R&B
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Announce November Release Date for Silk Sonic Album
The holidays are coming early for Silk Sonic fans, as Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak have officially announced the release date for their collaborative first album is November 12th. An Evening with Silk Sonic was initially targeted for a January 2022 release, as revealed by the duo in an August interview with Rolling Stone. At the time, Mars explained that they wanted to share a few more singles to give their music more space. “I don’t want to be binge-watched,” said Mars. So far, Mars and .Paak have only released two songs as a group: “Leave the Door Open” and “Skate,” the latter of which was named our Song of the Week. However, demand for more new material has only grown with performances at the Grammys, iHeartRadio Music Awards, and BET Awards. Advertisement Related V...
R. Kelly’s Music Sees Major Spike in Streaming and Sales Following Guilty Verdict
R. Kelly may have been found guilty last month in his federal sex crimes trial, but the news seems to have caused a major spike in his sales and streaming numbers. According to streaming data provided by Billboard, the disgraced artist’s catalog experienced a 14% rise in streaming during the week of his September 27th conviction, as well as a 55% rise in radio play across the country. However, the real impact came in the week immediately following the guilty verdict. A report by Rolling Stone points out R. Kelly’s music received a 500% surge in sales, while his streaming numbers also rose by another 22% from the week prior. Advertisement Related Video Interestingly, a comparable bump came back in January 2019 when Lifetime first began airing its bombshell documentary series Surviving R. Ke...
James Blake Releases New Album Friends That Break Your Heart: Stream
James Blake has delivered his latest album, Friends That Break Your Heart. Stream the UK crooner’s fifth studio full-length below via Apple Music or Spotify. Described by Blake as a “concept” album, Friends That Break Your Heart features guest appearances by SZA, JID, SwaVay, and Monica Marti. Blake’s girlfriend, The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil, also has songwriting credits on three songs: recent single “Famous Last Words,” the SZA-featuring “Coming Back,” and “I’m So Blessed You’re Mine. Of the LP’s 12 tracks “Say What You Will” and “Life Is Not the Same” were also shared as early previews. The concept of Friends That Break Your Heart is right in the title: Blakes treats platonic heartbreak the same way writers typically look at romance. As Consequence’s own ...
New Kids on the Block Announce 2022 Tour with Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley, En Vogue
New Kids on the Block have got the right stuff for “The MixTape Tour 2022.” The veteran boy band has announced a massive 55-date trek supported by fellow icons of the ’80s and ’90s Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley, and En Vogue. The quintet of Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood, and Donnie Wahlberg last hit the road on the “MixTape Tour 2019.” In a statement, Wahlberg explained the emotions around the new tour and why they named it “MixTape.” He said, “We had a blast out on the first MixTape Tour in 2019, and can’t wait to take it to another level with our fans on the MixTape Tour 2022. Just like a mixtape, these shows are going to take audiences through all the emotions. To be able to have Salt-N-Pepa come back and now also have the iconic and legendary&...
R. Kelly’s Baton Rouge “Key to the City” Honor Being Rescinded
Back before his legacy fully tanked as a result of his own incorrigibly disgusting actions, R. Kelly was a “Key to the City” honoree in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Now that the disgraced R&B singer was found guilty of all counts in his federal sex trafficking case — facing a possible sentence of a decade to life in prison — the city is rescinding the honor. Although multiple sexual misconduct allegations have been made against him since the ’90s, Kelly was given the Key to the City honor back in 2013 by then-Baton Rouge Metro Council member Denise Marcelle, who told TMZ that, at the time, she had only been aware of his 2008 acquittal. Now a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, she added that she regrets ever giving him the honor. She holds the power to rescind the honor becaus...
Kali Uchis Recruits SZA for “fue mejor” Remix: Stream
Last November, Kali Uchis released her first Spanish-language album, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios). On it was a song called “fue mejor,” which today gets a revamped version boasting guest vocals from none other than SZA. As an additional treat for fans, the “fue mejor” remix arrives with a new music video. “fue mejor” is a heavy-hitting R&B slow jam that perfectly suits SZA’s voice. Following the smash success of “Kiss Me More” with Doja Cat, “fue mejor” marks the first time we’ve heard SZA sing in Spanish. “This is Latin R&B, this is SZA singing in Spanish for the very first time, this is spooky season, this IS the moment,” Uchis said in a statement. The steamy music video, directed by Daniel Sannwald, feels fit for spooky season indeed, looking like it could’ve been pulle...
R Kelly Found Guilty in Federal Sex Trafficking Trial, Faces Decades in Prison
R Kelly has been found guilty of all counts in his federal sex trafficking case and faces decades in prison. The disgraced R&B singer was charged with one count of racketeering rooted in alleged sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping, and forced labor. Additionally, he was charged with eight counts of violating the Mann Act, a law that criminalizes transporting someone across state lines “with intent that such individual engage in prostitution, or in any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense.” Kelly pleaded not guilty to all charges, but on Monday a jury convicted him on all nine counts. Kelly, 54, faces a possible sentence of a decade to life in prison. Sentencing is set for May 4th, 2022. Advertisement Related Video Over the span of 20 days,...
Fugees Perform “Ready or Not” at First Concert in 15 Years: Watch
Earlier this week, Fugees reunited at New York City’s Pier 17 for their first performance in 15 years. A portion of the concert was filmed for broadcast on Saturday night as part of the Global Citizen Festival. Below, watch their performance of “Ready or Not.” All told, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel performed a seven song set pulling exclusively from their classic album The Score. Though they took the stage nearly four hours late, “in the air there was a genuine sense of rebirth that has been present in very few reunion tours — as if they had, in these 25 years, figured out exactly how to fit in the narrow space between nostalgia and modernity,” wrote Valerie Megan in her review of the concert for Consequence. “It was a glorious victory lap, underlined by the nipping breeze...
Lakeyah Breaks Down New Gangsta Grillz Mixtape My Time Track by Track: Exclusive
Our Track by Track feature offers artists the chance to share the inspirations and stories behind each track on their new album. Today, Lakeyah offers insight into her mixtape, My Time. Quality Control rapper Lakeyah has dropped her new mixtape My Time, the latest installment in DJ Drama’s groundbreaking Gangsta Grillz series. Stream it below. Led off by the Milwaukee native’s hard-hitting Tee Grizzley collaboration “313-414,” the 11-track project brings Lakeyah to the next level, as she deftly balances boastful raps and effortless flows with R&B-influenced songs like “A Letter to You.” Other featured artists include Moneybagg Yo, Tyga, and fellow QC signee Bankroll Freddie. Advertisement Related Video Not even at drinking age, Lakeyah has come a long way since she caught the attention...
The Weeknd Sued for Copyright Infringement Over “Call Out My Name”
The Weeknd is being taken to court over alleged copyright infringement on his song “Call Out My Name.” According to a report by Pitchfork, producers Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, who collaborator as Epikker, filed the lawsuit on September 17th alleging that the track from the singer’s 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy is “strikingly and/or substantially similar, if not identical” to their own song “Vibeking” from 2015. The Weeknd’s collaborators Nicolás Jaar and Frank Dukes were also named in the suit. In the filing, Fox and Strange point out several similarities in the two songs, including that “Call Out My Name” uses the same scale degrees as “Vibeking,” particularly in the hook’s melody. “Both works are in a minor key. Both works are in a 6/8 meter that is less common in popular music. Both wo...
Kehlani Announces New Album Blue Water Road, Shares “Altar”: Stream
Kehlani has announced her third album Blue Water Road, which will be released this winter. To preview the record, she unveiled the lead single “Altar” today. The Bay Area singer revealed Blue Water Road on Tuesday via Twitter and shared a dramatic, minute-long album trailer which she described as “coming out of the rubble of It Was Good Until It Wasnt and into the light, on to the road.” Blue Water Road marks the follow-up to Kehlani’s aforementioned 2020 album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. “i only want to make things that mean something to me completely void of algorithms or strategy,” she wrote about the project on social media. “approaching my 6th project, i’m not chasing anything but joy with this shit. fuck a box. i love y’all for the way you love me!!!!!” Advertisement Related V...
Drake’s 10 Best Songs
Love him or hate him, Drake is like Thanos: Inevitable. Every album the Toronto rapper drops debuts at No. 1, takes over the Hot 100 chart and radio for months on end, and breaks streaming records. While some part of Drake’s success is due to a knack for marketing, there’s no denying his universal appeal. The OVO boss himself once taunted former rival Meek Mill for “gettin’ bodied by a singin’ n****,” but categorizing him as a singing rapper is too simplistic. As our list shows, the former Degrassi star offers everything from borderline cheesy earworms (“Hotline Bling”) to chest-thumping anthems (“Energy”) to celebratory tracks (“God’s Plan”) — not to mention toxic rambles like “Marvins Room.” While Drake will never be the best rapper alive, his versatility makes him one of a kind. — Eddie...
