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Australian artist Angie McMahon has shared new single “Untangling” ahead of the release of new EP Light Sides. Due out on Sept. 13 via AWAL, the new project is a collection of five tracks that were written at the same time as her sophomore album Light, Dark, Light Again, which was released last October.
McMahon explains in a release that “Untangling” was a difficult track to complete. The song remained unfinished on her phone since the beginning stages of creating Light, Dark, Light Again. “It was written about someone who is deeply entwined in my life,” McMahon said, “so I never felt like either the song or the untangling itself was entirely finished.”
The deeply personal song features McMahon struggling with the prospect that she hurt someone because she was too “slow at healing.” But facing those feelings, McMahon sings over a sturdy bassline and gritty guitar that she is “untangling” them from her center and calling the situation “a joint misadventure.”
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The song was recorded at longtime collaborator Alex O’Gorman’s studio in suburban Melbourne, Australia between stops on her recent Making It Through tour — and is the only song on Light Sides that was finished with her much-loved live band: Lachlan O’Kane (drums/percussion), Jess Ellwood (guitar), Stella Farnan (keys/synth) and O’Gorman (bass).
“I was surrounded by trees and my friends and I’m so grateful to them for their musical powers,” McMahon added.
“Untangling” follows the release of another track from the EP, “Just Like North.” Light Sides’ tracklist will include the two released songs alongside originals “Beginner,” “Interstate” and “Take Up Space.”
McMahon has just returned to the United States for a string of full-band Midwest and East Coast tour dates, recently making stops in Chicago and Detroit. She arrives on the heels of a packed performance at Glastonbury, multiple sold-out shows at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre and the Sydney Opera House, and an appearance with long-time supporter Fred Again.. on stage in front of 15,000 fans in Australia.
Watch the video for “Untangling” below.
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Katy Perry will receive MTV’s Video Vanguard Award and perform a career-spanning medley live at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 8 p.m. ET/PT from New York’s UBS Arena.
Perry received the VMA’s other top honor, video of the year, in 2011 for “Firework.” She will be the 10th artist to receive both video of the year and the Vanguard award, following Madonna, Peter Gabriel, R.E.M., Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Rihanna, P!nk and Missy Elliott.
Perry, who hosted the VMAs in 2017, will be the first person to, over the course of a career, host and receive both of the show’s marquee awards — making her a VMAs MVP.
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Perry and the VMAs are almost exactly the same age: Perry was born six weeks after the inaugural VMAs, co-hosted by Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd, aired on Sept. 14, 1984.
Perry is the seventh consecutive recipient of the Vanguard Award who is a woman, following Rihanna (2016), P!nk (2017), Jennifer Lopez (2018), Elliott (2019), Nicki Minaj (2022) and Shakira (2023). (There was no recipient in 2020 and 2021, the years most impacted by the pandemic.)
Perry made her VMAs performance debut in 2009 with a rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” on which she was joined by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry. She closed out the 2013 VMAs with a performance of her Billboard Hot 100-topping smash “Roar” surrounded by fans near the Brooklyn Bridge. In 2017, she pulled double-duty as both host and performer, delivering a grand-finale performance of “Swish Swish” with Minaj that included larger-than-life props and Perry flying over the crowd to land atop a giant basketball hoop.
This is Perry’s sixth VMA Moonperson award. She won three trophies in 2011: video of the year for “Firework” and best collaboration and best special effects, both for “E.T.” (featuring Ye, then known as Kanye West). (The VMAs give artists credit for technical awards their videos win even if they weren’t personally credited in those capacities.) She won another VMA in 2012, best art direction for “Wide Awake,” and another in 2014, best female video for “Dark Horse” (featuring Juicy J).
“Katy is a musical powerhouse and true pop culture icon,” Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming & events, Paramount and chief content officer, music, Paramount+, said in a statement. “With her game-changing creative vision, she has become a global phenomenon and taken over the world’s biggest stages. Katy’s prowess will be on full display live on the VMAs with a can’t-miss, career-encompassing performance celebrating her biggest moments and chart-topping hits.”
MTV’s press release announcing Perry as the recipient referred to the award as the Video Vanguard Award twice (including once in the headline) and as the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award once. The award was named in Jackson’s honor in 1991, but the network has seemed to downplay the association somewhat since the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland raised disturbing allegations about the star’s behavior.
Perry has amassed nine No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 and three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Perry unveiled her new single, “Lifetimes,” on Aug. 8. The song is from her sixth major-label studio album, 143, which will be released on Sept. 20 via Capitol Records.
MTV made its announcement on Thursday (Aug. 14), two days after Billboard posted this piece in which we surveyed the field of likely Video Vanguard candidates. We pegged Perry as the likeliest recipient, followed (in descending order of likelihood) by Eminem, Usher, Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Post Malone and Drake.
Here’s what we said about Perry, again before we knew who the choice would be. “It almost makes too much sense: Katy Perry will be releasing a new album in September that appears geared up to be a return to the mega-pop that she ruled with at the turn of the 2010s — when she was one of the most unavoidable artists in the MTV galaxy, with four or five eye-popping music videos per album (including one, Teenage Dream‘s ‘Firework,’ that took home video of the year in 2011). There could be no better stage for her to remind pop fans why they’re still rooting for her comeback than the VMAs, with a performance spanning from breakthrough hit ‘I Kissed a Girl’ to this year’s ‘Woman’s World’ return.”
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Halsey has made a habit of deftly bouncing between genres lately and their latest song is no exception. The singer dropped the roiling, rocking single “Lonely Is the Muse” on Thursday (Aug. 15), a pointed, lacerating broadside against those who’ve tried to put them in a box and profit from exploiting her body and soul. […]
After teasing that one was in the works, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars have confirmed that they have a collaboration on the way — and it’s coming way sooner than you think. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Both singers (and Super Bowl halftime stars) announced the duet […]
Order up! Chappell Roan is serving fans a behind-the-scenes look at her “Hot to Go!” music video in honor of the track’s one-year anniversary, posting footage from the shoot in her hometown of Springfield, Missouri on YouTube Wednesday (Aug. 14).
The clip opens with Roan fielding questions from an over-curious stranger passing by the video shoot, who doesn’t recognize her and repeatedly asks her if she’s in a rock band. “I’m just a singer, nothing crazy,” she tells him, not knowing then just how astronomically her star would rise in the year ahead of her.
The video then shows various footage of Roan traversing past landmarks of her hometown, including a large horse mural, a fork-shaped sculpture and a theater. While at a mini-golf course, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer says, “Wait, there’s so many people … I’m so embarrassed,” before hardening her resolve: “You know what? It doesn’t matter.”
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“In my hometown, I feel so much less stressed,” she adds later on.
The 26-year-old musician also took a moment to thank a few of her costars in the project — drag performers Tina HC, Ether and Preston Schaeffer — for their participation. The “Hot to Go!” video finds Roan teaching them her song’s corresponding dance moves before they all perform the “YMCA”-esque choreography as a group. “I’m very lucky to have queens and trans people a part of this,” says the star, who’s long been open about how drag has inspired her as a performer. “It’s such a big honor.”
Produced by Dan Nigro, “Hot to Go!” was released almost exactly one year ago on Aug. 11, 2023, and its music video dropped that same day. The Jackie! Zhou-directed visual also shows Roan teaching the song’s dance to her grandparents and a group of fans in Springfield, as well as singing and dancing using bleachers, a gas station and monster trucks as backdrops.
Since the release of the song, which preceded Roan’s Billboard 200 top 10 hit album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, it has steadily climbed the Billboard Hot 100 and recently reached a new peak of No. 17. Five other songs from the LP — “Pink Pony Club,” “Red Wine Supernova,” “Casual,” “Femininomenon” and new entry “My Kink Is Karma” — are also on the chart dated Aug. 17, 2024.
Roan honored the song’s one-year anniversary during her Aug. 11 set at Outside Lands by wearing the blue leotard she wears in the music video onstage. She also laid down the law when a group of fans in the festival’s VIP section refused to do the “Hot to Go!” dance with her, scolding: “It’s so weird that VIP thinks they’re so way too cool to do this! You’re not fun! Be fun and try!”
Watch Roan’s new behind-the-scenes footage of “Hot to Go!” above.
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The tenth edition of Art of the Wild is happening this fall at the Wynn Las Vegas. The lineup for the biannual event, which focuses largely on house and techno and this year expands from three to four days, features a team of genre stars including Swedish pioneer Eric Prydz, English legend Fatboy Slim, house […]
Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla have become besties since collaborating and hitting the road together for Meg’s Hot Girl Summer Tour earlier this year.
The “Wanna Be” duo linked up on Instagram’s Close Friends Only podcast, which released their episode in full on Thursday (Aug. 15) following a teaser earlier in the week.
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While Big Glo and the Houston Hottie are tight these days, that wasn’t always the case as they got candid when asking for each other’s honest initial impression of one another when they first connected.
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“I first met you at your Hottieween party last year, and I ain’t gonna lie, I was kinda shy,” Glo said. “You were just acting like you weren’t drinking that night… I’m like, ‘This b—h ain’t acting like she ain’t drinking, like, What’s up with this b—h?’”
The CMG rapper continued: “You was nice as hell when I first met you, on God. I remember when somebody recorded a video of us when I first met you and we was hugging like it just felt like a grandma hug from side-to-side. Where have you been all my life? You were sweet as f–k. I mean, like, you come off as standoff-ish. You come off like you nice, but you standoff-ish. So that’s why I told you I was shy.”
As for Megan’s impression of Glo, she didn’t know if the Instagram shenanigans and craziness was going to actually match her personality in real life.
“I really didn’t know what you was gonna be like before I met you,” Meg said. “I was like okay, from afar, you was turnt, but I didn’t know how turnt it was gonna be. I ain’t know if it was some bulls–t for, like, Instagram, or if it was gonna be real life. But then when I got to know you, I was like, ‘Yes, this might be my cousin! This is my people!’ So yeah, I thought you was really sweet too, and I thought you was funny as hell.”
While on the road together, their friendship grew with heartfelt moments taking place like when Megan surprised Glo with flowers for her birthday and the Memphis native returned the favor in Houston when presenting Thee Stallion with a custom “M” plaque.
“I love the bond that me and @glorillapimp have built in these past few weeks!” Megan Thee Stallion captioned a June Instagram post. “You are my sister 4L , you and cola never getting rid of me.”
Glo replied in the comment section: “I luv you 4L Meg [heart emoji, teary-eyed emoji] I’m so glad I got to do dis tour with you I wouldn’t have had it no other way [party emoji] I can’t wait for dem to hear dat hot shit ahhhh so excited.”
Megan and GloRilla’s “Wanna Be” has maintained top 20 status on the Billboard Hot 100, where it currently sits at No. 13 on this week’s chart.
Watch the full episode below.
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Gamers rejoice! Karol G is bringing the rhythm to Fortnite Festival season 5, set to run from Aug. 16 to Nov. 2.
The one-of-a-kind playable concert Karol G MSB Fortnite, created by Magnopus, is a five-part visual journey through the Colombian artist’s life and music career, available from 3 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 23 until midnight on Aug. 26. The setlist available to play in the game are “Oki Doki,” “Provenza (Remix),” “Cairo” and the Peso Pluma-assisted “QLONA.”
The “Bichota” singer first teased the Fortnite collaboration on her Instagram story on Wednesday (Aug. 14). “This is so amazing!!! Something incredible is coming with Fortnite Festival,” she wrote in the preview.
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“This season’s Premium Reward Track (available to purchase for 1,800 V-Bucks) lets fans unlock Karol G-themed items including the Bichota Season Karol G Outfit, the Bichota Mic, and the Bichota 6-String Guitar,” notes the official Fortnite post. “In terms of gameplay, fans can collect EmPower-Ups in the music experience to blast away negative energy and spread positive vibes in this neon-drenched party.”
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Those interested in catching the Karol G MSB Fortnite can download Fortnite for free on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Android and PC. Fans can also access Fortnite on available cloud-based streaming services here. Once the game is launched, select the corresponding tile in Fortnite’s menu.
Karol G is the second Colombian artist to team up with Fortnite. In 2020, J Balvin headlined Fortnite‘s annual, game-wide “Fortnitemares” event on Halloween. The event included new gameplay, challenges, in-game rewards and more, culminating with Balvin’s set during the “Afterlife Party” that took place inside Party Royale, the weapons-free mode that Fortnite launched to host entertainment-related events.
Katy Perry‘s record label has responded to reports claiming the singer did not secure the proper permits to film her “Lifetimes” video on an environmentally protected beach and sensitive dunes of the S’Espalmador area in Spain’s Balearic Islands. “The local video production company assured us that all necessary permits for the video were secured,” a […]
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis have chosen their fighters for the cast of their WARRIORS musical album, tapping Marc Anthony, Luis Figueroa, Flaco Navaja and Chris Rivers to lend their voices to the project.
As revealed Thursday (Aug. 15), Anthony will star as Tato on the LP, while Figueroa is locked in to play Miguel. Navaja will portray Jesús and Rivers receives billing as “The Bronx.” Additional voices will be announced “very soon,” according to a release.
WARRIORS will feature 26 tracks following the members of a fictitious New York City gang who are framed for the murder of a respected gang leader named Cyrus. The album was inspired by the cult-classic 1979 film The Warriors — which stars Michael Beck, James Remar, Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Marcelino Sánchez — as well as the movie’s source novel by Sol Yurick.
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“We’ve spent the past three years musicalizing the Warriors’ journey home, from the South Bronx to Coney Island,” said Miranda and Davis, who co-wrote the album, in a joint statement. “Along the way, we’ve gotten to work with a lot of our favorite artists, and we’ll be announcing their roles on the album in the weeks ahead. We can’t wait to share these songs with you on Oct. 18.”
As previously announced, Grammy Award winner Nas is on board as executive producer, bringing his New York City roots to the table. Plus, Grammy winner Mike Elizondo takes the helm as producer.
WARRIORS marks just the latest high-profile musical project created by Miranda, who found global fame in 2015 for writing and starring in the Broadway musical Hamilton. The following year, its cast recording won a Grammy for best musical theater album and became the first-ever Broadway cast recording to be certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America, while its follow-up project, The Hamilton Mixtape, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2016.
Later, the Tony winner wrote and produced the soundtracks for the Disney films Moana and Encanto. The former made history for weeks spent at No. 1 on Billboard’s soundtracks chart, while the latter topped the Billboard 200 for several weeks.
Davis is also a prolific actor, writer and singer-songwriter known for her work on stage and screen, as well as a former finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama for her play Bulrusher. In addition to writing and starring in Angela’s Mixtape, she’s lent her pen to television series such as Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It and FX’s Justified: City Primeval, and she has appeared in numerous theater productions and films.