Music News

15 Jun 2023

John Williams Surprises Audience at ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Hollywood Premiere With Orchestral Performance

John Williams surprised the audience at Wednesday night’s (June 14) Hollywood premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. According to Deadline, the five-time Oscar-winning 91-year-old composer was joined by a full orchestra for a performance of several movements from the movie, including the main title theme and “Helena’s Theme,” which he wrote for Phoebe Waller Bridge’s new character in what is reportedly the final chapter of Indy’s ride.

The unannounced mini-concert was introduced by Dial of Destiny executive producer and series architect director Steven Spielberg. “We have a tradition with Indiana Jones which is that Indy has his music in all the various moves that he has, and his action scenes and comedy, and so many modes, the music is always there,” Williams told the audience at the Dolby Theatre.

“The other part of the tradition is that we usually have a theme for the heroine or leading lady. In this film we have Phoebe Waller Bridge,” the composer continued of Waller Bridge’s character, who is Jones’ goddaughter. “You’ll see the most brilliant duet between Harrison and Phoebe as they do their wonderful witty dialogue and action and comedy and jeopardy which they do so wonderfully. Phoebe will be represented musically by a lyrical piece, reminiscent of the ’40s and ’50s and old Hollywood. This is ‘Helena’s Theme’. It’s all about Phoebe, not all parts of her, but a lot of it.”

Deadline reported that earlier in the evening star Harrison Ford, 80, said it is definitely his last run at the swashbuckling, adventure-loving archaeologist. “I always wanted to do a film about Indiana Jones towards the end of his life, and [director] Jim Mangold developed a script that got us to a point where I really had the best time making this film, it’s really been fun,” Ford told the site. Dial of Destiny hits theaters on June 30.

Listen to some of the concert below.

15 Jun 2023

Kid Cudi Announces Lineup For Second Annual Moon Man’s Landing Festival in Cleveland

Kid Cudi has announced the lineup for his second annual Moon Man’s Landing festival in his hometown of Cleveland. In an announcement on Wednesday, the “Solo Dolo” rapper revealed that Lil Uzi Vert, Coi Leray, $uicideboy$, Bashfortheworld, Siena Bella and Chelsea Pastel will join him on August 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Fans can register now for access to passes for the AEG-promoted fest, with the presale slated to kick off at noon ET on June 21. Last year’s inaugural Landing featured Playboi Carti, HAIM, Toliver, Dominick Fike, Pusha T, Jaden and 070 Shake.

Cudi dropped the new single “Porsche Topless” earlier this month, the initial salvo from his upcoming INSANO album, which does not currently have a firm release date. The rapper is also slated to star in Knuckles, the Paramount+ Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off series. On Wednesday, Deadline reported that the series’ cast had gotten a major upgrade with the additions of Cary Elwes, Stockard Channing, Christopher Lloyd, Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel.

They join the previously announced cast led by Idris Elba as Knuckles and Adam Pally, who will reprise his role from the Sonic movie of Wade Whipple; other recurring cast members on board include Edi Patterson, Julian Barratt, Ellie Taylor and guests Ryan McCann and Tika Sumpter back as Maddie. A description of the live-action series says it will follow Knuckles on a “hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior.”

Check out the event poster below.

15 Jun 2023

Brandi Carlile, Adam Lambert, Ciara, Kesha, Big Freedia to Perform at ‘Can’t Cancel Pride’ 2023 Concert

Thursday’s (June 15) “Can’t Cancel Pride 2023 — The Future Starts Now” concert will feature Brandi Carlile, Adam Lambert, Ciara, Big Freedia, Kesha and more. The fourth annual concert, hosted by JoJo Siwa “will focus on the LGBTQ+ community’s past achievements, the urgency of the present moment and hope for our future,” according to a statement on the event’s site.

Other acts slated to perform or appear at the show that will take place at 8 p.m. ET include: Billy Porter, Kayley Kioko, Fletcher and Kelsea Ballerini. In addition, Carlile will be presented with the 2023 Elton John Impact Award for her humanitarian work with the Looking Out Foundation, which amplifies the impact of music by funding and empowering frequently overlooked organizations.

The one-hour concert, which will stream on iHeartRadio’s YouTube and Facebook pages, will also be available on demand through June 30 on iHeartRadio’s Facebook and YouTube pages, Revry, the Roku Channel and the Advocate Channel.

“This year we shine a spotlight on how far we’ve come and how much more there is to do to fuel equality and inclusion in support of these important organizations making the world better for the LGBTQ+ community everyday around the nation,” said Gayle Troberman, chief marketing officer for iHeartMedia, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The event began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has raised more than $11 million to date for the six participating charitable organizations: GLAAD, The Trevor Project, National Black Justice Coalition, SAGE, Centerlink and OtRight International.

“I’m proud that Can’t Cancel Pride has raised over $11 million dollars to help fund organizations that offer critical support, from youth services to elderly care, and to continue to partner with some of the world’s best and brightest LGBTQ+ and ally performers to support and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community,” said Brent Miller, Can’t Cancel Pride co-founder and P&G senior director, global LGBTQ equality & inclusion.

See the event poster below.

14 Jun 2023

Gangsta Boo’s Cause of Death Revealed

According to Memphis news reports, former Three 6 Mafia rapper Gangsta Boo‘s cause of death was an accidental overdose.

The rapper (born Lola Mitchell) — who was found dead at age 43 on New Year’s Day at her home in Memphis — overdosed on fentanyl, cocaine and ethanol (alcohol), according to an autopsy report seen by NBC’s Action News 5 and Fox 13 on Wednesday (June 14).

Boo was born in the Whitehaven section of Memphis on Aug. 7, 1979. She joined local hip-hop collective Three 6 Mafia — founded by DJ Paul, Juicy J and Lord Infamous — at age 15 in 1994. That same year, she recorded “Cheefa Da Reefa,” her first solo song with the group. The pioneering Southern female rapper later unveiled her most popular hit “Where Dem Dollas At?,” from her 1998 debut album Enquiring Minds.

After the news of her death on Jan. 1, DJ Paul and Juicy J both shared tributes to their former bandmate on Instagram. DJ Paul shared a captionless photo of the late rapper, while Juicy J posted a snapshot of the pair accompanied by a broken-heart emoji. “Man we was jus together three weeks ago,” Lil Jon commented on DJ Paul’s post. “Rest well queen.”

Drake, Missy Elliott and more hip-hop luminaries also shared their condolences, and Boo’s recent collaborator, fellow Memphis MC GloRilla, felt compelled to share the messages the veteran rapper sent her when she was coming up. “I normally don’t post screenshots but the fact that she reached out to me before anybody else had a clue who I was … she always supported me & the girls way back before we blew up,” Glo wrote via Instagram on Jan. 3. “A REAL LEGEND there will never be another Gangsta Boo.”

14 Jun 2023

Jessie Ware on Her Friendship With Kylie Minogue, Upcoming Tour & More | Billboard News

Jessie Ware performed at WeHo Pride and chatted with Billboard News about her relationship with her fans, upcoming That! Feels Good! Tour, friendship with Kylie Minogue, love for “Padam Padam’,” performing at her first Pride and more!

Tetris Kelly:
Hanging out with Jessie Ware at WeHo Pride! So, your album is out. It’s so exciting. Tell me how the fan reaction has been to everything.

Jessie Ware:
Overwhelming. I mean, I thought it was amazing the “What’s Your Pleasure?” reaction but this has been, I don’t know. I feel like my fans and I have this understanding and I made it, of course, not for myself, but for them, and hopefully I delivered in their thrills. It’s just gonna be a party from here on … you know what I mean?

Tetris Kelly:
We love a party. And what is so special about that connection between you? What do you think makes it legitimate?

Jessie Ware:
I think they’ve given me the confidence to kind of push myself and to take more risks and be more myself … and push things creatively. Like, they’re my sounding board, rather than like music execs, you know what I mean? I started out as it being a thing you defer to these suits. But you know, I’ve grown a fan base, I’ve done five records now. People have stayed with me. Some people have joined to come along for the ride.

Tetris Kelly:
Sometimes, honestly, I say fans are better than the executives because if you go on Twitter, everybody’s probably telling you how your music should sound.

Jessie Ware:
I know what the next single should be because my fans have told me what it should be. So that’s fine.

Watch the full video above to see what she says about Kylie Minogue, touring and more!

14 Jun 2023

Premios Tu Musica Urbano Awards 2023: All Performers & How to Watch

A wave of Latin acts has arrived in Puerto Rico for the 2023 Premios Tu Música Urbano awards set to take place Thursday (June 15) at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan.

The fan-voted awards ceremony — which recognizes top urban artists as well as artists from other genres, such as tropical, pop and Regional Mexican who have experimented with the urban realm — is led by top nominee Rauw Alejandro with 12 nods. He’s followed by Feid with 11 and Bad Bunny with 10. Both Rauw and Bad Bunny are nominated for the coveted artist of the year, while all three are up for song of the year and album of the year.

“We celebrate four years of Tu Música Urbano Awards at the most important moment of urban music with the expression of diversity, fusion, and sustained growth of the genre,” event producer Soraya Sánchez of Sora and Company1 said in a press statement. “During the days of celebration beginning on June 13 with the conferences from the Coca-Cola Music Hall until culminating on Thursday, June 15, the island will receive the visit of artists, journalists, and relevant figures of the urban music industry from all over the world. We feel very pleased to give Puerto Rico that visibility as the cradle of the urban genre.” 

Below, see the list of more than 20 performers confirmed to take center stage and how you can tune in to watch the 2023 Premios Tu Música Urbano Awards:

HOW TO WATCH

The awards show will be preceded by an hourlong red-carpet live broadcast, co-hosted by Gil López, Madison Anderson and Rodner Figueroa, that will air at 7 p.m. ET on Telemundo PR, Telemundo Internacional, DirecTV USA and Canela TV simultaneously. The awards show starts at 8 p.m. ET.

PERFORMERS

Alejo

Alvarito Díaz

Anuel

Arcángel

Brray

Bryant Mayer 

DJ Luian

Eix

El Alfa

Elena Rose

Eslabon Armando

Farruko

Jay Wheeler

Luis Vázquez

Lyanno 

Nio Garcia 

Pao Pao

Polima Westcoast 

Rafa Pabón

Redimi2

Ryan Castro

Tiago PZK

Vico C

Yng Lvcas

Yandel

Zhamira Zambrano

14 Jun 2023

Jesse Malin Reveals He’s Paralyzed From the Waist Down After Spinal Stroke

Jesse Malin revealed in a new interview that he is currently paralyzed from the waist down after a rare spinal stroke last month.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the 54-year-old shared that he was out to dinner with a friend in New York City’s East Village when he suffered a spinal cord infarction (a stroke of the arteries surrounding or inside the spinal cord) that led to a searing pain within his lower extremities and resulted in him being hospitalized.

“Everybody was standing above me like in Rosemary’s Baby saying all these different things, and I was there not knowing what was going on with my body,” Malin told Rolling Stone.

After visiting Mount Sinai Hospital, the 54-year-old has been paralyzed, and doctors are unsure of his ability to overcome the paralysis. “This is the hardest six weeks that I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’m told that they don’t really understand it, and they’re not sure of the chances. The reports from the doctors have been tough, and there’s moments in the day where you want to cry and where you’re scared. But I keep saying to myself that I can make this happen. I can recover my body.”

Malin’s rehab consists of three rounds of physical therapy each day. He said that his doctors have a short-term goal of teaching him how to move his body without the use of his legs and to do daily tasks. He’ll be discharged later this month and will be in a wheelchair while he continues to recover.

“Just laying here and not being able to walk, it’s very humbling,” the guitarist said — which is why he initially didn’t share the severity of his condition with fans. “I didn’t want to get into the extremity of it. And now it’s just time to let people know. Even though I really believe it’s a temporary state, I’m not going to walk out of here tomorrow with a leather jacket and a cane and go hang out at the bar. It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of being in a wheelchair.”

14 Jun 2023

Blackie Onassis, Drummer for ’90s Alt Rockers Urge Overkill, Dies at 57

Johnny Rowan, who drummed for ’90s alt rockers Urge Overkill under the name Blackie Onassis, has died at age 57, the band announced Wednesday (June 14).

“Urge Overkill is saddened to report that Blackie has passed away,” read a post on the band’s social media accounts. “Please respect our privacy at this time. We are sending much love to his family and all his fans. We know he will be missed.” In a second post, the band thanked fans for their “love and support” following the news and shared a recent photo of Rowan with actor/musician Jack Black. “Thank you for the love and support today. We wanted to share this photo of Blackie, we hope you like it as much as we do.”

Rowan — who joined the band in 1991, ahead of the band’s major-label signing to Geffen — drummed on Urge Overkill’s best-known hit: their cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” for the Pulp Fiction soundtrack in 1994. The song was the Chicago band’s lone Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at No. 59. It topped out at No. 11 on the Alternative Airplay chart, and the song’s music video was nominated for best video from a film at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. The Pulp Fiction soundtrack peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 and spent a hefty 107 weeks on the chart.

Urge Overkill also had a top 10 rock and alternative hit in “Sister Havana” from Saturation, their first album for Geffen in 1993. “Sister Havana” peaked at No. 6 on Alternative Airplay and No. 10 on Modern Rock Airplay.

Exit the Dragon, the band’s second and final album for Geffen in 1995, was also the last UO album for Rowan, who didn’t rejoin the group when it re-formed in 2004. Onassis did, however, team with Urge Overkill frontman Nash Kato to co-write six songs on his 2000 solo debut Debutante.

14 Jun 2023

Here’s the Date of the 2024 People’s Choice Awards

The 2024 People’s Choice Awards will air on NBC and E! and stream on Peacock on Sunday, Feb. 18 — which puts the show right in thick of awards season for the first time in years.

Last year’s show, hosted by actor and comedian Kenan Thompson, aired on Dec. 6, 2022. The upcoming show marks the first time the show will have aired in the first quarter of the year since 2017 (when it aired on Jan. 18) and the first time it will have aired in February or March since 1996 (March 10, 1996).

The show will air at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. This marks the first time the telecast will stream live on Peacock.

The show aired on CBS from 1975-2017, moved to E! in 2018, and has aired on NBC and E! simultaneously since 2021. 

The two-hour show, which dubs itself “the only awards show powered by the people,” will honor fan favorites in movies, television, music and pop culture. The eligibility period for nominees is Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023.    

“The mission of the People’s Choice Awards continues to be about giving a voice to those whose opinions matter most – the people,” Cassandra Tryon, senior vice president, entertainment live events, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement. “Moving the telecast to the heart of awards season and expanding our reach to Peacock’s audience creates a platform for the people’s voice to be heard louder than ever, giving stars and their fans an opportunity to celebrate together.” 

The 2022 People’s Choice Awards bucked industry trends with year-over-year ratings growth on the broadcast network, and delivered 173 million total engagements across linear, digital and social platforms, according to the show.

Thompson has hosted the show the last two years. Last year, Lizzo received the People’s Champion Award; Shania Twain, the Music Icon Award; and Ryan Reynolds, the People’s Icon Award. 

The telecast is produced by Den of Thieves with executive producers Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski. 

As previously announced, the inaugural two-hour People’s Choice Country Awards will air live Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT across NBC and Peacock from the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville.

14 Jun 2023

Alex Isley Celebrates Father’s Day by Dropping First Collab With Dad Ernie Isley: Listen Now

With Father’s Day right around the corner, the season is perfect for some of music’s biggest father-daughter duos to gift us with some new music to celebrate the holiday. On Wednesday (June 14), R&B singer-songwriter Alex Isley unveiled her first collaboration with her dad Ernie Isley, one of the two remaining active members of the legendary Isley Brothers.

Titled “Brown Eyed Girl,” the new song is a cover of the Isley Brothers original, which appeared as the second track on the group’s 1971 Live It Up album. Featuring Alex’s fluttery falsetto complementing her dad’s soothing background vocals and warm acoustic guitar, “Brown Eyed Girl” is a beautiful union of two generations of music makers.

Alex first teased this reimagining of “Brown Eyed Girl” on Tuesday, taking to Instagram and Twitter to post photos of her and her father performing a yet-revealed song with the caption “Something special with my favorite songwriter, my Dad. Tomorrow!” Presented by Soulection, “Brown Eyed Girl” debuted alongside its accompanying live performance music video. “This is the very first time my Dad and I have recorded together. Thank you Dad for such beautiful music & lyrics you wrote for you and your brothers years ago,” she wrote in an Instagram caption.

Alex Isley has self-released four EPs and three albums over the course of her career. As a part of The Isley Brothers, her father has earned three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking as high as No. 2 with 1969’s “It’s Your Thing.” The oft-sampled group has collected two No. 1 albums from nine top 10 entries on the Billboard 200. Last year, The Isley Brothers released Make Me Say It Again, Girl, their 15th studio album, which featured collaborations with Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg and more.

Watch the performance video here.