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Boyz II Men and Babyface Perform ‘A Song for Mama’ on SNL
Boyz II Men were the musical guests on the Mother’s Day edition of SNL. The group, along with Babyface on guitar, performed “A Song for Mama” from 1997’s Evolution, and their performance was featured as a part of a montage of the castmembers’ photos with their mothers were spliced on screen. It was the season finale for SNL and it was a strange backend to the season. It was the third “At Home” episode from quarantine which featured guests including Kristen Wiig, Alec Baldwin (as Donald Trump, of course), Martin Short, Josh Gad and Tina Fey. A special acknowledgement of Little Richard’s passing was made as well. Previously, Miley Cyrus performed “Wish You Were Here” in front of a campfire. Watch Boyz II Men and Babyface’s performance below: [embedded content]
Jake Gyllenhaal Sings ‘A Love Song for Quarantine’ in Viral Monologue Series
The song, which includes rhyming lyrics related to home isolation, was posted Friday by the actor. As part of its viral monologue series, The 24 Hour Plays released a bonus track on Friday (May 8) featuring Jake Gyllenhaal. In the clip, the actor sings a musical piece written especially for him by Broadway composer Jeanine Tesori and playwright David Lindsay-Abaire. Titled “Across the Way,” the tune dropped on Instagram and was described in the caption as “a love song in the age of quarantine.” In the accompanying musical video clip, Gyllenhaal sits facing the camera in an orange T-shirt. The song includes lyrics such as “Day 32, I washed my hands, you made a cornish hen. Day 36 you sewed a mask, I washed my hands again.” The four-and-a-half minute piece...
WME Partner Richard Weitz’s Pandemic Parties Surpass $2 Million Raised With Star-Studded Nashville Edition
Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Michael McDonald and more performed before music execs and first responders. Six weeks ago with the coronavirus shutdown already in full effect, WME partner Richard Weitz celebrated his daughter Demi’s 17th birthday with a virtual party with guests including as LL Cool J. The event proved so popular, Weitz and his daughter knew they were on to something and turned their Zoom party, dubbed RWQuarantunes, into a nationwide invite-only weekly event with a charitable tie in for COVID-19 relief. Each subsequent edition has drawn more entertainment industry insiders and big name performers — including Josh Groban, John Mayer, Rick Springfield, Boy George, Michael Bolton and Fantasia — to what has become Friday night’s hottest ticket and the feel-good e...
Billie Eilish Working on New Song in Quarantine
Billie Eilish is making the most of her time in isolation at home by fostering puppies and recording new music. In a video uploaded to YouTube on Saturday (May 9), the singer chatted with Beats 1’s Zane Lowe about launching her father-daughter Apple Music show, but they mostly talked about how she’s feeling in quarantine. “I know that everybody, like the beginning of this really got to people,” Eilish said. “I didn’t really have that experience because I cheated. I rescued two puppies, or fostered two puppies. I was completely distracted.” And when she’s not spending time in the yard with the pups, she’s been getting the creative juices flowing. “We’ve been in the ‘stu,’ which just means Finneas’ basem...
Ghetto Fabulous: Andre Harrell Created a Culture of Black Excellence
“My goal is to bring real black America — just as it is, not watered down — to people everywhere through music, through films, through everything we do.” This was the manifesto of 32 year-old, newly-minted entertainment mogul Andre O’Neal Harrell, in conversation with the L.A. Times in 1992 about his $50M multi-media deal with MCA Records. Harrell, who founded Uptown Records, died on Friday, May 8th of an apparent cardiac episode at the age of 59. As the music industry mourns this unexpected loss, a refrain keeps echoing through posts and tributes: Andre’s impact on music and culture was never properly celebrated. In conversations about culture shifters and modern music moguls, Andre Harrell is often relegated to a supporting character role in the Sean Combs story. He’s t...
Baauer and graves Subvert Expectations with Massive “Black Beatles” Remix
Baauer and graves have both been known to keep listeners on their toes and expecting the unexpected, but the two have really outdone themselves this time. Earlier in the week, graves teased that he and Baauer were planning on dropping a song together within the week. The announcement initially led some to believe the collaboration would be an original track and released as part of Baauer’s forthcoming PLANET’S MAD album. As it turns out, it was something else entirely. Yesterday, graves conspicuously dropped the collaboration via a Dropbox file titled “Baauer graves thing.” The track inside is instantly identifiable as a bootleg remix of Rae Sremmurd‘s hit single “Black Beatles.” Despite the unconventional means of re...
Bob Dylan Memorializes Little Richard: “I’m So Grieved”
The influence of Little Richard can be felt across the entire spectrum of modern music: just look at the countless number of artists, many of whom are legends in their own right, who took time to memorialize Richard following news of his passing on Saturday. Even the notoriously private Bob Dylan issued a rare statement to honor the rock music pioneer. “I just heard the news about Little Richard and I’m so grieved,” Dylan wrote in a message posted to his social media channels. “He was my shining star and guiding light back when I was only a little boy. His was the original spirit that moved me to do everything I would do.” “I played some shows with him in Europe in the early nineties and got to hang out in his dressing room a lot. He was always generous, kind and humble,” Dylan went on to ...
Screaming Trees’ Gary Lee Conner Calls Mark Lanegan’s Memoir ‘Vicious and Petty’
Mark Lanegan published his memoir Sing Backwards and Weep last month, and to put it bluntly, it’s been pissing people off. Aside from reigniting a 24-year-old feud with Oasis’ Liam Gallagher, the former Screaming Trees frontman also took some swings at his old bandmates. Earlier this week, the band’s guitarist Gary Lee Conner expressed his thoughts about the book in a lengthy Facebook post. After admitting that the band didn’t “get along like friends and sometimes it felt like we were enemies,” Conner couldn’t deny their musical chemistry. “Mark took the songs Van and I wrote and helped elevate them lyrically and vocally to a higher level,” he wrote. However, while he’s able to take the higher road, Conner was disappointed with Lanegan’s recount of his time in Screaming Trees — a...
U2’s Adam Clayton Opens Up About How Quarantine Affects Mental Health
U2’s Adam Clayton has been open about his battles with depression and addiction, and on Friday night the bassist visited Ireland’s The Late Late Show to discuss how quarantine can affect others who are struggling with their mental health. “I think it’s hugely stressful for people to be inside, in small spaces, maybe with children, maybe having to work from home if people still have their jobs,” he explained, adding that these stressors could cause additional anxiety. “For anyone under that kind of pressure, there is help out there,” he assured. “It’s hugely difficult to manage and in an isolated state, when you’re just stuck with your own head and the thoughts going on inside your head, that is extremely stressful.” When asked about his “own run in with issues,” and how...
Deadmau5 Drops New Fortnite Edition Playlist On Spotify
Ahead of his hotly anticipated virtual Fortnite concert, deadmau5 dropped a special Spotify playlist just to celebrate the event. The masked producer helped usher in Fortnite’s new “Party Royale” mode alongside fellow performers Steve Aoki and Dillon Francis. For those that missed the premiere, a rebroadcast of the performances will take place beginning at 1PM CDT today. As a party favor, Deadmau5 is leaving fans with a “Deadmau5 & friends: Fortnite Edition” playlist. Opening with a throwback classic, “Hi Friend!,” Deadmau5 curated a fast-paced gaming playlist for when the stakes are high. The mau5trap label head didn’t steal the spotlight all for himself, however, as he diversified the experience by hi...
Could Amsterdam Dance Event 2020 Potentially Still Happen?
COVID-19 has put global festivals, conferences, and major gatherings on ice, and until a vaccine or effective treatment hits the market, it is difficult to imagine most large-scale events taking place. However, attention is now turning to Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), which is currently still on the books for 2020. The 25th edition of the event is currently scheduled for late October. At the moment, major events in the Netherlands have been banned until September 1st, and subsequent guidelines for events taking place after that date have yet to be issued. Despite the many hurdles ahead, ADE organizers have not yet cancelled their 2020 event, but they are closely monitoring government regulations. ADE is a bit unique in the sense that it is a collection of showcases, meeting...
Morgan Page and Mark Sixma Look to Brighter Days with “Our Song”
Morgan Page and Mark Sixma evoke a strong sense of nostalgia on their new collaborative single “Our Song.” The two veteran Armada Music producers, both hitmakers in their own right, combine their affinity for bright, uplifting melodies, reminding listeners that summer days are just around the corner. After hearing the storyline-style vocal, Sixma reached out to Page knowing that together, the two could take their ideas to the next level. The veteran producers exchanged versions of the song remotely—Sixma from the Netherlands, and Page from his studio in Los Angeles. Given the remote circumstances under which the two producers produced “Our Song,” perhaps it’s only fitting that quarantined lifestyles will be the focus of their music video. The forth...
