Music News

10 Sep 2024

Tyler, the Creator Calls Out Ye for Not Rapping ‘Yeezus’ Lyrics at Korea Show: ‘Just Say the Words’

Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — jogged fans’ memory when he ran through hit after hit from his decorated discography during his show with Ty Dolla $ign in Seoul, South Korea, earlier in September.

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Ye posted a highlight from the concert on Instagram Monday (Sept. 9), which saw him performing “On Sight” and Tyler, the Creator hopped into the comments section wondering why the 24-time Grammy winner wasn’t rapping the lyrics to his Yeezus opener.

“N—a u was right there just say the words,” Tyler wrote. The comment has nearly 100,000 likes, and fans echoed the “Earfquake” rapper’s sentiments.

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Ye’s Vultures collaborator added a goat emoji into the comments, while Chicago rapper Joey Purp chimed in, “This my 5 am alarm.”

Yeezy and Ty Dolla $ign have performed a handful of Vultures listening parties over the months, but that typically involves no rapping and gives fans a chance to hear the music rather than a conventional concert.

West gave fans a taste of what a tour could look like when rapping along to some of his anthems at the Seoul show, which consisted of a 70-track set spanning his entire Hall of Fame discography.

Ye will have a chance to build on the Korea performance with his next show slated for Haikou, China, on Sept. 15 at the Haikou Wuyuan River Sports Park. He’ll be without Ty Dolla $ign, so Ye will have to do the heavy-lifting at the concert.

The Chicago native — who faced widespread criticism and lost deals after repeatedly doubling down on his antisemitic hate speech in 2022 — hasn’t embarked on a traditional tour since 2016’s Saint Pablo Tour, which was cut short following West’s hospitalization due to extreme exhaustion and dehydration in November 2016.

Vultures 2 arrived on Aug. 3 after multiple delays, and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 107,000 total album units sold in the first week.

Watch the “On Sight” clip below.

10 Sep 2024

Chappell Roan Says a Lot of Female Artists But ‘Not a Lot of Boys’ Have Reached Out About Toxic Fan Behavior

As Chappell Roan dealt with backlash to her comments on toxic fan behavior over the last month, the singer says a huge number of fellow female artists have offered her their support.

In a new cover story for Rolling Stone, Roan said that a number of her fellow pop girls reached out to her and offered their words of encouragement. The list of singers included Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Hayley Williams, Katy Perry, Lorde, Muna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski. “I’m not trying to name-drop,” she explained. “I’m trying to tell you there are girls who are good people, who are helping other girls out. I’m name-dropping them because people just need to know that people are good people.”

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Roan specifically thanked Sabrina Carpenter during the conversation, saying that the pair had a long heart-to-heart about their similarly huge years and the implications that has on their mental health. “We’re both going through something so f–king hard … she just feels like everything is flying, and she’s just barely hanging on,” Roan said. “It was just good to know someone else feels that way.”

The “Pink Pony Club” singer did point out that she’s noticed a worrying trend among the artists reaching out to her. “Not a lot of boys have been like, ‘Let me know if you ever want to talk about it,’” she said, before revealing that a few — including Orville Peck, Troye Sivan and Noah Kahan — have offered her their support.

One living legend who has supported Roan throughout her career also reached out — Sir Elton John. The “Rocket Man” singer told Rolling Stone that he felt “protective” over Roan. “She is kind, innocent and wonderful. She is not ‘Chappell Roan’ off stage – a bit like me,” he said. “She is one of those people who I felt like I have known for a long time.”

Roan added that as much as audiences like to pin the toxic fan discussion on her, she is far from the only artist feeling this way. “I don’t want to be agoraphobic. That’s [how] most of my peers [feel]. Every f–king artist is on this page,” she said. “Everyone is uncomfortable with fans. Some people just have more patience. I f–king don’t.”

Elsewhere in her interview, Roan revealed a number of specific instances of fans being inappropriate with her, including a fan kissing her without consent and a stalker showing up to her parents’ home in Missouri. “[Fans] need to see me as a random b—h on the street,” she said. “You can’t yell at a random b—h who’s on the sidewalk that you don’t know. It’s considered catcalling or harassment.”

10 Sep 2024

Watch Flavor Flav Ring the New York Stock Exchange’s Closing Bell & Send the Gavel Flying Into Crowd

Flavor Flav knows how to work his way around a clock, but maybe don’t let him get a gavel in his hands. The lesson was learned when the Public Enemy rapper joined U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team goalie Ashleigh Johnson at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday (Sept. 9).

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That’s when Flav got a bit overzealous with the gavel when attempting to ring the closing bell, which saw him lose control of the hammer and accidentally send it into the crowd. “FLAVOR FLAV::: They said it was good luck if I hit it hard,” he captioned his Instagram post.

Fans hit the rapper with jokes in his comments section after he nearly decked an onlooker with the gavel. “Is catching the gavel from flav akin to catching the bouquet at a wedding,” one person asked. Another added, “Opening the stock exchange?! What happened to fighting the power?”

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The 65-year-old hadn’t had the opportunity to be at the NYSE in his career, and he basked in the honor after watching it on television all these years.

“This means the world to me right now to be here at the Stock Exchange,” Flav added. “The only time I ever seen it was on TV. Now I get to be here part of it. Yeah, boy!”

Flavor Flav signed a five-year sponsorship deal with the U.S. Women’s and Men’s Water Polo Teams, for whom he served as the hype man at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. His sponsorship came with a $1,000 check to each player and a cruise voyage for the women’s team.

It’s a busy week running around the Big Apple for Flav. After stops at the U.S. Open tennis championship and the NYSE, the New York native is slated to appear at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday (Sept. 11).

Watch some of the highlights from his NYSE trip below.

10 Sep 2024

She Is The Music Day Unites Women in Music for Panels, Networking & More: See The Photos

She Is The Music Day took to New York City for its third installment and welcomed 100 local college women for an opportunity to connect, grow and empower each other. 

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Held at Soho’s lush Casa Gessi event space, the afternoon affair sponsored by Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream saw a number of women gather for conversation, networking opportunities, free swag, photo opps and tunes provided by DJ Adi Oasis. Industry expertise ranged from women in Publicity, Brand Partnerships, Production/Engineering, International Marketing and Touring. 

Four key speakers who have worked with the likes of SZA, H.E.R., Maeta and more came together for the main speaker conversation to spotlight their experience and support for their industry peers. Among the panelists included Shari Bryant (Founder & CEO of Knip Agency & PINKESTLUV), Sam Selolwane (Head of Promo for Hip-Hop & R&B for RCA Records), Jeanine McLean (President of MBK Entertainment and CEO of Castlight Media) and Shardé Simpson (co-founder of Simpson & Reed, PLLC).

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Additional breakout workshop speakers included Kathy Iandoli (journalist and author), Alexis Johnson (Interscope), Gloria Kaba (producer/engineer), Danielle Geiger (Atlantic Records) and Marissa Loil (UTA).

For more on the She Is The Music organization and their mission to provide equality, inclusivity and opportunity for women in music, head over to their official website. 

10 Sep 2024

Beyoncé Says She Prefers to ‘Disappear’ Between Albums Because Fame Can Feel ‘Like Prison’

Beyoncé has a reputation for staying aloof and enigmatic in spite of being one of the most famous women on the planet, with her public appearances remaining few and far between even when she’s in the midst of an album cycle. And in a new GQ cover story published Tuesday (Sept. 10), the multi-hyphenate explains why. 

In the interview conducted over email, Bey was candid about the fact that creating art and performing are what she loves to do — but everything else that comes with superstardom? Not so much. “I create at my own pace, on things that I hope will touch other people,” she told the publication. “I only work on what liberates me.”  

“It is fame that can at times feel like prison,” Bey continued. “So, when you don’t see me on red carpets, and when I disappear until I have art to share, that’s why.” 

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Because of her love of music, the 32-time Grammy winner hasn’t shied away from experimenting with new genres — for example, her Billboard 200-topping country LP Cowboy Carter — and making albums based on what she loves, not on what’s popular. For instance, in 2011, when she could’ve played things safe by releasing a dance-pop album to keep up with the time’s radio-friendly trends, she instead turned in 4. 

“I wouldn’t say that I was anti-pop,” she recalled of the 13-year-old project. “I respected pop. But it was a time where everyone was doing pop/dance music, and R&B and soul were getting lost. It was popular and fun, but it wasn’t my thing. It was not where I was going with my music career at that time. I was yearning for something deeper with more musicality.”  

The cover story comes amid fan outrage that Cowboy Carter was snubbed from the CMA Awards, eight years after the incident that Bey seemingly hinted in March was the catalyst for her releasing a country album in 2024. In 2016, her performance of “Daddy Lessons” with The Chicks at the award show sparked backlash from critics who felt she didn’t belong in the space; almost a decade later, the vocalist wrote on social media that Cowboy Carter was “born out of an experience” she’d had years prior where she “did not feel welcomed.” 

But as Bey told GQ, she’d still be singing even if she had no stage to perform on. “Singing is not work for me,” she said. “There’s magic in the way it feels on my throat, a resonance that vibrates through me. When I am at my lowest, when I’ve been sad or in a heavy fog, sick or anxious with sleepless nights, I sing. And, often, I sing alone.” 

“It steadies my heartbeat, it’s my best hit of dopamine,” she added. “It’s one of the deepest joys of my life, a necessity as vital as breath.” 

See Bey’s cover of GQ below:

10 Sep 2024

Chappell Roan Planned to Protest Instead of Perform at White House Pride Event: ‘All I Wanted to Do Was Yell’

Chappell Roan caused a stir earlier this year when she rejected the White House’s invitation for her to perform at a Pride event in June. Now, the singer is saying that had she attended, she would have done much more than just perform.

For the latest cover of Rolling Stone, Roan told the publication that she originally intended to accept the White House’s invitation to the event — but she planned to protest the Biden administration’s involvement in Israel’s attacks on Gaza instead of performing one of her songs.

“I had picked out some poems from Palestinian women. I was trying to do it as tastefully as I could because all I wanted to do was yell,” she said. “I had to find something that’s tasteful and to the point and meaningful, and not make it about me and how I feel. I don’t know if I’ll ever get that close in direct sight of the president ever in my life. This is my shot.”

While Roan said that her publicist ultimately talked her out of her protest (saying, “You f–k with the president and the government, your security is not the same, and neither is your family’s”), she firmly stands by her decision not to attend the event. “I’m not going to go to the White House because I am not going to be a monkey for Pride,” she explained, before criticizing the administration’s walked-back statement about gender-affirming surgery for minors. “Thank God I didn’t go because they just made a huge statement about trans kids.”

When performing at Gov Ball, Roan took a moment during her show to tell her audience that she refused the White House’s invitation to perform, dedicating her song “My Kink Is Karma” to the administration. “We want liberty, freedom and justice for all,” she said. “When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.”

The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer also dispelled a rumor that her distaste for the Biden administration’s treatment of Palestinians and trans youth meant that she was a supporter of former president Donald Trump. “I saw a couple of TikToks where they were like, ‘So she’s pro Trump?’ It is not so black and white that you hate one and you like the other. No matter how you say it, people are still going to be pissed for f–king some reason,” she said.

The singer later told the publication that she was supporting Kamala Harris’ bid for the White House this November. “Right now, it’s more important than ever to use your vote, and I will do whatever it takes to protect people’s civil rights, especially the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “My ethics and values will always align with that, and that hasn’t changed with a different nominee. I feel lucky to be alive during an incredibly historical time period when a woman of color is a presidential nominee.”

10 Sep 2024

Beyoncé’s Scorching Hot Girl Summer Playlist Includes All Your Female Favorites

While none of us will ever know what it’s like to go on a lavish island vacation with Jay-Z, to hear Beyoncé tell it, the soundtrack to her 2024 Hot Girl summer is totally relatable. In a new email interview feature with GQ, Queen Bey opens up about about why she decided to launch her own whiskey brand, SirDavis, as well as the musical influences on her Cowboy Carter album and what movies and albums she’s had on repeat lately.

Asked what is currently inspiring her in the world of film and music, Beyoncé said she simply loves and respects “all of the female singers-songwriters who are out right now,” ticking off a list that includes: Raye, Victoria Monét, Sasha Keable, Chloe x Halle, and Reneé Rapp. “I love Doechii and GloRilla, and I just heard That Mexican OT, he’s from Houston…. He goes hard!,” she said of the MC from Bay City, Texas whose 2023 breakthrough hit “Johnny Dang” hit No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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In addition, like so many of you, she also loves Sabrina Carpenter’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, “Please Please Please,” and added that, “I think that Thee Sacred Souls and Chappell Roan are talented and interesting.” Most relatable of all, though, was her love for Miley Cyrus, with Bey saying she’s mesmerized by the singer who joined her on the Carter track “II Most Wanted.”

“I’m obsessed with my backseat baby…. I’m a Smiler,” Bey said, referring to Cyrus by her fan group name and via a lyrical reference to the line “I’ll be your backseat baby, drivin’ you crazy/ Anytime you like, whoa/ I’ll be your shotgun rider, ’til the day I/ ‘Til the day I die” from their whiskey-soaked Carter ballad collab.

Back in March, Miley gave thanks for her feature on the landmark country-tinged album from Bey that features a galaxy of other stars — including her godmother Dolly Parton, among many others. “I’ve loved Beyonce since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her,” Cyrus wrote in an Instagram post that included the Cowboy Carter album cover. “My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her,” she continued. “Thank you Beyonce. You’re everything & more. Love you. To everyone who spent time making this song so special thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

When she’s not listening to her fellow female pop stars, Beyoncé said she spins classics by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the legendary Stax label, as well as watching the 2024 documentary about the Memphis soul label that broke Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes and Sam & Dave, Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.

The best movie she’s seen this year? The long-awaited, $1 billion-grossing sequel to the feelings-forward animated smash Inside Out 2. ” I think it’s brilliant,” she said of the film featuring the voice work of Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Tony Hale, Amy Poehler and Lewis Black, among others. She said she’s also currently watching the Game of Thrones sequel House of the Dragon and Lena Waithe’s long-running drama about life on the South Side of Chicago, The Chi.

10 Sep 2024

Joshua Ray Walker Reveals His Cancer Has Spread to His Lungs, Launches GoFundMe Campaign

Singer-songwriter Joshua Ray Walker, known for songs including “Thank You for Listening,” gave fans an update on his cancer battle, revealing on Tuesday (Sept. 10) that his cancer has spread.

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“Once again, I’ve got some good and bad news to deliver. The good news is that I’ve finished chemo treatment!” began the country artist, who first told fans he was receiving treatment for colon cancer in 2023. “The bad news is that upon the completion of tests to check on the status of my cancer post treatment, multiple nodes of varying sizes were found in both my lungs.

“Before I started chemo, I was told I had a 90% chance of having clear tests post treatment. So to find completely new growth in a new organ was something for which I was not prepared,” he continued. “This unfortunately means my cancer will likely be restaged to stage 4.”

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He informed fans of the road ahead for his treatment, explaining, “I will get a lung biopsy and start radiation soon. I wish I had more information to share but I’m still waiting to meet with a radiology oncologist following my biopsy surgery.”

Walker promised that he’d “continue to fight my hardest” despite the bad news. “I’ve always lived life to the fullest and I will continue to do so. When times are hard my instinct is to figure out how to survive financially,” he shared. “I work harder to ensure that me and my loved ones will have basic necessities. This trait has been very useful in life, but it makes it hard to rest when life’s difficulties aren’t solely monetary. I have a hard time asking for help, even when I believe it will be given happily.”

The singer added that he had launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him “focus exclusively on my health and relationships during this precious time, and ended his message with a note of gratitude for fans who have supported him during his health battle.

Walker is known for albums including 2019’s Wish You Were Here, 2020’s Glad You Made It and 2021’s See You Next Time. Last year, he released the album What Is It Even?, where he paid homage to several women artists, covering songs from artists including Whitney Houston (“I Wanna Dance With Somebody”), LeAnn Rimes (“Blue”), Cher (“Believe”) and Sia (“Cheap Thrills”).

See Walker’s post below:

10 Sep 2024

Justin Hawkins Shares Taylor Swift’s Sweet Note to Him After ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ Sing-Along

Taylor Swift believes in a thing called love, and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins has the handwritten note to prove it.

After a clip of the 34-year-old pop star and Travis Kelce belting out the rock band’s 2003 hit “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” at the U.S. Open went viral Sunday (Sept. 8), the frontman took to TikTok to share his positive experience at the Eras Tour in Zurich a few weeks prior. “The hospitality they showed us was extraordinary,” Hawkins said in the clip, including photos of him and his family at Swift’s concert. “I have Chris Rock on one side, Roger Federer on the other side.”

Hawkins went on to share a photo of the handwritten letter from Swift that was waiting for him in the VIP tent pre-show. “What a thrill to have you at the show!” the “Karma” singer wrote to the rock star. “I’m a massive fan of yours and think ‘I Believe In a Thing Called Love’ is one of the greatest songs of all time. I hope you and your family have fun at the show! Thanks so much for coming!”

“I was just Dad of the Year, maybe Dad of the Century, because all of that was a big surprise,” Hawkins reflected. “Speaking of big surprises, I woke up this morning, and everybody’s forwarded me some footage of ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ being played at the U.S. Open and Taylor Swift and her partner Travis dancing along to it and really enjoying the music.”

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“It was a really heartwarming moment for me, and my little girl can’t wait to tell her friends at school,” the “Love Is Only a Feeling” singer added. “Really lovely start to the day.”

Swift’s attendance at the U.S. Open was one of the biggest talking points of the tournament over the weekend, with the 14-time Grammy winner tagging along with her boyfriend and Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. Consequently, the internet was ablaze with photos and videos of the two couples cheering on the players and grooving along to the music in Queens, NYC, with one picture in particular — a snap of the pop star and retired soccer player hugging — drawing criticism from some fans due to Brittany Mahomes’ alleged support of Donald Trump.

In 2024, the “Anti-Hero” artist is no stranger to attending sports events — although Kelce is usually the one on the field when she’s there. Most recently, Swift attended the Chiefs’ first game of the 2024-25 NFL season on Thursday (Sept. 5) amid a break in her global Eras Tour, with Kansas City winning against the Baltimore Ravens 27-20.

Watch Hawkins’ TikTok below.

10 Sep 2024

Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah Rock Staten Island Ferry For Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Week Show

They say you can never go home again, but nobody told that to Wu-Tang Clan members Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, were Shaolin-adjacent on Sunday when they performed a special set on a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat in honor of designer Tommy Hilfiger’s 2024 New York Fashion week show debuting the brand’s 2025 Spring-Summer collection.

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“Major event took place earlier this evening ! ON THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY !!!!!!! what’s fu–king with that !!!!!! hahahah. at the @tommyhilfiger NYFW last show . we ran the runway with the #hillfiger alumni,” Raekwon wrote on Instagram on Monday (Sept. 9) alongside a carousel of pics from the show, including one with a smiling Hilfiger.

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“we ran the runway with the #hillfiger alumni. Amazing surprise show . @andyhilfiger you and your brother are iconic. appreciate the years of love and respect !!!!!! Myself ..MEF .. and Ghost did the 1/2 to excite the crowd and they went bananas,” the Chef continued of the gig that took place on the John F. Kennedy ferry boat owned by SNL‘s Colin Jost and pal and SNL album Pete Davidson. “so many years of respect to a brand who always supported us to the fullest.”

According to the New York Post, guests who boarded the boat that used to ferry passengers between Manhattan and the borough birthplace of the Wu-Tang docked at the South Street Seaport for Fashion Week included Jost, Brooke Shields, actor Damson Idris (Snowfall), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V), BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, Stray Kids’ Felix and Lee Know and Olympic gold medalists Suni Lee and Gabrielle Thomas.

Tony Stark also posted some pics from the gig, as well as a video of the titanic trio ripping through the iconic 1993 Wu-Tang track “C.R.E.A.M.” as they jumped up unexpectedly from their seats and walked around among the high-brow crowd with the Roots’ Questlove on the decks behind them for a set that also included the Wu-Tang’s 2007 track “Ice Cream.”