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EVANESCENCE’s AMY LEE: ‘There’s A Way That You Can Have A Strong Opinion And Still Be Respectful To Your Fellow Humans’
Last month, EVANESCENCE released a new single, “Use My Voice”, which was written to celebrate the power of speaking out in order to promote more justice in the world. The track, featuring contributions from THE PRETTY RECKLESS‘s Taylor Momsen and HALESTORM‘s Lzzy Hale, was chosen by HeadCount in the USA to encourage voters to register, check their registration, or find out about their remote voting options amid the COVID-19 pandemic at UseMyVoice.org. Asked in a new interview with Lisa Sanchez of the KLAQ radio station if she was concerned about potentially alienating some fans by speaking out on political issues, EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee said (hear audio below): “Well, first of all, we have an incredible team with us now, and my manager is so supportive abo...
ROB HALFORD: ‘If Any Metal Band Deserves To Be In The ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME, It’s JUDAS PRIEST’
Rob Halford says that JUDAS PRIEST “deserves” to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The British heavy metal legends were on the ballot for Rock Hall induction this year, but failed to receive enough votes to make the class of 2020. Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was previously on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list. Asked in new interview with NME if he is disappointed that PRIEST hasn’t been inducted into the Rock Hall yet, Halford said: “I’ve always admired it. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame isn’t any different from those other institutions they have in America, like the one for football, where you’ll always get some people complaini...
Mad Zoo Announces Minecraft Festival Featuring Darude, Ferry Corsten, Tritonal, More
Mat Zo‘s independent label Mad Zoo is venturing full speed ahead into the world of virtual events with their debut festival announcement. The venerated imprint has undertaken its biggest project yet with Stratosfest, a forthcoming ticketed event taking place inside Minecraft. The Mad Zoo team has set the bar high with an impressive talent lineup that includes ATTLAS, Darude, Ferry Corsten, Gabriel & Dresden, HELLBOUND!, Ilan Bluestone, Jordin Post, No Mana, Olan, Qrion, Tritonal, and of course an appearance from the creative force behind Mad Zoo himself, Mat Zo. Tickets to next month’s event are on sale now starting at $10. The virtual world will also include the ability to enjoy VIP upgrades for an incremental purchase. Stratosfest will incorporate an addit...
House Music Pioneer Jesse Saunders Sees Festivals Going “Back to the Basics” In Life After Pandemic
House music pioneer Jesse Saunders dropped in on Reddit for an Ask Me Anything Q&A, offering up his perspective on the state of the music industry in 2020 and what he sees coming next. Saunders, a Chicago native credited as “the originator of house music,” made history in 1984 with “On & On,” the first house music record ever recorded and pressed on vinyl. Now over three decades into his illustrious career, Saunders has endless wisdom to impart, derived from his propensity to wear many hats as a music and film producer, record company executive, and radio show host. Many fans and professionals alike are wondering how the pandemic will affect the future of music festivals. It was a question on the minds of r/electronicmusic subscribers, and Saunders didn̵...
Spotify Is Beta Testing Critical Upgrades to Its Apple Watch App
Though the Apple Watch first appeared on the scene nearly five years ago to underwhelming sales in its first year, the industry-leading wearable device has flourished in popularity in recent years and is poised for further growth. As the release of Apple’s latest Series 6 watch looms, Spotify has stepped up efforts to support and improve its capabilities on the device. Despite having an app since 2018 on the watch, Spotify has not created a native wearable experience, instead vastly functioning as a control for the Spotify app on the iPhone. Until now, Spotify’s Apple Watch app has not supported streaming natively through the device. However, recently users have reported seeing a blue “beta” icon within the watch’s connected devices window, which has all...
Avicii Receives Posthumous Nominations at 2020 Billboard Music Awards
Avicii may now only exist in the collective memory of the dance music community, but his legacy and spirit refuse to fade into the mist. The late dance music icon, whose estate posthumously released his third studio album, Tim, has been nominated for two Billboard Music Awards ahead of the show’s 2020 edition. The news arrives after Avicii’s would-be 31st birthday, as well as the conclusion of Suicide Prevention Week. Avicii received nominations in the categories of “Top Dance/Electronic Artist” and “Top Dance/Electronic Album.” Rounding out the list of nominees for the former category are The Chainsmokers, DJ Snake, Illenium, and Marshmello while the latter saw nods for Avicii’s Tim, The Chainsmokers’ World War Joy, ...
Post Malone, Taylor Swift & More: Who Should Win Top Artist at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards? Vote!
The nominations for the 2020 Billboard Music Awards came out today (Sept. 22), and Post Malone led the list with 16, including one for top artist. So who should win in that category? Taylor Swift made history when she dropped her 2020 surprise album Folklore in July, which topped the Billboard 200 for six weeks to tie Whitney Houston‘s record for most cumulative weeks at No. 1 among women. It could be her third time collecting this award, since she won top artist in 2013 and 2015. Billie Eilish, who ties Khalid with 12 nominations, could make history if she wins top new artist and/or top Hot 100 song for “bad guy.” She would became the first female artist to win top new artist since Lorde in 2014 and the first female artist to win top Hot 100...
All Music Industry Initiatives to Help Get Out the Vote This Election Season (Updating)
On Nov. 3, U.S. voters will decide if President Donald Trump gets four more years in office or send Democratic ticket Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House. Ahead of what has been said to be the most important election in at least a generation, non-partisan voter registration organizations including HeadCount and Voto Latino, in partnership with labels and artists, have launched music-driven initiatives that incentivize eligible voters – especially young ones – to get registered and vote. Even labels and digital streaming platforms have rolled out campaigns to encourage both employees and artists to vote this election. And venues across the country will serve as polling sites for early voting and on Election Day. From Spotify’s “Play Your Part” to HeadCount’...
Maria Becerra, Tini & Lola Indigo’s ‘High’ Is Crowned Best Latin Summer Remix of 2020 in Fan Poll
Summer has officially come to an end today (Sept. 22) but we can’t wrap up without figuring out what’s the best Latin summer remix of the year. In a fan poll previously published on Billboard, readers were asked to vote for their favorite summer remix, crowning Maria Becerra, Tini, and Lola Indigo’s empowering “High (Remix).” The eclectic urban pop collab nabbed nearly 40 percent of the votes. Elvis Crespo’s “Imaginarme Sin Ti (Remix)” with Manny Cruz and RKM y Ken-Y came in second, followed by Ozuna, Karol G, and Myke Towers’ “Caramelo (Remix).” “High” showcases all three powerhouses singing about heartbreak and despair. The simple but vibrant music video, directed by Julian Levy, has amassed over 27 million views since its release on Sept. 3rd. Check out the winning remix below, followed...
Alicia Keys Wants You to Shine From the Inside Out With ‘Keys SoulCare’ Brand
In August, Alicia Keys announced that she’ll be dipping her toes in the beauty business by partnering with E.l.f. cosmetics for a lifestyle beauty brand. Now, Keys is giving a peek inside Keys SoulCare. The singer shared a 19-second clip on social media, in which she glows against a bright blue sky while she describes what her new line is about. “SoulCare is paying attention to that part inside of you that you can’t see, that you can feel, and nourishing it, fulfilling it, spoiling it and loving it,” she says. “I’ve been dying to share something really special with you,” Keys captioned the clip. “A place where we can have real conversations about who we are and who we want to be. It’s called @keyssoulcare.” Keys SoulCare’s website revea...
Into It. Over It. to Perform for the First Time in Four Years
Into It. Over It. is back. The project of musician Evan Weiss is back with a new album for the first time in four years. Due to the pandemic, Weiss and company won’t be able to perform these tunes live, but they’re doing something that’s as intimate as it can get in this climate. On Wednesday (Sept. 23), Into It. Over It. will share a special prerecorded live performance shot last month in Chicago in partnership with Chicago film production team Emulsion Labs and local bohemian art space The Red Room. It will be the group’s first performance in four years. The set, which would have been the songs they would have performed on tour, will instead be chopped into four separate mini-sets. SPIN will broadcast the first of those sets on our Instagram. The remaining three sessions will b...
SXSW Announces Digital Event for 2021
The first domino to fall in the coronavirus shutdown was South-by-Southwest. The fest was canceled a few weeks ahead of its mid-March launch date and was a harbinger of things to come. For 2021, however, the festival is going online. The event will feature conference keynotes and sessions, screenings, showcases, networking, and exhibitions and will take place on March 16 – March 20, 2021. More interesting is that SXSW hasn’t ruled out an in-person event next year. In a release, the fest said that it “is working with the City of Austin and public health authorities on plans for a 2021 physical event” and it will provide more updates as they become available. Submissions for the SXSW Film Festival will take place between Oct. 6 – Oct. 28, 2020. However, there’s bad news f...
