music
Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ Eligible for Grammy Nods? We Have the Answer
There has been some uncertainty about whether Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) will be eligible for the 65th annual Grammy Awards. The album, if eligible, would be a strong contender for nominations for both album of the year and best country album. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The album contains new recordings of the 16 songs that first appeared on the standard edition of Swift’s 2002 album Red, which was nominated in both of those categories nine years ago. The album also contains new recordings of 14 more songs that didn’t appear on the standard edition of the original album. The mystery deepened Thursday when the Academy posted its “rules and guidelines” handbook online. Under general eligibility guidelines for albums,...
Steve Lacy Dissects a Breakup on Dreamy Sophomore LP ‘Gemini Rights’
Three years after the release of his GRAMMY-nominated debut LP Apollo XXI, Steve Lacy has returned with his sophomore album. Out today, July 15, Gemini Rights hears the singer reflect on ending a relationship and the slow process of moving on in its aftermath. The 10-track album opens with “Static,” an ode to Lacy’s former partner. “Hope you find peace for yourself / New boyfriend ain’t gon’ fill the void,” he sings. The song is followed by “Helmet,” where Lacy concedes that though the relationship felt “automatic,” he had to leave in order to protect himself. Alongside the early tracks “Bad Habit” and “Mercury,” standouts from the project include the slow-burning “Cody Freestyle,” “Give You the World” and “Sunshine.” On “Sunshine,” Lacy taps Fousheé for a duet about running into an ex, an...
Lizzo’s Vibrant New Album Makes Us All Feel Special
“Hi motherfucker, did you miss me?” Lizzo asks by way of introduction on “The Sign,” the bouncy first song on her new album Special (available today, July 15th — stream it below). Quite honestly, we did. How has the Grammy-winning chart-topper been spending her time since we last saw her? Lizzo is happy to share: She’s been healing, making smoothies, training and twerking — plus, working hard on this record, her follow up to 2019’s Cuz I Love You. In just about everything she does, Lizzo has a magical knack for making the listener or viewer feel like her best friend, whether it’s her candid and cheeky TikTok presence, inclusive energy onstage (get tickets to her upcoming tour here), or stories told through her music. Of the 12 tracks on the album, two were released ahead of time as si...
R.I.P. Paul Ryder, Happy Mondays Bassist Dead at 58
Paul Ryder, whose funky bass lines bridged rock and dance for Manchester’s Happy Mondays, is dead at the age of 58. Happy Mondays and Paul’s brother, vocalist Shaun Ryder, made the announcement on social media. “The Ryder family and Happy Mondays band members are deeply saddened and shocked to say that Paul Ryder passed away this morning. A true pioneer and legend. He will be forever missed. We thank you for respecting the privacy of all concerned at this time.” No cause of death has been made public. Born April 24th, 1964, Paul formed Happy Mondays with his brother Shaun in 1980 alongside Gary Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). With fellow Mancunians The Stone Roses, they helped pioneer the Madchester sound, sometimes called indie dance or indie r...
40 Years Ago, Judas Priest Released the Heavy Metal Rallying Cry Screaming for Vengeance
Judas Priest began the ’80s with a bang by unleashing the all-time metal classic British Steel in 1980 — an LP that spawned the anthems “Living After Midnight,” “Breaking the Law,” and “Metal Gods.” So when it came to a follow-up, why not figure they would take it to the next level? Turns out, 1981’s Point of Entry was a surprisingly unfocused effort (especially when compared to its predecessor). But Priest — singer Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and KK Downing, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Dave Holland — more than made up for the fumble with their eighth studio effort, 1982’s Screaming for Vengeance. Recorded from January through May of ’82 (with Tom Allom once again handling production duties), two studios were utilized — Ibiza Sound Studios in Ibiza, Spain, and Beejay Studio...
Alexander 23’s Gentle Musings On The Aftershock Of Love
By Alex Gonzalez In the three years he’s spent collaborating behind the scenes, the artist Alexander 23 has built an impressive resume. As one of the music industry’s go-to songwriters and producers, he’s collaborated with Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez, and Chelsea Cutler, among others, coining a sound that strikes a chord between sharp lyricism and instrumental melodies. It all started in Deerfield, Illinois, where Alexander 23, born Alexander Glantz, was raised. He became enamored with music “immediately as I gained consciousness,” he says, which he estimates was in “like, the fifth grade.” Around that time, he played on his elementary school’s basketball team, and he enjoyed listening to albums from rock bands like Kansas and Supertramp from beginning to end during the long drives to gam...
Bop Shop: Songs From Doechii, Sunmi, The Beths, And More
There’s a reason Chung Ha remains one of South Korea’s most successful soloists, and her newly released track “Sparkling” is proof. As the first single off her EP Bare and Rare, Pt. 1, “Sparkling” is a high-energy, hyperpop love song that’s perfect for summer. The track, which details the emotions of an exciting fling, layers ’80s-inspired synths with Chung Ha’s clear and powerful vocals for a bop that feels at once retro and contemporary. Accompanied by a pastel-explosion of a music video that takes place under the sea, Chung Ha truly sparkles in a myriad of bedazzled silhouettes, performing lively choreography designed to go viral. With each comeback, Chung Ha prepares an exciting experience for fans, keeping them consistently in anticipation for what’s to come next. If “Sparkling” repre...
Billy Corgan Announces Benefit Show for Highland Park Shooting Victims
Billy Corgan is stepping up for his community. The Smashing Pumpkins frontman and his partner Chloe Mendel announced Thursday (July 14) that they are hosting a livestream charity show to benefit the victims of the July 4 Highland Park, Ill., shooting. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “About a week ago, we had the horrible tragedy here on July 4 that took so many lives and injured so many people and really have affected us as a community,” the rocker, who has lived in Highland Park for about 20 years, said in an Instagram video. “So what we want to do on the evening of July 27 is we’re going to have a very special charity concert. Jimmy Chamberlin’s going to be part of the concert, other parts of the Pumpkins family.” “There are so many people he...
Cardi B, Ye & Lil Durk’s ‘Hot S–t’ Debuts at No. 1 on Top Triller U.S. Chart
Cardi B, Ye and Lil Durk’s “Hot Shit” starts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Triller U.S. chart, debuting atop the July 16-dated survey. The Top Triller U.S. and Top Triller Global charts highlight the biggest songs on Triller based on a formula blending the amount of views of videos containing a respective song, the level of engagement with those videos and the raw total of videos uploaded featuring each song, according to Triller. Data for the charts is represented on a Friday-Thursday tracking week, with the latest period running July 1-7. “Hot Shit” becomes her fifth No. 1 on Top Triller U.S., the most among any act since the ranking began in 2020. Cardi B also ruled the list alongside Kay Flock, Dougie B and Bory300 on “Shake It” (May 2022), as a featured artist on City Girls’ “Twerk” (Oc...
First Country: Zach Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Cody Johnson, LeAnn Rimes & More
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week. Zach Bryan, “Summertime Blues“ [embedded content] Just months after topping the Billboard Country Albums chart with his whopping 34-track album American Heartbreak in May, this prolific, country and Americana-synthesizing artist returns with the nine-track EP Summertime Blues. The slow-burning, demo-like title track makes great use of Bryan’s craggy, weathered voice and the song finds the singer-songwriter staring into a summer sunset, musing that he has no one to share it with as the summer months stretch long before him. This year, Bryan has had successful sets at Stagecoach Country Music Festival and at its newly-minted, more Americana-leaning cousin, Palomino Festival. Meanwhile, h...
Calvin Harris Drops “Stay With Me” Feat. Justin Timberlake, Halsey and Pharrell
Calvin Harris is back with another high-energy track to brighten up your summer days. Titled “Stay With Me,” his latest single enlists Justin Timberlake, Halsey and Pharrell. Off of Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, the new track marks the third single released from the upcoming album. With a pulsating beat and a disco-like rhythm, the song details all-around fun, love and celebration. “This one’s for tonight and beyond (Come here, girl)/We’re toastin’ and we cheers, all your girls are here/Something ain’t right if you yawn (Yeah, girl)/As crazy as it sounds, wanna take you down,” sings Pharell in the song’s pre-chorus. In line with the bouncy beat, the accompanying music video is filled with psychedelic colors, plants, kaleidoscope visual effects, neon lights and more. Check out the summer-ready t...
Interpol Unveils New Album The Other Side of Make-Believe: Stream
Interpol are officially back. Today, the trio have unveiled their seventh studio album The Other Side of Make-Believe, via Matador Records. Take a listen below. After beginning work on The Other Side of Make-Believe remotely, the band reunited at a rented home in the Catskills to begin fleshing out new material in early 2021. They completed it later that year in North London while reuniting with previous collaborator Alan Moulder, who co-produced the album with Flood. “We really extracted the honey out of this situation,” said drummer Samuel Fogarino in a statement. Guitarist Daniel Kessler added, “Working alone was raw at first, but has opened up a vivid new chapter for us.” Advertisement Related Video Lead singer Paul Banks shed more light on the writing process, saying, “We usually...
