Music News

05 Aug 2023

Kendrick Lamar Closes Out Day 2 of Lollapalooza 2023 With Hits-Stacked Setlist

Kendrick Lamar performed in Chicago a year for ago for his Big Steppers Tour. But the last time he performed at Lollapalooza was in 2013. Then, still fresh off his sophomore set, good kid, m.A.A.d. city (2012), a brilliant album that cemented the Compton native as a cultural force with thought-provoking lyrics. Friday (Aug. 4), Lamar — now one of the greatest and influential rappers of his generation — returned to Chicago’s Grant Park to close out day two of the festival.

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As expected, a massive sea of high-energy fans gathered at the T-Mobile stage early on to secure a spot to see the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper up close. As his set time at 8:45 p.m. neared, the area got densely packed with hardly any empty spots around you. Lamar was 15 minutes late but his fans were forgiving. And he made up for lost time kicking off with the big hits (plus he went over 10 minutes over his allotted time). At exactly 9 p.m., “The Heart Part 5” started blasting and seconds later, the man of the hour appeared dressed in blue from head to toe, and a Dodgers-inspired blue cap repping pgLAng, the entertainment company he launched with Dave Free in 2020. He then went on to perform “N95” and “Element,” before officially saying hello to the crowd.

“Is anybody alive right now?” Lamar asked. In return, festivalgoers roared letting him know that they were alive and eager to sing bar for bar with Lamar. “Chitown how are you feeling tonight? Make some noise. It’s a special night in a special city,” the rapper said.

The Grammy-winning artist went on to perform a mesmerizing set — with a group of interpretive dancers in aprons and a live band in tow — which spanned his greatest hits of the past decade-plus, including tunes from his rich body of work such as Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, DAMN., To Pimp A Butterfly and good kid, m.A.A.d. city.

“It’s always special when we come out here. It’s always love. I want to make sure you have a good time from start to finish,” the hip-hop icon told fans. Showcasing his lyrical prowess and vast catalogue, Lamar wound through songs such as “King Kunta,” “Backseat Freestyle,” “Swimming Pools (Drank),” “m.A.A.d. City,” “LOYALTY,” “DNA.,” and “HUMBLE.” and “Count Me Out,” to name a few. He closed with the 2015 anthem “Alright,” and said “Until next time Chicago, I will be back.”

Day two of Lollapalooza also included performances by Sabrina Carpenter, Jessie Reyez, Fred Again.., Thirty Seconds to Mars, Tems, Sudan Archives, and Sueco, among others. The 1975 was also a headliner and in charge of closing out the Bud Light stage.

05 Aug 2023

The 1975’s Matty Healy Appears to Make Fun of Malaysian ‘Ban’ During Lollapalooza Set: ‘You Want My Travel Tip?’

Surely you didn’t think The 1975 singer Matty Healy wouldn’t address the band’s recent controversial set in Malaysia during their first gig back since that international incident? After all, it was Healy’s broadside against the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws — not to mention an onstage same-sex kiss with bassist Ross MacDonald — that got the band’s set cut short and led to the cancelation of the Good Vibes festival and Healy’s claim that his group is now banned from Kuala Lumpur.

Well, Healy took the matter head-on, kind of, during a typically raucous, unpredictable headlining slot at Lollapalooza in Chicago on Friday night (Aug. 4). Playing on the Bud Light Stage at the same time as Kendrick Lamar top-lined at the other end of the park, the band lit into the intro to “It’s Not Living If It’s Not With You,” during which Healy said, “You want my travel tip? Don’t go to…”

But he never got to finish his thought, because as the band often does during this wind-up, they cut Healy off before he could say something else that would get them into hot water.

At another point in the set that included runs through “Chocolate,” “Oh Caroline,” “Somebody Else” and “Love It If We Made It,” Healy again seemed to allude to his headline-making talents, joking, “What would we do without a little bit of drama, right?” before swigging from his ever-present flask.

The set had some other predictably unpredictable moments as well, as when during “Robbers,” Healy stole a moment to hop down off the stage to go hug one of his musical heroes after spotting him in the photo pit. Appearing gobsmacked by the sight, Healy scrambled down to give a surprised-looking Blink-182 singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge a giant hug. Even as he continued to sing the song — cradling both his mic and a cigarette in his right hand — Healy paused for a moment to tell Tom, “I love you so much, I love you so so much.”

DeLonge had also been in the same area a few hours earlier during 30 Seconds to Mars’ high-energy, death-defying set, during which singer and rock climber Jared Leto did a tethered free-fall from the top of the stage to gasps from the crowd.

After the song was over, Healy shared with the huge crowd how excited he was to meet one of his rock icons. “The person who inspired me to talk about my d–k as much as I do and I thank him for that forever,” he joked about DeLonge in a nod to Blink’s proud history of juvenile lyricism.

Lollapalooza soldiers on Saturday night (Aug. 5) with sets from Morgan Wade, Alex G, Pusha T, Odesza and Tomorrow X Together. The massive four-day fest winds down on Sunday night (Aug. 6) with music from Joey Bada$$, Alvvays, Lil Yachty, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Rey.

04 Aug 2023

Friday Dance Music Guide: The Best New Tracks From Nia Archives, David Guetta with Bebe Rexha & More

This week in dance music: Kylie Minogue reached No. 1 on Dance Mix Show/Airplay with her unstoppable “Padam Padam” and we explored how the time honored tradition of the slow dance is shifting for Gen Z.

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And new music? We’ve got loads of it. Here are the best new dance tracks of the week.

Nia Archives, “Bad Gyalz”

The Label: HIJINXX/Island Release

The Spiel: The U.K. jungle producer’s last few months have included opening for Beyoncé on the London stop of her Renaissance tour, a Coachella debut and very buzzy shows at Glastonbury and Primavera. Archives keeps this big time momentum going with her latest, “Bad Gyalz,” a cool, catchy ode to the junglist ladies turning out for her shows, which continue through the summer and fall with dates throughout Europe and Asia.

The Artist Says: “I was on ma way to the studio with Clipz listening to Ranking Ann who is one of my fave MCs — period. And then I was just thinking about tha fact that like, whenever I go to one of my shows, it’s 85% women ages 18 -25 which is so amazing! And they are all baddies, absolute junglists. So I wanted to make a song that represents that and tha women that come to ma raves. And that’s how ‘Bad Gyalz’ was born!”

The Vibe: Blissfully sweaty on a packed dancefloor with all your fellow gyalz.

David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “One In a Million”

The Label: Warner Records

The Spiel: As Guetta and Rexha continue their major Hot Dance/Electronic Songs hot streak with “Good (I’m Blue)” — which is currently sitting at No. 1 in its 48th week on the chart — the pair double down on their collaborative magic with “One In a Million.” As Guetta layers up characteristically peppy piano stabs Rexha declares, “I can’t believe we’re both alive at the same time” in her signature chromatic purr, altogether creating the euphoric, unabashedly saccharine dance vibes that both are so skilled at, and are especially good at together.

The Vibe: Screaming along in the car, certain you sound excellent.

Grabbitz & bbno$, “Ticking Away”

The Label: Riot Games

The Spiel: A leader in the headbanging space where electronic music meets rock, Grabbitz returns with another banger in that realm, “TICKING AWAY.” A collaboration with rapper bbno$, the propulsive, deliciously heavy song is the official anthem for the VALORANT Champions Tour, for which the Riot Games’ brand will host performances and activations around Los Angeles (including an event with Brownies & Lemonade on Aug. 23), leading up to the VALORANT Champions Finals on Aug. 26 where Grabbitz and bbno$ will perform the song live for the first time.

The Artist Says: “It’s been an honor to work with VALORANT for three years in a row now,” says Grabbitz. “To see the impact the songs have had on the community and the players has been astonishing.”

The Vibe: Riding the rail (of your favorite first-person tactical hero shooter game.)

Spencer Brown, Wilt Claybourne & Ladysmith Black Mambazo, “Awu Wemadoda”

The Label: diviine

The Spiel: Spencer Brown comes hot out the gates with “Awu Wemadoda,” the lead single from his third studio album Equanimity, set for release this fall. A collaboration with the legendary South African choral outfit Ladysmith Black Mambazo and producer Wilt Claybourne, the song is a beauty — breezy, soothing, uplifting and the very essence of the title of the album from whence it comes.

The Artist Says: “Every day, I saw a rapid-fire stream of contradictions: sugar-coated highlight reels balanced by extremism and negativity from the news, designed to game our emotions for attention,” Brown says of life during the pandemic. “After enough nights driven by pain and uncertainty, I realized that all I can control is how I let external stimuli affect my being. At first, I tried to eliminate the things causing my day to worsen; then, I realized I had to be OK with them. I had to accept difficulties and let them pass through me. During this period, a friend introduced me to the concept of equanimity, describing it as “calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation.” This was the exact skill I had unknowingly been trying to find. But like a muscle, it takes time to engrain deep strength in the core. In reality, peace exists around us if we can stay unaffected by the noise. Written between 2019 and 2023, Equanimity describes how I learned to be OK when external stimuli are out of my control. All we can do is work on how we react to the world around us.”  

The Vibe: Calmness, composure, cathartic dancing.

Swedish House Mafia, “Ray Of Solar”

The Label: Republic Records

The Spiel: The Swedes swing for the fences on their latest single “Ray Of Solar.” Built around a sort of spooky, crystalline vocal from singer Tove Burman, the production ramps up quickly and heavily with a sudden wave of piano stabs and a stuttering synth hitting peak time mode around the 1:30-minute mark. The song follows “See The Light,” with the pair of tracks expected to serve as the two lead singles for a new upcoming SHM studio album.

The Artists Say: “Once we recorded these vocals we really got transcended to space,” the trio say in a joint statement. “We listened to it on repeat all night and imagined floating in space. This is the summer record for us and even though we’ve heard it a million times and still feel the power of it, it’s a really special one, the unique vocal with our style of writing melodies makes it special! Doing this together with Tove was incredible as we really felt we gave it a true Nordic sonic landscape. We love every second of it and can’t wait for the world to hear it!”

The Vibe: Sonic strobe light.

04 Aug 2023

Rita Ora & Taika Waititi Reveal What Everyone Got Wrong About Their Wedding

On the one-year anniversary of their wedding, Rita Ora and Taika Waititi have finally revealed details about their romantic, private ceremony — including what everyone got wrong about it.

Sharing photos and memories of the big day to Vogue, the couple confessed to being amused by all the false reports speculating on when and where they got hitched. “It wasn’t in London or in France like everyone reported,” Waititi told the publication. “It was in L.A. with a small group of friends.”

“At our home!” added Ora. “It’s actually been quite entertaining for us to see the different stories people made up and all the while getting to keep it to ourselves,” Ora said. “And, I love that we now get to share what really happened — and to do it on our one-year anniversary, no less.”

And by “small group of friends,” Waititi really meant a small group of friends. There were only about eight people in the room, total; the couple’s parents joined in via Zoom.

The Thor: Love and Thunder director and the “Praising You” singer got hitched Aug. 4, 2022, after striking up a romance the year prior. Waititi also gushed about the moment Ora proposed while the two were on vacation in Palm Springs, Calif., just a few weeks before the wedding.

“She proposed to me, and I said yes instantly,” he recalled to Vogue.

It wasn’t until this year that Ora officially confirmed that she and the 47-year-old filmmaker had secretly tied the knot. “Yes. I am officially off the market, people,” she reportedly said in a radio interview in January. “I chose to keep it more private and keep it to myself… It was exactly, exactly how I wanted. It is nice to keep some things just to myself sometimes. It was nice and sweet. Sorry it’s not that interesting. One day I will throw a big party.”

See photos from Rita Ora and Taika Waititi’s intimate wedding here.

04 Aug 2023

Here’s Why 50 Cent Thinks This 78-Year-Old Oscar Winner Will Be ‘Sexy Forever’

50 Cent‘s crush on Dame Helen Mirren is still going strong — in fact, he says he’ll probably never get over her. Speaking to Men’s Health for his new cover story, the rapper opened up about his love for the 78-year-old Oscar winner, sharing that he thinks Mirren will be “sexy forever.”

“She’s sexy,” he told the publication. “She’ll look at you, and you go, ‘Oh s–t!’ I don’t care how old she get, I don’t give a f–k what nobody says, she’s sexy.”

Recalling the time he met the 1923 star in Monaco at the 2017 Monte Carlo TV Festival, Fiddy added, “Her husband was just right there with her, he’s going ‘Oh, that’s just what she does.’ He notices what you notice, that she’s sexy. It’s confidence. It’s everything she is for all of these years. She’s going to be sexy forever.”

This is far from the first time since their fateful first encounter that “Candy Shop” musician has proclaimed his love for Mirren. Just a couple days after their red carpet meeting at the Monte Carlo TV Festival, he took to Instagram to write: “I think I love her man, I’m trying not to stare at her. She know she turns me on. She just has that thing, you know I can’t describe it. LOL.”

The next year, he once again opened up about his crush when he visited Conan. “She looked at me and this interesting thing was going on in her eyes,” he told the late-night host. “She knows she’s sexy!”

Watch 50 Cent gush about Helen Mirren to Men’s Health above.

04 Aug 2023

Sinead O’Connor’s Streams Surged by 2,885% Following Her Death

Streams and sales of Sinead O’Connor’s catalog vaulted following the Irish singer’s death on July 26, with many of her songs returning to the Billboard charts dated Aug. 5.

O’Connor’s catalog earned 7.9 million official on-demand U.S. streams in the July 21-27 tracking week, up 774% from 901,000 July 14-20, according to Luminate.

As for July 26-27 vs. July 24-25, O’Connor’s official on-demand U.S. song streams grew from 243,000 to 7.3 million, up 2,885%.

Additionally, downloads of her songs totaled 17,000 July 21-27, a 5,348% surge from a negligible amount July 14-20.

In terms of albums, O’Connor’s music earned 11,000 equivalent album units July 21-27, up 1,346% from 1,000 the week before. Of those 11,000 units, 4,000 were via album sales.

With consumption gains come multiple appearances on the Billboard charts for O’Connor, paced by her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which returns to the Rock Digital Song Sales and Alternative Digital Song Sales surveys at No. 1 with 10,000 downloads sold.

The song also accrued 3.2 million streams, which, combined with its sales, drive it onto the multi-metric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally at No. 10 (where older songs are eligible to appear if in the top half and with a meaningful reason for their resurgences).

It’s the song’s second time on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (which began in 2009); it ranked at No. 16 on the May 14, 2016, chart with streaming and sales gains following Prince’s death.

“Nothing Compares 2 U” was O’Connor’s lone Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, reigning for four weeks in 1990.

O’Connor’s songs “Mandinka” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes” also reach Alternative Digital Song Sales, at Nos. 16 and 17, respectively, and Rock Digital Song Sales (Nos. 24 and 25), with approximately 1,000 downloads sold apiece. “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was O’Connor’s lone other entry on the Hot 100, as the follow-up to “Nothing Compares 2 U” reached No. 60 in 1990.

Further placements for O’Connor’s music are possible on the Aug. 12-dated Billboard charts following a full week of sales, streaming and airplay tracking (July 28-Aug. 3).

O’Connor died in London at age 56. A cause of death has not been announced.

04 Aug 2023

Doja Cat, Halle, LE SSERAFIM x Demi Lovato & More: What’s Your Favorite Music Release of the Week?

This week’s new music Friday is stacked with releases across the genres, featuring a new rap song from Doja Cat, a stunning R&B release from Halle and a collaboration from K-pop’s LE SSERAFIM with Demi Lovato.

Doja continues to poke fun at her detractors in her newest release, “Paint the Town Red.” Led by a sample of Dionne Warwick’s classic “Walk on By” to leverage the chorus, the rapper knows exactly what her naysayers think of her, and taunts them with their own comments on a bouncy chorus. “Mm, she the devil/ She a bad lil’ b—h, she a rebel/ She put her foot to the pedal/ It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle,” she sings. The track is the second look fans have received of her upcoming fourth album after single “Attention.”

Halle is following in big sister Chloe’s footsteps, and has released her first solo single. The singer has already established herself as one half of Chloe x Halle, and as Ariel in The Little Mermaid live-action remake, but new song “Angel” sees her going for rhythmic lyrics and piano instrumentation while letting it be known she plans to transcend her insecurities and walk in the light of a new path.

LE SSERAFIM’s single “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife” is the gift that keeps on giving. The K-pop group — which consists of members Sakura, Kim Chae-won, Huh Yun-jin, Kazuha and Hong Eun-chae — released an English version of the song on Friday, with the addition of a sultry verse by Lovato. It follows the group’s Rina Sawayama collab for the track the week prior.

Grupo Frontera, Usher and Crosses also released music this week.

Which new release was your favorite this week? Vote in our poll below.

04 Aug 2023

Ricky Martin Breaks Silence on Divorce, Says Split Has Been in the Works Since ‘Pre-Pandemic’

Ricky Martin spoke for the first time about the decision to separate from his husband, Jwan Yosef, whom he was married to for six years. In an interview with Telemundo Puerto Rico, the singer shared that the process of separation between him and Yosef dated back to pre-pandemic years.

“Jwan and I will always be family. We have two children together that we will raise together. This didn’t just happen. We’ve been planning this situation for a while now — pre-pandemic.” He added, “When the public found out, we had already been through a solid process of grief. We knew this had to happen for our own good. And for the well-being of our children. We’re better than ever and we’re single.”

Martin and Yosef announced in a joint statement in early July that they were divorcing; they had married in 2017. The “Tiburones” singer made their relationship official in 2016 when the pair walked the amFAR Inspiration Gala red carpet together. That same year, they announced they were engaged. He and Yosef share two kids: daughter Lucia (born in 2018) and son Renn (born in 2019). The singer is also dad to 14-year-old twin sons Matteo and Valentino, whom he welcomed via a surrogate in 2008.

“For some time, we have considered transforming our relationship, and it is after careful consideration that we have decided to end our marriage with love, respect, and dignity for our children — preserving and honoring what we have experienced as a couple all of these wonderful years,” they wrote in the heartfelt statement.

“Our greatest desire now is to continue having a healthy family dynamic and a relationship centered on our genuine friendship as we continue the joint upbringing of our children,” their statement continued. “As always, we thank you for all the love and support we received throughout our marriage. We are united in nurturing this new chapter of our lives.”

03 Aug 2023

LE SSERAFIM Teams Up With Demi Lovato for ‘Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife’ Remix: Stream It Now

It’s here! Just hours after announcing the collaboration, LE SSERAFIM unveiled the English version of its single “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife” featuring Demi Lovato on Friday (Aug. 4).

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“I see it written on your face, yeah/ I know you want a little taste, yeah/ You know I’ll put you in your place/ You’re crawling on the floor/ Begging me for more, ooh/ I’m sicker than the flu/ Come put me in the mood/ My body touching you, do you like that?/ Ooh, just watch the way I move,” Lovato belts on the sultry, rock-tinged track.

Lovato joins a string of “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife” remixes, following Rina Sawayama’s version released on July 28, and UPSAHL’s on July 14. “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife” is the second single from LE SSERAFIM’s first studio album, Unforgiven. The track peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Trending Songs chart dated June 3, while the album it’s on peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200.

Lovato, meanwhile, is prepping to release an entire album featuring rocked-out versions of some of her biggest hits. REVAMPED is slated for release on Sept. 15 and it will feature the reimagined guitar-heavy versions of “Sorry,” as well as the previously released “Heart Attack (Rock Version)” and “Cool For the Summer (Rock Version).”

Listen to “Eve, Psyche & The Bluebeard’s Wife” featuring Demi Lovato below.

03 Aug 2023

Halle Bailey Unveils Debut Solo Single ‘Angel’: Stream It Now

After conquering the seven seas as Princess Ariel in the live-action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey is ready to make her formal solo debut. “Angel,” the official debut solo single from Halle, has arrived. “Black girl with the Black girl hair,” she croons over a plaintive piano-backed arrangement.

Halle posted a teaser for “Angel” to her YouTube channel and social media on Monday (July 31). The short clip featured a montage of childhood home videos and clips of recent solo performances set to the track’s instrumental. The teaser closed with the quote, “Angels make a way somehow.”

While this is Halle’s formal solo debut, she lent her gorgeous voice to the soundtrack for The Little Mermaid (2023), which topped Top Soundtracks and peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200. She delivered a stunning rendition of the classic “Part of Your World,” which topped out at No. 19 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, as well as the new original song “For the First Time,” which made Billboard’s ranking of the 50 best songs of 2023 so far.

As a member of the five-time Grammy-nominated R&B duo Chloe x Halle, Halle has earned earned two entries on the Billboard 200: 2018’s The Kids Are Alright (No. 139) and 2020’s Ungodly Hour (No. 16). The duo has also earned one entry on the Billboard Hot 100: “Do It” (No. 63), the lead single from Ungodly Hour.

2023 has been a banner year for Bailey. In addition to starring in The Little Mermaid, which grossed more than $118 million during its opening weekend, Bailey is also set to star in another movie musical later this year: Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple, which is scheduled to hit theaters on Christmas Day.

Stream “Angel” here: