Music
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If Simone Biles and Suni Lee win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, they’ll have Snoop Dogg to thank … kind of. The rapper spent part of the Summer Games’ first weekend cheering on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, part of which involved a little spiritual coaching with Lee. In a video posted Monday (July […]
Swae Lee doesn’t typically dabble in the political world, but felt compelled to speak out against Kamala Harris over the weekend, and is now facing the heat. The Rae Sremmurd frontman blasted the vice president while urging his fans not to vote for the likely Democratic nominee for president.
“Do not vote for Kamala !!! Do your research on that whole camp,” Swae Lee tweeted on Saturday (July 27). His message quickly went viral and currently boasts more than 86,000 likes.
The “Sunflower” crooner complained about the alleged millions of dollars in taxes he pays that he says is being sent to other countries such as Ukraine during the country’s war with Russia.
“I pay over millions in tax dollars every year this man Sent it to A whole nother country !!!!!!!!! Those lil dollars that come off your checks they gave it away !!!!!!! Think about that s-t,” he added.
Swae Lee believes that money would be better suited in the U.S. to help out struggling citizens.
“The money we sent away every American citizen could’ve got minimal 200 grand think about that but I guess we don’t need the s–t and yall standing for Kamala,” he continued. “My black people she don’t do nothing but sign off on things against yall ….(us) voting just cuz you think she’s black is not going to end in your favor.”
The 31-year-old also reposted a 2019 debate featuring Republican Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard shredding Harris’ time as district attorney of San Francisco. “Y’all better pay attention! And there’s a lot more,” Swae wrote.
Plenty of debate broke out on both sides in Swae Lee’s replies. Higher Learning podcast host Van Lathan believes rappers have too much influence over public opinion to be miseducated on political matters.
“We need a once a year Hip Hop political convention, I’m deada–. Non partisan, in a Black city, no media,” he wrote. “Rappers have far too much cultural influence to be so consistently misinformed.”
We need a once a year Hip Hop political convention, I’m deadass. Non partisan, in a Black city, no media. Rappers have far too much cultural influence to be so consistently misinformed. https://t.co/hk2pz1pkf2— Van “#1 Voice in Wrestling Media” Lathan Jr (@VanLathan) July 27, 2024
Another pointed out some of the inaccuracies in the musician’s tweets. “Kamala Harris has fought for criminal justice reform, healthcare, and economic equality,” responded a user named Maja Porter. “Voting isn’t just about race; it’s about who can bring real change. Let’s vote for policies that benefit all Black Americans and ensure a better future for everyone.”
“Actually, the Biden and Harris administration has been in office for a little over three years, not four,” Porter continued. “During this time, they’ve made progress on several fronts, including passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to improve roads, bridges, and public transportation, and taking steps to address climate change by promoting clean energy and reducing carbon emissions.”
“And the number grows of d-list ‘celebrities’ who want a Trump tax cut and are willing to sell us for it,” tweeted another user in response.
Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and quickly endorsed his VP on July 21; Harris is expected to be the Democratic party’s nominee. She’s already received numerous endorsements from artists as Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, Questlove, Lizzo, John Legend, Demi Lovato and more.
See Swae Lee’s tweets about not voting for Kamala Harris below.
Do not vote for Kamala !!! Do your research on that whole camp— Swae Lee Lee Swae (@SwaeLee) July 27, 2024
The money we sent away every American citizen could’ve got minimal 200 grand think about that but I guess we don’t need the shit 🤷🏽♂️ and yall standing for Kamala. My black people she don’t do nothing but sign off on things against yall ….(us) voting just cuz you think she’s black…— Swae Lee Lee Swae (@SwaeLee) July 27, 2024
I pay over millions in tax dollars every year this man Sent it to A whole nother country !!!!!!!!! Those lil dollars that come off your checks they gave it away !!!!!!! Think about that shit— Swae Lee Lee Swae (@SwaeLee) July 27, 2024
Flavor Flav‘s official Olympic hype-man duties included personally greeting Dr. Jill Biden at the U.S. women’s water polo match Saturday (July 27). In a sweet video shared by the rapper on social media, he excitedly cheers as the first lady and her family enter the premises, immediately wrapping her in a hug. Both were there […]
The flames, the double kick drums blast beats, the headless Mario Antoinettes, the opera singer on a giant boat. There was nothing about French heavy metal band Gojira‘s set during Friday’s glittering opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics that you could have predicted from the first hard rock band to ever take the stage […]
Though it definitely made for a soggy journey down the Seine, the steady rain in Paris during Friday night’s lavish opening ceremonies for the 2024 Summer Olympics did not deter Lady Gaga from stealing the show early in the four-hour spectacle. And while Gaga’s eye-popping take on Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc en Plumes” (“My Thing With Feathers”) appeared to dodge the raindrops, that’s because it was pre-taped to avoid any potential weather-related issues according to choreographer and head of dance for the Olympics and Paralympics Maud le Pladec.
Le Pladec spoke to Variety about the intense preparations for the song-and-dance routine, explaining that Gaga filmed her performance hours before the athletes’ elaborate boat trip down Paris’ iconic river due to safety reasons. Gaga’s vocals were performed live as she made her way up and down a giant set of stairs along with dancers carrying oversized pom poms.
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Gaga’s was one of a dozen original performances created by Le Pladec and Olympics artistic director Thomas Jolly, with Le Pladec saying that the singer’s four-minute set was easily the “most artistically challenging” of the bunch. “Unfortunately, it was the only [performance] that, for safety reasons, we had to pre-record late in the afternoon, once we knew for sure that it was going to rain — we had minute-by-minute updates, we had never watched the weather forecast so closely in our lives,” Le Pladec said. “We assessed that it was going to be too dangerous for performers, even with a few drops of rain. [Gaga] wanted to do it absolutely so we preferred to pre-record it rather than cancel it.”
Le Pladec said the performance surface, including that giant set of stairs, would have been too slippery for Gaga — who was wearing high heels — to perform on. “We had to be extremely cautious,” Le Pladec said, noting that while she didn’t play live, Gaga was on site during the opening ceremonies and watched her bit on screen from her dressing room before returning to her hotel.
Not long after, Gaga wrote on X, “I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre… Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music—I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth—Paris.”
Gaga noted that her team rented the pom poms from a “real French cabaret” theater’s archive, collaborated with Dior to create the custom costumes using naturally molted feathers and that she studied French choreography to put her “modern twist” on a French classic. “I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills—I bet you didn’t know I used to dance at a 60’s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out! I hope you love this performance as much as I do,” she added. “And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you—it’s a gift I’ll never forget! Congratulations to all the athletes who are competing in this year’s Olympic Games! It is my supreme honor to sing for you and cheer you on!! Watching the Olympic Games always makes me cry! Your talent is unimaginable. Let the games begin!”
In keeping with her perfectionist streak, Le Pladec said that the singer was adamant about delivering a spectacle that would feel “authentic” and pay tribute to the French performance tradition. That explains her decision to do a cabaret-style act featuring singing and dancing with a mix of humor and glamour. The choreographer said Gaga — a “workhorse and a perfectionist” — was working until the final moments on her vocals and steps after training for weeks in Los Angeles with a number of dancers who flew in from Paris.
“She wanted to make a show à la Française,” Le Pladec said. “She puts so much effort and thought into everything she does and she has a very developed creative process.”
The party didn’t end after the performance, either. Over the weekend, Gaga also surprised French Little Monsters when she blasted what she said were two new songs from her as yet untitled seventh studio album from a laptop while dancing through the roof of her limo. At press time no additional information was available on those songs.
This week’s crop of new country music finds Post Malone continuing his winning collaborative ways with a new track with Luke Combs, while Wyatt Flores and The Castellows also team up for the new track “Sober Sundays.” Furthermore, Jordan Davis trades in his signature sentimental tunes for a dusting of flirtatious attitude in his new song, “I Ain’t Sayin’.”
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Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country songs of the week below.
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Post Malone feat. Luke Combs, “Guy For That”
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So far, the songs Post Malone has released to preview his upcoming country debut F-1 Trillion have been uptempo heaters including the Morgan Wallen hit “I Had Some Help” and the Blake Shelton collab “Pour Me a Drink.” He continues his high-octane, stadium-sized slate of anthems with this Luke Combs collaboration, in which a heartbroken guy muses that over the years, he’s amassed a network to help with almost everything — from resoling boots to designing rifles — but there’s no high-profile connection that can do the life-transformational work of changing to help convince an ex-lover to return. Post’s and Combs’ voices pair mightily and they are both co-writers on the track (with Charlie Handsome, Ernest, Hoskins, James McNair and Louis Bell). This song seems poised to join his previous collabs in surging up the country charts.
Wyatt Flores and The Castellows, “Sober Sundays”
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Two of country music’s brightest new upstarts team up for this gorgeous, piano and mandolin-inflected track. “I’ll steady your hands/ Even when they shake,” they sing, as this song centers around offering a supportive, non-judgmental refuge as a friend navigates a journey toward sobriety. Wyatt Flores has steadily been establishing his reputation as a formidable singer-songwriter with a slate of open-hearted, relatable songs such as those on his EP Half Life, while sibling trio The Castellows, with their winsome vocal blending and roots-driven arrangements, are providing a fresh, down-home, Americana-influenced sound for a new generation. Flores wrote the song with The Castellows’ Powell, Eleanor and Lily Balkcom.
Jordan Davis, “I Ain’t Sayin’”
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With previous releases such as “Buy Dirt” and “Next Thing You Know,” Jordan Davis has established a reputation for singing earnest love songs, but on his new breezy toe-tapper, he serves up a potent reminder that he knows his way around a song with some attitude, too. This sleek, groovy summer song finds Davis singing a tale of a guy who finds a lonely young woman at a bar, and he has no trouble reminding her that while he may not be a long-term lover, the guy who left her spending her time alone sure isn’t, either. Travis Wood, Steve Moakler, Mark Holman and Emily Reid crafted the song, with production from Paul DiGiovanni.
Greylan James, “Who Broke Up With You”
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Knoxville, Tennessee native James has steadily ascended the ranks as one of Music City’s top tunecrafters, penning songs recorded by artists including Kenny Chesney, Cole Swindell, Darius Rucker, Chris Janson and more, as well as his work as a co-writer on the Jordan Davis hit “Next Thing You Know,” which also earned James his first CMA nomination for song of the year. But James also possesses a voice capable of translating his songs in his own relatable, laid-back vocal. He previously released his debut single, “Young Man,” and follows it with this uptempo track that centers around someone who meets a potential lover on the dance floor and is bewildered that anyone would break up with her. “I’d hate to be him when he comes to his senses and he figures it out,” he sings over a latticework of electric guitars and relentless percussion, proving that he can not only craft hits — he can sing them just fine, too.
Tigirlily Gold, Blonde
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This sister duo was raised in North Dakota and spent years playing all-nighters, honing their sound in Nashville’s downtown bar scene. Now, they celebrate their first full-fledged album, Blonde. Scattered across the album’s 10 polished, contemporary country tracks are sassy romantic kiss-offs (“Leroy,” “Stupid Prizes”), breakup anthems (“I Tried a Ring On”), rowdy night-on-the-town soundtracks (“Shoot Tequila”) and even an ode to both Marilyn Monroe and Dolly Parton (“Blonde”). Threading all of them together is an energetic confidence and buoyant charm, while the album is underpinned by a stout adherence to heart-on-the-sleeve, slice of life songwriting.
Ryan and Rory, “This Town”
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Nashville native Ryan Follese teamed with North Carolina native Rory John Zak to create their debut, six-song EP, on which Follese co-wrote every song, five of those with his parents and fellow hit songcrafters, Keith and Adrienne Follese. Meanwhile, Zak further elevated these song constructions with his instrumental contributions, layered with swirling production and the duo’s warm, effervescent harmonies. Among the standouts on the project is “This Town,” packed with feelings of young love and wanderlust, and a desire to flee their overly-familiar hometown to “Get way on out where the lost get found.” A promising effort from this new duo.
Jeannie Seely, “Suffertime”
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Seely had a full-circle moment in recording “Suffertime” in tribute to her late friend and fellow artist, Dottie West, at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio B; she had her first recording session at the same studio, nearly six decades ago. At 84, Seely still retains much of the “country soul” style of singing; on this harmonica-laced track, she turns in a raw, forlorn vocal rendering of someone who returns to the same old places that she frequented with a one-time lover. Backed by a slate of ace musicians, she makes this 1966 West classic sound simultaneously intimate, fresh and timeless.
Rita Ora was forced to cancel her planned appearance at the Campus Fesztivál in Hungary over the weekend due to a doctor’s order to rest. The “Praising You” singer revealed to fans on Saturday (July 27) that she would be unable to perform at the event that night due to an unspecified illness. In a […]
In a campaign his new rival has taken to calling “weird,” former President Donald Trump raised eyebrows — and some alarm — over the weekend when he promised a group of conservative Christian followers that if he’s elected to a second term they will never have to go to the polls again.
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That seeming nod to a desire to unwind traditional democratic norms in the U.S. caused some concern among political pundits, as well as Cardi B, who has been very vocal lately about her thoughts on the upcoming election. “Whistle blowing a dictatorship? [concerned face emoji],” Cardi tweeted on Saturday along with the clip of Trump telling the crowd at Turning Point Action’s “Believers Summit” in West Palm Beach, FL to turn out to the polls just this one last time.
Convicted felon Trump — who is still facing a potential sanction in Georgia for alleged election interference from the 2020 election in one of his three major remaining cases tied to his single term in office — encouraged the audience to vote for him in November in what he deemed the “most important” election ever. “Get out and vote just this time,” Trump said. “You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years it will be fixed. It’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
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The comment, which appeared to suggest that after Trump is elected he might do away with the popular vote, or even elections entirely, was followed by a double-down. “You’ve got to get out and vote,” twice impeached Trump said. “In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.” Trump has continued to erroneously insist that he won the 2020 presidential election, despite experts finding no evidence to support his claims and election monitors saying the previous vote was among the most secure in the nation’s history.
Frequent Trump critic Bette Midler also weighed in on the former reality TV host’s concerning stance, tweeting, “He’s telegraphing his authoritarian intentions in plain sight. He means it’s over for democracy. You won’t have to vote because he’s taking your vote away from you. If he wins, he’s there for life, and there will be nothing you can do.”
Trump also said in an interview earlier this year that he would be a “dictator” just for one day if he were elected to a s second term.
Cardi has seemingly been energized by the news surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to take on Trump and run for the democratic nomination. She’s also been ticked off by the rampant misogyny and disrespect some pundits and politicians have heaped on the nation’s potentially first female, as well as Black and South Asian, president. “I always knew how people are when it comes to women, but the disrespect? Listen, if you don’t like her as a politician, that’s you. But if you disrespect her because she’s a woman? It’s very disgusting,” Cardi said on X last week.
“It’s crazy because four, five days ago, I was like, ‘Yo, I feel like I’m not a feminist.’ I’ve been feeling like a lot of these women are your worst enemies,” she added. “The toughest critics are women. […] But then, the natural self of me is like, ‘Damn, maybe I am a feminist. Men are always gonna blame your success on her p—-. People are blaming her success on her p—-. What? She f—ed Joe Biden? She f—ed the whole Democratic Party that the whole Democratic Party decided she should be Vice President? I hate that narrative because I feel like women work harder than men.”
At the end of the day, Cardi said, “The way that y’all disrespect her, makes me like her.”
Since Harris entered the race unexpectedly following President Biden decision to drop out, the veep has raised more than $200 million in one week and signed up more than 170,000 volunteers. Given Trump’s recent conviction on more than 30 felony charges in his New York hush money case, an earlier conviction in a sexual abuse and defamation case by writer E. Jean Carroll in which he was ordered to pay nearly $90 million and the other potential sanctions he faces in his three other pending trials, former prosecutor Harris has landed on a law-and-order approach to her campaign.
“I know Donald Trump’s type,” Harris said in one of her first campaign appearances last week to cheers of “lock him up!” from a crowd. She continued, “As attorney general of California, I took on one of our country’s largest for-profit colleges that was scamming students. Donald Trump ran a for-profit college that scammed students. As a prosecutor, I specialized in cases involving sexual abuse. Well, Trump was found liable for committing sexual abuse. As attorney general in California, I took on the big Wall Street banks and held them accountable for fraud. Donald Trump was just found guilty of fraud on 34 counts.”
See Cardi B and Midler’s tweets below.
“Trump Says Americans ‘Won’t Have to Vote Anymore’ If He Wins…He’s telegraphing his authoritarian intentions in plain sight.” He means it’s over for democracy. You won’t have to vote because he’s taking your vote away from you. If he wins, he’s there for life, and there…— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) July 29, 2024
Surely you didn’t think Lady Gaga would fly all the way over to Paris for just one Summer Olympics performance? After the singer lit up the Sienne on Friday night when she wowed the rain-drenched crowd along the banks of the river and all those watching from the dry comfort of their homes around the […]
Martin Phillips, frontman of the Chills, one of the outstanding acts signed to the Flying Nun Records roster, died on the weekend at the age of 61.
The singer, songwriter and guitarist passed at his home in Dunedin, on New Zealand’s south island, confirms a statement issued by Flying Nun Records.
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Phillips was “an integral part” of the university town’s scene in the 1980s, and of Roger Shepherd‘s Flying Nun Records family, whose roster would include the Clean, the D4, Headless Chickens and Tall Dwarfs, Chris Knox, Straitjacket Fits and the Verlaines.
The late artist was a “single-minded talent who took all components of a musical career seriously,” reads the statement, which lists off his top-shelf songwriting, performance and studio talents.
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A separate message posted on the band’s official page confirms that Phillipps “has died unexpectedly.”
The cause of death was not disclosed.
The musician was “demanding of perfection in others and himself,” the Flying Nun tribute continues, penning such songs as “Rolling Moon,” “Pink Frost,” “I Love My Leather Jacket” and “Heavenly Pop Hit” which enjoyed commercially success and “helped define the best of New Zealand music” during that era. “Heavenly Pop Hit” and its parent album Submarine Bells, almost launched the band to international success.
After a hiatus, Phillips relaunched the Chills in the mid-2010s, and the group would go on to release a string of new albums, supporting the works with domestic and international tours.
Their most recent LP, 2021’s Scatterbrain, cracked the top 10 on the New Zealand Albums Chart.
As news of Phillips’ passing spread online, the music community paid tribute. “Oh my goodness, I’m so terribly sorry, what a wonderful and sweet person and incredible artist. So much love and sympathy to his family and friends,” wrote Nada Surf singer Matthew Caws.
so sorry to hear of the passing of the wildly and beautifully talented Martin Phillipps. an absolute diamond. deepest sympathies to his family and friends. thank you for the heavenly pop ❤️https://t.co/zYX9LrhALz— matthew caws (@nadasurf) July 28, 2024
“Martin Phillipps RIP,” wrote Lindy Morrison, drummer with beloved Australian indie group the Go-Betweens.
Martin Phillipps RIP.— Lindy Morrison (@Lindymorrison8) July 28, 2024
The Phillipps family requests privacy at this time, and funeral arrangements will be advised in due course.