music blog
Rock Believer – SCORPIONS
RATING: 8/10 The list of rock bands that have managed to release a brand-new album fifty years after their debut record is not exactly overflowing with names. The list of bands that have released a new album fifty years later and managed to not sound like tired retreads of past glories or sad attempts at modernizing their music is even shorter. SCORPIONS have avoided both pitfalls with “Rock Believer”, their first new album in seven years. The rock icons revisit many of the sounds that fueled their superstardom’s peak. The level of energy and songcraft present though keep those tracks from feeling tired, and perhaps for the first time in several records, there are even a few anthems that hold up next to the classics we’ve been re-purchasing on multiple formats over ...
Lil Baby Confirms New Album Is Almost Done, “New Music” On the Way
Lil Baby officially announced that his new album is in its final stages, and that fans can expect new music to drop soon. Taking to Twitter to make the announcement, the young rapper simply stated, “Album Almost Done, New Music Otw Tho.” Fans responded with excitement, with many expressing the long wait between the upcoming album and its predecessor, My Turn. My Turn dropped almost two years ago to the date and featured guest appearances from Gunna, 42 Dugg, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Moneybagg Yo, Young Thug and Rylo Rodriguez. The 20-track record debuted at No. 1 and went on to become platinum certified on its first anniversary. Earlier this month, Chart Data revealed that the album has never left the Billboard 200 and was still in its top 20, spending 100 total weeks on the chart....
Dave Grohl Discusses His Hearing Loss: “I’ve Been Reading Lips for 20 Years”
All those years playing in Foo Fighters and Nirvana have caught up with Dave Grohl. During his recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the 53-year-old rock veteran discussed his hearing loss and how it affects his life both on and off the stage. “If you were sitting next to me right here at dinner, I wouldn’t understand a fucking word you were saying to me the whole fucking time,” Grohl said, motioning about a foot away from his left ear. “There’s no way. In a crowded restaurant — that’s the worst.” Up until mask-wearing became the norm, however, Grohl’s hearing loss didn’t pose too much of an issue in his day-to-day life. He insisted it’s “not that bad,” but now that mask-wearing is the norm, Grohl has had a harder time conversing in public. Advertisement Related Video “The ...
25 Years Later, David Lynch’s Lost Highway Remains an Underappreciated and Nightmarish Neo-Noir Gem
David Lynch is rightly considered among the most impenetrably bizarre and allegorical filmmakers of his generation; however, there’s always a resolutely singular sense of authorship and intention to his work (even if he’s literally the only person who knows what he’s trying to say). That’s as true of 1977’s pioneering Eraserhead and 1986’s revered Blue Velvet as it is 1999’s comparatively conventional The Straight Story and 2006’s maligned Inland Empire. It’s certainly also valid for what’s perhaps his most unjustly disparaged creation: 1997’s Lost Highway. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this week, Lost Highway arrived in the midst of a career slump for Lynch. Neither 1990’s Wild at Heart nor 1992’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me earned the same kind of accolades as his 1980s run of films...
EARTHGANG Unleash New Song “AMEN”: Stream
EARTHGANG’s long-delayed album GHETTO GODS is finally slated to drop this Friday. To hold fans over, the Atlanta duo have dropped their new single “AMEN” featuring R&B singer Musiq Soulchild. Stream it below. Featuring soul-sampling production, “AMEN” sees Jonny Venus celebrating their success and shouting out their record label. “Shoutout Dreamville, know it kills you to see us up,” he raps. “When I hit the scene, rock more boats than Aaliyah/ This shit for my people, I ain’t got no equal.” Meanwhile, WowGr8 boasts about his prowess in the bedroom: “Gon’ throw it back and buss it open like you ‘posed to/ Arch your back and take it like I owe you/ You ain’t never seen a n**** like me, nothin’ close to.” Advertisement Related Video In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, EART...
Porridge Radio Announce New Album, Share “Back to the Radio”: Stream
Porridge Radio have a new album on the way called Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky, which is set for release on May 20th via Secretly Canadian. As a preview, they’ve shared “Back to the Radio” as the lead single. Co-produced by Tom Carmichael, Porridge Radio singer Dana Margolin, and drummer Sam Yardley, Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky follows 2020’s Every Bad. In a statement, Margolin said she wanted the band’s third album to be stadium-epic’—like Coldplay.” First single “Back to the Radio” previews this cinematic quality with a slow-building ballad about fighting for a one-sided relationship in decline. Choppy, droning downstrokes buzz in the single’s feedback intro before Margolin begins chanting. “We cannot get better if we can’t talk about it,” she sin...
Conway The Machine Raps Over Kanye West’s “Jail,” Baby Keem’s “family ties” and More on ‘Greetings Earthlings’ Mixtape
With his Shady Records debut album God Don’t Make Mistakes set to drop this Friday, Conway The Machine delivered his mixtape Greetings Earthlings to tide fans over until February 25. Clocking in at 50 minutes, the 14-track record hears the rapper spit bars over the beats of Baby Keem’s “family ties,” Kanye West’s “Jail,” Young Thug’s “Hot” and more. Joining Conway The Machine are Griselda‘s Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn, 2 Chainz, Goose and Jae Skeese. “I spent my birthday [c]ooking up a plate for y’all and it’s All [S]tar weekend too so I’m in a good mood,” he wrote on Instagram. “[H]ere’s Something to hold y’all over until the 25th.” Prior to Greetings Earthlings, Conway The Machine confirmed that he is no longer part of both Shady and Griselda Records — the latter of which he co-f...
Pusha T Confirms JAY-Z Feature on New Album
In a recent interview with Gillie Da Kid and Wallo on Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Pusha T stopped by to give more insight on his upcoming album. The rapper discussed that a JAY-Z feature collaboration will be on his mixtape and even talked about the history he has with Hov. King Push said that he now has “three songs with him now.” In the past, he worked with JAY-Z on Kanye West‘s “So Appalled” and in 2016, Hov was featured on his 2016 track “Drug Dealers Anonymous.” The third is expected to be on the new album however, he divulged, “I don’t know if I was supposed to say that.” Pusha T also shares with fans how this album is different from other rappers’ releases this year, claiming “there’s no album better than mine this year.” Elsewhere in the interview, Push explained that in the rece...
John Mayer Drummer Tests Positive for COVID-19, But Tour Will Go On
John Mayer‘s touring drummer has tested positive for COVID-19, the singer-songwriter revealed on social media Monday night (Feb. 21). “This afternoon, our drummer tested positive for COVID-19,” Mayer wrote around 7 p.m. ET. He then wished him a quick recovery and clarified that Monday night’s concert would go on as planned, though he didn’t say who will be filling in on drums. “Tonight’s concert @TheGarden will go on as scheduled, with a very special presentation. We all wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing you all at the show.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news Mayer is set to perform at New York City’s Madison Square Garden tonight, the second of two evenings at the venue, as part of his Sob Rock Tour, which runs through May. “It all feels deeper and more exciti...
Britney Spears Lands $15M Tell-All Book Deal: Report
Britney Spears is gearing up to tell her side of the story, according to reports of a $15M book deal that surfaced on Monday (Feb. 21). Page Six first reported the news of the alleged landmark deal, noting that publishing house Simon & Schuster won a bidding war for a tell-all memoir about the superstar’s career, life and relationship with her family. Variety also reported that the news had been confirmed with a “source close to Spears.” Representatives for Spears had not responded to Billboard‘s request for comment at publication time. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The reported book deal comes three months after the 13-year conservatorship that controlled Spears’ personal and professional life was ended by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. In January, the pop star’s sis...
Will Smith Is a Winner on Night 1 of 2022 NAACP Image Awards’ Pre-Telecast Awards
Will Smith, who received two Oscar nominations for his work in King Richard, won an NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary work – biography/autobiography for Will on Monday (Feb. 21). The NAACP Image Awards are following the lead of the Primetime Emmys’ Creative Arts Awards in stripping their “pre-telecast” awards across an entire week. The focus on opening night was on literary categories and four inaugural podcast categories. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered” was the night’s only double winner. It won for outstanding society and culture podcast and outstanding arts and entertainment podcast. Acting legend Cicely Tyson, who died in January 2021 at age 96, won outstanding literary work – debut author for Just as I ...
Britain’s Sea Power Leads U.K. Chart Race With ‘Everything Was Forever’
Sea Power sets sail for the U.K. chart title with Everything Was Forever, though the British rock band has a fight on its hands. Formerly known as British Sea Power, the group has notched eight studio albums, including five Top 40 appearances, but never ruled the Official U.K. Albums Chart. That could change if Everything Was Forever (via Golden Chariot) continues to steam ahead. It’s No. 1 on the Official Chart Update, and is the market leader with physical sales in the early part of the chart cycle. Everything Was Forever is Sea Power’s first release through Townsend Music’s D2C Plus model, which expanded in late 2021 to offer a range of artist services from finance, product curation, campaign management, design, manufacturing, marketing and more. To date, the group’s chart best is...
