State Champ Radio Music News
Page: 874
The long wait is over: The Cure have released their new song in over 16 years and confirmed the release date for their upcoming 14th album.
“Alone” will appear on the upcoming LP Songs From a Lost World, which is set to be released Nov 1, 2024 via Polydor/Fiction. Listen to the track below.
The track appeared as the opening song on the band’s Shows of a Lost World global tour throughout 2022 and 2023. The album has been long in the making, with its original release dates mooted for 2019. The album’s tracklist will be revealed in the coming weeks on the band’s social media channels.
Speaking about the song, frontman Robert Smith said that “Alone” was “the track that unlocked the record; as soon as we had that piece of music recorded I knew it was the opening song, and I felt the whole album come into focus.”
He added: “I had been struggling to find the right opening line for the right opening song for a while, working with the simple idea of ‘being alone’, always in the back of my mind this nagging feeling that I already knew what the opening line should be… as soon as we finished recording I remembered the poem Dregs by the English poet Ernest Dowson. That was the moment when I knew the song – and the album – were real.”
Trending on Billboard
Songs From a Lost World was produced by Smith and Paul Corkett, who co-produced The Cure’s 2000 album Bloodflowers. The album features contributions from Smith, Simon Gallup (bass), Jason Cooper (drums), Reeves Gabriel (guitar) and Roger O’Donnell (keyboards). The latter recently announced he’d been diagnosed with rare and “aggressive” blood cancer a year ago, but added that “I’m fine and the prognosis is amazing”.
In recent weeks the band had been teasing the release of Songs From a Lost World to fans via mystery postcards and puzzles. Smith has been revealing details of the LP for many years, and speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2019, he blamed himself for some of the delays. “I keep going back over and redoing them, which is silly. At some point, I have to say that’s it. It’s very much on the darker side of the spectrum,” Smith added.
“I lost my mother and my father and my brother recently, and obviously it had an effect on me. It’s not relentlessly doom and gloom. It has soundscapes on it, like Disintegration, I suppose. I was trying to create a big palette, a big wash of sound.”
Rapper Tierra Whack and Venezualan phenom Danny Ocean have each partnered with outdoor clothing company Cotopaxi to support causes close to their hearts.
As part of the just-announced campaigns, Whack will work with the brand to support the Philadelphia-based music education non-profit Fam Frequency, with Cotopaxi also donating gear to the organization. As part of the initiative, the Philadelphia-born Whack will also visit schools around the city to talk about the importance of education.
“I got to surprise a young artist in the studio, which was so special,” Whack tells Billboard of working with FamFrequency. “Just seeing her face light up reminded me why I do what I do. I’m here to share my journey and my experiences. I also want to show these young creatives that it’s possible to turn your art into a career, and that you can do it while staying true to yourself.”
Trending on Billboard
Ocean, meanwhile, is using the partnership to draw attention to the global refugee crisis, which is particularly meaningful to him given the current situation in his home country of Venezuela.
“There’s been an autocratic dictatorship there for 25 years which has robbed and depleted all resources which should go towards helping the Venezuelan people, and they’ve created a historic refugee crisis since everyone has to flee to have any hope for a future,” Ocean says in a statement. “I appreciate that Cotopaxi understands the seriousness of this issue for me and is willing to amplify and help.”
“It’s not just about the music or the fame,” Whack adds in regard to artists using their position to support good causes. “We’ve got a voice and a platform that can reach people in ways most can’t. I feel like it’s our duty to use that for something positive, to uplift, to educate, to inspire. If I can do something good with my platform, why wouldn’t I?
Based in Salt Lake City, Cotopaxi donates 1% of its revenue to support communities experiencing poverty, which the company says has benefited 4.25 million people to date. The company focuses on making products as ethical, sustainable and durable as possible while also having a positive social, environmental and economic impact. As of now, 96% of their products are made with leftover deadstock, recycled or certified responsible materials, with the company anticipating that this number will reach 100% in the next few months.
Additionally, Cotopaxi has partnered with the Global Citizen Festival, happening this Saturday (Sept. 28) in New York City’s Central Park and featuring performances by Post Malone, Doja Cat, LISA, Rauw Alejandro and Jelly Roll. These initiatives mark the company’s first forays into music.
Kelly Clarkson is part of the Pink Pony Club! The superstar covered Chappell Roan’s “Coffee” for her latest Kellyoke installment during her talk show on Wednesday (Sept. 26). “If I didn’t love you, it would be fine/ I’ll meet you for coffee, only for coffee/ Nowhere else is safe, every place leads back to your […]
Macklemore has released a statement after leading a “f— America” chant at Seattle’s Palestine Will Live Forever Festival over the weekend.
Macklemore performed his new song at the event, “Hind’s Hall 2,” the sequel to his May song of the same name whose proceeds are given to the United Nations Relief and Words Agency (UNRWA), which provides assistance to Palestinian refugees. “Straight up, say it, I’m not gonna stop you,” told the crowd in a fan video from the show. “I’m not gonna stop you… yeah, f–k America.”
On Tuesday (Sept. 24), the rapper was dropped from Las Vegas’ Neon City Festival lineup.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In his statement, released on Wednesday, Macklemore explains his mindset leading up to the performance. “My thoughts and feelings are not always expressed perfectly or politely. Sometimes I slip up and get caught in the moment. Saturday night was one of those times,” he began his lengthy statement posted to social media.
Trending on Billboard
“Unfortunately, the historic event in my hometown that brought thousands of people together to raise awareness and money for the people of Palestine has become overshadowed by two words,” he continued, noting that he hasn’t been “OK” in the months since the Israel-Hamas war has broken out. ” I have been in utter disbelief with how our government is showing up at this moment in history. I don’t think I’m alone,” he wrote, “Some days I don’t know how to love something that is hurting others so much. I don’t think I’m alone.”
He continued, “And some days I wake up, see another couple billion dollars given to Israel, or another refugee encampment destroyed, or a father holding a limb from his martyred child, or another speech from a politician justifying the right of Israel to ‘defend itself’ while denying Palestinians the right to exist, and I say to myself…. ‘F— America.’ I don’t think I’m alone.”
Macklemore concluded his statement, “I’ve slipped in front of the world before. I’m sure I’ll do it again. But they will not silence my voice, and they will not close my heart. I’ve lost endorsements, I’ve lost shows, I’ve lost business ties. I am still here, unwavering in my support for a Free Palestine. I care about humanity and this earth too much to turn back now. My intent always comes back to the pursuit of peace, love, equality and liberation for all. And that isn’t radical, it’s human. I don’t think I’m alone.”
See Macklemore’s powerful statement in full below.
A new production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet will be soundtracked by Radiohead’s 2003 album Hail to the Thief.
Hamlet Hail to the Thief will see “Shakespeare’s words and Radiohead’s album illuminate oneanother in thrilling new ways as the music becomes a critical part of the narrative” a press release reveals. The production will include a cast of 20 musicians and actors performing the album live onstage during the play.
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has collaborated with Tony and Olivier award-winner Christine Jones and Olivier award-winner Steven Hoggett for the production.
Hamlet Hail to the Thief will premiere at Manchester’s Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, in Manchester on Apr 27 and will run there until May 18, 2025. The production then transfers to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon, England from June 4 – 28, 2025. Tickets for the production go on sale on October 2; more details can be found here.
Trending on Billboard
Press
Speaking about the new arrangements of Hail To The Thief, Yorke said in a statement that it was an “interesting and intimidating challenge”. He added: “Adapting the original music of Hail To The Thief for live performance with the actors on stage to tell this story that is forever being told, using its familiarity and sounds, pulling them into and out of context, seeing what chimes with the underlying grief and paranoia of Hamlet, using the music as a ‘presence’ in the room, watching how it collides with the action and the text. Ghosting one against the other.”
Hail To The Thief was released in 2003 by the British band amidst the fallout of the invasion of Iraq and was critical of President George W. Bush’s ‘war on terror’ following 9/11. The album landed at No.3 on the Billboard 200 and at No.1 on the U.K.’s Official Album Charts and its artwork, which is incorporated in the play’s promotional poster, was created by frequent collaborator Stanley Donwood.
Speaking in 2003, Yorke said that the album’s lyrical content was influenced by “the rise of doublethink and the rise of general intolerance and madness, and feeling very much like individuals were totally out of control of the situation” and that “the force of the music gave me licence I think to explore all these things, really”. It spawned three singles, “2+2=5”, “Go To Sleep” and “There, There”.
Jones, who has previously collaborated with Hoggett on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the stage adaptation of Green Day’s American Idiot said that William Shakespeare’s play, written between 1599 and 1601, aligned with their love of Radiohead’s record.
“Paying attention to the lyrics, I became aware of how many songs from Hail to the Thief speak to the themes of the play,” Jones says. “There are uncanny reverberances between the text and the album. For years I’ve wanted to see the play and album collide in a piece of theatre; eventually I shared the idea with Thom, who was intrigued.
Radiohead released their most recent album A Moon Shaped Pool in 2016 and the band members have worked on new projects ever since. Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s The Smile will release their third studio album Cutouts on XL Recordings on Oct 4.
The band’s bassist Colin Greenwood recently revealed that the band had recently reconvened to rehearse but shared no news of imminent music.
Katy Perry had the support of the Queen of Pop from day one. The “Lifetimes” superstar joined Australian talk show The Project this week, where she opened up about getting love from Madonna early in her career. “Madonna was really nice to me, well it took a minute because she was testing me and then […]
Fifty-eight artists and 29 DJs took the stage at a special outdoor venue in Odaiba, Tokyo, over the weekend (Sept. 21 & 22) for the hip-hop festival THE HOPE. Day 2 headliner Awich performed a blistering nine-track set, including her latest single “Are you serious?” being featured as the theme song for the Netflix series […]
Hinatazaka46’s “Zettaiteki Dairokkan” blast in at No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, dated Sept. 25.
The J-pop girl group’s 12th single sold 546,483 copies in its first week to rule sales, while coming in at No. 16 for downloads, No. 98 for radio airplay, and No. 82 for video views to take the top spot on the Japan Hot 100 by a narrow margin. The single is Hinatazaka46’s seventh No. 1 hit and the first since “Bokunanka,” which topped the tally in June, 2022.
Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “Lilac” rises a notch to No. 2 this week. Streams for the former No. 1 hit are up 104% from the week before, while downloads are up 124%, video up 108%, and karaoke up 110%. The track has been cruising along at No. 1 for streaming for 14 consecutive weeks, and also tops video for the fourth. Total streams for the track is currently at 249,797,859, and is expected to sail past the 250 million mark next week.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The three-man pop band released the film Mrs. GREEN APPLE // The White Lounge in CINEMA in theaters on Sept. 13, which may be why the group’s catalog has climbed the chart this week. 15 songs are charting on the Japan Hot 100, with 13 including “Que Sera Sera,” “Ao to Natsu,” and “Dance Hall” increasing in points from the previous week.
Trending on Billboard
Last week’s No. 1 song, back number’s “to new lovers,” drops to No. 3 this week. While points for sales are down following the CD release week, streams have shown only a slight decrease (97%), and karaoke is on the rise (117%).
Three songs including this week’s chart-topper debuted in the top 10 this week. Pandadragon’s major label debut single “Night Before A Dance” bows at No. 5 and FRUITS ZIPPER’s “NEW KAWAII” at No. 10.
Outside the top 10, Kenshi Yonezu’s “Sayonara, Mata Itsuka!” jumps four rungs this week, probably because the highly acclaimed historical legal drama it serves as the theme — Tora ni Tsubasa — is ending this week and a special program focusing on the series and the hitmaker’s songwriting (Tora ni Tsubasa x Kenshi Yonezu Special) recently aired. Downloads for the former No. 2 hit nearly doubled (1.9 times) compared to the week before.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from Sept. 16 to 22, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
Suge Knight and Diddy have been rivals and enemies since the ’90s, when their respective labels — Death Row and Bad Boy — fought for rap supremacy in a feud that culminated in the tragic murders of both 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.
Knight, who is currently serving 28 years in California for voluntary manslaughter, caught up with Chris Cuomo on NewsNation to talk about Diddy’s arrest. Suge started the conversation with a disclaimer, saying that he doesn’t “jump up and cheer for no Black man going to prison or any other human being going to prison.”
Trending on Billboard
However, he suggested that Diddy may be in for a tough time behind bars because of his fame. “I mean, one of the things is this: I don’t care who you are, prison and jail is a negative environment,” Knight said. “Somebody can do something to him and get a name for themself, they gonna actually do it. Or if they can do whatever they feel they gotta do to prove themself.” He added: “But we also gotta learn… We gotta learn from our mistakes. Everything don’t have to be a mistake, you gotta better yourself. But we all know what we signed up for in life.”
Cuomo also asked the founder of Death Row Records if he felt like Diddy was in danger and if he had any advice for him. “I don’t wanna say he’s in danger and neither should he say that,” he advised. “Because once he gets to the point where they feel he’s gonna be suicidal… you don’t have the rights to nothing: no sock, no drawers, no T-shirt, no blanket, no sheets. You’re naked in a cell as a crazy man, so he definitely don’t wanna do that.”
His other words of wisdom were to ask for kosher meals because they’re difficult to be tampered with. “Maybe he should get on the Jewish diet because the kosher meals is way better than the food somebody else is making for you,” he said. “At least they gonna come hot. They gonna come sealed and you’re gonna be the one to open them. That’s very important.”
Diddy is currently being held in Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a jail notorious for its violence and subpar living conditions. MDC Brooklyn has housed high-profile prisoners like R. Kelly and Ghislaine Maxwell, and some judges have even refused to send people there, according to The Associated Press. He’s been placed on “procedural” suicide watch, something that is common when it comes to detainees of his stature. A spokesperson has maintained that he’s “strong, healthy and focused on his defense.”
You can watch the full interview here.
Veteran Christian hard rock group Stryper adds its 13th top 10 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart as When We Were Kings enters the list (dated Sept. 28) at No. 2. During its launch week (Sept. 13-19), the set earned 6,000 equivalent album units in the United States, with 5,000 in album sales, according to Luminate.
“We love what we do and the fans love it even more,” Stryper frontman Michael Sweet tells Billboard. “My mentality is to always outdo the last album. Whether we do or not, we’ll go into a project certainly trying our best to do just that. We’re so happy with how Kings turned out, and the Stryper army worldwide seems to agree. We are blessed!”
The new set from the four-piece unit, which formed in 1983 and is based in La Mirada, Calif., follows The Final Battle, which arrived at its No. 3 Top Christian Albums best in November 2022, and Even the Devil Believes, which in September 2020 became the band’s first No. 1. Stryper first reached the chart with The Yellow and Black Attack, which entered in November 1984 and reached No. 10 the following June.
After over 40 years together, three of the four members of Stryper are originals, including brothers Michael and Robert Sweet, along with Oz Fox. The newest rocker in the foursome is Perry Richardson, who replaced Tim Gaines in 2000. Richardson formerly played bass for country artists Trace Adkins and Craig Morgan before joining the faith-based bangers.
Adams’ Sunny Days Shines
Yolanda Adams banks her 17th top 10 on Top Gospel Albums as Sunny Days bursts in at No. 9 (1,000 units).
The set is the Houston native’s first entry on the chart since May 2011, when Becoming started at its No. 3 best. Before that, What a Wonderful Time hit No. 2 in December 2007, after The Best of Me became her fifth No. 1 that May.
