Music News

14 Sep 2023

Jay-Z’s Lexus From ‘Dead Presidents’ Video Is Now on Display at ‘Book of HOV’ Brooklyn Library Exhibit

As The Book of HOV draws fans inside the Brooklyn Public Library, the exhibit added a new installation for Jay-Z enthusiasts to enjoy. Roc Nation and Lexus partnered to bring the iconic 1993 Lexus GS 300 from Jay-Z’s 1996 “Dead Presidents” video, which is on display beginning Thursday (Sept. 14).

“We’re excited to partner with Lexus to bring Jay-Z’s iconic off-white Lexus to The Book of HOV. The new installation adds another element of Jay-Z’s career to the exhibit that visitors can enjoy,” said Desiree Perez, CEO Roc Nation, in a release. “The response to The Book of HOV has been overwhelming, so we’re excited to extend the exhibit to December to ensure new and returning attendees can have enough opportunities to fully immerse themselves into the experience.”

“In further celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we are thrilled to partner with Roc Nation in this special tribute to Jay-Z’s musical legacy,” added Mia Phillips, senior manager of Lexus Advertising & Media. “The vehicle display is recognition of the mutual respect and admiration between Lexus and Jay-Z, whose brilliance and contributions to culture extend far beyond hip-hop.”

Since debuting in July, The Book of HOV has highlighted the bevy of accolades and artifacts in Jay-Z’s career. Spanning eight sections, rooms such as “Hov Did That” contain his 2008 Glastonbury Festival guitar, a 2009 hand-written letter from the daughter of Frank Sinatra and his 2021 Rock and Roll of Fame Award. The 1993 Lexus GS 300 will remain on display for the remainder of The Book of HOV exhibit until December.

Check out the photos below.

Roc Nation and Lexus

Roc Nation and Lexus Partner for New Installation at The Book Of HOV Exhibit – JAY-Z’s Iconic “Off White Lexus”

Soul Brother

Roc Nation and Lexus

Roc Nation and Lexus Partner for New Installation at The Book Of HOV Exhibit – JAY-Z’s Iconic “Off White Lexus”

Soul Brother

14 Sep 2023

Rolling Stones Announce Full ‘Hackney Diamonds’ Track List, Featuring Lady Gaga, Elton John, Stevie Wonder & Paul McCartney

The Rolling Stones announced the full track list for their upcoming 12-song Hackney Diamonds album on Thursday (Sept. 14), which will include the previously announced collaboration with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder on the song “Sweet Sound of Heaven.”

That track, with vocals from Gaga and keys and piano from Wonder, will be featured alongside “Bite My Head Off,” with bass from Paul McCartney and “Get Close” and “Live By the Sword,” which have piano from Elton John. The collection, the legendary band’s first new studio album or original material in 18 years, is due out on Oct. 20.

Other previously revealed guest spots on the album come from within the Stones’ circle, including two tracks recorded with late drummer Charlie Watts (“Mess It Up,” “Live By the Sword”); the latter also features an assist from former bassist Bill Wyman. The album — which ends with the first-ever original song to include a nod to the band’s name (“Rolling Stone Blues”) — was recorded all around the world, from Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles to Metropolis Studios in London, Sanctuary Studios in Nassau, Bahamas and Electric Lady Studios and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios in New York.

The living trio of original members, singer Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and longtime guitarist Ronnie Wood, announced their first new studio album since 2005’s A Bigger Bang last week during a global live stream from Hackney Empire in East London, where they also debuted the Sydney Sweeney-starring video for first single “Angry.”

Talking about their 24th studio album, their first without Watts, who died in 2021 at age 80, Richards said, “Ever since Charlie’s gone, it’s been different. He’s number four. Of course, he’s missed, incredibly.” Jagger, 80, joked that the nearly two-decade gap between studio efforts was a result of the legendarily hard touring band being “on the road most of the time” between records and, he quipped, “maybe we were a bit too lazy.” Hackney Diamonds was produced by Andrew Watt, who Jagger said “kicked us up the arse,” while describing the mood of the songs as “angry” and “eclectic.”

“We didn’t want to make just any record and put it out,” Jagger said. “Before we went in [the studio], we said we had to make a record that we really love ourselves. We must say that we are quite pleased with it. I’m not saying we are big-headed about it, but we’re pleased with it and we hope that you all like it.”

Check out the Hackney Diamonds track list below:

“Angry”

“Get Close”

“Depending On You”

“Bite My Head off”

“Whole Wide World”

“Dreamy Skies”

“Mess It Up”

“Live By the Sword”

“Driving Me Too Hard”

“Tell Me Straight”

“Sweets Sounds of Heaven”

“Rolling Stone Blues”

14 Sep 2023

Justin Bieber Gushes Over Wife Hailey in Anniversary Post: ‘You Have Captivated My Heart’

Justin Bieber is hopelessly devoted to wife Hailey Bieber. The singer celebrated the couple’s fifth wedding anniversary on Wednesday (Sept. 13) in a sweet Instagram post in which he sang the model’s praises as one half of his heart.

“To the most precious, my beloved. 5 years. You have captivated my heart. I know from the depths of my soul down to my bones that this journey with you will only exceed our wildest expectations,” wrote the singer next to a snap of the couple kissing, along with several more happy pics of them holding hands and cheesing for the camera.

“So let’s keep dreaming big baby. Cheers to forever and ever. I love you with every fiber of my being. HAPPY 5TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!” Bieber added. Hailey reposted some of the same pics — plus some additional ones of delicious desserts and sushi rolls — on her Insta along with the message “I love you.”

The “Peaches” singer, 29, and Rhode skincare founder, 26, were engaged for just a few months before getting married in 2019 at the Montage Palmetto Bluff hotel in South Carolina. They actually famously met years before that, though, when Hailey was 12-years-old and she ran into Justin backstage at the Today Show after Bieber made an appearance on the morning program.

Bieber has kept a relatively low public profile over the past year, since revealing last June that he suffered a partially paralyzed face due to Ramsay Hunt Disease, which forced the singer to postpone his Justice World tour to focus on his health.

Check out Justin’s anniversary post here and Hailey’s here.

14 Sep 2023

Guitarist in Olivia Rodrigo’s Favorite ’90s Hard Rock Band Reacts to Her Shout-Out: ‘Who Would Have Guessed?’

Olivia Rodrigo has proudly worn her influences on her sleeve during her rocket ride to pop stardom, whether it’s giving them songwriting co-credits on her album (Taylor Swift, Paramore) or including them on her upcoming tour in support of her sophomore album, GUTS (The Breeders).

But when she told Rolling Stone in a new cover story that the opening track of her second album, “All-American Bitch,” was inspired by the OG Riot Grrrl band Babes in Toyland and incendiary political rockers Rage Against the Machine, well, one of them couldn’t believe it.

“Who would have guessed? @oliviarodrigo,” Rage guitarist Tom Morello tweeted on Wednesday (Sept. 13) along with a pic of Olivia and a pull quote from the RS story in which the Grammy-winning singer said, “I have been listening to so much Rage Against the Machine this year. That’s my favorite band right now.”

Though Rodrigo’s songs are spiked with 98% more radio-friendly pop flavor than Rage’s flamethrower rap-metal anthems, she explained in the RS story that the Zack de la Rocha-fronted band’s songs of seething vengeance and furious anger at social inequities were basically all she listened to during the GUTS sessions.

“I would just play it over and over again on my way to and from the studio,” she said of the band’s songs, lamenting that she wants to attend Rage’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but cannot make it because of an “immovable schedule conflict.” She told the magazine that the conflict is maddening. “I am literally going to cry myself to sleep about it,” she said.

In the meantime, Rodrigo announced the dates for her 2024 GUTS tour on Wednesday, which will also include support from PinkPantheress, Chappell Roan and Remi Wolf on select dates.

See Morello’s tweet below.

14 Sep 2023

Sia Drops Soaring ‘Gimme Love’ Single Ahead of First Album in 8 Years, ‘Reasonable Woman’

Sia danced back into our ears on Wednesday (Sept. 13) with her bouncy new single, “Gimme Love,” a soaring plea to do just what the title says. “You don’t want to fight for me/ But babe that’s what I need/ Please now just this once/ Fight for me baby/ Sing baby,” the singer/songwriter urges before sliding into one of her patented earworm choruses: “Come now/ Do this just for me/ I don’t ask for much/ Gimme love, gimme love, gimme love, baby.”

The song is the initial taste of Sia’s first new solo pop album in eight years, Reasonable Woman, which she said in a post is due out in the spring of next year; at press time no track listing or exact release date had been announced, though pre-orders for the LP are slated to arrive in May.

Sia’s last studio album was 2016’s This Is Acting, which was mostly comprised of songs she wrote for other artists that were not released on their albums and featured the singles “Alive,” “Cheap Thrills,” “The Greatest” and “Unstoppable.” She followed up with the holiday album Everyday Is Christmas in 2017 and the 2021 soundtrack album Music — Songs From and Inspired by the Motion Picture, the companion to her directorial debut of the same name.

The Reasonable Woman cover art features an image of a woman in orange suit with a striped grey blob for heads and hands, the type of art fans have come to expect from the singer who has often obscured her face in pictures and public appearances in an effort to maintain her privacy. Similarly, the accompanying “Gimme Love” lyric video is a series of snaps of the singer in various locations with color blocks covering her features.

Watch the “Gimme Love” video below.

13 Sep 2023

*NSYNC Reunite for ‘Trolls Band Together’ Song ‘Better Place’: See the Release Date & New Trailer

After decades of fans hoping for an *NSYNC musical reunion, the day has finally come: The five-member boy band’s Trolls Band Together soundtrack contribution “Better Place” was announced first thing Thursday (Sept. 14) along with a new trailer for the animated threequel.

The song — which appears to follow in the upbeat footsteps of Trolls lead single “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” and Trolls World Tour opener “The Other Side” — is available to pre-save now but won’t be released until Sept. 29.

The song marks *NSYNC’s first musical release since 2002 (when the Neptunes remix of “Girlfriend,” featuring Nelly, arrived) and it comes just days after the group — Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass — stepped onstage together at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards to present the award for best pop to Taylor Swift for “Anti-Hero.” The group last took the VMAs stage in 2013, for Timberlake’s Video Vanguard Award medley performance.

Rumors of *NSYNC’s reunion began swirling after a number of Trolls Band Together posters popped up in New York, featuring the first letter of the *NSYNC logo and a QR code. The code takes you to this site — TakeYouToABetterPlace.com — which teases the whistling pop tune. Timberlake stars in the upcoming film, returning as the troll Branch alongside Anna Kendrick’s Poppy, but the new movie’s plot follows as Branch reunites with his brothers to get their childhood boy band, BroZone, back together. While *NSYNC comes back together for the soundtrack, in the film, Timberlake’s bandmate brothers are voiced by Troye Sivan, Eric André, Daveed Diggs and Kid Cudi.

BroZone in 'Trolls Band Together'

DreamWorks Animation

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, *NSYNC released four studio albums: 1997’s ‘N Sync, 1998’s Home for Christmas, 2000’s No Strings Attached and 2001’s Celebrity.

Trolls Band Together hits theaters on Nov. 17. Watch the new trailer below.

13 Sep 2023

Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ Video Reaches 1 Billion YouTube Views

Turn around, because Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 classic, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” has reached one billion views on YouTube. The clip, filmed in England’s Holloway Sanatorium, is the Welsh artist’s first to reach the impressive milestone.

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Written and produced by Meat Loaf collaborator Jim Steinman, the track spent four weeks at No. 1 upon its release — and much of its popularity was due to the music video.  The risqué, academic-themed clip was directed by ­pioneer Russell Mulcahy, who had directed the first video shown on MTV, The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Tyler went on to release one more top 40 hit in 1984 with another Steinman-produced cut: the Footloose soundtrack single “Holding Out for a Hero.”

Back in 2017, during the total solar eclipse, Tyler performed the hit on a Royal Caribbean cruise with Joe Jonas’ DNCE as her backing band, just as the eclipse reached its totality. That week, sales of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” were up 500%.

In celebration of the music video for “Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around)” hitting one billion views on YouTube, revisit the beloved clip below.

13 Sep 2023

Don Omar on ‘Podemos Repetirlo’ With Chencho Corleone Topping Latin Airplay: ‘It’s the Music My Fans Want Me to Make’

Don Omar and Chencho Corleone each add a new No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, as “Podemos Repetirlo” surges 12-1 to rule the Sept. 16-dated ranking.

“It’s the music my fans want me to make, and that’s what I’ll do from now on, to please them,” Don Omar tells Billboard.

“Podemos Repetirlo” was released May 28 via Unisono/Saban. Strong airplay across Latin stations powers the collab to the summit on the overall Latin Airplay tally in its 13th week. According to Luminate, “Podemos” registered 9.7 million in audience impressions, up 60% from the week prior, earned in the U.S. during the Sept. 1-7 tracking week. The Greatest Gainer honoree of the week includes Houston’s KAMA; San Jose, Calif’s KVVF; and San Juan, Puerto Rico’s WQBS as its biggest supporters.

“’Podemos Repetirlo’s’ stickiness at radio is undeniable, congratulations to Don and the Saban Music Latin team on another chart topper,” added Gustavo Lopez, CEO of Saban Music Latin.

With “Podemos,” Don Omar adds his 12th No. 1 on Latin Airplay. He first reigned with “Angelito” for one week in July 2006 and notched eight other champs in the ‘10s, including “Danza Kuduro,” with Lucenzo, his longest-leading ruler: 15 weeks in charge in 2010.

“Podemos” arrives a year after Don Omar’s last No. 1 on the ranking, as he spent one week in charge also through a collab: “Soy Yo,” with Wisin and Gente de Zona, crowned the July 16, 2022-dated list.

Chencho, meanwhile, captures his third ruler. He notched his first and second leaders with “Desesperados,” with Rauw Alejandro, and “Me Porto Bonito,” with Bad Bunny, in July 2022 and August 2022, respectively.

In addition to its lead on Latin Airplay, “Podemos” concurrently commands Latin Rhythm Airplay with a 7-1 climb. On the multimetric Hot Latin Songs, both acts score their best ranking in over a year, as the song ascends 39-32.

Karol G Nabs 18th top 10 with two new entries: Elsewhere on Latin Airplay, Karol G achieves a dual top 10 win as “Mi Ex Tenía Razón” flies 16-3, while “Amargura” jumps 11-9.

“Mi Ex” leads the double top 10 rise with a 37% gain in audience, to 7.67 million earned, during the same period. “Amargura” improves with a 4% gain, to 6.41 million.

With the new top 10s, Karol picks up her 18th top 10, still the second-most among women, after Shakira’s lofty 37 top 10s, the most for any female act and the fifth-most overall.

13 Sep 2023

Rita Ora to Step In as ‘Masked Singer’ Season 11 Judge for Nicole Scherzinger

On Wednesday (Sept. 13), Rita Ora was announced as the next judge on The Masked Singer, joining the panel for the show’s 11th season, filling in for Nicole Scherzinger.

“We’re grateful to have the amazing @ritaora shine her light and join us as a panelist on #TheMaskedSinger Season 11!” the show shared on Instagram. Fox TV’s Instagram account replied, “Can’t wait for my girl, Rita Ora!”

The 32-year-old “I Will Never Let You Down” singer took to her Instagram Story to share her excitement, writing, “So happy the secret is finally out. I’m joining the @maskedsingerfox US! Can’t wait to try and guess who’s behind the mask with the other panelists.”

The news of Ora’s placement on the show comes amid original judge Nicole Scherzinger joining the cast of Sunset Boulevard on London’s West End. The show, presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber, opens Sept. 20 at the Savoy Theatre in London and runs through Jan. 4, 2024, so Ora will fill in for Scherzinger while she’s overseas.

“In 20 days I’ll be taking the stage as Norma Desmond alongside an incredible cast of talented humans!” The Pussycat Dolls frontwoman shared via Instagram, captioning a series of of pictures from rehearsals. Scherzinger first announced she nailed the leading role in a May 19 Instagram post.

Serving as a panelist on a reality competition won’t be new for Ora: She previously sat on the judges panel for The Masked Singer UK for four seasons, and her other credits include The Voice: Australia, The X Factor UK and America’s Next Top Model.

Season 10 of The Masked Singer — with the O.G. judging panel of Scherzinger, Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy, alongside host Nick Cannon — premieres Sept. 27 on Fox, after a kick-off episode this past weekend unmasked Demi Lovato as Anonymouse.

See Ora’s casting announcement below.

13 Sep 2023

Tinashe Recalls ‘Embarrassing’ Collaborations With R. Kelly & Chris Brown, Says She Was Pushed by Label

Back in 2015, while Tinashe was sign to RCA, she teamed up with Chris Brown for a song called “Player.” Shortly after, her R. Kelly team-up, “Let’s Be Real Now,” arrived. On Wednesday (Sept. 12), the singer reflected on working with two men accused of abuse on the Zach Sang Show.

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“I literally block out that R. Kelly song from my mind. I forget that it even exists,” she said in a clip from the interview posted to TikTok. “That is so embarrassing. That is so unreal that I even have a song with R. Kelly. That’s so embarrassing.”

She added that she was “so young” when “Let’s Be Real Now” came out, which Sang noted that there is not a lot of “control” over collaborators when you first sign to a label — and that it wasn’t fair for Tinashe to face scrutiny over the releases. “Especially when it comes to singles, for example, that song with with Chris [Brown],” Tinashe replied. “That was a song that we all wanted it to be this big moment, this big single. So, I feel like, in their mind, they were like, ‘You need the support.’ He was their biggest artist that they had on rhythmic radio at the time. To me, I was like, ‘Well, this is a pop song. So, I really don’t feel like we should put Chris on it.’ That doesn’t compute to me, but I don’t know.”

Brown has a history of alleged violence against women, dating back to his 2009 assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna. R. Kelly, meanwhile was found guilty in 2021 on all nine charges brought against him by the government, including racketeering and sex trafficking, at the end of his federal trial in New York.

Tinashe left RCA in 2019, and signed with Nice Life Recording Company earlier this year. See the full interview clip below.