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Lorde Reflects on Getting Older in New Single “Stoned at the Nail Salon”
Lorde has officially released her brand new track “Stoned at the Nail Salon,” the latest single from her forthcoming studio album Solar Power. Clocking in at approximately four-and-a-half minutes, the cut is a 180 from its sunny, feel-good predecessor “Solar Power” and is delivered as an introspective offering built with plucked electric guitars and harmonies. “This song is sort of a rumination on getting older, settling into domesticity, and questioning if you’ve made the right decisions,” Lorde said in a statement. “I think lots of people start asking those questions of themselves around my age, and it was super comforting to me writing them down, hoping they’d resonate with others too. I used this song as a dumping ground for so many thoughts…” The 24-year-old is set to drop Solar Power...
Tencent Makes $1.3 Billion USD Bid to Acquire ‘Forza’ and ‘Hitman’ Studio Sumo Group
Chinese tech and gaming giant Tencent has now made a $1.3 billion USD bid to acquire Sumo Group. The British company was founded in England back in 2003 and has since expanded to own more than 10 studios, boasting an inventory of games including Forza Motorsport 7, Hitman 2, Team Sonic Racing, Crackdown 3 and Little Big Planet 3. The pending acquisition forms part of Tencent’s continuous expansion into the gaming industry through acquisitions and purchasing stakes in other developers. The Chinese firm currently owns 100 percent of League of Legends developer Riot Games, 40 percent of Fortnite‘s Epic Games, 23 percent in Dontnod, and five percent each in Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft and Paradox. As of now, no deal has been finalized yet, with Sumo Group sa...
Valve is Paying Fans to Create ‘Counter Strike’ Weapons Skins
Video game developer Valve is on the hunt for new weapon skins for Counter Strike: Global Offensive, and they’re enlisting the help of fans across the world. The company on Wednesday revealed a $1 million USD art contest, in which 10 selected winners will each receive $100,000 USD for their designs. Other than the dream or nightmare-themed skin requirement, the rules are fairly loose. Creators can submit as many designs as they’d like and people can participate individually or as a team. That also means there’s the possibility to have multiple winning designs. Submissions grant Valve a non-exclusive license to utilize the design in Counter Strike: Global Offensive, meaning that creators will still own the rights to their designs. To enter, a Steam account that is in good standing is requir...
Eric Clapton Refuses to Play Shows That Require Vaccination Proof
Italian architect and film producer Robin Monotti Graziadei shared Clapton’s announcement on the Telegram messaging app. “Following the PM’s announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021 I feel honour bound to make an announcement of my own: I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present,” the message read, which was signed off by Eric Clapton. “Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer made his thoughts about COVID loud and clear last year with his anti-lockdown track “Stand and Deliver” with Van Morrison, which he wrote in an earlier Telegram message is “when I found my voice, and eve...
These 4 Motown Stars Received Kennedy Center Honors Before Label Founder Berry Gordy
Gordy, 91, founded Motown Records in 1959. Four of his biggest stars received the honor before he did. Take a look: Stevie Wonder: Wonder was just 49 when he got the honor in 1999. That makes him one of the youngest Kennedy Center Honorees in history, along with LL Cool J (2017) and Midori (2021), who were also 49 when they were honored in 2017 and 2021, respectively, and the creators of Hamilton: An American Musical, who were even younger when they received a special Kennedy Center Honor in 2018. Wonder is the only artist in Grammy history to win album of the year with three consecutive studio albums: Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976). Wonder has amassed 25 Grammys and also won an Oscar for “I Just Called to Say I...
The Wallflowers’ ‘Exit Wounds’ Debuts at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart
Exit Wounds marks The Wallflowers’ highest-charting album yet, and second top 10, on the 30-year-old Top Album Sales chart. The act’s previous high came with its debut set, 1996’s Bringing Down the Horse, which peaked at No. 4 in 1997. Exit Wounds also launches in the top 10 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart (No. 4) and Tastemaker Albums chart (No. 10). The latter ranks the week’s top-selling albums at independent record stores. Tomorrow x Together’s former No. 1 The Chaos Chapter: Freeze rises 4-2 (7,000 sold; up 1%) and Taylor Swift’s chart-topping Evermore bumps 5-4 (nearly 6,000; down 15%). Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts re-enters the chart at No. 5 – a new peak – with a little more than 5,000 sold (up 1,233%) thanks to its vinyl LP release on July 9. Of the album’s sales for the week, 91% cam...
How Splendour’s Team Created a Pandemic-Proof Festival
The pandemic crushed the best-laid plans for Splendour in the Grass last year, and, with more than half Australia’s population currently under lockdown, a late July 2021 show was a non-starter. So organizers hatched a bold plan. Splendour XR’s architecture was drawn up at the dawn of the health crisis. Since then, Splendour co-founder Jessica Ducrou and her teammates have regularly worked 12-plus hours each day, building an immersive, pandemic-proof space. “It has been a huge project,” she tells Billboard. “In many ways, it’s been more challenging than a real-life festival. I haven’t worked as hard ever on a project.” The hard work shows. On July 24 and 25, more than 50 international and local acts perform across stages in seven precincts, including headliners Khalid and ...
SPIN Sessions Presents: The Lazy Eyes
The Lazy Eyes are the psychedelic wonder-boys hailing straight from Australia that without a doubt, should be on your personal ‘Ones To Watch’ list. As if blooming from the sunkissed meadows, their sound is in its most organic state, showcasing the raw talents of each of the band’s members. Their most recent release, EP2, is a coming of age love story; an ode to life as they know it. There’s pureness to the way they craft each of their songs, due to the sheer commitment and belief in their sound exploration that’s nothing more and nothing less. With a perfect balance of grit, etherealness, curiosity, and sunshine, they’ve set a high bar, quickly cementing themselves as beacons in modern psychedelia. With their laser sharp focus and clear determination, it’s only a matter of time before the...
Kanye West and Drake Have Reportedly Squashed Their Beef
Kanye West and Drake have allegedly stopped beefing, just in time for the release of DONDA. Yeezy season is upon us, with Kanye’s tenth studio album set to release very soon. All week, Ye has dropped hints surrounding the mixtape, even making a return to social media for the upcoming release. The last few years have been tumultuous for the Kanye and Drake fans as the two have appeared to be feuding on and off, taking jabs at one another, sneaking in petty references in their lyrical flow. In one of Ye’s Wyoming studio sessions, he offered to send Drake a sample that the Toronto rapper had fallen in love with. However, when the two had their falling out, Kanye barred Drake from using the sample, dropping his “poopity scoop” bars on “Lift Yourself”. With Kanye set to release Donda by the end...
Tyler, the Creator Directs Hilarious Converse Commercial Starring Vince Staples, Henry Rollins: Watch
Converse unveiled a new commercial today directed by none other than Tyler, the Creator. Starring Vince Staples, Henry Rollins, Tim Meadows, and more, the ad centers around a meeting of “The Really Cool Converse Club.” The exclusive group of Con aficionados lives by a few set-in-stone rules: 1. Never wear another shoe; 2. If you absolutely must wear another shoe, don’t; and 3. The most important rule of them all — No denim hats. The meeting is called to revoke the membership of Meadows’ character, Ronald Thaddeus Jackson Jr., for breaking all three bylaws. “Fuck that, I didn’t violate no rules and you can’t prove it!” Ronald protests before the group’s moderator rolls a video of him trying to hid his face behind the offending cap. Oops, sorry Ronald… caught red-handed. (Or in this case, de...
J Balvin’s Cover of Metallica’s “Wherever I May Roam” Puts a Reggaeton Spin on Metal: Stream
Metallica have been slowly unveiling tracks from their new covers collection The Metallica Blacklist and each one is more exciting than the last. However, today’s release may be the most intriguing of all. Metallica just shared J Balvin’s cover of “Wherever I May Roam,” which puts a reggaeton spin on the metal classic. Stream it below. In his version of “Wherever I May Roam,” J Balvin brings his swagger-filled flow to the track to transform it into a completely fresh hip-hop single. Balvin raps in Spanish ith an explosive delivery, his words occasionally lining up in the chorus with Metallica’s thick guitar riffs. Near the end, his rendition pauses to make way for a full sample from the original version of the song. “Wherever I May Roam” comes with a music video directed by Daniel Duran. I...
Joni Mitchell Named 2021 Kennedy Center Honoree
Joni Mitchell will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. Presented by the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the annual accolade recognizes lifetime performing arts achievements in American culture. Along with Mitchell, this year’s class of honorees includes actress Bette Midler, Motown founder Berry Gordy, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, and opera singer Justino Díaz. The Kennedy Center honorees are chosen on the recommendation of a committee that includes officials and past award recipients. Mitchell and her peers will formally receive their honors during an in-person ceremony held at the Kennedy Center on December 5th, which will later air on CBS. Advertisement Related Video Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie,...
