music blog
Wednesday Sign to Dead Oceans, Share New Song “Bull Believer”: Listen
Asheville, North Carolina band Wednesday have announced that they have signed with Dead Oceans. To celebrate the occasion, they have released an eight-and-a-half minute song titled “Bull Believer,” which includes references to country music podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones. Watch a video for that, created by Josh Finck, below. “This song is an excuse for me to scream on stage, an outlet for the anger and sadness that has been collected by the current and past versions of myself,” the band’s Karly Hartzman said in a statement. “An offering to myself of a brief moment of release from being tolerant of the cruelty of life: feels like cutting my hair to let go of the history it holds.” Wednesday is composed of Hartzman, MJ Lenderman, Margo Shultz, Alan Miller, and Xandy Chelmis. In 2021, they...
The Rolling Stones, Elton John, More Pay Tribute to Queen Elizabeth, Who Has Died at 96
Queen Elizabeth II died today at Balmoral Castle, her estate in Scotland, after a 70-year reign. Her family gathered to her side after doctors announced that they were “concerned” about her health. She was 96. As the head of the royal family with a decades-long tenure in power, Elizabeth was an omnipresent figure within popular culture. In addition to the many portrayals of her in television and film, she was the inspiration for the Smiths’ The Queen is Dead, the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen,” the Stone Roses’ “Elizabeth My Dear,” and so much music. Her death prompted countless reactions on social media, including from the musicians she knighted. “For my whole life Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has always been there,” Sir Mick Jagger wrote. “In my childhood I can recall watching her ...
Music’s Most Compensated: 5 Top Money Makers You May Not Know
Kang Hyo-won, Yoon Seok-jun (aka Yenzo Loon) and Kim Shin-gyu are hardly marquee names in the music business, but they accounted for three of its five largest paydays in 2021, according to Billboard Pro‘s inaugural Executive Money Makers ranking — a breakdown of executive compensation and stock ownership at publicly traded companies. All three are valued members of HYBE, the South Korean entertainment giant behind BTS, Tomorrow X Together, NewJeans and other K-pop acts, and in 2016, their efforts turning the company into a global success were rewarded with stock options that netted them the equivalent of tens of millions of dollars when the company went public last year. Stock options are often used to incentivize and reward employees when a company is privately held. In a statement to Bil...
Here’s What Gender-Affirming Care Actually Is, Since Brittany Aldean Seems To Have No Clue
Brittany Aldean, wife of country star Jason Aldean, has a lot to say about gender-affirming care. According to experts in the field, approximately none of it is true. For those blissfully unaware of what’s been going on, let’s catch you up. The saga of Aldean’s transphobic comments began when she captioned a post on her Instagram by thanking her parents for allowing her to go through a “tomboy” phase and not “changing my gender.” In a later post to her Instagram Stories, she elaborated by spreading false claims about the medical procedures involved with transitioning as “the genital mutilation of children” and “one of the worst evils.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I will always support my children and do what I can to protect their ...
2022 Mercury Prize Ceremony Postponed Following Queen Elizabeth II’s Death
The 2022 Mercury Prize ceremony has been postponed following the announcement that Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday (Sept. 8). The event had been scheduled to take place tonight at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. “In light of the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, we are so sorry to announce that we will not be proceeding with this evening’s event as planned,” Mercury Prize shared in a statement. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Mercury Prize will be communicating with guests and audience members over the coming days,” they added. “We thank you for your understanding at this difficult and sad time.” The Mercury Prize celebrates the best of British and Irish music across a range of contemporary music genres. Last year, ...
Queen Elizabeth II With Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran & More Musicians
Queen Elizabeth II welcomed many famous faces into her royal presence over her lifetime, always kindly shaking hands as she received celebrities at various concerts, celebrations in her honor and more during her 70-year-plus reign. Over the years, the monarch — who died Thursday (Sept. 8) at age 96 — greeted musicians including Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli to Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Ed Sheeran and more. Elton John, who shared a heartfelt message following the queen’s death, was one superstar who met Queen Elizabeth many times over, and even received the distinction of being knighted by her in 1998, just one year after the death of his close friend Princess Diana. Other musicians who received CBE, MBE or OBE honors from Her Royal Majesty include all four members of The Beatl...
Memphis Cops Arrest Suspect Ezekiel Kelly In Rash Of Mass Shootings
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Shelby County (Tenn.) Sheriff’s Office / Shelby County (Tenn.) Sheriff’s Office The city of Memphis was gripped by news that a shooter was on the loose and left a reported four people dead and three others injured in his wake. Police arrested the suspect, Ezekiel Kelly but not before he went on a shooting and carjacking rampage that he reportedly shared via social media. Local outlet ABC24 reports that Ezekiel Kelly and his violent rampage began in the early morning hours of Wednesday (September 7), and ended just after 9 PM local time. The outlet shared a timeline of Kelly’s alleged crimes and also detailed that he aired some of his criminal activity via Facebook Live under the screen name Zeek Huncho. From ABC24: Memphis Police Chief C. J. Davis confirm...
Redman Is Officially A Licensed Skydiver
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Santiago Felipe / Getty Hip-Hop legend Redman is out here proving that age ain’t nothing but a number as he’s now gearing up to teach people how to safely jump out of airplanes. According to TMZ the Muddy Waters rapper has officially become a licensed skydiver after completing 27 jumps over the years and also passed a written test to get documentation. Taking to Instagram to share the news, Reggie Noble posted a video of himself jumping out of a plane with a caption that read, “I worked HARD for this !! 27 JUMPS and Studied Hard for my Written Exam and Passed TODAY !! I’m an OFFICIAL A LICENSED SKYDIVER.👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I’m WILDING IN THE SKIES.” The veteran rap star was out in Houston at an undisclo...
The Time The Late Queen Elizabeth II Helped Snoop Dogg Avoid UK Ban
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / Getty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away at 96. It’s not a stretch to say Hip-Hop isn’t into the Royals (there’s that whole colonizer situation), but somehow, Snoop Dogg once found himself on the good side of the late monarch. Earlier this year, Snoop detailed how the Queen kept him from being banned in the UK during the midst of his infamous murder trial. The “Gin & Juice” rapper told DJ Whoo Kid how back in ’94 (two years before his acquittal), the Queen held him down. “This was while I was fighting a murder case, over there [U.K.] doing shows,” said Snoop after recalling how UK citizens wanted him banned from the nation. “But guess who came to my defense? Just take a guess…” Yep. “The queen” said Snoop. “The queen said, ‘Th...
Aries Spears Says Accusers Are Using “Extortion” Tactics
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Bobby Bank / Getty Aries Spears and Tiffany Haddish found themselves in a well of controversy after an explosive piece released by The Daily Beast revealed that the pair were being sued for molestation and grooming. Both comedians responded publicly to the accusations brought forth in the lawsuit, but Spears took it one step further and says that the lawsuit is “extortion.” Taking to the Instagram page of the Spears & Steinberg podcast from Aries Spears and Andy Steinberg. In a clip teasing an upcoming episode, Spears, 47, addressed the lawsuit in a vague fashion but apparently wanted to say more. Related Stories “Listen, obviously for legal reasons, I really can’t talk about anything at this time,” Spears says in the clip. “But I just, more or less, ...
Bonobo’s New Single Features the Sounds of an Influential Ghanaian Composer: Listen to “ATK”
For his latest track, Bonobo showcased an iconic melody from a late Asante great. “ATK” is a driving new single from an artist known to use his sound to travel the world. Created around the same time as his seventh studio album, the remarkable Fragments, “ATK” possesses a more upbeat, dancefloor-ready sound than that found in the introspective album. Diving right in, the track opens with a pounding drum section before giving way to the star of the show, the late Atakora Manu. Born in 1940 in Toase, Ghana, Manu released countless hits and became a world-renowned guitarist. Bonobo channels Manu’s timeless sound in “ATK,” which he says was originally a DJ edit of the Ghanaian composer song “Dada.” “I felt it ...
Dillon Francis’ House Rework of Ciara’s “Goodies” Is a Rush of 2000’s Nostalgia
With a wildcard like Dillon Francis, you never know what you’re going to get. But you can rest assured that it’ll be compelling. This holds true for his “Goodies,” his new house anthem, which turns back the clock to 2004. Francis threw it back to the aughts and sampled Ciara‘s hit single of the same name, interpolating her ageless vocals into a short but sweet track. Dialing in a speedier tempo than the original, Francis transformed the whistling strains and synths we all know and love into a lively house melody. “Goodies” will appear on This Mixtape is Fire TOO, Francis’ highly anticipated follow-up to 2015’s This Mixtape is Fire. It’s the second single to be released following “Don’t Let Me Let Go,” a soaring futu...
