music
Iggy Pop and Matt Sweeney Cover “European Son” for The Velvet Underground Tribute Album: Stream
Iggy Pop and Matt Sweeney have released their new cover of The Velvet Underground and Nico’s “European Son.” The collaboration between the 74-year-old rock star and his frequent collaborator appears on the tracklist for the upcoming tribute album I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to the Velvet Underground & Nico. “You killed your European son/ You spit on those under twenty-one/ You better say so long/ Hey, hey, bye, bye, bye/ You made your wallpapers green/ You want to make love to the scene/ Your European son is gone/ You’d better say so long,” Iggy intones over Sweeney’s cacophonous guitar line. In a statement about the track, Sweeney said, “The Velvet Underground were rock and roll’s finest band. Iggy Pop remains rock and roll’s greatest singer. I am thrilled and humbled that the joyo...
Artists Reflect on 20 Years of The Strokes’ Is This It
The release of The Strokes’ landmark debut album, Is This It, was anything but smooth, but once it made its way into the hands of rock fans, its impact was profound. After a staggered international release of the album beginning in August 2001, Is This It was set to arrive in the United States on September 11th on vinyl and September 25th on the then-more-popular CD format. For the US release, the cover artwork was changed from a woman’s naked hip and rear end to the less-risque image of subatomic particle tracks. While the vinyl did come out on September 11th as planned, that day’s horrific terrorist attacks forced the New York band and its label to rethink the release of the CD. The scathing tune “New York City Cops” was dropped from the tracklist of the CD version in the wake of the her...
Syd Drops New Single “Right Track” Featuring Smino: Stream
Back in February, Syd returned with her first solo music in nearly four years. The Internet member has been keeping herself busy since, leading up to today’s release of her new single “Right Track,” which features vocals from Smino. Stream it below. “Right Track” is a love song that stays true to Syd’s usual laidback R&B groove. Backed by a fluttering, Latin-influenced guitar riff, the track details the beginnings of a relationship that’s going well, and the excitement of taking things to the next step. “Everything feels so right, don’t you love it when things go right?” Syd coos in the bridge. “Now can somebody tell me why you would fight that?” Along with the new single, Syd has also announced her only show of 2021, where she’ll take the stage with the LA Philharmonic at The Ford on ...
Saudade Cover Joy Division’s “Day of the Lords” with Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe: Stream
Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe has teamed up with Saudade for a cover of Joy Division‘s “Day of the Lords.” Billed as a “creepy” rendition of an already haunting song, Saudade heavy it up with a smattering of instruments (guitars, steel drums, organ, synths, etc). Meanwhile, Blythe lays down his vocals with reverence to the song’s original singer, the late Ian Curtis. “I’ve always wanted to cover ‘Day of the Lords,’” remarked Blythe in a press release. “In my opinion, it is the heaviest of Joy Division’s songs. With Saudade, we have such a widely-varied pool of musical backgrounds to draw from that I knew we could add some interesting sonic layers to the tune while honoring the original.” Advertisement Related Video Saudade are led by Chuck Doom (Crosses, Team Sleep) and drummer Gil ...
Sneaker Pimps Return with Squaring the Circle, First New Album in 19 Years: Stream
After nearly two decades away, what better time for Sneaker Pimps to return than in 2021? Today, the cult trip-hop band return with their long-awaited fourth studio album, Squaring the Circle, out now via Orphic. Squaring the Circle was written, performed, and produced by founding members Sneaker Pimps members Chris Corner and Liam Howe. It spans 16 tracks total, many of which feature guest vocals from Berlin-based singer Simonne Jones. The album was recorded between Sawtooth Studios in Pioneertown, California, and London’s Tower Studios. The band teased the album earlier this year with the title track, as well as with the single “Fighter.” Stream it on Apple Music and Spotify below. Advertisement Related Video Sneaker Pimps are best known for their 1996 hit, “6 Underground”, featuring the...
Foo Fighters’ “Everlong” Returns to Charts After Viral Performance With 11-Year-Old Nandi Bushell
It takes a lot of talent to put a quarter-century-old song back on the charts, whether you’re one of the most established alt-rock bands working today or just an especially precocious 11-year-old. This week, Foo Fighters’ 1997 classic “Everlong” has cracked each of Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, Hot Alternative Songs, and Hot Hard Rock Songs charts, likely a result of the band’s recent live performance of the track with pint-sized drumming legend Nandi Bushell. The gig in question went down on August 26th at the Forum in Los Angeles, and has since driven US streams of “Everlong” up 4 percent. That’s good enough to propel “Everlong” to No. 19 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, No. 2 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, and No. 17 on Hot Alternative Songs chart. Bushe...
Elton John Brings James Hetfield to Tears as He Calls Metallica Classic “One of the Best Songs Ever Written”: Watch
During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show on Thursday, James Hetfield was brought to tears when surprise guest Elton John dubbed Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” as “one of the best songs ever written.” Metallica were guests of The Howard Stern Show with Miley Cyrus, who covered “Nothing Else Matters” with Elton John for the newly released compilation The Metallica Blacklist. With Metallica seated alongside Cyrus in Stern’s studio, the radio host brought Elton in via Zoom. Elton talked about his cover of “Nothing Else Matters” with Cyrus, which begins and ends with him playing piano. “That idea came from Andrew Watt, who produced the track and played guitar on it. He said, ‘I want you to start the song and finish the song, because I don’t want it to start with the guitar, becaus...
Chlöe Says Her ‘Have Mercy’ Video Is ‘All About Ass, But In An Artistic Way’
The road to Chlöe Bailey‘s debut solo single “Have Mercy” was long, arduous, and sometimes even plagued by toxic comments from strangers who refused to let her own her confidence. But with a wildly bold and inventive new video directed by Karena Evans that lets Chlöe present herself precisely how she wants the world to see her, she’s truly arrived. As she tells MTV News ahead of the debut performance of “Have Mercy” at the 2021 VMAs on Sunday, September 12, executing her vision as she saw it was paramount to the song’s rollout. “Men can glorify ass in their videos. I want to do it with this in an artful, really fun, beautiful way,” she tells MTV News correspondent Dometi Pongo. ”I think it’s so great how women can claim own...
Who Won At The First-Ever Trending: VMAs? See The Winners Here
This year, as every year, the 2021 VMAs honor the biggest and brightest stars pushing musical and visual boundaries and captivating audiences around the world. So many of those stars started out on a much, much smaller screen — for example, trending on TikTok. That’s why MTV launched the first-ever Trending: VMAs, celebrating creators, creatives, comebacks, and what happens when they collide. The fun is streaming live from the MTV TikTok account today (September 10) beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Find the full list of winners from the first awards show of its kind below. Best Breakthrough Song WINNER: Find out on the VMA red carpet on Sunday, September 10! Masked Wolf: “Astronaut In The Ocean” Claire Rosinkranz: “Backyard Boy” Bella Poarch: “Build a B*tch” Young Baby Tate ft. Flo Milli: “I ...
Song of the Week: MUNA and Phoebe Bridgers Keep it Easy and Breezy with “Silk Chiffon”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, MUNA and Phoebe Bridgers paint a pop portrait of September bliss. After over a year, MUNA has returned with a bright, addictive pop anthem. “Silk Chiffon” employs the help of beloved and perpetually-in-her-feelings Phoebe Bridgers, for whom the band will opening on tour this fall. Bridgers, for her part, arrives with perhaps the most Phoebe Bridgers line imaginable: “I’m high and I’m feeling anxious inside of a CVS.” (It’s called having a brand — look it up!) The members of MUNA have always embraced their identity as a “quee...
Rap Song of the Week: AZ Performs a Rhyming “Ritual” with Lil Wayne and Conway the Machine
Rap Song of the Week breaks down the essential rap and hip-hop tracks released each week. Check out the full playlist here. This week, AZ teams up with Lil Wayne and Conway the Machine on a cut from his highly-anticipated album, Doe or Die II. After more than a decade in the making, New York hip-hop royalty AZ has finally dropped Doe or Die II, the sequel to his mafioso rap classic debut. Lyrical exercises like “Ritual” ensure the album was well worth the wait, as The Firm member tag-teams with Lil Wayne and Conway the Machine over a grimy beat by The Alchemist to remind fans and fellow MCs alike that he’s been a force to be reckoned with since the mid ’90s. Using an effortless multi-syllabic flow, AZ raps about not needing the spotlight to prove he’s been one of the best rappers over...
Miley Cyrus and Metallica Perform “Nothing Else Matters” on Howard Stern: Watch
Metallica joined forces with Miley Cyrus for a performance of “Nothing Else Matters” on The Howard Stern Show on Thursday. The metal legends and the pop star teamed up to promote the new covers compilation The Metallica Blacklist. On the massive multi-artist compilation, which features 53 covers of the 12 songs on Metallica’s “Black Album,” Miley teamed up with Elton John, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Metallica’s own Robert Trujillo for a stirring rendition of “Nothing Else Matters.” For the Howard Stern performance, Metallica let Cyrus take lead vocals, with frontman James Hetfield backing her up during the chorus. Advertisement Prior to the performance, the band and Miley discussed “Nothing Else Matters,” with Hetfield admitting he was initially hesitant to br...
