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Fans of the show know that getting a job offer related to Severance might be an unsettling proposition, but the gentlemen of Odesza jumped at the opportunity.
“We’re mega-fans,” the duo’s Harrison Mills says of the show, which tracks the bifurcated existences of the employees of Lumon Industries, a mysterious, seemingly nefarious global conglomerate that employs people who’ve chosen to undergo a neural procedure that severs their personal and professional lives, making it so that neither part is aware of the other. After a three-year hiatus, the show’s acclaimed second season launched on Apple TV+ last month.
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Today (Feb. 21), fans of the series are getting a company bonus via a mix of the Severance theme song created by Odesza. The pair — Mills and Clayton Knight — transformed the soundtrack into a 23-minute mix that’s also been looped to form an eight hour piece of music, not coincidentally the same amount of time as a standard 9-5 workday. Hear the 23-minute mix, set to footage from the show, below.
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Upon accepting the remix offer, Mills and Knight were provided with the complete (and then still unreleased) season two episodes, along with the stems of the score created by Teddy Shapiro, who won an Emmy Award for Severance‘s season one soundtrack and returned for season two.
“We wanted to take people on a journey and give a wider breadth of music and play off and reinterpret Teddy’s score in a unique way,” says Mills. “We put different chords under a lot of his melodies, while also trying to stay true to the vibe of the show, which is kind of creepy and subversive. You’re not overtly aware of this dark underbelly.”
Being based in Seattle also helped the duo in the creation process, with the current dark days of winter helping them get in a mental zone that matched the show. Unlike the characters, however, they did not flip the work switch off at the end of the day. “We were literally living and breathing this thing,” says Knight, “going to bed thinking about it, probably too much in the zone.”
Working under a hard deadline — they project had to be completed in just a month — was helpful, as the tight timeline made it so they didn’t overthink decisions or get too in the weeds on what they were doing.
Their final product takes cues from the show — including the signature piano chords from its theme and other sonic moments, like typing — and folds them into a mix that reflects the themes of Severance itself, balancing light and dark moments. Mills describes it as,”lulling you into this false sense of security that it’s all happy and then bringing these darker sounds that creep into it. It’s like beautiful melancholy. There’s sadness, but there’s also surface level joy throughout. We were trying to play with major chords, but then sneak in these weird, kind of dissonant sounds that creep in.”
They agree that the project took inspiration from their own 2020 side project, Bronson, which focused on darker, heavier sounds than the typical Odesza output. The mix was also a natural fit given that, Mill says, “we’ve always been so influenced by film scores and scores in general.” Meetings with Shapiro also instilled confidence, as the composer, Mills continues, “was so open and receptive to us just doing anything… He was such a fun person to bounce our ideas off of and was so receptive to us trying things. It just allowed us to really have fun with it.”
“It’s got Odesza energy, but it tries to capture the tone and motifs of the show,” says Knight. “It’s also the first time we haven’t had a vocal element to work with. It uses zero vocals. So it was us going back to our roots in terms of tempo, slowing everything down to keep it more cinematic and keeping it more instrumental, not relying on a lead top line to carry anything and letting the instrumentation speak for itself. It was definitely a different workflow than we’ve done the past, but really fun and exciting.”
The project also arrived at a synergistic moment for the broader Odesza trajectory. The guys wrapped their massive The Last Goodbye tour last July, with the run (named for their 2022 album) spanning 54 shows at 48 venues throughout North America, including headlining sets at festivals like Governors Ball and Bonnaroo. (In 2022 and 2023, the tour grossed $35.8 million and sold 601,000 tickets, according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore.)
The pair have since been on a break and are just now getting back into album writing mode, with the Severance mix helping them get their musical gears once again turning.
“It was a really nice first stepping stone into what will be our next project, the big album project,” says Knight. “It’s a nice way to get the creative juices flowing again and to jump in without having too many avenues.” He adds that for the foreseeable future, “We’re definitely in writing mode. We have some DJ sets sprinkled throughout the year, but [now] it’s really a focus on studio time and making the next chapter of the Odesza project.”
“We’re experimenting,” Mills adds. “We want to build time to find inspiration and to innovate and just not feel too pressured to just be on another cycle again.”
Given the pressure that their jobs can contain, one wonders if Mills and Knight would ever consider severing their personal and professional lives, like Lumon employees. They laugh at the question. Knight says that while they’d maybe want to forget about “some earlier shows where we played in a hotel lobby, to 20 people looking at their phones,” ultimately they’re happy to be integrated.
“We have the best jobs in the world,” says Knight. “We get to make music and hang out with cool people and make fun projects. There’s really no complaining.”
A lot of podcast hosts would probably sacrifice an arm and a leg to have Taylor Swift as a guest, but Monica Lewinsky thinks her show would be a particularly good fit for the pop superstar. While visiting The Late Show Thursday night (Feb. 20), the anti-bullying activist opened up about starting her new Reclaiming […]
A court in Argentina dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with the death of Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last October, according to a ruling obtained by The Associated Press.
A preliminary autopsy report cited multiple traumas and hemorrhages as the cause of death, while a toxicology report revealed alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants in Payne’s system.
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The court cleared Esteban Grassi, head receptionist at the CasaSur Hotel, Rogelio Nores, an Argentine-American businessman who accompanied Payne on the trip, and Gilda Martin, the hotel’s manager. Grassi had made two emergency calls prior to the accident, first reporting that a guest was “trashing the entire room” and later expressing concerns that the guest “may be in danger.”
Prosecutors argued that Nores neglected his duty of care by leaving Payne alone while intoxicated, but the court ruled that he had no legal obligation. Martin and Grassi, who had escorted Payne to his room, were also cleared, as the court found insufficient evidence that their actions directly contributed to his fatal fall.
However, two other defendants, Ezequiel David Pereyra, a former hotel employee, and Braian Paiz, a waiter who served Payne at a restaurant, remain in custody. They are charged with supplying narcotics to Payne, an offense that carries a prison sentence of four to 15 years in Argentina. The court justified their continued detention due to the severity of the charges.
In Argentina’s legal system, prosecutors gather evidence for a judge to decide whether a case proceeds to trial.
Payne was laid to rest in November in the U.K., with his funeral attended by his One Direction bandmates, girlfriend Katie Cassidy, and ex-partner Cheryl Cole, with whom he shared a son.
“You Are Everything.” “Betcha by Golly, Wow.” “I’m Stone in Love With You.” And, of course, “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” Those are just a few of the harmonizing gems that helped seal The Stylistics’ reputation as one of R&B/pop’s legendary acts. Now the group is celebrating its 57th anniversary with its first new album in almost two decades, Falling in Love With My Girl.
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Released Friday (Feb. 21) through the label Greatest Music of All Time LLC, the 21-track album prefaced its arrival a week earlier with the soulful lead single “Yes, I Will” featuring Shania Twain. But the country superstar isn’t the only music luminary who collaborated on The Stylistics’ return with producer Tom Cridland and executive producer Debbie Cridland. Comprising that list of notables are the Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, Kiss’ Gene Simmons, The Elton John Band (including Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone), Chicago’s Bill Champlin, ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Tower of Power, Ray Parker Jr., Jay Graydon, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, The Real Thing, Nathan East and Carly Paoli.
“Here we are, blessed and fortunate to still sell out concerts and now able to go back in the studio and do new music,” says The Stylistics’ Herb Murrell. “Especially after such a long period of time. It feels good to know that somebody out there still thinks about us having a market for new music.”
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It was when Murrell and fellow group members Airrion Love and Jason Sharp performed some shows in the U.K. a few years back that they first met Tom Cridland, who was their opening act. Then this past year, Tom did an entire tour with the group — which also performed at the Cridlands’ wedding reception. And out of that camaraderie, the seeds were sown for a new album.
THE STYLISTICS
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“We have an established sound,” says Murrell. “So when working with anyone, you want to make sure that they don’t try to change your sound. The songs that Tom was bringing to the table had that Stylistics flavor with a new approach to it. That was the most important thing, which he understood while staying within what we’re known for: love songs.”
Case in point is the heartfelt “Yes, I Will.” Initially invited to sing on another song, Twain suggested “Yes,” which she had co-written with Nathan East with a contribution from Tom Cridland. Of the song, which also features musicians Ray Parker Jr. and Steve Lukather, Twain said in an earlier press announcement, “I’m so happy this song has found a home on The Stylistics album. It’s a special song that came together on one special day at my home where I was hanging out with some friends and musicians. I’m just really excited to share it with the whole world.”
“Once we heard it, we knew it was a great song,” Murrell tells Billboard. “Then the next thing you know, Tom is coming back to us saying this person and that person wants to be involved with the project.”
Most of the album tracks were written by Tom Cridland together with Anthony King of Blackpool and King’s wife, Fiona Shaw. Two tracks were written by The Stylistics’ Love: “Sad Tomorrows” and “I Get a Feeling.”
Love and Murrell are the original members of The Stylistics, which began as a quintet in Philadelphia in 1968. The group was signed to Avco Records when its run of indelible ‘70s hits — in collaboration with legendary songwriters Thom Bell and Linda Creed — began, including “I’m Stone in Love With You,” “Break Up to Make Up” and “People Make the World Go Round.” In 1980 The Stylistics segued to Philadelphia International Records, where they scored another hit with “Hurry Up This Way Again.” All told, the group boasts five gold singles and three gold albums, while their songs have been covered or sampled by the likes of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, Prince, Simply Red, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Nas and Usher
A trio since the departure of member Russell Thompkins Jr. in 2000, The Stylistics welcomed Sharp in 2011. Of the group’s enduring appeal, Murrell says, “When you walk out on that stage, your audience will let you know whether you’re still relevant or not. But we’ve been blessed because multiple generations of people are still coming to see The Stylistics and hear this music. And that keeps us going.”
Billboard announced the opening acts for its The Stage at SXSW concert series during this year’s annual gathering in Austin, TX on Friday (Feb. 21). Joining previously announced headliners Koe Wetzel, Grupo Frontera and John Summit at the concert series at the iconic Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park from March 13-15 are a group of […]
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Tate McRae seizes her moment, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco find healing with Gracie Abrams, and JENNIE and Doechii run the world for the girls. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Tate McRae, So Close to What
Tate McRae’s success story is one of perseverance: the Canadian pop star has spent grinding out singles and projects, honing her sound and point of view, and collecting enough crossover hits to build palpable buzz around her latest full-length. So Close to What doesn’t deviate too much from McRae’s proven aesthetic — the 15 tracks rarely exceed the three-minute mark — but also features a more mature perspective, as McRae asserts her fears and desires within each slick hook.
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Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco with Gracie Abrams, “Call Me When You Break Up”
Longtime Selena Gomez fans understand the appeal of her stream-of-consciousness pop — verses blurted out, vulnerabilities on full display — and Gomez (alongside fiancee Benny Blanco and her pal Gracie Abrams) releases a winner in that template with “Call Me When You Break Up,” as she and Abrams play ride-or-die friends and emotional foils.
JENNIE feat. Doechii, “ExtraL”
While the latest preview of JENNIE’s forthcoming solo album Ruby features a delightfully aggressive performance from the BLACKPINK star and a bullet-time guest verse by Doechii, the female empowerment anthem is highlighted by a refrain peppered throughout the song, and sure to elicit shout-alongs at clubs in the coming months: “Do my ladies run this?”
Don Toliver & Speedy feat. J-Hope & Pharrell Willams, “LV Bag”
“LV Bag,” which premiered at Pharrell Williams’ menswear show during Paris Fashion Week, boasts a stacked lineup — Don Toliver headlines the affair, and he corrals J-Hope of BTS to navigate the opulent opening verse — but the melody that snakes throughout the track is a classic Williams earworm, as undeniably catchy as some of his early Neptunes smashes.
Coco Jones, “Taste”
Ahead of her newly announced debut album, Why Not More?, which is due out in April, Coco Jones has established herself as an effortlessly talented star in the R&B world — but new single “Taste,” which is built around an interpolation of Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” serves a nice reminder of her pop panache as well.
Sam Fender, People Watching
The title People Watching should be taken literally — for Sam Fender’s third studio album, the British rock star shifts his perspective toward his family and friends as well as strangers, perceiving the world (and himself) as they might — but the songwriting exercise yields some of Fender’s most accessible tracks yet, including standouts like “Little Bit Closer,” “Nostalgia’s Lie” and the title track.
Burna Boy, “Update”
A few months after Kendrick Lamar sampled the club classic “When I Hear Music” on “Squabble Up,” Burna Boy has returned, ahead of upcoming eighth studio album No Sign of Weakness, with a similar approach on “Update,” re-contextualizing Soul II Soul’s “Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)” as the foundation of a effervescent Afrobeats track.
Editor’s Pick: Anxious, Bambi
If Anxious’ 2022 debut Little Green House sounded like a breath of fresh air from the punk-leaning emo scene, the Connecticut quintet’s follow-up represents an exciting artist achieving greatness: Bambi sharpens the band’s formula in every conceivable way, with songs like opener “Never Said” fine-tuning the band’s defiant cries, “Some Girls” and “Next Big Star” offering spectacular pop hooks, and the entirety of the project’s lyrics capturing the growing pains leading up to this moment.
Cole Swindell adds his 13th top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Forever to Me” pushes a spot to No. 10 on the March 1-dated tally. The song increased by 6% to 17 million audience impressions Feb. 14-20, according to Luminate. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news […]
There’s no denying West Coast rapper AZ Chike had a remarkable 2024. After appearing on two of rap’s biggest releases with ScHoolboy Q’s “Movie” and Kendrick Lamar’s Hot 100 top 15 hit “peekaboo,” Chike announced on Friday (Feb. 21) that he’d be inking a deal with Warner Records, a mere two weeks after K. Dot rapped his bars on the Super Bowl stage.
“Everything was just aligned bro. Even right now, it’s so aligned [that] it’s kinda scary,” Chike tells Billboard.
Chike has been hard at work making music since 2013, getting his first taste of success in 2017 with “Burn Rubber Again.” The song accrued over 25 million plays on SoundCloud, and from there, he’s been steadily building momentum. Eventually, the hard work caught the attention of TDE and as Chike said multiple times in our interview, “the rest is history.”
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“We are thrilled to welcome AZ Chike to Warner Records at such a pivotal moment in his career. As an artist who has built incredible momentum over the past year, Chike, who was brought in by our partner Tim Hinshaw, has already captivated audiences and proven his impact,” says Aaron Bay-Schuck, co-chairman & CEO of Warner Records in a statement. “His talent, vision, and artistry have set him apart, and we are honored to support and help bring his music to an even larger global audience.”
Chike is equally as excited and dropped off his latest single “Whatx2” on Friday to celebrate the news.
“Tim Hinshaw bringing me in at Warner and having a sit down with Aaron Bay-Schuck was the best decision I could have made following up all my current success,” he says. “I love how in tune they are with the culture and hip-hop. It feels like I’m supposed to be here. The stars are aligning and I’m happy they are a part of that alignment.”
Billboard spoke with AZ Chike about his new single, signing with Warner, and how he’s been doing since Kendrick’s electric Super Bowl performance.
Where were you when Dot rapped your “peekaboo” bars at the Super Bowl? How were you feeling?
I had rented out a house to go watch it with my close friends and family type sh-t and we didn’t know he was gonna do that. That’s the thing with this dude Dot, he always surprisin’. He’s got somethin’ up his sleeve, he don’t share the information and I’m close with a lot of people on his team, and every time something happens that’s surprising, he calls me right after, like, ‘yeah, I wanted to tell you so bad.’ He did the same sh-t when GNX dropped.
When did you first connect with TDE?
We wanted to follow in their footsteps and do the conscious rap, but L.A. wasn’t f–king with it, bro. So we just [rapped about] the life we actually live. The ratchet, street shi-, lot of bi–hes, money all this other sh-t goin’ on. We resulted to that and right hand to God, probably like four months after that, it took off.
How did you tap in with ScHoolboy on “Movie?”
[Akeem] called me like, ‘What you on?’ I was like, ‘I ain’t on sh-t’. He was like, ‘pull up to the studio right quick,’ he didn’t even tell me it was with Q. I pull up and it’s Q there and Q is just given’ me all these props. Letting me know he been seein’ everything. I spent like a week with him in the studio and for the first three days we didn’t even do no music. He was just feelin’ me out, givin’ me the homie treatment. I passed I guess! [laughs] It was dope.
How did you meet Kendrick?
Q FaceTimed me, and he never f–kin’ FaceTime’s me. I answer, he in the Double R with the stars on the ceiling. He’s like, ‘What you on? You around anybody?’ I’m like, ‘Nah.’ He like, ‘I just got off the phone with Dot. He wanna f–k with you. I just wanted to hit you up and let you know before I give him your number.’ Like, pause. But I had to keep my cool! That’s the thing with TDE, you don’t wanna be groupied out. That night, Dot text me. We say, ‘What’s the deal?’ in L.A. or, ‘Sta deal?’ He say, ‘Sta deal? This Dot.’ I pulled up on him and the rest was history.
Nothing’s been the same since.
Before Q and Dot hit me up, I went through something crazy in life where I was ready to crash. Last year, I was still one foot in, one foot out with sh-t. So I was f–ked up in the head about sh-t just ready to go a different way, and in a sense that sh-t kinda saved my life. God will take everything from you and give it back to you ten times. It was in a sense of that and, I still gotta tell Dot that cause that sh-t was crazy.
What’s next for you? Tell me about your new single “Whatx2?”
“Whatx2” is the fun record, just circling back to how I got here and just having fun and kicking things off before I get even a little crazier. Now I get to kick it into tenth gear. Now you’re gonna really see what’s going on on the music side. I am coming out with an album called No Rest For the Wicked. The goal is to release it in May. We dropping a video and a single every month leading up to it.
It’s game-time.
Yeah, this is just what I signed up for. As you see, I’m on go. I’m in every meeting, [and] on every e-mail. This is what I’m built for, and I’m not turning down no responsibility. I embrace the pressure.
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Malcolm X is a revolutionary figure, and his influence still hits hard today, even in the world of Hip-Hop. Today marks 60 years since his death, and if he were still around, he’d be celebrating his 100th birthday.
His legacy is all over hip-hop, with rappers constantly referencing his name to highlight the struggles, resistance, and power of Black people. Here are five hip-hop tracks that mention the iconic revolutionary:
Public Enemy – ‘Fight the Power’
Public Enemy made Malcolm X a central figure in their anthem for social change. The lyrics shout out his name as part of a broader call to challenge the system of oppression, with his teachings resonating through the track’s rebellious tone. Public Enemy mention Malcom’s name saying, “They killed Malcolm X, they killed Doctor King (Doctor King) They gave us guns and dope, they wanna stop our kings” –
Ye (formally known as Kanye West) – ‘Good Morning’
In “Good Morning,” Kanye West pays homage to Malcolm X with the line: “I’m like the fly Malcolm X, buy any jeans necessary.” This line reflects Kanye’s confidence and individuality, channeling Malcolm’s unapologetic, self-assured attitude while challenging societal norms.
The Game – ‘Red Nation’
The Game references Malcolm X in the line: “‘Cause I’m Malcolm X before he turned Muslim, Red”
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Mortal Man’
Kendrick Lamar’s “Mortal Man” features a direct reference to Malcolm X: “When shit hit the fan, is you still a fan? / 50 million in the fire, I’m not a liar / I’m a mortal man, that’s a mortal man, the same man that is a fan of the same man / Malcolm X was a leader for the people.” This reference connects Kendrick’s own struggle for justice to Malcolm’s legacy.
Dead Prez – ‘Be Healthy’
Dead Prez references Malcolm X in the line: “Malcolm X said / You know I don’t eat no pork / I know that’s right, that’s the way I live / Don’t do drugs or mess with the pigs.” They draw from Malcolm’s message of self-care and resistance, tying it into their own philosophy of healthy living and conscious choices.
These tracks show how hip-hop continues to carry the torch of Malcolm X’s revolutionary spirit, using his words and legacy to inspire change, resistance, and empowerment.
02/21/2025
Clément Ducol and Camille have a chance to join this list for their work on Emilia Pérez.
02/21/2025