entertainment blog
Ahmaud Arbery’s Mother Says Her ‘Anxiety Is Over The Roof’ After Federal Prosecutors Reach Plea Deal With The McMichaels
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Pool / Getty There’s a reason so many Black people hate America: Even when we get justice we know how quickly it can turn to justice-lite at best and injustice at worst (and as usual). Ahmaud Arbery‘s murderers were convicted and sentenced to life in state prison, and all was right with the world. But because America is always going to America, Gregory and Travis McMichael were able to cut a backdoor plea deal with federal prosecutors and the Department of Justice that would ensure at least two out of the three Arbery lynchers would serve any federal sentence imposed on them concurrently with their state sentences, which they would likely spend in federal prison as opposed to state prison. According to CNN, attorney S. Lee Merritt spoke out agai...
‘Didn’t We Almost Have It All: In Defense of Whitney Houston’ Author Explains Why He Wrote the Book
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Feb. 11 marks 10 years since the death of Whitney Houston. The dualities of the multiplatinum selling singer’s life — both inside and outside of the spotlight — are explored in the new book Didn’t We Almost Have It All: In Defense of Whitney Houston by Gerrick Kennedy, with a forward by Brandy. The book will be released on Tuesday (Feb. 1). Explore See latest videos, charts and news Here, Kennedy tells Billboard about why he wanted to take on this project: What is it about Whitney that made you want to share her story? The question I’m asked the most is why ...
Sony Music Publishing to Provide Songwriters With Mental Health and Wellness Resources
Sony Music Publishing will provide its global roster of songwriters and composers with access to free, confidential counseling services and wellness resources, the company announced Monday (Jan. 31). Starting Tuesday, the new Songwriter Assistance program will offer 24/7 counseling support via global hotlines, in addition to ongoing counseling services for emotional health issues including stress, anxiety, depression and family/relationship challenges. The company’s songwriters and composers will also be given unlimited access to customized resources for tackling responsibilities such as researching childcare and eldercare options, navigating life transitions, co-parenting and budgeting for major life events. Songwriter Assistance is an expansion of SMP’s Songwriters Forward Legacy Unrecou...
Olivia Rodrigo, FINNEAS & More: Who Should Win Best New Artist at the 2022 Grammys? Vote!
Though the 64th annual Grammy Awards have been postponed to April 3 due to COVID-19 — the ceremony was originally set to air tonight, Monday (Jan. 31) — it’s not too early to talk about which rookie musician could go home with the best new artist award. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Expanded to recognize the talents and achievements of 10 artists who have had a significant impact on pop culture during the past year, the 2022 best new artist category features 18-year-old pop stars Olivia Rodrigo and The Kid LAROI, both of whom had long-running No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as eight-time Grammy winner Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and frequent collaborator. In addition to highlighting pop stars, artists across several genres a...
Here’s Every Time Rihanna Sings the Word ‘Baby’
Fenty Baby is on the way! Rihanna and A$AP Rocky broke the Internet Monday (Jan. 31) after photos surfaced of the couple out and about in a blistery NYC — with the “Love on the Brain” singer’s bare baby bump on full display. Although the pregnancy reveal marks the beginning of motherhood for RiRi, this won’t be the first time we’ll hear her say “baby.” In fact, in the time since she dropped her first record in 2005, we’ve heard her sing the word hundreds of times — 364, to be exact. Which means, yes, Billboard underwent the (extremely productive) task of going through every song from RiRi’s discography to count every appearance of “baby” across her eight solo albums. Because we needed to know (and thought you might like to know too). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest vi...
Yo Gotti Unveils ‘CM10: Free Game’ Double-Disc Album Artwork
Yo Gotti has unveiled the official album artwork for his upcoming double-disc record, CM10: Free Game. The cover reveal, which comes one week after the rapper announced the release date for the album, includes both “Side A” and “Side B” artworks that feature Gotti posing in front of luxury cars. “Today I Reveal my Artwork Which Displays myself,” the rapper wrote on Instagram alongside the “Side A” cover. “Still a Street N**** by heart jumping out a Trackhawk shirt off wit My Chains on Ready for whatever come with this Life ! Thru Prayer, Blessings & Hard Work.” CM10: Free Game will arrive as the artist’s first full-length project since Untrapped, which was released in January 2020 and included features from Lil Uzi Vert, Megan Thee Stallion, Rick Ross, and others. G...
Community of Remixers: How Audius’ Platform Is Driving Remix Culture In Dance Music
This feature was co-authored by Lev Kotia, Nakul Sharma and Bayleigh Bogan. As the streaming landscape competition continues to get more competitive between the likes of Spotify, Apple, Amazon and others, finding competitive advantages to drive paid subscribers has never been more complex. Despite a crowded landscape, some platforms have carved out a unique place for themselves in the world of music streaming that creates a focused and unique value proposition for creators and fans. One such platform is Audius, which uses blockchain technology to offer clarity and transparency for artists. Through Audius’ disruptive platform, artists can upload their music and have an immutable record of owning that content. If the content is misused, musicians can easily prove ownership of the intell...
Listen to a Preview of Flume’s First Original Music In Two Years, “Say Nothing”
Flume has announced the release date of “Say Nothing,” a brand new original track featuring vocals from Australian compatriot MAY-A. Due out this Wednesday, February 2nd, the song will arrive alongside an eerie music video and a live Q&A session with Flume. There’s no doubt that a hot topic will be his highly anticipated upcoming studio album, which will be his first since 2016’s critically acclaimed Skin. The virtuosic dance music producer has sporadically teased the project since late 2019, when he told Billboard he was “on a mission” to finish it after releasing March’s Hi This Is Flume tape. Flume confirmed the album in a 2020 radio interview and went on to unveil some of its visual components in an ensuing NFT drop. He also recen...
Hargus “Pig” Robbins, Nashville “A Team” Pianist, Dies at 84
Hargus “Pig” Robbins, who made an indelible imprint on Nashville as the piano player for the city’s original “A Team” ensemble of session musicians, has died. He was 84. Robbins’ child shared the news on Facebook over the weekend, writing that the musician had experienced numerous health troubles in recent months. Robbins appeared on thousands of recordings throughout his life, lending his talents to some of the biggest names in country music, among them Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. Beyond the boundaries of country music, his piano playing appears on Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, as well as records by Joan Baez, J.J. Cale, Gordon Lightfoot, and several dozen others. Robbins was born in rural Tennessee in 1938, and, after a childhood accident...
Peaches Announces The Teaches of Peaches 20th Anniversary Tour
Peaches has announced a tour to mark the belated 20th anniversary of 2000’s The Teaches of Peaches. She’ll perform the album entirely at each show. After a short North American run in May, she’ll head to Europe in June. See the full itinerary below. The Teaches of Peaches tour is the singer’s first since 2017. Her latest record is 2015’s Rub, and she more recently staged an art show titled Whose Jizz Is This? in 2019. She shared a new song titled “Pussy Mask” last year. All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Peaches: The Teaches of Peaches Anniversary Tour 2022 Peaches: 05-16 Seattle, WA – The Showbox05-17 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom05-20 San ...
La Luz Cancel Tour as Guitarist/Songwriter Shana Cleveland Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis
La Luz returned last year with a self-titled album. The band has launched the La Luz Family Fund to support Cleveland. La Luz: 02-27 Jacksonville, FL – Winterland IV03-02 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s03-04 Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere03-05 Cambridge, MA – Sinclair03-07 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace03-08 Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag03-09 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall03-10 Madison, WI – Memorial Union Der Rathskeller03-11 Saint Paul, MN – Amsterdam Hall03-12 Des Moines, IA – XBK Live03-14 St. Louis, MO – The Blueberry Hill Duck Room03-15 Nashville, TN – Basement East03-16 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade (Hell)03-17 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle03-18 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle03-19 Washington, D.C. – Black ...
Koffee Announces Spring 2022 North American Tour
Koffee has announced a spring tour of North America. The Jamaican musician will begin her trek in Seattle on April 11 and wrap things up on May 27 in Bakersfield, California. After the tour, in August, she is scheduled to play All Points East in East London’s Victoria Park. Find Koffee’s schedule—featuring support from Ayra Starr and Buju—below. In 2020, Koffee won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for her debut EP Rapture. This past October, she released the single “West Indies” and said that her debut full-length will arrive in 2022 via RCA. Read about Koffee’s “Lockdown” at No. 72 in Pitchfork’s “The 100 Best Songs of 2020.” All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliat...
