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Queens of the Stone Age were forced to cancel another string of summer tour dates on Friday (July 26) due to singer Josh Homme’s unspecified medical treatment. After scotching eight European dates in June when the band announced that Homme had to immediately return to the U.S. for “emergency surgery,” the rockers announced the latest […]
Billy Joel crashed his historic Madison Square Garden residency run to a close on Thursday (July 25) with a sold-out gig marking his record-setting 150th show at the storied New York arena. After serving up such classics as “New York State of Mind,” “The Entertainer,” “Allentown” and “The Downeaster Alexa,” Joel invited Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose out for a mini-set of covers and duets.
Wearing a Las Vegas-worthy sequin-covered sparkly sport coat, black jeans and shirt and dark shades, Rose came out mid-show to croon his iconic take on Wings’ James Bond theme “Live and Let Die,” with Joel tinkling the ivories as Rose stalked the stage, tossing off wailing high notes and stomping his foot to the song’s staccato stabs.
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Joel busted protocol and stepped up from his piano to strap on an electric guitar as the two also jammed on a cover of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell. Though it seems out of character, the cover was wholly appropriate since Rose filled-in for ailing AC/DC singer Brian Johnson on the hard rockers’ 2016 tour and Joel and Rose have collaborated on the song before, including at Billy’s 2017 Dodger Stadium show in Los Angeles.
After Joel, 75, rolled through a run of other classics — “Only the Good Die Young,” “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant,” “Piano Man,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “Uptown Girl” and “Big Shot” — Rose was back for the big finale: a duet on Joel’s 1980s Glass Houses burner “You May Be Right.”
The epic MSG run, during which Joel has sold nearly two million tickets, began on Jan. 14, 2014 and was eased into the history books with some help from Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, who ran onstage to mark the moment when a blue banner reading “Billy Joel 150: Most Lifetime Performances by Any Artist” was unfurled in the rafters.
Joel — who released his first new pop song in 17 years, “Turn the Lights Back On” in February — is not nearly done, with stadiums shows in the UK, Cleveland, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Las Vegas keeping him on the road through November.
Watch fan video of the Rose and Joel performances below.
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Lady Gaga shouldn’t have to explain this to you, but when she’s on the big screen she’s not Lady Gaga, or even Stefani Germanotta. So, when you go see her in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux and notice that the singing voice of her character Harley Quinn is a bit off, it’s called acting, folks.
“People know me by my stage name, Lady Gaga, right? That’s me as that performer, but that is not what this movie is; I’m playing a character,” Gaga told Empire magazine. “So I worked a lot on the way that I sang to come from Lee and to not come from me as a performer.” Gaga, who has disappeared into roles before in A Star Is Born and House of Gucci, said the task of becoming the Joker’s fiendish foil was “unlike anything I’ve ever done before.”
In particular, that required Gaga to explore sides of her performance style that she’s never tapped before, including the bad singer one. “For me, there’s plenty of bum notes, actually, from Lee,” she said of her character’s singing in the second movie starring Joaquin Phoenix as the laughing madman. “I’m a trained singer, right? So even my breathing was different when I sang as Lee. When I breathe to sing on stage, I have this very controlled way to make sure that I’m on pitch and it’s sustained at the right rhythm and amount of time, but Lee would never know how to do any of that. So it’s like removing the technicality of the whole thing, removing my perceived art-form from it all and completely being inside of who she is.”
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The follow-up to 2019’s Oscar-winning Joker follows feckless comedian Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) meeting his lady love Harley Quinn (Gaga) while locked up at Arkham State Hospital. After he’s released, the two go on a series of murderous adventures.
Director Todd Philips told Empire that while Gaga retains some of the belovedly bonkers Quinn quirks from the Batman: The Animated Series comic books and her own animated show, the singer definitely made the character her own. “While there are some things that people would find familiar in her, it’s really Gaga’s own interpretation, and Scott [Silver, co-writer] and I’s interpretation,” said Phillips. “She became the way how [Charles] Manson had girls that idolized him. The way that sometimes these [imprisoned murderers] have people that look up to them. There are things about Harley in the movie that were taken from the comic books, but we took it and moulded it to the way we wanted it to be.” Prepare for a performance that’s totally Gaga.”
Joker: Folie à Deux is slated to open in theaters on Oct. 4; watch the new trailer here.
In the meantime, Gaga is set to perform at Friday’s (July 26) opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, alongside other rumored artists who are expected to help kick off the games, including Celine Dion, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, French singer Aya Nakamura and rockers Gojira, though at press time none of those acts had been confirmed.
From its ‘00s chart-topping splendor to its trap-inflected late ‘10s iterations, Spice has seen it all in the world of dancehall. The Grammy-nominated deejay has launched countless hits – including 2005’s “Fight Over Man,” 2009’s “Romping Shop” (with Vybz Kartel), 2013’s “So Mi Like It,” and 2021’s “Go Down Deh” (with Sean Paul & Shaggy) — and made inroads on American reality TV as well, with appearances on Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta and Baddies Caribbean.
Since her debut at the 2000 Sting Festival, Spice has cemented herself as one of the most fearless onstage performers in dancehall — and one of the most provocative artists. From her fearless embrace of her femininity and sexuality to her eye for conversation-provoking visuals, Spice has built a brand and character unlike anything dancehall has ever seen. She has the hit records to back up her Queen of Dancehall title – though some may argue otherwise – but her real claim to the title comes from her ability to pull tactics from the pop world and apply them to dancehall, while retaining her authenticity and globalizing her fanbase.
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With Billboard chart-topping albums and hit singles under her belt and two nominations at the upcoming 2024 Caribbean Music Awards (female dancehall artist of the year and dancehall performer of the year), Spice is ready to unleash her third studio album, Mirror 25. Led by the Busta Rhymes-assisted “Round Round” and featuring songs such as the soul-baring “2085 Tea” and “Gangster,” which features Chronic Law and Ireland Boss, Mirror 25 promises to be Spice’s most introspective and musically ambitious offerings yet.
Equal parts a celebration of her quarter-century in the music industry and a reflection on past traumas, a life-altering health scare and industry sabotage, Mirror 25 finds Spice injecting her dancehall sonic foundation with notes of country, Afrobeats and R&B. The album’s latest single, the evocative “Ex-Boyfriend,” presents a Spice that is primarily concerned with tackling the harsh realities of domestic violence.
“It creates an important conversation surrounding how women should value themselves and not settle for less. I wanted to remind women that it’s OK to have an ex-boyfriend if their current relationship has red flags and that includes domestic and emotional abuse,” she tells Billboard. “I’ve been caught in domestic violence situations before and walked away without hesitation. I need women to sing this song with ease, knowing with that same intention that it’s that easy to walk away and move on from toxic relationships. I want to be the voice for empowering women to leave toxic relationships.”
In a candid conversation with Billboard, Spice unpacks her 25-year career, details her new album, reflects on her time within the reality TV circuit and opens up about the health scare that almost killed her.
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How’s your day been?
So far, it’s been good. I’m feeling good and the [release] date for the album is drawing near. That [stress] is going to be off my shoulder [now.] Because I’m the [executive] producer, all the weight is on my shoulders — wanting to make sure that you’re not biased to your own songs, that you chose the right song, that you’re going in the right direction, etc. Being that one person that’s doing everything, [I’ve been] getting a little bit nervous leading up to it. Also, as an independent artist, it’s not easy. You are doing literally everything, making every decision by yourself.
You kicked off the Mirrror 25 era with “Round Round,” which features Busta Rhymes. Tell me more about how your relationship with him has evolved over the years.
So a lot of people don’t know, but I’ve known him for over 10 years. I met him when he came to Jamaica around the time I had just released “So Mi Like It,” which is one of my biggest songs. A friend of mine who was his friend was taking us around and she introduced us. I remember him going everywhere and just hearing, “Yes, that’s how mi like it!” And he was like, “Yuh song bad!” With my little shy self, I was like “You should do the remix!” And he was like, “Yea man, this hot man!” because every party, everywhere he went, he would hear it.
He did do the remix, but at the time, I didn’t have the resources to really get it out there. Fast forward to us building that friendship and stuff, [now] I have the opportunity to do it again. It means so much to me, and I’m just so grateful for someone with a legendary status like Busta to jump on it.
Getting the clearance as an independent artist was very humbling. It was refreshing to have someone at his level look out for me., so I have to big him up fi that. I think he’s just so humble and 0I’m grateful for this opportunity.
How did “Round Round” come together?
The composer — who is [YowLevite], a super talented producer from Jamaica — built the riddim. When he presented it to me, I immediately was just going “Hee-haw!” because it gave [me] that country feel. We wasn’t sure about it, because we’re like, “We’re doing a dancehall album.”But that’s where the versatility comes in. What I like about the song is that my fan base is so diverse, so I get to reach my fans in [different] parts of the world [through the music.] So, when he came with the riddim, I was like, “No man, let’s work and see what we come up with.”
When I recorded my part, we started brainstorming and I [thought] it would have been great if I had a collab on it. I start to think of who would be that person that would bring the elements of Jamaica, country and also authentic hip-hop, and Busta was the first person that came to mind. It was a no-brainer. I sent him the track and I was nervous, [but] in two days he sent it back to me and I was blown away.
The second single, “2085 Tea,” is pretty explosive. Why did you feel that now was the right time to address those controversies and sort of reclaim your truth and reclaim your narrative?
The name of my album is Mirror 25 because I’m celebrating 25 years in the industry. I came up with the name because I’m in the era of reflecting on all the things that I’ve been through. 25 years is a long time in a business. In reflecting, I started to think of all the things that I overcame. When you look in the mirror, you also have to be true to yourself. I could have dished the tea on a lot of gossip on a lot of other people, but this album is personal. It’s about me. It was just the perfect way to dish the tea on myself. And it was a funny way to speak about my truth.
Everything in that song is true: the betrayals, the heartaches, the pain. I’ve managed to overcome them, and I also wanted to be vulnerable with my fans to remind them that I’m also human, so they can understand that we have been through similar things. If I was able to overcome them, you too can overcome them. You have a lot of women out there who are going through depression, who have mental issues, suicidal thoughts, a lot of things. I wanted to be vulnerable. My friends betrayed me. I was stuck in a contract for 10 years. People held me down in the music business. I’ve been targeted. But here I am as the Queen of Dancehall, I was able to do it. You can do it too.
In “2085 Tea,” you allege that people were paid to not play your songs. How did you come to believe that?
I’ve had people in the industry come to me and say: this person — and mentioned people name — is paying us to not play your song. And I’m like, “Wait, what?” I’ve had people confess to me about people that tried to sabotage my career. I haven’t done anything, but I also know I’m super-talented. I’m not sure why people feel like they need to move someone out the way for them to also progress. I always tell people that the cake is big enough to share for everyone. You don’t have to move anyone. There will never be another Spice. You will be you and I will always be me. We all can still make it in the business. It’s just sad. Anything that I put out that they thought would be successful, they would try to have people not play it. Anywhere that they could find a person that they could call, they tried to sabotage my career. I appreciate when people [tell me this] because it shows a lot of respect. When they’re able to tell you that, you know this is not fair.
In that song, you also said that when the cameras come out, people start to cap. Who was capping on Love & Hip-Hop?
The TV World was a shocker for me. I used that line because it wasn’t specifically targeted to one person. Oftentimes there would be situations where we’ll be in a room on Love & Hip-Hop and people are voicing their opinion on a specific topic. Everybody knows how everybody feels about a certain topic, but when the camera come on, it’s a switch-up. Coming from Jamaica trying to make it big in America, I always felt like a loner. I’m the only Jamaican on Love & Hip-Hop. I always felt like I had to change my dialect so they could understand me a little bit more. I always felt like I was looked at differently from them, so it was very weird to me. It was just strange. When they start shooting, it’s like a different person I’m looking at. That’s not even who you are.
When you look back at your time on Love & Hip-Hop, do you have regrets or mostly fond memories?
I think that there are more fond memories. I don’t have regrets, but there are definitely bad moments. I think that the fun moments outweighed [the bad ones] because, at the end of the day, I do credit them for kind of opening the door for a lot of people to kind of get to know the brand Spice a little bit better. I remember when I went on Love & Hip-Hop, a lot of people felt like I was bigger than the show. But I also remember going on [the show] and a lot of people [were] getting to know who Spice was from Love & Hip-Hop. A lot of people were saying “Spice from Love & Hip-Hop” instead of “Spice, the Queen of Dancehall,” so it does come with a scale of ups and downs.
I think the bad part about being on Love & Hip-Hop is that people don’t realize that the only difference [between] them and I is that I’m living my life out on TV. Sometimes they’ll be like, “Oh, why she gotta talk about that?” I don’t. I didn’t choose to. It’s because I’m on TV you’re seeing it.
I also feel like there’s a lot of hypocrisy that I challenge [on the show.] I talk about a lot where I would probably show you a lot of emotions when I’m delivering certain [things.] And as a Jamaican, my dialect and my delivery comes off a little bit different than theirs. And they would say, “Why is she so angry?” Then someone else is allowed to be angry and deliver their tone however they choose. But when I do it, I’m labeled as the angry Black woman.
Do you think that the mess and the drama and the negative perception of reality TV was worth the exposure that you got from those shows?
Yes, I think it was worth the exposure. There’s a popular saying, “There’s no bad press.” I believe that — because it doesn’t matter, as long as people are knowing about you, they’re speaking about you. It’s promotion for me. A lot of times you have celebrities who cover up, and then the big reveal comes and then the cancel culture gets them. I’m not sure if I’m going to have that moment, because my fans know who I am. Even though it may come with what people look at as backlash, it also gives my fans an opportunity to know the real me. They know that I stand ten toes down on certain things. I don’t stand for the for the cap. You got to accept me for who I am or don’t accept me at all. And I’m OK with that. I could have presented another person to you, but I’m not about that.
I’m also the executive producer for the Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta cast album, which is the first time that has ever happened. I’m trying to get people on the show to chase music. It felt like it was taking a backseat. Being a girl that is always producing my ow music, I wanted to open that door for my friends and my castmates to say, “Listen, let’s get back to the music. Let’s get back to what it really should be.” That’s the main storyline this season. I feel like I was just the right person to do it.
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In “2085 Tea,” you also speak about a former dancer sleeping with your ex. That former dancer has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by said ex. Would you like to comment on that matter?
I don’t know if I want to [comment] on that [right now].
Shortly after the release of “2085 Tea,” Mr. Vegas wrote a lengthy Facebook post calling the song a “tasteless insensitive jab” at that former dancer. He also wrote that you are a “mediocre recording artist” with “mediocre songs” who “is not talented enough to become a musical icon.” What did you make of that post? How does it feel to have a peer publicly disparage you like that?
I didn’t read the entire post, but the minute I started reading it — because my fans were sending it to me, and they were very disgruntled and upset over the post — I immediately realized that it was jealousy. It’s a jealous reaction that I get not just from Mr. Vegas, but [also from] a lot of other people who are just not happy to see that I’m still leading. A lot of people who started out back in the day [are] not current right now.
It’s also hypocrisy, because Mr. Vegas did a song insulting me over my surgeries that I did in the past, speaking on my breast augmentation and my liposuction. He was delivering the song publicly, promoting it, and it never became famous. So, for him to now say, “Oh, why would [she] sing a song trying to degrade a woman?” — it’s obvious that it’s hypocrisy and jealousy. I just skip over those jealous things because there’s so many of them that appear every day.
When last Mr. Vegas did music? That should be his main target. All of a sudden, now that I’m doing music, I’m the main target for everyone. I’ve done so much for the culture and for dancehall. I have so many hit songs and Billboard songs. I’m not sure what his post was about.
Do you ever feel like your controversies overshadow the music?
I don’t feel like the controversies overshadow the music, because look at 2018. I used makeup to make my appearance seem lighter. That was a whole movement. Everybody was talking about “Black Hypocrisy.” I had the world’s undivided attention. The song was No. 1 on [Reggae Digital Song Sales].
The controversies set me apart. It makes me different with my delivery. It makes my fans feel anxiously over the edge with what I’m coming with next, because I’m always that entertainer. I’m not just putting out music, I’m always delivering good entertainment for them. I’m always coming with something different, revamping myself in an ever-growing music industry.
The two Mirror 25 singles certainly feel fresh in terms of dancehall sonics. How else do you plan to evolve on the new album?
By tackling different genres. There’s one song on the album called “D.D.D.” that is one of my favorites, because there’s a moment in there where nobody can tell me that I didn’t have my little Toni Braxton moment. [Laughs.] Nobody going to take that little moment from me!
There’s gonna be a little Afro sound on the album. There’s a song where I start speaking Hindi, which I did because on my song that I did with Sean Paul [“Go Down Deh”], one of my biggest streaming markets was India. I also [spoke some] Spanish [on that same song], and I can’t speak Spanish! I had to Google the words to put it together! But it was fun, because I know that I have fans that speak Spanish and they will appreciate it. They’ll all feel included.
So much of the album’s reflection is inspired by the near-death experience you had. How did that whole ordeal impact that way you approached this particular album?
I had problems with my hernia. When it erupted, it sent my body into a sepsis, and they literally had to open me up to save my life because the sepsis was poisoning my body. I still have hernia issues to this day. I’ve done maybe six surgeries because of it.
When they opened me up, it also caused another hernia — because they left my stomach walls open, since they weren’t able to sew me back up, because the sepsis was leaking into my entire body. They had to leave me to self-close and then go back in again. It was a lot of going back in and repairing, which took two years — which I’m also grateful for, because I didn’t even know that my body could really sustain six surgeries.
Every single time I went in there, God came through for me. I just feel even more blessed and more grateful for this journey. I’m not sure why he loves me so much, because I’ve been a bad girl so many times, but I know I’m here for a reason. I’ve definitely drawn closer to him. I started the album with a gospel song that I had to dedicate to him because of what I’ve been through. I came up with the [title] celebrating 25 years because I feel like it’s something to celebrate because I could not have been here. But I’m supposed to be here because God saved my life for a reason. I escaped death. I don’t take that lightly.
You are the executive producer for the album, and it’s coming out on your own label. That’s a level of freedom that so many artists dream about. How does it feel to operate in that space after so many years of label woes?
This is the first time I’m owning something after 25 years. I feel like I’ve fought through so much to be independent. I don’t know if my fans even understand what it means to just be independent — to be doing it on your own, to have your own, to be able to make your own decisions on what you’re doing and what songs you’re putting out and what you’re recording. It’s a breath of fresh air for me, and it makes me feel more accomplished because I’m my own music boss.
Who’s helping you with radio and streaming promotion?
We are. It’s not easy. I’m not going to pretend that it’s easy. It’s very difficult. It’s not easy being an independent artist overall. I’ve had days where I crash out, where people were just pulling me from all angles. I’m still in the process of learning and figuring out stuff.
Getting things playlisted is not easy as well, so I’m not going to lie to anyone and let them believe anything else. It’s difficult. But I feel like once you have the right team and the right mindset and the knowledge on music business and you know what to do and who to reach out to and you remain consistent, it’s just a matter of growing relationships. And I feel like I’ve built a brand that when we get a hold of someone and you say “Spice,” they always welcome me with open arms.
You’re also working with Empire on the distribution side. Why were they the right partner for you?
I felt like they were the right partner because they have so much history with Caribbean artists and African artists. I wanted a [distributor] that knows or has a background in our music.
Any plans to tour this album?
Absolutely yes! I’m definitely planning to go on tour. I already have so many single shows that were booked previously, so I’m not sure how far back I’ll have space to accommodate the tour. I wanted to go on tour as early as October.
What’s on your playlist right now?
YG Marley, “Praise Jah in the Moonlight.” Shaggy and Lavinia, “Move.” Me and Busta, “Round Round.”
INI will return to California later this week to hit the stage at KCON LA 2024, the third time the group has participated in this event since their first appearance in 2022. This year’s KCON takes place Friday (July 26) to Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, L.A. Convention Center and Gilbert Lindsay Plaza in Los Angeles.
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INI — pronounced “eye-en-eye” — is an 11-member global boy band born from the survival audition program Produce 101 Japan Season 2 (GYAO!/TBS), broadcast in 2021. The group has been popular from the start — a special program with a title that roughly translates to Nice to meet you! We are INI! (GYAO!) aired in Japan before the band’s debut, and the members were featured on a segment on the TV show Yoru no Brunch (TBS) from the day they debuted. The group’s fandom has grown steadily since then, and while its continued popularity can mainly be attributed to the appeal of each member, another major reason behind the group’s breakthrough is that in the early days of the group’s formation, it took measures that had rarely been implemented in Japan before.
For example, prior to the release of their debut single “A,” INI released teasers of two songs, “Rocketeer” and “Brighter,” and invited fans to vote for their favorite. As a result, the powerful dance number “Rocketeer” came out on top, which helped set the image of INI being a group skilled in hip-hop-tinged dance tracks. When launching this voting system, INI announced on its official website: “We adopted a new system where fan votes determine the group’s music, since INI is a group chosen by popular vote.” This message suggests that the band wanted to welcome its fandom — collectively called MINI — that had been watching over them since the audition as part of its team. In fact, the hashtag “#TeamINIandMINI” has recently been created on social media.
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All of INI’s singles released since have reached No. 1 on Billboard Japan’s weekly Top Singles Sales chart. Also, the group’s sixth single “THE FRAME,” which dropped June 26, launched with 812,184 copies in its first week and became its best-selling single to date, far exceeding “I,” the second single that had been the group’s previous best-seller at 742,208 first-week copies. “THE FRAME” went on to hit No. 1 on the Japan Hot 100, the comprehensive song chart that includes six metrics in its methodology including downloads, streaming, radio airplay and more. The music video for “LOUD,” the lead track off “THE FRAME,” has been viewed over 11.8 million times as of July 24 after being released June 17 on the group’s official YouTube channel.
The members are gradually becoming more and more involved in the production, beginning to present their individualities. Hiroto Nishi took part in writing the lyrics for “SPECTRA,” “DROP,” and “LEGIT,” and the songwriting for “Walkie Talkie.” Xu Fengfan was involved in the lyrics for “I’m a Dreamer,” Hiromu Takatsuka for “My Story,” Shogo Tajima for “Runaway,” “TAG,” and with Takatsuka for “Dirty Shoes Swag,” Kyosuke Fujimaki for “YOU IN,” Rihito Ikezaki for “10 THINGS” with Tajima and “Ferris Wheel” with Fujimaki. Furthermore, Masaya Kimura choreographed “Moment,” “YOU IN,” and “KILLING PART” (with Nishi).
The group’s popularity lies not only in each member’s creative abilities, but also in their performance skills — when all eleven members perform together, the result is powerful and bold. The word “flamboyant” is probably the most apt description, and their gripping performance has the strength to captivate a wide audience. The members come from different backgrounds — some are good at dancing, others at singing. In particular, Ikezaki and Yudai Sano participated in the audition with no prior experience in singing or dancing, but have both now reached the level of uploading their own dance videos on TikTok, and now all eleven members make their presence felt in their stage performances. That the traces of each member’s hard work can be seen adds to the appeal of their performances.
INI has also gained experience by performing on numerous stages. The INI 1ST FAN MEETING took place right after their debut, and showcase events have accompanied every CD release. The band successfully completed a hall tour in 2022, an arena tour in 2023, and on February 24 and 25, 2024, they performed at Kyocera Dome in Osaka for the INI 2ND ARENA LIVE TOUR [READY TO POP!] IN KYOCERA DOME OSAKA concerts. The [READY TO POP!] arena and dome tour drew a total of 200,000 fans.
The group has also performed in many outdoor rock festivals including the 1CHANCE FESTIVAL 2022 presented by power trio WANIMA and JAPAN JAM 2024, steadily gaining fans by showcasing its unique appeal in situations where not all the people in the audience are familiar with the group. This summer, INI will take the stage in some of Japan’s premier music festivals such as ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2024 and SUMMER SONIC 2024, and will likely expand its fandom through its overwhelming performances.
INI has also become a fixture at KCON, not only at the L.A. event — again, their third consecutive year to perform — but also at KCON 2023 THAILAND, KCON in South Korea, and the music program M COUNTDOWN, gradually gaining experience performing outside of Japan. After almost three years since the group’s debut, INI is on its way to winning the hearts of new MINIs around the world.
KCON LA, including INI’s performance, will be broadcast on The CW.
—This article by Azusa Takahashi first appeared on Billboard Japan
Empire of the Sun are back. The visionary duo from Down Under, consisting of Emperor Steele (Luke Steele) and Lord Littlemore (Nick Littlemore), have ended their eight-year hiatus with the release of their highly-anticipated fourth studio album, Ask That God.
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“This body of work represents the greatest shift in consciousness our world has ever seen and that’s reflected in the music,” says Littlemore. Ask That God takes listeners on a holistic musical adventure where imagination and reality blur and the surreal reigns supreme.
“We are nothing more than conduits, gathering experience and finding what is meant for the Empire to find,” explains Emperor Steele. “We know these songs have wings, and once they are released, they will fly and find a home with all kinds of souls all over the planet.”
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The album, which follows on from 2016’s Two Vines, includes the recently released singles “Cherry Blossom,” “Changes,” “Music On The Radio,” and their latest single, “The Feeling You Get.”
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“Sometimes you don’t know what it is, you don’t know what you do or why you do it….it’s just the feeling you get,” says Steele of the new track. “It’s like a nostalgic ’80s British pop anthem that gets under your skin.”
Littlemore adds, “Songs can speak for words we can’t find. This song speaks to the listener, to remind them it’s never too late to get out there and really have some experiences and make some memories.”
The single is accompanied by a visually stunning music video directed by Michael Maxxis, who collaborated with award-winning new media artist AUJIK. Filmed in the stunning landscapes of Thailand, the video takes viewers on an immersive journey into surreal realms.
Empire of the Sun have enjoyed significant success on Billboard’s charts over their career.
Their breakthrough single “Walking on a Dream” peaked at No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 (powered eight years after its release by a sync to a Honda Civic campaign); topped the Dance Club Songs chart; reached No. 3 on the Alternative Songs chart; and peaked at No. 40 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart.
Their single, “Alive,” achieved No. 1 on the Dance Club Songs chart, peaked at No. 13 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, and reached No. 26 on the Hot Rock Songs chart.
Stream Empire of The Sun’s latest album Ask That God below.
No matter what DJ Premier does, he’s always going to remain authentic to himself and never sacrifice an ounce of creativity.
Preemo returned on Friday (July 26) with a star-studded single featuring a trio of 21st century rap titans with Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Big Sean joining forces on “Ya Don’t Stop.”
The Houston-bred DJ scratches kick off the smooth cypher with Rick Ross setting the tone. “Bust down a million and send it to n—-s caged in/ 100 kilos in the Days Inn, I’m trying to get it like n—-s still paying rent,” he raps with hunger.
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Big Sean takes the baton reflecting on the hard work it took to reach stardom. “They don’t know nothing about sacrifice/ N—s want the perks without doing all the work/ They don’t see all of the hard work, they just all the results,” Sean Don testifies.
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Weezy bats third and steals the show from the three-hole. “I’m a sniper with this rifle/ I’m spitting like it’s a cypher/ You decipher is you Mike, is you Beckford or is you Tyson/ I got ice on top of ice on my neck,” the Young Money honcho rhymes.
Sean Don, Rozay and Wayne were somehow yet to collaborate throughout their decorated careers. The closest thing was on Future’s 2015 anthem “Commas,” when Ross and Sean hopped on the official remix while Weezy added a guest verse of his own separately.
“I’ve been on a run, and releasing singles more consistently. I had an idea and wanted to initially get Wayne and Ross on the same track,” Preemo said in a press statement about the track’s genesis.
He continued: “I reached out to Rozay first and he sent me back vocals the same day. I sent two tracks to Wayne to choose from and he sent both back the same night and told me to keep them both. Big Sean called me to do a scratch hook for him. In return he hopped on as well. Cypher complete!”
As for Rick Ross and Big Sean, they teamed up for Mastermind‘s “Sanctified” with Ye in 2014. While Sean and Weezy have joined forces in the past on tracks like “Beware” and “Deep.” Rozay and Wayne have also gotten busy in the studio plenty of times with collaborations such as “John” and “Thug Cry.”
Preemo has been hard at work this summer and “Ya Don’t Stop” looks to take the iconic producer’s year to another level. Showing off his versatility, he united for an unlikely collaboration with O.A.R. and Brady Wyatt on the rock-tinged “Gonna Be Me (The Friendship Song)” earlier in July.
Fans are still awaiting an update on the long-anticipated Nas and DJ Premier joint album, which is rumored to release at some point in 2024 after the Illmatic collaborators collided for “Define My Name” in April.
Listen to “Ya Don’t Stop” below.
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Dua Lipa dropped a remix of her single “Illusion” featuring Creepy Nuts, Japan’s breakout hip-hop duo that made waves with its viral hit ”Bling-Bang-Bang-Born,” the No. 1 song on Billboard Japan’s mid-year tally for 2024.
“Illusion (Creepy Nuts Remix)” is the latest remix of the track off the “Houdini” artist’s latest album Radical Optimism, released in May. The original, a song about a character that breaks away from her formerly weak self and is now assertive when faced with another potentially toxic relationship, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and also reached the top 10 of the U.K. Official Singles Chart. The song has been streamed more than 250 million times worldwide, and the music video viewed more than 35 million times.
Why was Creepy Nuts tapped to collaborate with Lipa, a Grammy-winning star who recently headlined this year’s Glastonbury? It all started when Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” reached the top 10 on the Billboard Global 200 chart in March. The catchy hip-hop banger peaked at No. 8 and became the fourth song by a Japanese artist/act to break into the top 10 on this tally. The other three are “Glimpses of Us” by Japanese-Australian artist Joji (No. 2 in 2022), “Homura” by LiSA (No. 8 in 2020), and “Idol” by YOASOBI (No. 7 in 2023). “BBBB” also hit No. 3 on the Global 200 Excl. US chart that focuses on all territories outside the United States, and the track’s global breakthrough caught Dua’s attention.
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Lipa asked Creepy Nuts to do the remix via her team in Japan and the duo consisting of rapper R-shitei (“R-rated”) and DJ Matsunaga readily agreed to the offer, resulting in the exciting collaboration between two chart-topping global acts. The remix — surprisingly, it was the “Nidone” pair’s first collaboration with an artist from outside their home country — combines Matsunaga’s catchy track with R’s signature rapid-fire bars and lyrics paying homage to the “Levitating” singer’s past works by including their titles.
“The track turned out well, and it was a fresh challenge that brought out a new side of us as well,” says Matsunaga, while R notes, “I looked to the original lyrics of Dua Lipa’s ‘Illusion’ and participated in the world it depicted, letting the illusionist in me appear in the lyrics that I wrote.”
Dua Lipa is set to return to Japan for the first time in six years this November for two arena shows, which sold out on the day tickets went on sale. The “Dance the Night” songstress has been recognized by Spotify as “the first artist in history to hold five songs with over 2 billion streams” and “the 25th most listened-to artist of all time.” Her album “Radical Optimism” has been streamed over 2 billion times worldwide and topped the Official UK Albums chart, making her one of the world’s top artists in both name and reality.
Creepy Nuts’ “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” recently dominated Billboard Japan’s mid-year Japan Songs chart — a tally that tracks songs from Japan being listened to in countries around the world — by topping the lists for six countries. On July 20, the “Nobishiro” duo performed at the AFEELA Pregame Performance at Dodger Stadium Center Field in Los Angeles, performing live for the first time in the U.S. Creepy Nuts will hit the stage in Tokyo Dome for the first time for their LIVE at TOKYO DOME concert on Feb. 11, 2025.
“[The remix] is precisely us, and it’s also a new side of us that was brought out because the song was Dua Lipa’s ‘Illusion,’” say the duo. “It’s in both English and Japanese but turned out smooth; we hope you enjoy it.”
Dua adds: “Be sure to listen to the remix by these two amazing talents.”
Stream “Illusion (Creepy Nuts Remix)” here: http://dualipa.lnk.to/illusioncreepynuts
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