NEWS
Defected Records Announces New Label and Partnership with South African Nonprofit Bridges for Music
Esteemed UK dance label Defected Records has announced a three-year partnership with South African nonprofit Bridges for Music, an organization devoted to uniting the industry in their efforts to support disadvantaged communities through music education while raising global awareness. The partnership will see both entities joining forces to sponsor five students every six months at the Bridges Academy in Langa, Cape Town. The academy, which launched last year with the help of Skrillex, was developed to empower future creative leaders from underserved backgrounds through music and art. The school has been years in the making, as Skrillex and his OWSLA label first began organizing the initiative with Bridges for Music back in 2012. With the backing of Defected Recor...
Lisa Marie Presley’s Son, Benjamin Keough, Dies at 27
He was the son of musician Danny Keough, grandson of Elvis and Priscilla Presley and brother of actress Riley Keough. Benjamin Keough, the son of Lisa Marie Presley and grandson of Elvis Presley, has died, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. He was 27. Presley’s rep told The Hollywood Reporter: “She is completely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11-year-old twins and her oldest daughter, Riley. She adored that boy. He was the love of her life.” TMZ reported that Keough died Sunday (July 12) in Calabasas, Calif., from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for comment. Keough also was the brother of actress Riley Keough and son of musician...
Kany Garcia Takes Fans on a ‘Mesa Para Dos’ Journey in Heartfelt Virtual Concert
Kany Garcia found many creative ways to keep in touch with her fans during the global pandemic. Thanks to social media, she offered fans weeks of activities, including a day of self-care, cooking, fitness and acoustic sessions. But on Saturday (July 11), Garcia took it to the next level, hosting a virtual concert from San Juan’s new arena, Coca-Cola Music Hall. She also became the first female artist to perform at the new Puerto Rican venue. In a one-hour live stream, produced by Move Concerts and made available on Live Pass Play, the award-winning singer-songwriter debuted live songs from her new Mesa Para Dos album. “Join me on the slope, in the open wound, in the uncertainty, in the frustration, in the crying,” Garcia’s voice kicked off the show. “Join me on a stage full of empty seats,...
Pop Smoke Lights up Australia’s Albums Chart With ‘Shoot For The Stars’
Pop Smoke, the fast-rising hip-hop artist whose life was taken in a home invasion at the age of just 20, is the new leader of Australia’s albums chart. The Los Angeles-based artist’s debut LP Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon (Universal) bows at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, with three tracks from it impacting the national singles survey (“The Woo” at No. 25, “For The Night” at No. 32 and “Dior” at No. 48). Pop Smoke’s posthumous release follows two mixtapes, Meet The Woo (2019) and Meet The Woo 2 (2020), the latter debuting at No. 33 last week and rising to No. 24 on the current list. Shoot For The Stars is the first posthumous LP to top the Australian chart in more than two years. The last to do so was Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s history-making Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainb...
Kanye West Pays Tribute to Late Mom With New Song ‘DONDA’: Listen
Kanye West has shared a musical tribute to his late mother, Donda West, on what would have been her 71st birthday. The hip-hop star posted the new song “DONDA,” which opens with a recording of his mom reciting the lyrics of KRS-One’s “Sound of da Police”. In the second part, ‘Ye leaps in with both feet as he ruminates on racism, the Devil and “fake leaders,” all set to an uplifting soundbed. On it, he says, “Mama I need you to tuck me in/ I done made some mistakes and they rubbed it in/ I know you and grandma had enough of them/ Why I gotta be so stubborn then/ I’m doin this one for y’all/ So we can end racism once and for all.” Earlier in the day, Kim Kardashian West posted a vintage video of her husband and his mom singing his song “Hey Mama”, from 2005’s Late Registrat...
Kygo, Disclosure, Jonas Blue, More Featured on 106th Edition of “Now That’s What I Call Music!”
Remember Now That’s What I Call Music!, the compilation series that blew up in the 90s and early 2000s? The fabled series is still around and it recently released its jaw-dropping 106th edition, which features a few of EDM’s brightest artists. Dance music artists featured on Now That’s What I Call Music! 106 include Kygo, Disclosure, Regard, Jonas Blue, HOSH, and breakthrough “ily (i love you baby)” producer Surf Mesa, who was born two years after the first Now compilation released. Now That’s What I Call Music! has come a long way since its inaugural release in 1998. That edition featured “MMMBop” by Hanson, “As Long As You Love Me” by Backstreet Boys, and “Say You’ll Be There” by Spice Girls...
Kanye West Shares New Song ‘Donda’ in Tribute to Late Mother
Late on Sunday, presidential candidate (for now) Kanye West dropped a new song that paid tribute to his late mother Donda. July 12 would have been her 71st birthday. Simply titled “Donda,” the first 90 seconds of the song features the late-professor rapping along to KRS-One’s “Sound Of Da Police” before her son takes it from there. Following his decision to run for president that may or may not happen, West spoke to Forbes about his candidacy where he revealed that he was an anti-vaxxer, would not support President Donald Trump’s reelection bid in 2020 and never voted before. It raised the suspicions of many, including new pal Elon Musk. Prior to that, on the music front, West released a new song with Travis Scott titled “Wash Us in the Blood.” The song is slated to appear on Wes...
Ibiza Government Thanks NHS Workers with Free 2021 Ibiza Holiday
Healthcare workers the world over are receiving well-deserved thanks for their ongoing and tireless efforts in the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic. The government of Ibiza has made a grand gesture to show their gratitude to National Health Service workers by giving them a free holiday on the island next year. “Together For Health Heroes” is an initiative backed by the Ibiza government that aims to reward European healthcare workers for their efforts battling against COVID-19 this year. The initiative seeks to “find at least 1,000 best in class accommodation providers in Europe and give back to these healthcare heroes in 2021.” According to a statement from Ibiza tourism councillor Juan Miguel Costa, the island wants to “compensate th...
Social Distancing Ignored in 5,000-Person Electronic Concert in Nice, France Over the Weekend
Ignoring many of the social distancing guidelines shared by the world’s medical community, a large group of people in France gathered for an outdoor concert over the weekend. While some underground events have been broken up for hosting around 100 people, the concert in the city of Nice attracted over 5,000 people, who gathered to see a performance from hometown artist The Avener. French news station France 3 Provence-Alpes obtained footage of the party, which displayed a packed crowd with few people wearing masks or practicing social distancing. The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, released a statement on Twitter addressing the event and shared his regrets that mask guidelines were not upheld by attendees. Yesterday’s event at #Nice06 complied with government guideli...
Fans Choose Anitta’s ‘Tocame’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music
Anitta‘s “Tocame,” featuring Arcangel and De La Ghetto, tops this week’s new music poll. Music fans voted in a poll published on Friday (July 10) on Billboard, picking the new single from Anitta as their favorite. “Tocame” and its sultry reggaeton melodies brought in over 28% of the vote. The collaboration was written by Anitta, Arcangel, and De La Ghetto, and it was produced by Ryan Tedder. Following “Tocame” was Katy Perry‘s latest track, “Smile,” with 24% of the vote. Juice WRLD‘s posthumous album Legends Never Die placed in third, with 17% of the vote. See the final results from this week’s favorite new music poll below. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we rei...
‘Hamilton’ Hits No. 2 on Billboard 200, Is Highest-Charting Cast Album Since 1969
Set also captures biggest streaming week ever for a cast album. The original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical surges to a new peak on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as the set vaults from No. 14 to No. 2 in the wake of the show’s Disney+ premiere on July 3. The album earned 102,000 equivalent album units (up 294 percent) in the U.S. in the week ending July 9, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Of that sum, 32,000 are in album sales (up 592 percent). The last cast recording to reach the top two on the chart was the original cast album of Hair, which spent 13 weeks at No. 1 in 1969. The Hamilton album is basking in the glow of the Disney+ streaming premiere of the filmed version of the Broadway stage show, with most of the original Broadway cast. T...
Kim Kardashian Shares a Sweet Throwback Video of Kanye West in Honor of His Late Mom’s Birthday
Kim Kardashian honored her late mother-in-law, Donda West, with a sweet tribute to mark what would’ve been her 71st birthday on Sunday (July 12). The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star shared a vintage video of husband Kanye West singing his song “Hey Mama” off 2005’s Late Registration via Twitter and Instagram Stories. In the clip, the rapper can be seen smiling broadly as he sings and dances alongside Donda in a home kitchen. West told Oprah Winfrey in 2005 that he wrote the tune for his mother in 2000. “It’s one of my favorite songs,” he said at the time. The rapper has previously performed the song on Mother’s Day 2019 during a special edition of his Sunday Service events. Donda died in 2007 from post-surgery complications. She was 58. ...
