Pop
Bon Iver Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Self-Titled Album With Back-to-Back Shows
Now, 10 years later, Bon Iver’s self-titled work is remembered as a turning point for his career as an artist, even hinting at the experimental, formless direction his music would take later on, with 22, a Million and i,i. With Bon Iver, Vernon no longer was proving himself as he was with For Emma, by 2011, he was eager to push for sounds never heard before. To commemorate one of his most beloved, career-altering albums, Bon Iver played the first of two shows Friday night at the brand new YouTube Theater at SoFi Stadium. Titled “Sincerely Grateful,” it marked the artist/producer’s first shows post-pandemic, something Vernon acknowledged in between tracks with a laugh, “Hey, how was your last year?” After a str...
Lana Del Rey Performs “Arcadia” on Stephen Colbert: Watch
Lana Del Rey celebrated the release day of her new album, Blue Banisters, by paying a visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. As the evening’s musical guest, the pop crooner gave a performance of the album’s lead single, “Arcadia.” “Arcadia” already calls to mind Del Rey’s earlier career highlights like “Video Games,” but her outfit and the black-and-white filter of her remote performance especially felt like a throwback to 2012. With a stripped-down piano background and minimal stage decor, Del Rey’s voice took the forefront, making the simple track feel all the more poignant. Watch her performance below. Now that Blue Banisters has finally arrived, it seems Del Rey might be taking some time away from the public eye: After some questionable missteps over the past year or so...
Matty Healy Makes Surprise Appearance at Phoebe Bridgers’ Los Angeles Show: Watch
Back before, y’know, all this happened, Phoebe Bridgers was slated to open for The 1975 on their tour in support of 2020’s Notes on a Conditional Form. On Friday night, however, the two acts finally got to team up in person. The band’s frontman Matty Healy made a surprise appearance opening up for Bridgers’ gig at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater, and the pair performed NOACF highlight “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America” live for the very first time. Just a few hours before the show, Bridgers offered some sage advice on Twitter: “Come early tonight. Trust me.” And the surprise was well worth it. In addition to their duet, Healy debuted two new songs — one of which is titled “New York” — as well as a self-described “emo” rendition of the band’s Tumblr-era anthem, “Sex.” Chec...
Lana Del Rey Meditates in an Emergency on Blue Banisters
“If this is the end, I want a boyfriend,” Lana Del Rey sings on “Black Bathing Suit,” one of the standout tracks on her eighth album, Blue Banisters. The pop balladeer has long mooned over romantic apocalypse, but with this collection, she gets to set explorations of doomed relationships against the backdrop of global crisis. At their best, Del Rey’s ruminations in an emergency extend her range on all levels — lyrics, vocals, dynamics, and candor. Throughout her prolific, decade-long career, Del Rey has leaned into nostalgic fantasy with a faded silver-screen sheen — writing Gatsby cosplay, tragic Hollywood heroine apologias, and references to the unhinged end of the 1960s that make it sound like it happened yesterday. (Didn’t it?) But on Blue Banisters, Del Rey weaves the relatable banal ...
James Blake on Falsettos, Comparisons, and His Knack for Musical Left Turns
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS James Blake joins Kyle Meredith to discuss his latest album, Friends That Break Your Heart. Advertisement Related Video The English singer-songwriter tells us about the process of deciding what this album should be, comparisons with and being jealous of other artists, and covering Joy Division on the preceding covers EP. Blake also talks about his knack for left turns in his songs, using less of his famous falsetto, and having SZA and JID guest on this newest set. Listen to this new episode of Kyle Meredith With above or watching the whole interview via the YouTube player below. Advertisement Make sure to subscribe to KMW...
Song of the Week: Elton John and Eddie Vedder Go for a Wild Ride with “E-Ticket”
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, Elton John recruits Eddie Vedder for his lockdown sessions. Elton John really loves to collaborate: his new album The Lockdown Sessions features him joining forces with some of the biggest musicians around, from Dua Lipa to Stevie Wonder. With “E-Ticket,” his new track with none other than Eddie Vedder, John goes back to basics. It’s an undeniably fun, classic piano jam from the prolific pair, and Vedder’s presence makes it all the more riveting. Their husky voices sync and blend so well that at times, it’s hard to tell who is who...
ABBA Premiere New Single “Just a Notion”: Stream
ABBA have released their latest reunion single, “Just a Notion.” The track serves as the third preview of the legendary pop group’s forthcoming studio album, Voyage, following the release of the dual lead singles “I Still Have Faith in You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down” in early September. Voyage is due out November 5th via Capitol Records. It marks the disco pop icons’ first studio album since dropping The Visitors in 1981. Recording took place at band member Benny Anderson’s Riksmixningsverket studio in Stockholm, with the first sessions taking place back in 2018. Interestingly, “Just a Notion” might sound vaguely familiar to hardcore fans familiar with more than just ABBA’s greatest hits and Mamma Mia! Back in 1994, a demo version of “Just a Notion” first appeared in the ...
Lana Del Rey Shares Eighth Studio Album Blue Banisters: Stream
Lana Del Rey has unveiled her new studio album Blue Banisters via Interscope Records. Stream it below. The 15-track collection includes the previously released singles “Text Book,” “Blue Banisters,” “Wildflower Wildfire,” and “Arcadia,” as well as new songs like “Black Bathing Suit,” “If You Lie Down with Me,” and “Violets For Roses.” Like 2019’s Norman Fucking Rockwell!, Blue Banisters does not contain a single guest feature in its tracklist. The LP arrives just seven months after her previous body of work — March’s Chemtrails Over the Country Club — and more than three months after its original July 4th release date, which was scrapped by the star at the eleventh hour when she informed fans the studio set would be coming “later later.” Advertisement Related Video “I guess you could say t...
Elton John’s Collab-Stacked ‘Lockdown Sessions’ Is Unlocked: Stream It Now
3…2…1…the Rocket Man blasts off with The Lockdown Sessions, an album which, as its title suggests, was recorded remotely over the past 18 months. As the pandemic set in, Elton John switched gears and recorded The Lockdown Sessions with a starry-cast of guests, and across a smorgasbord of styles (all with that Elton touch). More than 20 artists feature on the new record, an unprecedented call-out across Elton’s career. Its lineup includes Stevie Wonder, Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks and the late Glenn Campbell, with Elton, at times, slotting into session-musician mode. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rew...
ABBA Unleashes ‘Ridiculously Happy’ Song ‘Just A Notion’: Stream It Now
A rollicking, feel-good number, “Just A Notion” feels like peak-era ABBA. And there’s a reason for that. “Just A Notion’ was originally written and recorded in the summer of 1978 during the early sessions for ABBA’s sixth studio album Voulez-Vous, but didn’t make the final cut. It’s a “treasure from the past,” in the band’s own words. “Just A Notion,” recounts founding member Björn Ulvaeus in a social media post, is “a ridiculously happy song and hopefully it will cheer you up in these dark times!” ABBA’s comeback has been well received. In the U.K. “Don’t Shut Me Down” debuted at No. 9 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, for the group’s 20th Top 10 single, while “I Still Have Faith In You” was close behind, starting at No. 14 on the main chart and topping the Official Vi...
Elton John Unveils Star-Studded New Album The Lockdown Sessions: Stream
Sir Elton John has today released his collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions. Stream the star-studded project in full below. The stacked guest list is led by artists like Eddie Vedder, Lil Nas X, Gorillaz, and Stevie Nicks. They are joined on the tracklist by Rina Sawayama (“Chosen Family“), Miley Cyrus (“Nothing Else Matters“), Stevie Wonder (“Finish Line“), and Dua Lipa. The latter’s appearance on “Cold Heart” (PNAU Remix)“ helped The Rocket Man score his 58th Top 40 hit and claim a Billboard Hot 100 record for the longest span of Top 40 appearances (excluding holiday songs). In a statement, John explained how the album came together during quarantine, and why the process made him feel like a “session musician again.” He said, “The last thing I expected to do durin...
Kelly Clarkson & Jimmy Fallon Join Forces (And Hands) for This Sonny & Cher Cover
Kelly Clarkson and Jimmy Fallon transformed into Sonny & Cher for Thursday’s (Oct. 21) special Kellyoke duet of “I Got You Babe.” In their own words, they “totally nailed” their cover, as Fallon got Clarkson to hold his hand and blend their dulcet vocals for the duet. And the late-night host recalled getting a little bit more PDA from Cher herself when they performed the song on The Tonight Show. “We had a bit when she was gonna slap me like Moonstruck. And she goes, ‘You know, Jimmy? I don’t want to slap you.’ I go, ‘Why?’ She goes, ”Cause I like you too much, I don’t want it to be like I don’t like you,'” Fallon told the audience. “She goes, ‘Or maybe I’ll s...
