Music

29 Apr 2024

At 2025 Grammys, Will Taylor Swift Land Her Seventh Album of the Year Nod?

Now that Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department has entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 and smashed sales records, thoughts turn to its next big test – how it will fare with Grammy voters.

If it is nominated for album of the year, Swift will become the first woman to receive seven album of the year nods, breaking out of a tie with Barbra Streisand, who received six nods from 1964-87. (All years in this story refer to the year of the Grammy ceremony.)

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Swift would be the sixth artist to land seven or more album of the year nominations – and just the second artist to reach that mark strictly with solo albums.

Paul McCartney is the leader with nine album of the year nods – five with The Beatles, one (Band on the Run) with Paul McCartney & Wings and three as a solo artist.

Frank Sinatra and George Harrison are next in line with eight album of the year nods. Sinatra scored with seven solo albums and one collab, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim. Harrison scored with five Beatles albums; a solo album (All Things Must Pass); an all-star live album, The Concert for Bangla Desh, which was credited to George Harrison & Friends; and a Traveling Wilburys album (Volume One) on which he teamed with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.

Paul Simon follows with seven album of the year nods –- two with Simon & Garfunkel (Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Water) and five on his own. Swift, if nominated, would pull into a tie with Simon for third place.

Swift’s last three studio albums, not counting her Taylor’s Versions re-recordings, were nominated for album of the year, though one of them just barely made it. The Recording Academy confirmed the accuracy of a New York Times report that Evermore placed ninth or 10th in the voting and was nominated only because, at the eleventh hour, the Academy expanded the field of nominees in each of the Big Four categories from eight to 10 that year (2022). After keeping the number of nominees at 10 the following year, the Academy returned to eight nominees in each of those categories for the telecast in February and will presumably hold it at that number for next year’s telecast, so Tortured Poets will have to do better than Evermore to be nominated. (Fittingly, that was a rather “tortured” explanation.)

If Tortured Poets is nominated, Swift will become the first artist to receive album of the year nominations with four consecutive official solo studio LPs since Kendrick Lamar (Swift’s colleague on “Bad Blood,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100) scored with good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly, DAMN. and Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. The last artist before Lamar to achieve this feat was Billy Joel, who scored with 52nd Street, Glass Houses, The Nylon Curtain and An Innocent Man.

It’s of course way too early to know with any certainty if Swift will be nominated. Compared to Swift’s recent releases, the new album has drawn somewhat mixed reviews. The album has a 76 rating on Metacritic.com, the review aggregation site. That’s a bit below the marks registered by her four previous studio albums (excluding Taylor’s Version albums). Lover had a 79, folklore an 88, and evermore and Midnights, both an 85. (An expanded version of the new album, dubbed The Anthology, has a lower rating, 69.)

Billboard’s Jason Lipshutz took stock of Swift’s album in a thoughtful review headlined, “Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Is Messy, Unguarded and Undeniably Triumphant: Critic’s Take.” Here are the first four paragraphs from Lipshutz’s review, which posted on April 19, the day the album was released.

“One of the constants of Taylor Swift’s storied career has been the chances she’s taken at the precise moment when taking a chance wasn’t necessary. She was a country superstar who didn’t need to go pop; she was less than a year removed from a major pop album and didn’t need to take an indie-folk detour; she was in the middle of a blockbuster run of new albums and didn’t need to re-record her old ones.

“Time and again, Swift has identified artistic opportunities that other stars would have blanched at (or at the very least, set aside for a different time, so as to not muck up any professional momentum), and she has leapt into them fearlessly, always coming out on top.

“So right now — in the middle of a mega-selling stadium tour, after a record-breaking fourth album of the year Grammy win, in a high-profile new romance and at the commercial zenith of an already all-time career — is, naturally, the time Swift has chosen to release a knowingly messy, wildly unguarded breakup album.

“She didn’t have to do this! But then again, making an album like The Tortured Poets Department is exactly what separates Swift from her more careful peers. Challenging herself to shape-shift, to accomplish something new at the moment anyone else would rest on their laurels, is what makes her so fascinating.”

Other albums that are seen as front-runners for album of the year nominations include Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter, Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine and Bad Bunny’s Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Manana. Upcoming albums that are seen as likely prospects include Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism (due May 3) and Billie Eilish’s Hurt Me Hard & Soft (due May 17). The eligibility period ends Sept. 15.

If both Beyoncé and Swift are nominated, this will be the second time the two superstars have faced off in this category. In 2010, Swift’s Fearless beat Bey’s I Am…Sasha Fierce.

Could Swift possibly win her record-extending fifth award in the category? I have learned to never say never, especially when it concerns Swift at the Grammys. But more than a few Grammy watchers would howl if Swift won a fifth album of the year award before Beyoncé won her first in the category.

It would probably be better for Swift if she lost the big one and was seen leading the cheers for Beyoncé. If that does happen – and at this moment, it seems the likeliest scenario – this would be the third time in Grammy history that there has been a reversal of fortune in the top category, where there was a different outcome in a rematch.

At the first Grammy Awards in May 1959, Henry Mancini won album of the year for The Music From Peter Gunn, his jazzy score to the TV detective series of the same name. It beat a pair of Frank Sinatra albums, Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely and Come Fly With Me. (Did the double nominations cause Sinatra to “split his votes”? We’ll never know for sure, but the rules have since been changed so that an artist can be nominated with only one album as the lead artist in any one year.)

Mancini and Sinatra competed again at the second Grammy Awards in November 1959 (yes, there were two ceremonies that year) with the opposite result. Sinatra’s Come Dance With Me! beat More Music From Peter Gunn, a sequel to Mancini’s album.

Sinatra and The Beatles competed for album of the year three years in a row, 1966-68. Sinatra’s highly regarded thematic album September of My Years (which contained the classic “It Was a Very Good Year”) won the award in 1966, beating The Beatles’ Help! soundtrack. Sinatra’s A Man and His Music, a two-disc career retrospective, won the award in 1967, beating The Beatles’ Revolver. (That victory by Ol’ Blue Eyes is harder to defend, since his album was a career recap, and Revolver was another step forward by a group that was growing by leaps and bounds.) In 1968, The Beatles’ landmark album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band beat Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, the singer’s widely admired collab with the architect of the bossa nova sound.

Swift co-produced her new album with Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner and Patrik Berger. Antonoff has been nominated for producer of the year, non-classical the last five years running – and has won the last three years in a row.

If Antonoff is nominated again this year, he’ll be the first producer or production team to be nominated six years in a row since Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who were nominated each year from 2001-2006. Moreover, if he is nominated again, Antonoff will become one of just five producers or production teams to land six or more producer of the year nods (whether consecutive or nod). He will join Jam & Lewis (11 total nods), Quincy Jones (eight), David Foster (eight) and Babyface (six).

If Antonoff wins in that category again early next year, he’ll become the first producer to ever win four years in a row. Babyface is the only producer to win four times – in 1993 (with L.A. Reid) and then on his own from 1996-98.

29 Apr 2024

SEVENTEEN’S Jam-Packed ’17 Is Right Here’ Greatest Hits Album Is Here: Stream It Now

K-pop group SEVENTEEN dropped their anticipated greatest hits album, 17 Is Right Here, on Monday morning (April 29), along with the futuristic video for the lead single, “Maestro.” The two-CD, 33-track compilation pulls together the Korean versions of eight previously released Japanese singles, 20 singles from the 13-man band’s Korean releases, as well as four new tracks and a digital-only instrumental version of the boy band’s 2015 debut single, “Adore U.”

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Fresh single “MAESTRO” will be followed by the hip-hop team’s “LALALI,” the performance team’s “Spell” and the vocal team’s “Cheers to youth.” The edgy “MAESTRO” visual, directed by Han Sungsoo, drops group members Woozi, S. Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, Vernon, Jeonghan, Jun, DK, Joshua, Hoshi, Dino, The8 and Seungkwan into a sleek future scape filled with dancing robots and mechanical dogs in which they bust out high-energy choreo with their machine companions and conduct a gothic symphony orchestra through the hip-hop-influenced track’s dance attack.

“Aligning with the group’s core message around solidarity, this captivating dance R&B track illustrates how together, we can orchestrate our own universe like a ‘maestro,’” read a statement announcing the clip. To further the message, it aded that the video is set in a dystopian future where “anything, including music and art, can be easily created with technology.”

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According to the band’s label, 17 Is Right Here got more than three million pre-orders as of April 19. During a press conference announcing the album on Monday, SEVENTEEN also announced plans for a world tour int he fall, with the full roster — including U.S. dates — to be announced later.

Listen to the album and watch the “MAESTRO” video below:

29 Apr 2024

Here Are Six Things to Know About ‘Million Dollar Baby’ Singer Tommy Richman

Tommy Richman has taken the internet by storm in the last few days after releasing his new song, “MILLION DOLLAR BABY.” Released Friday (Apr. 26), the record is already firing on all cylinders on streaming because of its funky sound and Richman’s seamless vocal riffs. 

Last week, Richman first teased the track on TikTok using a VHS-style recording of him and his team grooving to the record. It has since earned 9.5 million views on the popular social media platform, and is quickly creeping into the conversation of possibly being a song of the summer contender. 

With an undeniable bass and sticky hook about winning a girl over, “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” could be foreshadowing Richman’s future success, as he sings: “You rep my city for so damn long/ But you still don’t notice me, my sound next/ VA next, I’m at they neck, I’m runnin’ up a check.” 

Despite his small discography to this point, Richman is equipped to make noise. A shifty singer who can jump between alternative and R&B with the drop of a hat, Richman has a formidable team behind him — most notably Brent Faiyaz after the two joined forces last year through the singer’s creative agency, ISO Supremacy. 

“In launching my new label ISO Supremacy and partnering with PULSE Records, we’ve created this platform to give artists like Tommy Richman a creative home with the ability to scale global impact and a team that is accessible who keeps creativity at the forefront. We’re going to continue to make history,” added Faiyaz. 

Here are six things about the “MILLION DOLLAR BABY” singer Tommy Richman.

29 Apr 2024

8 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Charley Crockett, Darius Rucker, Jennifer Nettles & More

In this week’s batch of new country music fare, we have country/Americana maestro Charley Crockett’s sterling new album, as well as new songs from Darius Rucker with Jennifer Nettles, as well as Ole 60, Karley Scott Collins, MacKenzie Porter and Karli June. Additionally, bluegrassers The Del McCoury Band offer up new music as well as a collab from Tony Trischka and Vince Gill.

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Charley Crockett, $10 Cowboy

Over the course of more than a dozen studio albums, Crockett has painstakingly built his reputation as an electrifying live performer, and a kingpin of crafting traditional country tunes, while adroitly enmeshing layers of various styles into his work, including soul, blues, funk, gospel and more. On his latest, there are moments of converging country and R&B, while his penchant for capturing a live performance feel is apparent on $10 Cowboy, which he recorded live to tape in Austin, Texas, with his steady collaborator Billy Horton. Songs such as the horn-driven “America,” the jangly acoustic country of “Hard Luck and Circumstances,” the blues-rock of “Solitary Road” as well as songs such as the title track and “Midnight Cowboy” all pay homage to his skill with keen observations and to his journey from street busker to his current status as acclaimed headliner.

Darius Rucker and Jennifer Nettles, “Never Been Over”

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Two of country music’s strongest, most identifiable voices collide here, as Rucker welcomes Nettles in a reimagined version of this song, which he first recorded for his Carolyn’s Boy album. Nettles joins on the song’s second verse, adding another rich layer of nuance to the tale of a couple unwinding the ties that have bonded them for years. As the song reaches its apex, Nettles sends up some soaring vocals as Rucker holds down the melody. Rucker has one of music’s most commanding voices, but Nettles matches his steady, slightly raspy vocal wondrously with her charismatic soprano. In recent years, Rucker has shifted a bit from some of the uptempo, radio-ready fare he’s become known for and issues some of his strongest performances of late, such as another stellar collaboration, with Dax on “To Be a Man.”

Karli June, “Still Make Cowgirls”

She’s not afraid to be a fearless, independent-minded cowgirl in a world of followers and she’s fierce enough to dare a potential suitor to ride along. Canada native June is presently celebrated with four CMA Ontario Awards nominations, and follows them with this song she co-wrote with Deric Ruttan. Her twangy vocal also carries a slight edge as it floats over the Western-tinged yet modern sonics.

The Del McCoury Band, “Just Because”

Since the 1960s, when Del McCoury performed as part of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, he has been a torchbearer, both aiding in laying down the prototype for the genre–and pushing beyond its traditional boundaries. The two-time Grammy-winning The Del McCoury Band, led by the Bluegrass Music Hall of Famer, has blended its distinctive sound with a range of musical styles over the years, leading to collaborations and/or performances with artists including Dierks Bentley, Steve Earle and Phish. That genre-spanning intention continues on the band’s latest, as they cover the blues-driven “Just Because,” originally recorded by The California Honeydrops on their 2013 album Like You Mean It. Here, The Del McCoury Band transforms it into an expertly rendered, galloping bluegrass tune, with fleet-fingered picking, winding fiddle and McCoury’s commanding tenor.

Ole 60, “Next to You”

This Kentucky quintet broke through earlier this year with viral hits “A Smoke & a Light” and the bluesy ballad “Brother Joe.” They follow with “Next to You,” a harmonica and banjo-inflected song starts out with an unhurried, moody ethos, before picking up the pace in the last half of the song, ascending into a plucky, bluegrass-tinged jamband vibe. This indie group, which recently signed with The Neal Agency for booking, keeps its engaging music rolling with this one, which embeds stark details revolving around an on-and-off again relationship. “Fools in love ain’t fools at all/ That’s why I pick up ever time that you call,” frontman Jacob Young sings, continuing, “Pack of Marlboro Lights and some Adderall/ I’ll be on my way.”

Tony Trischka and Vince Gill, “Bury Me Beneath the Willow”

From Trischka’s upcoming project Earl Jam: A Tribute to Earl Scruggs (out June 7), this track features a top-shelf assortment of premier bluegrassers, including Trischka, Vince Gill, Michael Cleveland, Brittany Haas, Dominick Leslie and Mike Bub. Together, they offer an exemplary latticework mandolin, guitar, banjo and fiddle on this classic from the country music canon, popularized by The Carter Family and recorded by the familial group during country music’s “Big Bang,” the Bristol Sessions, in 1927. The fiddle lines from Cleveland and Haas are superb, bolstered by Trischka’s banjo picking and topped off by Gill’s high-caliber vocal.

Karley Scott Collins (feat. Charles Kelley), “How Do You Do That”

Collins teams with Lady A’s Charles Kelley on this pulsating collaboration, which puts their tight-knit harmonies in focus and delves into the moments of a fissured relationship that leave one questioning everything they knew about an ex-lover. Kelley’s soulful country voice is in top form, while Collins’ rangy, grit-meets-silk vocal offers a remarkable, dynamic foil. Collins wrote this track with Kelley, Jordan Reynolds and Tom Jordan.

MacKenzie Porter, “Foreclosure”

MacKenzie Porter made her American country radio breakthrough with her Dustin Lynch collaboration, the multi-week No. 1 “Thinkin’ Bout You.” But she’s out to showcase her own singer-songwriter talents and perspective on her newly-issued debut Big Loud album Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart. Porter’s warm, soft-focus voice is bolstered by a pop-aimed, sleek production on this standout track, which she wrote with Luke Niccoli, Lydia Vaughan, Parker Welling.

“I wasted all my good faith,” Porter sings, the slightly husky tremor in her voice acutely embodying both the hope and heartbreak on a song that chronicles a couple’s journey from buying a home together to later watching the relationship falter — so they put up the foreclosure sign, moving out and moving on.

29 Apr 2024

Billie Eilish Announces Dates For Hit Me Hard And Soft 2024-2025 World Tour

Billie Eilish announced the dates the world tour in support of her third album on Monday (April 29). The Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour is slated to kick off on Sept. 29 at the Centre Videotron in Quebec and take the singer across North America through late December, with stops in Toronto, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit, Newark, Boston and Pittsburgh before a three night-stint at Madison Square Garden (Oct. 16-18) and two nights at State Farm Arena in Atlanta (Nov. 2-3).

The Tour in support of Hit Me Hard and Soft (May 17) will continue to criss-cross the nation, hitting Nashville, Cincinnati, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Portland and San Jose before winding down with two shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA on Dec. 16-17. Eilish will then hop to Australia for a run of shows in Brisbane (Feb. 18, 19, 21, 22), Sydney (Feb. 24, 25, 27, 28) and Melbourne (March 4, 5, 7, 8).

The dates will pick up again in April 2025 for a European run of shows on the Live Nation-promoted tour that will keep the singer on the road through a July 27 gig at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Tickets for the tour will go on sale beginning with an American Express presale on Tuesday (April 30), with additional presales slate for the rest of the week. Any remaining tickets will be available during a general onsale starting May 3 here.

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The tour will feature a number of sustainability efforts, including the continuation of Eilish’s long-running partnership with environmental nonprofit Reverb, which has so far resulted in $1 million in donations to environmental, greenhouse gas reduction and climate justice projects according to a release announcing the dates. On the upcoming tour sustainability efforts will include reducing greenhouse gas pollution, decreasing single-use plastic waste, supporting climate action and updating concession offerings to promote plant-based food options.

In addition, a portion of ticket proceeds from sales in North America will go to Reverb to support its efforts to address food insecurity and the climate crisis. There will also be a Billie Eilish Reverb eco village set up on two locations on the main concourse of every show where fans can participate in the tour’s sustainability efforts and connect with nonprofits.

Support + Feed will also continue their previous collaboration with Eilish and offer an expanded version of their Support+Feed Pledge aimed at inspiring fans to eat one plant-based meal a day for 30 days. Eilish’s fans are being encouraged to take public transportation and/or carpool to shows to reduce their carbon footprint and to bring an empty reusable water bottle or donate to receive a custom RockNRefill Nalgene bottle they can fill up for free at water refill stations at every venue. Eilish is also encouraging fans to fight the tremendous waste caused by fast fashion by dressing up for the gigs in thrifted, upcycled or borrowed clothes instead of buying new ones.

In an effort to keep tickets out of the hands of scalpers, the tour is using Ticketmaster’s Face Value Exchange, which will allow fans who purchase tickets for the North American tour they can’t attend to resell them to other fans at the original price; click here to find out more about this program.

Check out the dates for Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour 2024-2025:

2024 North America

Sept. 29 – Québec, QC @ Centre Videotron

Oct. 1 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

Oct. 2 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

Oct. 4 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena

Oct. 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

Oct. 7 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena

Oct. 9 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center

Oct. 11 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden

Oct. 13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena

Oct. 16 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

Oct. 17 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

Oct. 18 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

Nov. 2 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena

Nov. 3 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena

Nov. 6 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena

Nov. 8 – Cincinnati, OH @ Heritage Bank Center

Nov. 10 – Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

Nov. 11 – Saint Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

Nov. 13 – Chicago, IL @ United Center

Nov. 14 – Chicago, IL @ United Center

Nov. 16 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center

Nov. 17 – Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center Omaha

Nov. 19 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena

Nov. 20 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena

Dec. 3 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena

Dec. 5 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena

Dec. 6 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena

Dec. 8 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center

Dec. 10 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center at San Jose

Dec. 11 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center at San Jose

Dec. 13 – Glendale, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena

Dec. 15 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum

Dec. 16 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum

Dec. 17 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum’Nov. 16 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center

2025 Australian dates:

Feb. 18 – Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Feb. 19 – Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Feb. 21 – Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Feb. 22 – Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Feb. 24 – Sydney, Australia @ Qudos Bank Arena

Feb. 25 – Sydney, Australia @ Qudos Bank Arena

Feb. 27 – Sydney, Australia @ Qudos Bank Arena

Feb. 28 – Sydney, Australia @ Qudos Bank Arena

March 4 –Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena

March 5 – Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena

March 7 – Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena

March 8 – Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena

2025 European dates:

April 23 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Avicii Arena

April 24 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Avicii Arena

April 26 – Oslo, Norway @ Telenor Arena

April 28 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena

April 29 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Royal Arena

May 2 – Hannover, Germany @ ZAG Arena

May 4 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome

May 5 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome

May 7 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome

May 9 – Berlin, Germany @ Uber Arena

May 29 – Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena

May 30 – Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena

June 1 – Prague, Czech Republic @ O2 Arena

June 3 – Kraków, Poland @ Tauron Arena

June 4 – Kraków, Poland @ Tauron Arena

June 6 – Vienna, Austria @ Stadthalle

June 8 – Bologna, Italy @ Unipol Arena

June 10 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena

June 11 – Paris, France @ Accor Arena

June 14 – Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi

June 15 –Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi

July 7 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro

July 8 – Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro

July 10 – London, UK @ The O2

July 11 – London, UK @ The O2

July 13 – London, UK @ The O2

July 14 – London, UK @ The O2

July 16 – London, UK @ The O2

July 17 – London, UK @ The O2

July 19 – Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live

July 20 – Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live

July 22 – Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live

July 23 – Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live

July 26 – Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena

July 27 – Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena

29 Apr 2024

OutKast Pay Loving Tribute to Late Producer Rico Wade: ‘Without Rico Wade There Would Be No OutKast’

Two weeks after the death of their beloved collaborator producer Rico Wade, OutKast paid loving tribute to the ATL legend who died at 52 on April 13.

“The first time we met Rico [Wade] of Organized Noize, we had the ‘Scenario’ instrumental on and we just rapped damn near the whole song, non-stop,” OutKast’s André 3000 wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend. He described sitting in Goodie Mobb member Big Gipp’s truck listening to the song on a cassette player.

“We didn’t know Gipp or Rico or none of them, but Rico knew people who did beats,” Dre continued. “He said, ‘Let me hear what you got,’ so we put in the ‘Scenario’ tape and started rhyming, non-stop, back-and-forth.” The beloved duo’s debut studio album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik — produced by Wade and Organized Noize — was released 30 years ago Friday, the same day Wade was buried in Atlanta.

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“That day, after we rhymed, Rico saw something in us. At that time we’d both shaven off all our hair. We’d dyed our hair blonde one time: We were young and in high school, we were outcasts, you know?” André wrote. “Rico saw that, and he said, ‘These guys can really rhyme. They don’t really rhyme like people from the South.’ So he told us to come over to his house, and that’s where the dungeon is, in the basement.”

Wade is considered one of the architects of Southern rap thanks to his role as one-third of the songwriting and production team Organized Noize, whose members also included Sleepy Brown and Ray Murray. In addition to their production and songwriting on the OutKast debut, they also worked on Goodie Mob’s 1995 debut, Soul Food.

Dre’s former partner in rhyme, Big Boi, also had fond memories of working with Wade, adding, “From the beginning, Organized Noize signed us. They were our big brothers, and they did a production deal with LaFace Records. They were the sones that gave us our first shot and we been doing music with them since the beginning. Without Rico Wade… there would be no OutKast.”

The memorial featured the caption, “Thank you, Rico. We will love you forever. Rest well, brother. Until we meet again [prayer hands emoji].”

The post ended with a quote from Wade, who once said, “We got with [OutKast] when they were young. They were like 16 or 17, and they were ready for some direction… I think timing is everything. It was time for a revolution.”

Another tribute post honored the duo’s landmark debut — which included their breakout hit, “Player’s Ball” — and spotlighted pics of Wade in the studio with the pair and posing with the entire extended Dungeon Family crew.

See OutKast’s post below.

29 Apr 2024

Drew Carey Said Phish’s Sphere Show Made Him Want to Puree His Junk, So, Naturally, They Sent Him a Special Gift

As you’ve likely heard by now, Drew Carey had a really, really great time seeing Phish for the first time at their Las Vegas residency at Sphere earlier this month. Like, such a good time the The Price Is Right host wrote in a frenzied post afterward that he would “stick my d–k in a blender” in exchange for more time with the jam band juggernaut.

On Friday, Carey showed off a special gift he got from the band in honor of his phreak out: a Vitamix blender accompanied by a hand-written note from the Burlington, VT superstars. “Hi Drew! So thrilled that you could be at the Sphere with us!,” it read. “Hope you enjoy this gift and lets do it again. Sending mountains of love.” Singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio also personalized the mixer, scrawling, “Thank you Drew! See you next time, happy blending!” in silver marker on the side.

The gag gift from the band who’ve busted out vacuum cleaner solos and mini trampolines on stage in the past seemed appropriate for the garage rock-loving comedian who tweeted out his mind-bent reaction to his first Phishsperience. “I swear I just talked to God,” Carey tweeted on April 22 after checking out of the band’s four shows at Vegas’ hottest new venue. “I would give you all my money, stick my d–k in a blender and swear off p–sy for the rest of my life in exchange for this. Bro I met God tonight for real. I feel like I just got saved by Jesus no lie.”

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Check out Phish’s special gift for Carey below.

29 Apr 2024

Hailey Bieber Says Husband Justin Bieber Is a ‘Pretty Crier’ After Singer Posts Tear-Stained Pics

When you truly love someone, you love everything about them. Even the sad parts. Hailey Bieber provided a perfect example of the latter over the weekend when she left a loving comment on a tear-stained post from husband Justin Bieber. “A pretty crier,” Hailey wrote alongside a crying face emoji on a carousel of pics posted by Justin with no commentary from the singer on Friday.

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The series of snaps included five pictures of Justin rocking the stage in concert followed by a close-up of what appeared to be a bowl filled with marijuana buds and a final group in which a forlorn-looking JB stares down at his phone’s camera with tears running down his face.

Justin has been keeping a low profile since revealing in June 2022 that he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which resulted in “full paralysis” on one side of his face, leading to the postponement of some dates and then the cancellation of his tour due to his ongoing health issues.

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Bieber was mostly off-the-radar for the following year, returning in Sept. 2023 for a surprise cameo on the acoustic version of SZA’s “Snooze” and then coming back into focus as one of the celeb captains of February’s 2024 NHL all-star game in Toronto, where he played a brief surprise set. He also set hearts aflutter in February when he posted a series of pics from the studio suggesting he was working on his first new music since 2021’s Justice album.

In another set of pictures uploaded this weekend Bieber was caught shirtless and shoeless on the golf course, chilling in an infinity pool alone at sunset, hanging on the beach, smiling, smoking something and trying on sneakers. The singer also shared a roll of snaps in which he rocked a long, scraggly beard while smiling for the camera and staring solemnly at the sea, again with no commentary.

While Bieber has not performed a full concert in several years, he did hop up with Tems and WizKid at Coachella two weeks ago to perform “Essence.”

See Bieber’s pics below.

29 Apr 2024

Post Malone, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson & More: Best Moments From Stagecoach 2024

Following Coachella’s two consecutive weekends, the grounds of the Empire Polo Club naturally looked a bit different for Stagecoach. The annual country music festival (also promoted by Goldenvoice that launched in 2007) took place April 26-28 and hosted headliners Eric Church, Miranda Lambert and Morgan Wallen.

Not only had the previously green grass been matted into dust, but the entire layout had shifted – revealing indented land where stages once sat and an entirely new perspective for those more familiar with Coachella’s layout (like myself). The most notable change was the cleverly-named “Mane” stage, which spanned the entire north-side field with four jumbotrons situated throughout, ensuring a good view for all – even those seated, yes seated, towards the very back. (Another major difference: blankets and beach chairs are welcome, with the majority of attendees opting to set up shop in one spot for the day.) 

And while the weekend had its fair share of hullabaloo – including Eric Church’s controversial acoustic set, the debate about whether Backwoods Barbie, the mysterious last-minute lineup addition, was Beyoncé, and the disappointment over Morgan Wallen’s festival-closing set not being livestreamed – by Sunday evening, one prevailing takeaway emerged: country music’s communal nature is unmatched. 

Across the festival’s three days, guest appearances were the norm, with everyone from Lana Del Rey to Reba popping in for a surprise song. Post Malone – who centered his entire set on country covers – welcomed two legends to join him on stage, while Willie Nelson celebrated his performance with friends and family who performed alongside him. And that’s far from all. 

Below are the seven biggest moments from Stagecoach 2024.

29 Apr 2024

Taylor Swift Nabs U.K. Chart Double as ‘Fortnight’ Starts at No. 1

It’s a Taylor Swift double on the U.K. chart, as The Tortured Poets Department (EMI) opens at No. 1 and the U.S. pop star locks-up three of the top four on the national singles survey, including top spot.

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“Fortnight” featuring Post Malone debuts at No. 1 on the latest Official Chart, published Friday, April 26, ahead of Hozier’s “Too Sweet” (Island), down 1-2, and the TTPD title track, new at No. 3.

With that impeccable start, Swift snags her third career U.K. chart double, after ruling both charts simultaneously in 2022 with Midnights and its lead single “Anti-Hero,” and last year with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)”.

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The leader on the midweek chart, “Fortnight” becomes Swift’s fourth U.K. No. 1 single after “Look What You Made Me Do” (from 2017), “Anti-Hero” (2022) and “Is It Over Now?” (Taylor’s Version) (2023), and Malone’s second — and first in seven years – after 2017’s “Rockstar” with 21 Savage.

Also, TTPD track “Down Bad” (No. 4) enters the top 10 on debut, lifting TayTay’s career tally of top tier hits to 28 (no more than three songs from any one album can be eligible for the U.K. singles chart).

Meanwhile, U.S. singer and actor Sabrina Carpenter is running hot with “Espresso” (Island), up 6-5 for her career peak U.K. chart position.

Further down the tally, Drake’s Kendrick Lamar diss track “Push Ups” (OVO/Republic Records) debuts at No. 14, giving the Canadian superstar hip-hop artist his 93rd U.K. top 40 single.

There’s another U.S. country artist making an impression on the U.K. top 40, this time singer-songwriter Shaboozey with “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (via American Dogwood/Empire), up 41-16. Shaboozey’s profile has enjoyed a boost in the U.K. after being featured on Beyoncé’s chart-topping LP Cowboy Carter. Dasha’s “Austin” (Warner Records) is still riding in the U.K. top 10, down 7-10.

Finally, Headie One’s “Cry No More” (Columbia), a collaboration with Stormzy and Tay Keith, bows at No. 33, for Headie’s 16th, Stormzy’s 31st and Tay Keith’s second U.K. top 40 appearance.