R&B
10 Artists Worth Bringing Back VH1 Storytellers For
Kendrick Lamar photo by Amy Price; St. Vincent photo by David Brendan Hall; Janelle Monáe photo by Philip Cosores VH1 Storytellers was such a cool show. It borrowed the idea of MTV Unplugged — a hugely popular act performing a stripped-down set in front of an intimate audience — and took it one step further. Audiences could see and hear artists in a more relaxed setting, dishing on their careers and telling stories about creating the songs we know and love. Storytellers first aired 25 years ago in late February 1996; Kinks mastermind Ray Davies was the first performer. It ran for 97 more episodes, the last starring Ed Sheeran in 2015. In between, there was a veritable Who’s Who of talent, from classic rock gods like David Bowie and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to ‘90s stars like Pearl ...
Win The Best of Philadelphia International Records Prize Pack with Vinyl, Turntable, Headphones
50 years ago, the sound of Philly Soul was born out of the legendary Philadelphia International Records. With the talents of The O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Three Degrees, McFadden & Whitehead, and others, the label rewrote the standards of soul music by blending in R&B, funk, and doo-wop with massive orchestral arrangements. To celebrate all P.I.R. contributed to the world of music, we’re giving away a Best of Philadelphia International Records prize pack. One (1) winner will receive the new The Best of Philadelphia International Records compilation on vinyl, not set for release until May 2021. The greatest hits collection features classic tracks from all the above musicians plus Lou Rawls, The Intruders, Billy Paul, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and P.I.R....
Redman, Method Man, and H.E.R. Join D’Angelo’s Verzuz in a Celebration of Live Music: Review
For music lovers, the COVID-19 pandemic effectively put an end to live performances for the foreseeable future. Many venues across the country have temporally (or permanently) closed or now operate with capacity restrictions. Never again will we take for granted the sweet simplicity of being able to catch our favorite artist/band in concert. But one of the few positive things to happen for live music during all the insanity that has taken place over the last year and counting is the emergence of the Verzuz series. Curated by super producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, who dueled in the first battle last March, Verzuz gave fans a lifeline as we sat at home watching our favorite producers and singers reminisce about the creation of their classic songs, many of which have defined hip-hop and R...
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Announce Collaborative Album as Silk Sonic
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak have teamed up for a new collaborative project called Silk Sonic and plan to release an album in the near future. Mars shared news of the project on Twitter, explaining that it was made during quarantine. Funk legend Bootsy Collins is also involved in some capacity. The first single will be released next Friday, March 5th. .Paak previously joined Mars on the road as an opening act for the latter’s 24K Magic world tour. They also both appeared on Chic’s 2018 album It’s About Time. .Paak’s most recent solo album came in 2019 with Ventura. ✨We locked in and made an album. The band’s called Silk Sonic. First song drops next Friday 3/5.✨ pic.twitter.com/kzCQ3f7NRa — Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) February 26, 2021 Related You Deserve to Make Money Even ...
Yaya Bey Announces New EP The Things I Can’t Take With Me, Shares “fxck it then”: Stream
Brooklyn-based R&B musician Yaya Bey experienced a breakout moment last year when she released Madison Tapes, her excellent political album, and she’s carrying that momentum forward with her upcoming release. Today, Bey has announced a new EP called The Things I Can’t Take With Me. It’s due out April 9th via Big Dada, but you can stream the lead single “fxck it then” in advance below. Over the course of six tracks, The Things I Can’t Take With Me finds Bey working through a breakup that trigged deep wounds and childhood traumas. The project came together in real time when, in the midst of writing a new album, Bey’s relationship unexpectedly ended and she found herself writing songs that warranted their own collection. “[The album] is going to be about the journey home to self,” she exp...
Lizzo Protégé Dizzy Fae Shares New Song “360 Baby”: Stream
Today, 22-year-old Lizzo protégé Dizzy Fae dropped her latest single, “360 Baby”. With a bouncy, electronic beat, the Stelio-produced song is ready for post-covid dance parties. The Minneapolis singer says the “sex-pop” track draws inspiration from Missy Elliott and Peaches. In the song’s lyrics, Dizzy unabashedly brags about her sexual presence. With a confident delivery, she sings, “I can make your butt cum and tell me I’m relevant / I can make your future always look at my presence / You don’t have to call me daddy to know I’m the eldest / And I’m a grown bitch so I might let you lick up on my anus.” “‘360 Baby’ is about visualizing what you want and then going out and getting it,” Dizzy said, via a press release. “Manifestation plus persistence, simple as that!” Several years ago,...
Mahalia and Rico Nasty Team Up on New Song “Jealous”: Stream
Jamaican-British singer Mahalia has recruited Maryland rapper Rico Nasty for her new single, “Jealous”. Check out the music video below. In the clip, which is directed by Melody Maker and produced by Common People Films, Mahalia and Rico get revenge on an ex by hacking into his smart home. “I was really frustrated at the time with some friends. I was kind of going through this phase of not understanding why I was getting this bad energy from people around me,” Mahalia told BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders about the song. “I think the song, it was kind of me stepping away from that and saying, ‘I’m not going to let this get to me. I’m still going to be the biggest queen I can possibly be in the room.’ It was definitely an empowering song for me to write.” After dropping her pandemic EP, Iso...
Song of the Week: Haviah Mighty Channels Her Jamaican Heritage on “Obeah”
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, rapper Haviah Mighty channels her Jamaican Heritage on “Obeah”. Multiculturalism asks us to acknowledge and embrace the diversity within our own communities. Most of us try to live out that idea, recognizing that others experience the world (even the same community) differently than us and draw from different sources and traditions to cope with the daily challenges that we all face. That’s the crux of “Obeah”, the latest song by hip-hop artist and 2019 Polaris Prize winner Haviah Mighty, who our own Wren Graves describes as “one o...
Syd Returns with First Solo Song in Nearly Four Years “Missing Out”: Stream
Over three years following her Always Never Home EP, Syd has returned with a new solo song called “Missing Out”. With a dark wave of synths and a slowly crunching beat, The Internet member delivers the perfect self-actualizing anti-Valentine’s Day ballad. “As far as I can see, you and me could never be/ ‘Cause we didn’t spend the proper time tryna work it out,” Syd sings. “Hope you findin’ what you need or what you seek ’cause now I’m free.” Stream “Missing Out” below. In addition to it being nearly four years since Always Never Home and its preceding LP Fin, it’s been two and a half since The Internet dropped Hive Mind. That doesn’t mean Syd’s been silent until “Missing Out”, though; over the last year or so, she’s collaborated with The Free Nationals, Disclosure, Zayn, Lil Uzi Vert, and ...
Judas and the Black Messiah Soundtrack Features JAY-Z, Nipsey Hussle, NAS, ASAP Rocky, More
Nipsey Hussle, JAY-Z (photo by Amy Price), Nas (Ben Kaye), and ASAP Rocky (Kimberley Ross) Judas and the Black Messiah officially arrives later this week, but the Shaka King film has already drawn rave reviews, including being named on of the Top 10 Movies of 2020 by the National Board of Review. The soundtrack is shaping up to be a blockbuster in its own right — Rapsody and others shared the tracklist on social media, and it boasts the first collaboration between JAY-Z and Nipsey Hussle, as well as NAS, ASAP Rocky, and more. The movie concerns Fred Hampton, a leader in the Black Panther movement who was betrayed by fellow panther William O’Neal and then assassinated in his sleep by the FBI on December 4th, 1969. It’s produced by Ryan Coogler and stars Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanf...
The Weeknd Performs 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Show: Watch
The Weeknd got his money’s worth with a lavish Super Bowl Halftime performance. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year’s NFL championship had an eerily small audience compared to the usual overflowing stadium. But that didn’t stop The Weeknd from pleasing the crowds, both those in the stands and people watching at home, with a decked-out concert featuring fireworks, a massive choir, and doppelgängers galore. The seven-song set kicked off with “Starboy” and “The Hills” before segueing into to material from The Weeknd’s massive After Hours, one of the best albums of 2020. In particular, the Toronto coroner delivered thrilling performances of “Can’t Feel My Face”, “Save Your Tears”, and “Blinding Lights”, which appropriately served as the closer. The setlist was rounded out by “I ...
Song of the Week: FKA twigs and Headie One Unite Social Movements in “Don’t Judge Me”
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. The #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements may have different origins, but they share certain goals: among them, making certain that those who suffer sexual abuse and racial injustice, respectively, are acknowledged, listened to, and believed. Only when those things happen can healing begin, changes be implemented, and true justice attained. In this week’s Top Song, British artists FKA twigs and Headie One bring their own survival stories together and, in doing so, unite these movements under a common anthem. This collaboration, which ...
