve just put out an album [whose] first four songs and artists I’ve never heard.” That was a testament to the idea that we were searching for artists we could introduce to people who weren’t familiar with them.
How did you come across these rare gems?
I give a lot of credit to Jacob Edgar, who has been working with me for about 20 years. He has his own label called Cumbancha. He’s [also] an ethnomusicologist at National Geographic and leads Lindblad Expeditions, [where] he is responsible for the music component of their cruises. He and I have traveled around the world, we’re naturally curious. We have a database of about 50,000 songs that we like enough to consider that grows every week. The idea that there’s great music in all parts of the world, whether it’s reggae, Latin, African…
I remember going to Costa Rica, Colombia and other places, and people constantly gave me CDs. We used to get scores of CDs in the mail before the Internet became a big thing. In that course, we learned about artists who were not mainstream yet or particularly known. We also included tracks by people like Bob Marley and the Gipsy Kings, because we really like them — but we took great pleasure in finding artists that were little-known. Then we would hear stories about these artists getting discovered through the Putumayo collection, and their songs would appear in films, TV or advertising; they would get an agent, a record deal, or start touring.
Why did you name your company Putumayo?
There’s a place called the Putumayo River that starts in the foothills of the Andes in southern Colombia, and it runs into the Brazilian Amazon, touching on the border of Ecuador and Peru. I was down there in 1991, collecting handicrafts, sitting by the side of a small stream tributary in the Putumayo Valley, and I was struck by [its] beauty. Carnival celebrations were beginning on this beautiful spring day, and indigenous people were coming in from the fields dressed in their wonderful, colorful costumes. They were all in a happy mood and about to celebrate. There were mountains in the distance, lush foliage and flying birds. I felt like everything was right with the world.
Unfortunately, as you probably have realized, Putumayo and much of Colombia for many years went into a challenging political time, with a civil war and a drug problem. The area became off limits for some time. But it really inspired me to name my company Putumayo, because of that magic moment. My sense is that music helps people rise up and survive challenging times.