Alternative Music
Kanye West Understands How the UK Is Feeling: “I Lost My Queen, Too”
Watching Kanye West try to empathize can feel like watching a giraffe limbo, but Ye gave it a shot following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. “London, I know how you feel,” he posted on his Instagram Stories. “I lost my queen, too.” West seems to be referencing his messy 2021 divorce from Kim Kardashian, who went on to have a royal rebound with Pete Davidson. Though since he offered no clarification, it’s also possible he’s mourning the loss 15 years ago of his mother Donda West. Either way, the situations aren’t exactly comparable. Elizabeth II reigned in England for over 70 years and forged the monarchy’s post-colonial path with her emphasis on the Commonwealth of Nations. Whatever he meant, the Queen’s death has had a profound effect on West, at least according to West. H...
The Stone Roses’ Ian Brown Performs Bizarre Sold-Out Show Without a Band: Watch
As if Ian Brown hasn’t already tarnished his reputation by spewing COVID-19 conspiracy theories and putting out an anti-lockdown anthem, the former Stone Roses singer prompted a slew of complaints about his sold-out gig in Leeds last night (September 25th), which he performed without a band. The show marked the beginning of Brown’s first UK headlining tour in a decade, and evidently, he’s having a rough time getting back into the swing of things on the road. As fans reported on social media, the frontman was the only person onstage the entire night, singing his songs over a backing track. “Gutted to see Ian Brown turn up to his £40 a ticket, sold out gig at Leeds tonight WITH NO BAND,” one Twitter user wrote. “I’m a life long fan but it was bad. #ianbrown does karaoke and butchers his...
Harry Styles Sets Hot 100 Record for Longest-Reigning No. 1 by a British Artist
Harry Styles has set a Hot 100 record with “As It Was.” Per Billboard, the Harry’s House cut’s 15th week atop the chart has earned him the longest-reigning No. 1 by a British artist. In setting the record, “As It Was” passes by Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk!” featuring Bruno Mars and Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997″/”Something About the Way You Look Tonight.” Our previous Song of the Week also broke out of a tie for the longest reign at No. 1 on the Hot 100 by an unaccompanied artist, surpassing songs by artists like Mariah Carey (“We Belong Together”), Boyz II Men (“I’ll Make Love to You”), Whitney Houston (“I Will Always Love You”), and more. It’s the fourth-longest run on the Hot 100 behind Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Y...
Lorne Michaels Doesn’t Plan to Retire from Saturday Night Live After Season 50
Saturday Night Live creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels has shared that he still has “no plans to retire” from his duties at the long-running NBC program despite the seismic cast shake-up this summer and the show’s impending 50th season in 2024-2025. In an interview with The New York Times, the 77-year old prefaced the show’s 48th season by calling it “a year of reinvention” and attributed the personnel overhaul as an expected shift that was delayed by the onset of COVID-19. “The pandemic had put us in this position where no one could really leave, because there were no jobs.,” he shared. “And at the same time, if I don’t add new people every year, then the show isn’t the show. There have to be new people, for both our sake and also for the audience.” Michaels has shepherded numerous sea...
John Cena Earns Guinness World Record for Most Make-A-Wish Foundation Requests Fulfilled
John Cena has set a Guinness World Record for most wishes granted via Make-A-Wish Foundation. He’s topped the list with 650 engagements since 2002. The Peacemaker star has consistently served as the most requested guest to visit children suffering from critical illnesses for Make-A-Wish. He’s been an outspoken supporter of the cause since first getting involved in 2002 as a professional WWE wrestler, once telling Reuters: “If you ever need me for this ever, I don’t care what I’m doing, I will drop what I’m doing and be involved because I think that’s the coolest thing.” Beyond his vocal support, Cena has also stood as a long-time fixture for the non-profit organization, issuing their overall 1,000th wish in 2012 and celebrating his own 500-wish distinction in 2015. Advertisement Relat...
My15: Adam Melchor Shares the Playlist of Songs He’s Had on Repeat Since 2007
It’s Consequence‘s 15th anniversary, and all September long we’ll be sharing artist-curated playlists that reflect the evolution of their music taste throughout the last 15 years. For today’s My15 playlist, Adam Melchor shares his selections. What do Father John Misty and Rosalía have in common? In addition to being two talented and beloved entertainers, they also both appear on this reflective playlist from indie-pop singer-songwriter Adam Melchor. Over the last fifteen years, to say there’s been an array of music worth digging into feels like a severe understatement. What Melchor’s list reflects is an affinity for introspection, with artists like Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, and Phoebe Bridgers all making appearances on the playlist. For someone with a sound that often skews into tender, re...
Nine Inch Nails Reunite With Early Members At Hometown Cleveland Concert
Trent Reznor reunited with several members of Nine Inch Nails’ ’90s lineup, including Richard Patrick, Chris Vrenna, Danny Lohner, and Charlie Clouser, during a special hometown show in Cleveland on Saturday night (September 24th). The reunion took place the night after Reznor and a group of his former bandmates appeared for a live Q&A at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, where only some of the rotating lineup was inducted in 2020. There seemed to be no bad blood on the stage though, as the frontman shared the spotlight for six songs to close out the one-night-only tour stop. The former members collectively took the stage during the tour debut of “Eraser” from 1994’s The Downward Spiral, and they remained there until the conclusion of the show. Their mini-set featured early c...
Beth Orton: Weather Alive
Orton’s writing, too, has grown more elusive. She has spoken in interviews about her diagnosis with temporal lobe epilepsy, a condition she is reluctant to describe in much detail beyond its resulting seizures and memory problems. The lyrics on Weather Alive, which occur in bursts and fragments, often circle around these types of disembodying experiences. “I have lived as a satellite,” she sings. “I saddled up/I settled up/I don’t sit right.” Other songs seem designed to capture and prolong brief portraits of serenity, a practice that might feel counterintuitive to someone more prone to meditating on darkness. “Almost makes me want to cry,” she sings repeatedly in the title track. “The weather’s so beautiful outside.” The lyrics set a scene, but the landscapes tend to form gradually with e...
James Earl Jones Abdicates Darth Vader Voice Role to AI Technology
James Earl Jones has apparently relinquished the role of lead Star Wars antagonist Darth Vader to AI voice technology. The 91-year old actor and EGOT winner originated the character with his vocal performance in 1977’s Star Wars. In a report by Vanity Fair about the Ukrainian start-up Respeecher, it was revealed that the process of transitioning the vocal responsibilities from Jones to the company’s proprietary AI algorithm has been ongoing since the Sith Lord’s revival in the 2022 Star Wars prequel series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Respeecher programmers employed an algorithm that uses archival recordings to create new dialogue. Jones provided his singular, sinister take on Darth Vader for a number of Star Wars spin-offs throughout the years, but his last contribution came in 2019’s The Ri...
BLACKPINK Make History as First Girl Group to Earn No. 1 Album in 14 Years
BLACKPINK have made history with their sophomore album, BORN PINK, by becoming the first all-female group to top the Billboard Top 200 albums chart since 2008. BORN PINK moved 102,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release in the US. As a result, BLACKPINK are the first girl group to go No. 1 since Danity Kane did so with their album Welcome to the Dollhouse in April 2008. The success of BORN PINK also means that three different South Korean acts have topped Billboard in 2022. BTS and Stray Kids each previously went No. 1 with their albums Proof and Oddinary, respectively. Advertisement Related Video In October, BLACKPINK will embark on a world tour that includes performances in Korea, the United States, Canada, the UK, Europe, South Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Tickets t...
Avatar Tops Global Box Office 13 Years After Its Original Release
13 years after its original release, Avatar is once again No. 1 at the box office. The film earned $30.5 million at the global box office this past weekend — good enough for the top spot worldwide. For the theatrical re-release, filmmaker James Cameron remastered his 2009 blockbuster in 4K High Dynamic Range. “We authored the film for the big screen, for the giant screen, in 3D. [N]ow we’ve remastered it in 4K, in high-dynamic range and some 48-frame-per-second sections in the film. It’s looking better than it ever looked, even back in its initial release,” Cameron explained during a recent virtual press conference. The re-release earned $10 million domestically, which put it at third behind Don’t Worry Darling and The Woman King. It added another $20.5 million internationally, including N...
Arctic Monkeys Announce UK Stadium Tour with The Hives
Arctic Monkeys have mapped out a 2023 UK stadium in support of their upcoming album, The Car. The month-long run of shows kicks off in Bristol on May 29th. The itinerary includes stops in cities like Manchester, Norwich, Southampton, and Glasgow. They’ll also play two nights each in their hometown of Sheffield and London. The Hives will provide support for the duration of the UK tour. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 30th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster and Seetickets. Related Video The Car, Arctic Monkeys’ seventh album to date, arrives on October 21st. To preview the release, the band released “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball” as the lead single. Below, check out their complete tour itinerary as it currently stands. Arctic Monkeys 2022-2023 Tour Dates:11/04 – Rio de Janeiro,...
