Music News
Motown Founder Berry Gordy, Bette Midler and Joni Mitchell Receive Kennedy Center Honors
Music was in the air, the sitting President was back in the balcony and the Kennedy Center Honors were once again a lavish in-person affair at the opera house complete with proof of vaccinations, negative PCRs and masks for all in attendance Sunday night. Motown visionary Berry Gordy, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, renowned bass/baritone singer Justino Diaz and Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels were celebrated at the 44th incarnation of the event honoring lifetime artistic achievement. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news To mark the celebrations, Stevie Wonder gave a mini concert of Motown hits including “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” “Superstition” and a custom “I Just Called To Say I Love You.” Brandi Carlile delivered a mesmerizing ve...
Lizzo Makes Triumphant Return to Stage in Miami, With Shout-Outs to Chris Evans and Drake
Lizzo made a splashy return to the stage Saturday (Dec. 4) as the singer helped close out the last night of Art Basel Miami with a special performance for American Express cardholders. Lizzo’s American Express UNSTAGED concert took place right on the beach, just steps from the Miami Beach EDITION hotel, with the singer performing for a few hundred Amex card members in person and thousands of fans who were able to stream the concert via the live streaming site LIVENow. Explore Explore Lizzo See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Kicking the show off with her latest single, “Rumors” (song partner Cardi B was coincidentally just a few blocks away, launching her vodka-infused “Whipshots” at the Goodtime Hotel), Lizzo’s Miami performance was just the second time t...
BTS Will Take an ‘Extended Period of Rest’
BTS is taking a well-earned break. The K-pop phenomenon will enjoy a hiatus at the completion of their scheduled upcoming events, which include the BTS Permission To Dance On Stage shows and the Jingle Ball Tour, reads a statement from the septet’s music company, Big Hit. It’s a pause, but not the end of days, insist the Seoul-based business. Explore Explore BTS See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The members of BTS had scheduled a several-week break in late 2019, and returned with all-guns blazing. They’ll need another “extended period of rest” to enable the group to get “re-inspired and recharge with creative energy,” the statement reads. Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook pump the brakes when they’re at the front of the pack. They’re the year...
Fans Choose Ariana Grande & Kid Cudi’s ‘Just Look Up’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music
Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi‘s new collaboration “Just Look Up” has topped this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Dec. 3) on Billboard, choosing the soaring pop track as their favorite new music release of the past week. “Just Look Up,” which appears in Adam McKay’s upcoming sci-fi black comedy Don’t Look Up, brought in 35% of the vote, beating out new music by Juice WRLD and Justin Bieber (“Wandered to LA”), Shawn Mendes (“It’ll Be Okay”), SZA (“I Hate U”), Ed Sheeran and Elton John (“Merry Christmas”), and others. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Just Look Up” finds Grande steering some romantic balladry with a gorgeous tone and open heart, while Cudi takes a few seconds to fully deploy his croon but sounds com...
Tom Petty Receives Posthumous Ph.D. for Music at University of Florida
Nearly two decades after earning a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and more than four years after his death, rock icon Tom Petty has been awarded an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Florida. The school’s board of trustees unanimously voted to award Thomas Earl Petty a posthumous doctoral degree in music during a Friday (Dec. 3) meeting. Born and raised in Gainesville, Petty once worked as a groundskeeper at UF as he tried to make it in the music industry, but he was never enrolled. Explore Explore Tom Petty See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Petty passed away from an accidental drug overdose in October 2017. Days later during a UF home football game, the song “I Won’t Back Down” was played at the stadium as a memorial to Petty. The song has s...
Stonewall Jackson, Longtime Grand Ole Opry Member, Dies at 89
Stonewall Jackson, a Grand Ole Opry member who had a longtime career in country music, has died. He was 89. Jackson passed away on Saturday (Dec. 4) following a battle with vascular dementia, the Grand Ole Opry confirmed. Born in Tabor City, North Carolina, Jackson was then raised in Georgia before heading to Nashville. Jackson was known for his classic country singles that charted on the Hot Country Songs chart, including the country No. 1s “Waterloo” (1959) and “B.J. the D.J.” (1963), as well as songs like “Life to Go” (1958) and “Don’t Be Angry” (1964). Explore See latest videos, charts and news In an interview with Music Charts Magazine, Jackson recalled the excitement of being offered a five-year contract with the Grand Ole Opry on his first invitation to play there in 1956, after Wes...
Kelly Clarkson Puts a Sensual Spin on Ariana Grande’s ‘7 Rings’: Watch
Kelly Clarkson is putting her own unique spin on a hit song from her fellow Voice coach. During her Kellyoke segment on Friday’s (Dec. 3) The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 38-year-old American Idol alum belted out a soulful rendition Ariana Grande‘s “7 Rings.” With the help of her backing band and moody lighting, Clarkson effortlessly delivered the upbeat track, sensually rap-singing the braggadocious lyrics and even giving a playful wink to the camera. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Clarkson’s hundreds of Kellyokes have ranged from country and pop tunes (Patty Griffin, Lady Gaga, Chris Stapleton, Demi Lovato and Ed Sheeran) to more surprising picks (Lizzo, Post Malone, Bee Gees and Bon Jovi). “7 Rings,” released as the second single from Grande’s ...
Lenny Kravitz Wows at Private Party During Miami Art Week
Legendary rocker Lenny Kravitz gave a private performance Friday (Dec. 3) for a star-studded crowd that included Leonardo DiCaprio and local Latin boy band CNCO during Miami’s Art Week. The lavish party is an annual affair hosted by business mogul and art collector Wayne Boich. He and his wife also hosted a private dinner before the Richard Mille After Dark event at their waterfront estate. Venus and Serena Williams danced and sang along as Kravitz took the stage for a 75-minute concert as a yacht pulled alongside to hear the rocker. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “This ain’t a concert. We’re just hanging out,” the “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” singer said, pulling Boich onstage to dance. Kravitz, who has lived on and off in Miami for years, is a regular during the prestigious Art...
First Spin: The Week’s Best New Dance Tracks From Alison Wonderland, Lane 8, Illenium & More
This week in dance music: we dove deep on the new genre of electronic music forming as part of the psychedelic renaissance, got the rundown of the live return of IMS Ibiza this April, saw Ducky ducking out of the music industry, got a new single from deadmau5 and Portugal. The Man that’s only available as an NFT and saw Lady Gaga’s Dawn Of Chromatica rise back to the top of Dance/Electronic albums. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Plus, this week sees a load of new music from a cluster of subgenre stars. Let’s dig in. Alison Wonderland, “Fuck U Love U” [embedded content] Alison Wonderland has never been one to mince words, and her latest single turns the pain of an anxious artist into a bit of head-banging brilliance. We really want Wonderland t...
Tory Lanez Is an ’80s Hero in New ”87 Stingray’ Music Video: Watch
Tory Lanez is saving the day and paying homage to the ’80s in his all-new music video for “‘87 Stingray.“ The catchy, uptempo track comes as the second single from the chart-topper’s upcoming thematic album Alone at Prom — out via One Umbrella Records on Dec. 10. Lanez has dubbed the experimental project his “1980s album.” He stars as fictional character Ashton Rain in the all-new music video, which premiered Thursday and is a continuation of his recently released visual for “Lady of Namek.” The storyline picks up where the former left off, as the hitmaker is seen hospitalized and suffering from a stab wound after fighting to save his love interest from a group of men and escaping the medical facility at which he was receiving care. Explore Explore Tory Lanez See latest videos, charts...
Britney Spears Celebrates 40 by Playing Old Tunes and Wearing ‘Hot Little Dresses’
Britney Spears has just turned the big 4-0, though she’s enjoying her freedom like she’s a kid again. Brit, who was recently released from her controversial conservatorship, is entering her forties with a fresh outlook on life: The “Toxic” singer is 40 going on 4. “I’m not turning 40 … I’m turning 4 and if any of you haven’t HEARD … I did almost 250 shows in Las Vegas for 4 years and went out twice,” she writes on Instagram. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “With that said … I think I will have to put on my hot little dresses on every night for the rest of my life to break even for working for my family my whole life with only old songs permitted!!!” She speaks the truth. Standing in front of a Christmas tree, Brit looks relaxed and happy in a summery dress. “More classic fashion...
Ariana Grande Belts Out High Notes on ‘Just Look Up’ With Kid Cudi: Stream It Now
Ariana Grande steps aside for a moment from her coaching duties on NBC’s The Voice, for a sparkling (and slightly dark) new ballad, “Just Look Up,” a collaboration with Kid Cudi. The new number dropped at midnight, and is lead from the Netflix film Don’t Look Up in which they both star. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news On it, Grande showcases her range and control, even belting out high notes that Mariah Carey would be proud of. “Just look up/ Turn off that s— box news/ Cause you’re about to die soon everybody/ Look up/ Here it comes/ I’m so glad I’m here with you/ Forever in your arms,” she sings. Both Grande and Cudi have writing credits for the song, in addition to Nicholas Britell and Taura Stintson. Don’t Look Up has a stacked cast whi...
