r&b
Page: 12
The annual Celebration gathering at Prince‘s Paisley Park is back this year with the promise of another trove of unreleased music from the late rock icon’s vault. The party will take place from June 8-11 and a release announcing the lineup promises appearances and conversations with Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Chaka Khan, as well as DJ D-Nice and Doug E. Fresh and performances from Minnesota gospel groups Sounds of Blackness and The Steeles.
Also on tap for the event are Mint Condition’s Stokley, DJ Rashina, members of Prince’s NPG band, his backup singer and solo artist Shelby J and the Minneapolis youth choir Known MPLS. The gathering at the “Purple Rain” star’s iconic studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota will also include a Prince Legacy Tribute show honoring one of the New Power Generation’s founding members, Rosie Gaines.
But perhaps the high point for any Prince fanatic is the annual opportunity to get exclusive access to the singer’s vault of unreleased recordings and live tapes, with attendees, as usual, split into two groups, “Diamond” and “Pearl,” for their intimate tours of the 65,000 square foot complex.
At press time organizers had not revealed which recordings would be pulled from the legendarily packed vault, but they did say that this year’s theme is tied to the number 7, which was very significant to the singer, who was born on June 7, 1958. He frequently referenced the number, including on the song “7” from his 1992 Love Symbol album.
“This year marks 7 years of uplifting Prince’s legacy and carefully preserving his prolific artistic output and his creative sanctuary,” read a statement. “At Celebration 2023, guests will take a deep dive into understanding the cultural significance of 7 and how it has been reflected throughout history. Click here for more information on tickets.
The final day of Pharrell’s Something in the Water 2023 festival in Virginia Beach was canceled on Sunday (April 30) due to severe weather. “We are disappointed to share that under the advisement of the city of Virginia Beach and the local authorities we have to cancel day three of SOMETHING IN THE WATER due to significant impacts to the festival site caused by severe weather,” read a statement from festival organizers around 6 p.m. about the forecasted storms approaching the area, as well as a tornado warning and damage from earlier weather.
“We did not make this decision easily but everyone’s safety is our top priority. We will be refunding 33% of the base price from admission passes,” they added, with refunds slated to be automatically processed beginning Monday (April 1).
The cancelation resulted in the scotching of scheduled sets by Grace Jones, the Clipse, Wu-Tang Clan, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Lil Uzi Vert, 100 Gecs, Aminé, Flo Milli and Lil Durk.
“No one wants to make this call, but we cannot predict nor negotiate with the weather tonight. It is our responsibility to ensure public safety above all else,” City Manager Patrick Duhaney said, according to the Virginian-Pilot. “The City thanks the Something in the Water team, our public safety teams and City staff for their hard work this weekend under fluctuating weather conditions, and we appreciate everyone’s understanding of this difficult decision.”
Founder Pharrell Williams posted a heartfelt note to fellow Virginians and attendees, writing, “We are the best. These past few days @sitw have been the best. Even during this Tornado Watch and Lightning Storm right now as I type, we are the best. Thank you for giving the folks that travel here that energy and that LOVE that only we can give. Thank you to our partners, the vendors, production, policemen, firemen, the city council, the mayor and all who volunteered. The spirit here was felt everywhere!”
Williams promised that 2024’s SITW dates will be shifted in an attempt to avoid inclement spring weather, as well as teasing “more acts, more merch, more food… just more!” next year. WAVY reported that the first two days of this year’s event were also impacted by weather, with some acts slated for Friday bumped to Saturday and Sunday and Saturday’s start time pushed back after weather caused issues on site the night before.
Friday’s lineup featured performances by Babyface Ray, Arcade Fire, Maren Morris, Skrillex Kehlani, Mumford & Sons and Kid Cudi, while day 2 saw sets from the Kid Laroi, Wet Leg, the Jonas Brothers, Lil Yachty, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Wayne and Pharrell’s Phriends, which included guests A$AP Rocky, De La Soul, M.I.A., Diddy, Chris Brown Latto and more.
The first day of 2019’s inaugural edition of SITW in Williams’ hometown was canceled due to weather, throwing a wrench into planned sets from Dave Matthews Band, Migos, Pharrell & Friends, Diplo and more. The 2022 edition was moved to Washington, D.C. after Williams got involved in a dispute with city officials over what he called a “toxic” environment following the fatal police shooting of his cousin, Donovon Lynch.
See the announcements below.
Dearest Virginia,We are the best.These past few days @sitw #sitwfest have been the best.Even during this Tornado Watch and Lightning Storm right now as I type, we are the best.Thank you for giving the folks that travel here that energy and that LOVE that only we can give.… pic.twitter.com/pTGwbUY562— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) April 30, 2023
We are disappointed to share that under the advisement of the city of Virginia Beach and the local authorities we have to cancel day three of SOMETHING IN THE WATER due to significant impacts to the festival site caused by severe weather… (1/3) pic.twitter.com/cj4kQgiufl— SOMETHING IN THE WATER (@sitw) April 30, 2023
…passes. Refunds will be automatically processed beginning tomorrow, and take approximately 14 days. (3/3)— SOMETHING IN THE WATER (@sitw) April 30, 2023
“Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?/ Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” Those two lascivious French language come-on lines are among the most definitive lyrics in the 1974 Labelle Billboard Hot 100 hit “Lady Marmalade.” They appear in a song that has some equally inscrutable couplets including, “Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, da-da (hey, hey, hey)/ Gitchie, gitchie, ya-ya, here (here)/ Mocha Chocolata, ya-ya (ooh, yeah)/ Creole Lady Marmalade.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
All you need to know is that the song slaps. And that Labelle lead singer Patti LaBelle had absolutely no idea what she was saying when she sang those sweet French nothings into our ears half a century ago. During an appearance on Sherri Shepherd’s syndicated daytime talker earlier this week, LaBelle, 78, made a startling admission when Shepherd asked if she knew it would be such a big hit at the time.
“For once, I can say yes and really mean yes,” she said of her certainty that she needed to immediately record the song with band mates Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx. “I said, ‘We have to record this because it’s a hit,’ and it was,” she recalled telling late producer Allen Toussaint as the group headed to New Orleans to record with the legendary singer/writer/producer. “I had no clue it meant ‘will you sleep with me tonight.’ I didn’t know no French. I knew it was a hit… Yeah, that’s what that song was all about. And it was a hit,” she added about not knowing at the time that the refrain had such a saucy translation.
In addition to it being a smash for Labelle, the song hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 again in 2001 when Pink, Mya, Christina Aguilera and Lil Kim re-recorded it for the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!
Watch LaBelle’s interview below.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Global Citizen Ambassador John Legend have been added to the long list of world leaders and activists who will gather in New York next week for the Global Citizen Now summit.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
According to a release, the gathering will bring together “government leaders, private sector executives, grassroots activists, cultural innovators, philanthropic experts, and leading journalists across two dynamic days to make progress on the systemic challenges our world is facing.”
Actresses Katie Holmes and Busy Philipps will also be on hand, along with CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, who join a long list of expected attendees including: Dubai Cares CEO/Vice-Chairman H.E. Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, New York Times best-selling author Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche, artist Alok Vaid-Menon, model and activist Maria Borges, Nightline co-anchor Juju Chang, restaurateur/author/philanthropist Pinky Cole, Girl Effect country lead – Etheopia Liya Haile, Bloomberg Markets: The Close co-host Caroline Hyde, actress Nomzamo Mbatha, Canadian ambassador for women, peace, and security Jacqueline O’Neill, Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough, Dot Dot Dot founder Laurie Segall, special envoy for the human rights of LGBTI persons, U.S. government Jessica Stern and WEConnect International CEO/co-founder Elizabeth Vazquez.
“Building a future that is fair, equal, and peaceful, with clean air and clean water for everyone, is at the heart of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and reflects the vision of the Global Citizen NOW summit,” said Trudeau in a statement about the summit that will have attendees talking about next steps for immediate action on climate change, the global food crisis, gender inequality, protecting activists and more.
“In New York City, I look forward to advancing our shared progress and advocating for strong global commitments to support gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls everywhere,” he added.
Others slated to participate include: Hugh Jackman, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Bridget Moynahan and Tamron Hall.
Global Citizen NOW will take place on April 27-28 at the Glasshouse in New York City; it can be livestreamed globally on Reuters on Thursday, April 27 at 3 p.m. ET.
After flying his flannel and dipping into some country funk vibes on 2018’s Man of the Woods, Justin Timberlake is ready to dance, dance, dance on his next album. Longtime pal and producer Timbaland recently spoke to Variety about the just-wrapped sessions for JT’s sixth solo album.
Last week, Tim said he’d just left the studio where he and Timberlake were finishing things up and he said “everything sounds great. Now it’s really on him how he plans to wrap it up and how and when he envisions it to come out. With an artist of his caliber, everything has to be aligned, but it’s done and it’s coming.”
At press time a spokesperson for Timberlake had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on the status of his next album.
The great news according to Timbaland is that the as-yet-untitled collection is a definitive return to “fun Justin.” The producer who has worked on some of JT’s most iconic tracks said the collection hearkens back to Justin’s beloved 2006 FutureSex/LoveSounds album, which featured the hits “SexyBack,” “My Love,” “What Goes Around… Comes Around” and “Summer Love.”
“But nothing too heavy, just giving you what you’d expect from us: not overthought, the lyrics are not so deep, it’s bob-your-head, dance-to-it music,” Timbaland said. “Music is a young sport, and you have to keep it fun — fun and young. We’ve both seen a lot of life, but you can’t overthink it because of that, you have to bring out the 13-year-old, 18-year-old again, you know? If not, you can get into the old-fogey stage real quick.[Laughs] That’s just the world we live in.”
He said the pair took them time on this one in order to make sure they were being “authentic and true to the art,” so when songs came up that were “too complicated” they picked tracks that were more along the lines of “‘FutureSex’ part two.”
As for the mixed response to Man of the Woods — which folded in folksy Americana vibes on songs such as the rural funk “Supplies” and country pop “Say Something” with country singer Chris Stapleton — Timbaland said the LP was part of a “statement” that JT wanted to make at the time. “When artists have a personal things that they want to do, I kind of back myself away. Because if I have a personal thing that I’m trying to get across, I have to at least try to get it out and deal with whatever happens from that point,” he said.
So as Justin’s friend, Tim said he tried to help make the best album they could together, teaming with another frequent sonic associate, Pharrell, to help execute the singer’s vision for the project. “I guess it’s kind of an autobiography album, ‘I’m from Memphis, I came from nothing, this is how I used to live my life in the South,’” he said of the album’s theme.
Understanding that without risk there is no reward, Tim said after Justin got what he needed to off his chest, “now were’ back to the essence.” At press time a title and release date for Timberlake’s sixth album have not been announced.
Beyoncé rocks a rhinestone-covered black velvet hat and and matching curve-hugging black bodysuit on the cover of Vogue France in a story celebrating the new couture collection she’s co-created with Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
As the accompanying story explains, instead of working to finalize Balmain’s spring 2023 collection last July, Rousteing was obsessing over Bey’s then-new album Renaissance album. “I was sketching and sketching as I listened, and sometimes you can’t control the emotion of your sketch,” he told the magazine about his priorities at the time (which also included preparing for holiday). “And I started to imagine the sketches inside her album, how they would relate to the songs and the lyrics — it wasn’t something I was supposed to be doing but I was just inspired by the music to do it. And that’s how this started.”
Rousteing did eventually get to that vacation, but he told Vogue he couldn’t stop sketching Renaissance-inspired ideas, so when he returned to Paris in August he reached out to Bey’s stylist, Marni Senofonte, and pitched her team on a couture collection. “My hope was that she would be up for something even beyond the work we have done together before… I wanted us to be co-designers,” he said, noting that to his joy, Beyoncé was totally on board.
That kicked off a five-month collaboration between the designer, Senofonte and Bey that included cutting down the 50 looks Rousteing had amassed to a “playlist” of 17 final ones that eventually became the Balmain x Beyoncé couture collection. “The result is a suite of A-side looks that honor both the history of the house and the musical heritage of the performer,” the magazine explained, noting that two of the pieces have already been seen in the real world at this year’s Grammy Awards and the BRIT Awards.
“I can’t help but be thrilled by the history-making aspects of this collaboration,” Rousteing said of the 17 items inspired by a track, or lyric, from the album. “This appears to be the first time that a Black woman has overseen the couture offering from an historic Parisian house. And those designs were created in partnership with the first Black man to ever oversee all the collections at an historic Parisian house. Let’s hope those two firsts help inspire plenty of others…Thank you, Beyoncé for creating the infectious, joyous music that launched this journey—and for partnering with me to ensure that we designed the collection that perfectly reflected the power of those compositions.”
The accompanying story breaks down 12 of the looks — with notes from Rousteing on their inspiration and formatio — from the opening one, an “I’m That Girl” bustier in hammered metal by sculptor Elie Hirsch covered in spikes, with matching spiked bracelets, to a stunning “Plastic Off the Couch” dress that took inspiration from the song’s disco vibe by melding three different concepts.
“The first is an extremely sensual silhouette that relies on impressively curved front-and-back boning to create that impeccably fitted, body-con tulle bustier. The second is a dazzlingly lustrous shine achieved by galvanized, pink-chrome fabric (allowing us to channel the slippery and slick title material),” reads the description. “And the third is an unexpected combo of two iconic Parisian couture signatures: the bow and le smoking. Beyoncé and I were very inspired by the Balmain archive’s many mid-century examples of the founder’s brilliance in creating surprising couture silhouettes via new twists on bow sizing, shape, and placements. Building on that legacy, we decided to flip our glossy pink bow 180 degrees… this transformed what normally would have been a bow’s hanging fabric edges into the most reduced version possible of a classic smoking’s lapels.”
In an Instagram post with Rousteing celebrating the collaboration, Bey wrote, “Thank you @olivier_rousteing and @balmain for bringing RENAISSANCE to life in couture. Designing alongside you was freeing—thank you for allowing me to celebrate the human form, to take artistic risks, to push boundaries and to freely express myself. To the @voguefrance team, thank you for trusting in our vision and sharing it with the world.”
Click here to see the looks and descriptions and check out the cover images in Beyoncé’s Instagram post below.
Soul singer/songwriter Bobby Caldwell, best known for his 1978 hit “What You Won’t Do For Love,” has died at 71. His wife, Mary Caldwell, announced the news in a tweet on Wednesday morning (March 15), writing that, “Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years. He had been ‘FLOXED,’ it took his health over the last 6 years and 2 months. Rest with God, my Love.”
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
While Mary Caldwell didn’t specify what ailment the singer suffered from, “Floxed” generally refers to a condition the Regenerative Medicine L.A. treatment center says arises from the adverse effects of consuming fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin or Avelox; no additional information on the cause of Caldwell’s death was available at press time.
Robert Hunter Caldwell was born on April 15, 1951 in New York City and got his first big break serving as the rhythm guitarist for Little Richard in the early 1970s before going solo later in the decade and scoring a hit out of the box on his TK Records debut with the No. 9 Billboard Hot 100 single “What You Won’t Do For Love.”
In a 2005 interview with NPR, Caldwell said the Miami-based label with a largely Black, R&B roster didn’t “want it to be well-known that I was white,” which explains why his picture was left off the cover of his self-titled debut. Additionally, he said the record was initially completed without the smooth, jazzy ballad “Love,” which Caldwell wrote and cut in a hurry to please TK boss Henry Stone. The song went on to cement Caldwell’s reputation as a “blue-eyed soul” star and it has been covered since by everyone from Boyz II Men to Michael Bolton, Roy Ayers and Snoh Aalegra; it was also sampled by Tupac Shakur on “Do For Love.”
He scored again in 1980 with the gentle piano pop tune “Open Your Eyes” from that year’s Cat in the Hat album, which was later sampled by producer J Dilla for the song “The Light” from Common’s Like Water for Chocolate album.
Describing his sound, which mixed pop with smooth jazz, R&B and a Brazilian/island vibe, Caldwell told NPR that his time growing up in Miami soaking up all kinds of music — “Haitian, reggae, Latin, pop, R&B” — as well as befriending his real estate mom’s client, reggae icon Bob Marley, helped him find his signature groove.
Caldwell continued to release albums throughout the 1980s, 1990s and into the mid-2010’s, all the way through his final collection, 2015’s Cool Uncle. He also wrote the hit 1986 duet “The Next Time I Fall” for Amy Grant and Chicago’s Peter Cetera, as well as songs for Neil Diamond, Boz Scaggs, Ayers, Chicago and Natalie Cole, among others.
See Mary Caldwell’s tweet and listen to “What You Won’t Do For Love” below.
Bobby passed away here at home. I held him tight in my arms as he left us. I am forever heartbroken. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers over the years. He had been “FLOXED,” it took his health over the last 6 years and 2 months. Rest with God, my Love. -Mary Caldwell— Bobby Caldwell (@bobbycaldwell) March 15, 2023
2023 will mark five years since Henry Lau went independent after his contract completion with Korean super-label SM Entertainment, and his latest music shows him still pushing toward his goal of boundary-less music.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Henry’s new single “Real Love Still Exists” brings the singer-songwriter and Malaysian breakout superstar Yuna together for a languishing R&B-pop duet perfect for both their tender voices. Canada-raised Lau opens the track with sparse acoustic guitar backing a melancholy melody reminiscent of the No. 1 Beatles classic “Something.” Yuna hops in halfway through the song as the second verse incorporates heavier percussion beats accompanying the songbird’s sweetly somber delivery. The two harmonize on the chorus together, dreamily duetting and pleading: “Give me just a chance/ One chance/ Take you to the other side/ Where ignorance is bliss/ Where real love still exists.”
For the accompanying music video, Henry headed to the City of Light for the lovelorn song’s visual. The star plays guitar on the Paris streets amid couples kissing, one getting down on one knee for a proposal, as Henry flashbacks to his own relationship. By the end of the visual, the sun has set on Paris, and Henry finds himself face-to-face with his lost love again.
“Real Love Still Exists” is the second new track from Henry in 2023 after January’s funky, folky pop single “Moonlight,” marking the former Super Junior member’s first new collection of singles since his Journey album in late 2020. Both releases come through Lau’s Monster Entertainment Group, which he told Billboard in 2019 was envisioned for him to “make my own brand, to have my own color” and make label-less music in any language he feels. The multilingual star has recently been active with music, television, acting, and his YouTube channel featuring viral violin and vocal covers of Hot 100 hits like Miley Cyrus‘ “Flowers,” SZA‘s “Kill Bill” and more.
Check out if “Real Love Still Exists” with Henry below:
Ozzy Osbourne has met a lot of fellow famous people over the course of his global hopping half century of rocking. So you’d have to forgive him if he doesn’t always remember every single one.
Case in point: during the new episode of “Ozzy Speaks” on the metal icon’s SiriusXM channel Ozzy’s Boneyard this week, Osbourne recalled the time he ran into Whitney Houston and the late R&B legend scared him witless.
“When we were doing Dancing with the Stars [with] of the kids, in one of the breaks, Whitney [Houston] came down to sing in the break, you know, in the show,” Osbourne said of Houston’s performance of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” during the season 9 finale of the seaons, which found Ozzy and manager/wife Sharon’s daughter, Kelly Osbourne, finishing in third place.
“And she came down and I saw her when she was on the prime of her things. When that woman sang, it was like something out of a… it was like mind blowing,” Ozzy recalled. “And she came and she looked tired, burnt out. She stopped in the middle of it, and I thought she was looking at me. She was. She walks towards me and I’m going… I’m trying to think… my brain’s going, ‘Have I met her? Have I ever insulted her?’”
For the life of him, Osbourne could not figure out why Houston — who died at 48 in Feb. 2012 — would be coming over to talk to him.
“No, I’m, I’m going like, ‘have I f–king met this woman? Have I pissed her off? She’s gonna come over and tell me I’m a c–t,’” he said he worried. “‘Did I say anything about her in an interview?”’ Gripped with fear, Ozzy said Houston came right up next to him and said, “good to see you,” which mystified him even more. Ozzy said he turned to Sharon after Houston had walked away and said, “‘I never knew you knew Whitney Houston,’” to his wife.
“‘You never asked,’” Sharon responded. “Well you could have f–king told me!,” Ozzy shot back.
The sit down with co-host Billy Morrison also included an update on Osbourne’s medical condition, which forced the hard-charging metal icon to share that his touring days were over. Ozzy said he’s been “working my guts out” to get back on his feet after last year’s major spinal surgery, but appeared to confirm that he’s probably done mounting major global treks. “If I can ever get back to where I can tour again, fine. But right now, if you said to me, ‘Can you go on the road in a month?,’ I couldn’t say yes,” he said.
He did, however, clarify what he said was a false narrative in reports that he was retiring. “I looked in the magazine, ‘Ozzy’s on his last legs,’ I’m f–king not dying,” he said, as Morrison promised listeners that Osbourne was not on his deathbed.
“Come on, guys. Haven’t I had it bad enough already?,” Ozzy said. “If I get okay today… if the doctor said to me today, ‘Oh, you can tour,’ it would take another six months to get it together.”
Listen to Osbourne’s stories about Houston and touring below.
Kelly Clarkson hopped into the wayback machine on Friday’s (Feb. 24) Kelly Clarkson Show and ended the week with one of the classic late 1970s between-the-sheets R&B ballads of all time.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
With the stage bathed in a warm orange glow, Clarkson eased into duo Peaches & Herb’s 1979 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Reunited,” a cross-over smash from the pair’s 1978 album, Hot. “Reunited and it feels so good/ Reunited ’cause we understood/ There’s one perfect fit/ And, sugar, this one is it/ We both are so excited ’cause we’re reunited, hey, hey,” Clarkson with a subtle twang over the band’s smooth as a melting pat of butter arrangement.
At the time of its release “Reunited” topped the Billboard singles chart for four weeks during a nearly six-month run on the charts, during which it also went to No. 1 on the R&B singles chart.
The run through “Reunited” came during a week of introspective covers from Clarkson, who also emoted her way through Mazzy Star’s signature hit, “Fade Into You” as well as her thoughtful take on Dermot Kennedy’s “Better Days,” GEMS’ “Peacefully,” Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly Away” and a four-pack of collaborations with legendary singer/songwriter/producer Babyface.
The singer also invited her fellow The Voice coach Niall Horan on on Wednesday and while they bonded over their mutual reality singing show resumes, with Clarkson admitting that she was sure One Direction had won the X Factor the year the group was formed on the show in 2009; they actually came in third.
Check out Clarkson’s cover of “Reunited” below.