News

26 Jan 2023

How Sam Smith Orchestrated That Surprise Cameo on ‘SNL’: ‘It Has to Be Sharon Stone’

Sam Smith stunned onstage for a moving performance of “Gloria” during Saturday Night Live, and the four-time Grammy winner surprised fans when Sharon Stone joined them for a cameo.

During the song, the Oscar-nominated actress lounged on a gold-covered couch. Surrounded by a group of darkly robed singers, Smith — who was draped in a gold sequin blazer — beautifully crooned the track while Stone slowly rose from her reclined position and gazed off into the distance.

Smith opened up about the decision to have Stone join them for the performance in a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, airing on Thursday (Jan. 26).

“I wanted to do the hymn ‘Gloria’ that I wrote for the record, which is a wild one because I’m not even … I’m hardly singing on it,” they shared. “I sing at the end of it, but it’s a whole choir. On my tour, the stage is shaped like Aphrodite, so, like, the golden Aphrodite body. And that’s the shape of the stage. I was like, ‘How can we bring that vibe to SNL?’”

They continued, “Sharon Stone is going to be in the middle of the stage at SNL in gold as like a piece of life art. The whole performance is just the choir around her singing ‘Gloria’ to her in this golden light. Isn’t it so sick? … I was like, ‘It has to be Sharon Stone,’ and I messaged Sharon. She’s just such a powerful woman. But she’s a powerful woman, and she exudes vulnerability and beauty in a way that to me is real and authentic.”

Gloria, the follow-up to 2020’s Love Goes, features the previously released singles “Love Me More,” “Gimme” and the Kim Petras-assisted hit “Unholy,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2022 and is nominated for best pop duo/group performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards.

Watch the full interview here at 10 a.m. PT on Thursday.

26 Jan 2023

Cardi B Accuser Wants New Trial Over Album Cover, Citing Her ‘Theatrics’ On Witness Stand

A man whose back tattoo was unwittingly photoshopped into a Cardi B album cover is once again asking a federal judge to revive his failed case against the rapper, arguing that the star “engaged in theatrics” on the witness stand and deprived him of a fair trial.

Weeks after Judge Cormac Carney ruled there had been enough evidence to support Cardi’s courtroom victory, Kevin Brophy formally requested a new trial Wednesday, seeking another chance to convince a jury that she “humiliated” him with the risqué cover of her 2016 Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1.

Among other things, Brophy took aim at Cardi herself, arguing that the star (real name Belcalis Almánzar) had committed “misconduct” on the witness stand by sparring with Brophy’s attorney, A. Barry Cappello.

“Almanzar repeatedly engaged in theatrics, refused to answer basic questions, impermissibly disclosed privileged and confidential settlement communications, and generally acted with total disregard and disrespect for the jury’s time and formal nature of court proceedings,” Brophy’s lawyers wrote.

Citing supposedly calm behavior when examined by her own lawyers – “a switch in demeanor that puts Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to shame” – the filing called Cardi’s testimony a “a deliberate strategy to frustrate Plaintiff’s presentation of his case and improperly influence the jury.”

Brophy sued Cardi in 2017 for millions in damages, claiming he was “devastated, humiliated and embarrassed” by the cover of Cardi’s Gangsta Bitch. The image featured the then-rising star taking a swig of a large beer, staring directly into the camera with her legs spread wide, and holding a man’s head while he appears to perform oral sex on her.

The actual man in the image was a model who had consented to the shoot, but a giant tattoo on the man’s back belonged to Brophy. Unbeknownst to Cardi, a freelance graphic designer had typed “back tattoos” into Google Image, found one that fit (Brophy’s), and Photoshopped it onto the model’s body.

Brophy’s lawsuit claimed Cardi and others involved in the cover had violated his so-called right of publicity by using his likeness without his consent, and also violated his right to privacy by casting him in a “false light” that was “highly offensive.” Cardi’s lawyers called the allegations “sheer fantasy” and “vastly overblown,” arguing that nobody would have recognized a relatively unknown man based merely on his back.

During a four-day trial in October, Cardi took the stand to defend herself. When examined by Brophy’s attorney Cappello, things repeatedly got heated between the two – so much so that at one point the Judge Carney cleared the jury, told Cappello he had “totally crossed the line,” and threatened to declare a mistrial.

At the end of the trial, the jury agreed with the superstar’s defenses, clearing Cardi of all Brophy’s claims. Brophy later asked the judge to throw out the verdict for a lack of evidence, but the judge denied that motion in December.

In addition to criticizing Cardi’s testimony, Brophy’s new motion on Wednesday also argued that his lawyers had been denied the chance to properly cross-examine the star, and that the judge had unfairly refused to let jurors hear about Cardi’s earlier defamation trial in Atlanta.

Attorneys for Cardi will have chance to file a formal response in court in the coming weeks. The star’s lawyers did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday.

Read the entire motion for a new trial here:

26 Jan 2023

Taylor Swift Announces ‘Lavender Haze’ Music Video: ‘Meet Me At Midnight …’

Taylor Swift is dropping the “Lavender Haze” music video at last. In a surprise post on her social media accounts Thursday morning (Jan. 26), the 33-year-old pop star finally announced the highly anticipated visual for the first song on the Midnights tracklist … and yes, it’s premiering at 12 a.m. sharp.

“Meet me at midnight…,” Swift captioned the posts. “…for the Lavender Haze music video premiere (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)”

The 11-time Grammy winner also shared a short, 9-second video teaser for the project, in which she sits up in bed, wearing an oversized T-shirt, with her partner sleeping beside her. As the opening bars to “Lavendar Haze” play, thick, purple fog rolls into the room.

“FINALLY,” several fans individually replied to the “All Too Well” singer’s announcement.

A countdown for the premiere is already up on Swift’s YouTube channel, featuring a still from the video of the singer-songwriter bathing in creamy purple water, hair soaked and lips painted a dark violet.

Swifties have been waiting for the “Lavender Haze” music video for about three months now, ever since the “Bejeweled” music video premiered in late October. Swift shared the Cinderella-inspired “Bejeweled” visual just two weeks after dropping the first Midnights music video, which was for the album’s No. 1 lead single, “Anti-Hero.”

One could even argue that Swifties have been waiting for this one since before Midnights even came out, as Swift actually shared a teaser video for all of the album’s music videos during Thursday Night Football, mere hours before Midnights hit streaming services Oct. 21.

“Those projects are the Midnights Music Movies, the music videos that I made for this album to sort of explore visually the world of this record,” she said at the time. “I love storytelling, I love songwriting, I love writing videos, I love directing them … I’m really proud of what we made and I really hope you like them. We worked with some amazing actors.”

See Taylor Swift’s “Lavender Haze” music video announcement below:

26 Jan 2023

RIP Bean: Fans Honor Kobe Bryant & Gigi Bryant On 3rd Anniversary Of Their Passing

HipHopWired Featured Video

CLOSE

Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets

Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi Bryant, tragically died in a helicopter crash three years ago today (Jan. 26) and the moment is still heartbreaking for many. On Twitter, fans are honoring Kobe Bryant and his daughter via the trending topic, RIP Bean, referencing the NBA great’s nickname.

Bryant and his daughter were en route to a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif. via helicopter but foggy conditions led to the fatal accident. Also on board with the Bryant’s were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa, who was a teammate of Gigi’s for the girl’s basketball team.

Coach Christina Mauser was also on board and helped coach Gigi’s team. Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, also a teammate of Gigi’s, were on board too. The pilot Ara Zobayan also perished in the crash.

The NBA rightfully celebrated the legendary player and mourned the loss of the crash victims collectively. Given that Bryant was leaning into his basketball ambassador role and being a heavy presence courtside for his daughter’s game, his passing was jarring to many of his former colleagues in the league.

Kobe Bryant and his Mamba Mentality mantra continued on via a handful of players he personally mentored such as Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, and Candace Parker, among others.

Our warmest wishes go out to Vanessa Bryant and the rest of the Bryant family today. RIP Bean, indeed.

We’ve got the reactions from Twitter listed out below.

—

Photo: Paul Bereswill / Getty

26 Jan 2023

‘The Garden Has to Defend Itself’: MSG Chief James Dolan Hits Back at Facial Recognition Criticism

Madison Square Garden Entertainment chief executive James Dolan defended the use of facial recognition technology to bar entry to his company’s namesake venue to a handful of individuals on Thursday. In a televised interview on FOX 5 New York, Dolan also said he’s considering shutting down alcohol sales for a night at the Garden in response to lawmakers’ calls for the venue’s liquor license.

“Instead (of serving alcohol), where we serve liquor, we are going to put one of these up, which says, ‘If you would like to drink again, please call Sharif Kabir, chief executive officer’ … and tell him to stick to his knitting,” Dolan said, holding up a poster with the picture of the head of New York’s state liquor authority.

In defense of the Garden’s policy barring entry to a group of lawyers who work for a firm currently engaged in legal matters against Dolan’s company, he said, “If you’re suing us, we’re just asking you please don’t come until you’re done with your argument with us, and yes we’re using facial recognition to enforce that.”

MSG has been under scrutiny for blocking entry to the lawyers, and in recent weeks, some New York legislators have called for an investigation into whether the policy is in violation of its liquor license. On Wednesday, the New York State Attorney General Letitia James requested the company disclose how they are using the technology, citing media reports that about 90 law firms and thousands of lawyers are affected by the policy.

Lawmakers including New York State Senator Liz Kruger expressed concerns that MSG appears to be using the technology in “discriminatory and retaliatory” ways, and New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal introduced a bill this week that would ammend an existing state law to add “sporting events” to the list of public entertainment places that cannot bar entry to people with valid tickets.

Dolan was steadfast in his defense of the ban and the use of facial recognition technology at his venues, which also include Radio City Music Hall and The Sphere, currently under construction in Las Vegas.

Dolan called the proposed bill illegal, and when asked if his company would back down in enforcing these policies, he said, “Not at all.”

“The Garden has to defend itself,” he said.

In a letter sent yesterday, NY AG James urged MSG Entertainment to reverse the policy.

“MSG Entertainment cannot fight their legal battles in their own arenas,” James said in a statement included in a press release from her office on the matter. “Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall are world-renowned venues and should treat all patrons who purchased tickets with fairness and respect. Anyone with a ticket to an event should not be concerned that they may be wrongfully denied entry based on their appearance.”

While use of facial recognition technology is legal in the state of New York, and MSG discloses it uses the technology on notices posted outside its venues, individuals suing MSGE argue the venues’ use goes beyond what is legally allowed. The New York AG’s office requested a response  justifying the policy and detailing attempts to abide by the laws outlawing discrimination and retaliation by Feb. 13.

26 Jan 2023

Harv Launches Solo Career: Pop Producer Details Inspiring Debut Single ’Losses’

Harv has envisioned this day for years. The producer-songwriter — known for his work with artists like Justin Bieber, Skrillex and Normani — is launching a solo career with his debut single, “Losses,” he exclusively reveals to Billboard.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Due out Friday (Jan. 27) through Range Music Partners, “Losses,” featuring Kyle, is the culmination of a long-held belief and patient pursuit. “You don’t care about the losses / Losses, yeah, the losses / You say you got too many options,” Kyle sings on the ethereal, silky single. And as Kyle dissects a love lost, Harv commands the bass and drums — he has done this forever, long before he became Bieber’s bassist in 2009, but the camera angle has shifted.

“I don’t want to get too far away from letting the world know that I’m actually a musician,” the artist born Bernard Harvey tells Billboard. “I want the 12-year-old kid that wants to play bass to look at ‘Losses’ like, ‘Oh, that’s what I want to do.’”

Growing up in Kansas City, Kansas, Harv relentlessly practiced the bass, cello and piano — fueled at home by his mother, a pianist and minister of music at Corinthian Baptist Church, as well as by “old-school heroes” like Prince and Rick James. Harv vividly recalls attending a Destiny’s Child concert at 15 years old, but not because of Beyoncé. “It’s me and my brother versus 20,000 girls screaming for Destiny’s Child, who are amazing, but me and my brother were locked in on the band,” he recalls. “Every time the bass player did something, I was just like, ‘Whoa.’”

Harv proclaimed at his high school lunch table that he’d one day play in front of 90,000 people, and then slowly stacked his wins, from a music technology scholarship for Alabama State University to his first major placement on Gucci Mane’s “Lemonade” once he’d moved to Atlanta, where he was introduced to Bieber in 2009. Since then, Harv has toured the world several times over with Bieber and We The Band — “If you want to be the best, you gotta put yourself around the best,” he says of his arena-ready bass work — while gradually transitioning to producing and songwriting. 

After contributing to a handful of Bieber album tracks, as well as to songs by artists like Omarion and Sevyn Streeter, Harv’s co-production credit on Bieber’s Grammy-nominated No. 1 smash “Peaches,” featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon, felt like a final puzzle piece in 2021. “I control what I want to do with my music now, as opposed to coming out prematurely and not having the respect or the legs,” he says. “It’s the perfect time right now.”

In early 2022, an unassuming six-hour studio session with Kyle led to “Losses.” That night, Harv played the track for his wife, Felisha, and two months later, he selected it as his debut single. “When you listen to ‘Losses,’ immediately, you think [of] a relationship where you may give more than you’re receiving,” he says. “It’s not reciprocated, and the person doesn’t care about you losing, but it can be anything in life. Musicians go through a lot. We put our all in, and [in] this music business, sometimes it doesn’t give you the same thing that you put into it.”

He plans to take the same organic approach to his solo career moving forward, in order to identify which sessions will generate the best songs without placing unnecessary pressure on results. “You can have a few good songs, but I want to have a long career,” says Harv. “I want to be 50 and have people look at me how they look at Quincy Jones. Like, ‘Oh, he’s one of those guys. He’s not just here for a summer.’ No, I’m here for the long haul.”

26 Jan 2023

Hit-Boy’s Surf Club Collective Partners With EMPIRE Publishing

EMPIRE Publishing, the publishing arm of independent distribution and service company EMPIRE, has announced its new joint venture with Surf Club, a collective of young artists, producers and writers founded by superstar producer Hit-Boy. Along with the news of the partnership itself, EMPIRE and Surf Club have also announced their first three signees: Gary “G Dav” Davis, Jesse “Dr. Blum” Blum, and Randy “Bandz” Holmes.

G Dav is a contributor to a number of major rap records, including Nas‘s King Disease, which earned him a Grammy for best rap album; Dr. Blum is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, best known for his touring work with Twenty One Pilots and cuts with Big Sean and Rage Against the Machine; Bandz is a writing and production talent, bringing his West Coast-infused sound to YG, OhGheesy, Kamaiyah and more.

Though Hit-Boy himself is not working with EMPIRE for publishing administration and remains in his previous deal, the new partnership involves the EMPIRE Publishing team — run by industry vets Al McLean, Vinny Kumar and Brett Sweeney — providing publishing administrative services to the three new signees and helping Hit-Boy Surf Club identify and sign new talent in the future.

The Surf Club collective is led by Hit-Boy along with managing partner Nima Nasseri, president Jameel “Double” James, and head of a&r James Bentley.

EMPIRE’s directors of business affairs Benedict Paz and Sarah Beth Gerlecz negotiated and finalized the partnership.

“We want to build Surf Club up to be great, create outstanding pieces of work and music. I’ve been looking for a publishing situation for years, and Empire really made it happen,” says Hit-Boy, whose credits include “Sicko Mode” by Travis Scott, “Clique” by Ye, “Trophies” by Drake, and many more.

“Hit-Boy is a prolific record producer,” says Sweeney. “His resume precedes him and his team is composed of innovative entrepreneurs. We are excited to be in business with Hit and the Surf Club team and empower their writers.”

“EMPIRE has long been in the business of pushing the culture forward on a global scale, enabling recording artists to excel independently with its distribution and label services,” adds Paz. “This partnership with a talent like Hit-Boy and the passionate individuals of the Surf Club team mirror that same ethos at EMPIRE Publishing and we are excited for what this is set to accomplish in the music publishing space.”

26 Jan 2023

The Deals: Grouplove Signs With Glassnote; Marathon Strikes Distribution Pact With FUGA

Grouplove signed with Glassnote Records ahead of their sixth album, which is due out this year. “We just made the best album of our career and on our first call with Daniel, we could immediately tell that he agreed,” said the band in a statement. “Glassnote has so many amazing artists we respect and admire and we are so proud to call it our new home.”

B2B distributor FUGA, a division of Downtown Music, struck a distribution deal with Marathon Music Group that will see Marathon utilizing FUGA’s global digital and physical distribution offering for its own roster and all labels under the group’s umbrella, including Moves Recordings, New Soil, Mahogany and DMY. Marathon will also have access to other FUGA services including marketing, enhanced trends and analytics, synch and brand partnerships, YouTube services and audience strategy.

Spotify added over 10,000 Arabic songs to its platform via a new licensing deal with Rotana Music for the label’s full catalog. The songs will be available to Spotify users in Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Pakistan Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Spotify will provide on-platform support by introducing “This is Rotana,” a destination that will serve as the home for some of the label’s most popular songs.

Music strategy and supervision agency Premier Music Group closed its second round of financing led by MEP Capital, which will join Premier’s board of directors. The investment will power Premier’s ongoing acquisitions, including, most recently, sonic identity and sound design firm We Are Listen. Premier, which did not disclose the dollar amount of the current round, was advised by Arnaud Levy at Qualia Legacy Advisors.

ASM Global‘s Tech Port Center + Arena in San Antonio has been renamed Boeing Center at Tech Port. Additionally, Boeing entered a seven-year partnership with the Kelly Heritage Foundation — an educational nonprofit affiliated with Port San Antonio, on whose behalf ASM Global manages the arena — to expand STEM learning and workforce development in South Texas via a $2.3 million investment from the aerospace company.

Music technology platform Orfium — which provides software, data and licensing solutions to the entertainment industry — acquired music cue sheet reporting and audio recognition company Soundmouse. “Over the past 20 years, Soundmouse has been building and setting the standard in cue sheet management and monitoring for the broadcast and entertainment production space,” said Soundmouse co-CEO Charles Hodgkinson in a statement. “Combine that with Orfium’s expertise in UGC tracking and claiming for publishers, labels and production music companies and we bring the worlds of digital and broadcast together in an integrated way.”

RECORDS Nashville, Barry Weiss‘ joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment, signed the James Barker Band. The group’s first single under the label, “Meet Your Mama,” drops Friday (Jan. 27). Comprised of James Barker, Taylor Abram, Connor Stephen and Bobby Martin, the band is signed with BOOM Music Group for publishing and Starseed Entertainment for management.

Live entertainment and concert production company Décibels Productions has acquired a majority stake in Olivier Gluzman‘s French talent agency Les Visiteurs du Soir (Rufus Wainwright, Angélique Kidjo, Pink Martini). The deal will allow Les Visiteurs du Soir artists to “tap into [Décibels’] production skills and global network,” said Gluzman in a statement. Morgan Production, the audiovisual company and festival organizer that first invested in Les Visiteurs du Soir in 2011, will remain a key stakeholder in the agency.

Sony Music and Todd Moscowitz‘s new artist and label services company Santa Anna signed a distribution agreement with indie label Listen to the Kids (Yeat, Alexander 23, Ericdo, Sally Bossa). Under the deal, Listen to the Kids’ roster will have access to Santa Anna’s marketing, distribution, legal and promotional support, among other services.

Big Loud Records artist Mackenzie Porter (“Thinking ‘Bout You,” “Pickup”) signed with CAA. She will be represented by the agency’s Bennett Beckner and Jeff Krones.

Riser House Records artist Meghan Patrick signed with WME for global representation and Make Wake Artists — where she will work with Chris Kappy and Randi McFadden — for management. Patrick released her new song “She’s No Good For Me” on Friday (Jan. 20).

Compass Records Group signed alt-country artist Robbie Fulks, who will release a new studio project on the label this spring. Fulks is ramping up for a U.S. tour that kicks off in April.

Kelsey Hart signed with Curb Records; he previously signed to Curb | Word Music Publishing as a songwriter for artists including Jake Owen, Dylan Scott and Trace Adkins. The label recently released two songs from Hart: “Forget to Remember You” and “My Daddy’s Fault.”

Nettwerk signed producer Donovan’s Playground, a new project from Fallen Roses member Donovan Ferra; Smile High, the solo project of Ben “Smiley” Silverstein of The Main Squeeze; and Malaysian alt-pop artist A Kid Named Rufus. The label will soon release Donovan’s Playground’s debut album To My Past Self, Smile High’s EP Snack Pack and Rufus’ single “Eighteen” featuring Cole Bauer.

Matador Records signed Brooklyn duo Water From Your Eyes and will release their new album in the first half of the year. Water From Your Eyes will host a weekly live residency in New York throughout the month of March leading up to the release.

26 Jan 2023

‘American Idol’ Announces Premiere Date For 21st Season

Get ready for dreams to come true next month when American Idol returns for its 21st season. In a Las Vegas-themed teaser tweet on Wednesday (Jan. 25), judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan were joined by host Ryan Seacrest as the quartet posed next to a giant slot machine to announce that the prime time singing competition will be back on your screens starting Feb. 19.

The ABC series promo promises “the best is yet to come” and in her twist on the announcement, Perry — who, of course, is in the midst of her Vegas “Play” residency — wrote, “American Idol has been making dreams come true for 21 years, you think we’re not gonna go BIG?!” alongside slot machine, music note and dice emoji.

The 2022 season was won by Kentucky country singer Noah Thompson, who beat out runner-up HunterGirl. Thompson, who said he ended up on the show because a friend signed him up, posted a tribute to the viewers who supported him following his win, writing, “Had a hard time making this post because I truly couldn’t find the words to say.. I was In complete shock in this moment and I still am and I probably always will be! Thank you all for giving me this opportunity, thank you for everyone who voted, thank you guys so much for everything!! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you all so thank you guys so so much. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing where this thing goes. Love all of you all.”

Thompson’s just dropped the video for his new single, “Make You Rich,” this week.

Check out the Idol teasers below.

26 Jan 2023

Margo Price Invites You To Get Mellow With Her Line of ‘Margo Grass’ CBD Joints and Flower

Margo Price is not shy about her taste for the sticky icky. So it makes perfect sense that the singer has teamed up with the cannabis brand Dad Grass to announce a new line of Mom Grass products that officially drop today (Jan. 26). Timed to coincide with Price’s mind-expanding new album, Strays, the joint-project features pre-rolled CBD joints and tins of flower, as well as a limited-edition run of merch that leans into the psychedelic vibe of the album, which mixes country, rock and songs inspired by magic mushroom adventures.

The run includes handmade, limited-edition “Margo Grass” embroidered hats and small batch natural indigo tie-dyed shirts to compliment the federally legal Mom Grass flower and joints made with CBG. According to a release, the products feature low-dose organic hemp packed with CBG, which contains less than 0.3% THC, which won’t get you Snoop-level high and is federally legal to have delivered to your home.

“I have battled insomnia, menstrual cramps, migraines, back pain, depression, hangovers, writer’s block and boredom with cannabis that’s high in CBG, and I want to help remove the stigma around this beautiful plant,” Price said in a statement.

Among the items in the collection are the Mom Grass x Margo Price special edition pack in 5 or 10-joint versions with pre-rolls in a trippy sleeve designed in collaboration with the singer that nods to the mushroom jumpsuit she wears on the album’s cover and lyrics from her song “Been to the Mountain.”

The Price collection is the follow up to last year’s George Harrison-inspired “All Things Must Grass” collection honoring the late Beatles’ iconic 1970 triple-LP solo album.

Check out some of the products below.

Dad Grass Margo Price

Courtesy Photo

Dad Grass Margo Price

Courtesy Photo

Dad Grass Margo Price

Courtesy Photo