R&B
Chloe x Halle Debut a Polished Rendition of ‘Don’t Make It Harder On Me’
To say Chloe x Halle have dominated an unprecedented year in music somehow still feels like an understatement. The Atlanta-born sister duo has been on a tear in 2020, connecting with new audiences while reintroducing themselves to day-one fans with a slew of awe-inspiring performances like their recent outing with NPR’s Tiny Desk. And in a year spent without live music, there was no better way to commemorate the release of Ungodly Hour, their most critically acclaimed work to date. The 13-track LP resonated with audiences and earned its place on year-end lists from Rolling Stone, Variety and Time Magazine, largely due to the pair’s willingness to eschew the “angelic” image that was cast upon them in favor of flaunting their own imperfections. On songs like “Lonely” and “Wonder What She Thi...
Kamaiyah Opens Up on Her Own Terms with No Explanations: Review
The Lowdown: Since 2016’s A Good Night in the Ghetto and her inclusion in the coveted 2017 XXL Freshman Class, Kamaiyah has been one of rap’s most consistent and exciting players. The Oakland-born and -raised rapper has hyphy written all over her music as part of the Bay Area’s highly influential scene, one that has birthed some of the most iconic gangster rap and party anthems. Kamaiyah exists in between the “hard” and the hyphy, taking the infectious, cocky grooves of Mac Dre and Too $hort into a new age for a wider audience without yielding to current trends. After departing from Interscope Records due to release disputes, the Bay Area star used 2020 to release multiple projects, No Explanations being the third. Despite a quiet release, due in part to the end of the year lull, Kamaiyah ...
Chloe x Halle Perform NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch
The Bailey sisters Chloe x Halle took their Grammy-nominated album Ungodly Hour for a spin in a new NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. While the performance took place in a studio setting, the ground was festooned with homey touches: plants, books, candle holders, and childhood memorabilia courtesy of the duo’s mother. After opening with “Don’t Make It Harder on Me”, elder sister Chloe paused to acknowledge the pandemic and the effect it’s had on everyone’s mental health. She said, “I know this year 2020 has been absolutely bonkers for all of us. For those moments where you kinda feel less than, and you’re not good enough, that’s why we wrote this song: for ourselves, as a mantra, to let ourselves know that whatever happens, we’ll be OK. And this is our world.” From there, the sisters...
Jeremih Released from Hospital Following COVID-19 Battle
Jeremih has officially been released from the hospital after receiving treatment for a severe case of COVID-19. The R&B singer had been placed in the intensive care unit and put on a ventilator due to his deteriorating health. In a statement provided to ABC 7, Jeremih offered his immense gratitude to the healthcare workers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago who “saved” his life. The 33-year-old Windy City native also shouted out all the friends, family, colleagues, and fans who’ve prayed for his speedy recovery: “First and foremost, I would like to thank God and the incredible team of doctors and nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for saving my life. I will be forever grateful. I would also like to thank my family and friends for all their prayers and well wishes. I’m o...
The Weeknd Releases “Blinding Lights” Remix with Rosalía: Stream
There’s only four weeks until 2021 begins, but that isn’t stopping The Weeknd from making these last moments count. He just released a new remix of “Blinding Lights” featuring Rosalía, and it’s available to stream below. Despite having to postpone his massive tour, 2020 has arguably been The Weeknd’s biggest year ever — especially due to the sheer willpower of “Blinding Lights”. The After Hours single dominated the radio, was Spotify’s most-streamed single of the year, and has spent a full year on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. No wonder it earned our coveted spot as the best song of 2020. Of course, all of this is in addition to the other cool things he’s done in support of After Hours. The Weeknd performed an augmented reality concert on TikTok, literally lost his head in the “Too Lat...
Top 50 Songs of 2020
The 2020 edition of our Annual Report continues today with our Top 50 Songs of 2020. If you haven’t already, check out our Top 50 Albums of 2020, which came out earlier in the week. Also, be sure to tune in next week as we begin handing out our annual accolades and continue looking back on the strange year that was 2020. Upon being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame some years ago, Tom Waits said, “We love music, but what we really want is for music to love us back.” Believe it or not, it felt like music did that in 2020. For me, anyway. I know that it’s easy to see the world through pandemic goggles right now or strictly through the lens of racial injustice or political turmoil. Tragedy and frustration that keeps piling on can definitely cloud our vision or color our window on t...
Top 50 Albums of 2020
As we return from Thanksgiving and head into December, our Annual Report will spend the next few weeks looking back upon the strange year that was 2020 and the music, film, and television that came with it. We begin today with our Top 50 Albums of 2020. You’ve heard it from me dozens of times already: 2020 has not been a normal year. And by that, I mean absolutely nothing has been normal. The music world hasn’t been immune, of course. I’ve spent more time cancelling flights and accommodations and trying to get tickets refunded than I actually did watching live music this year. Instragram became a concert venue, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions had no performances, and livestreams (which are pre-taped) seem to be the often-underwhelming future of live music at least for the forseea...
Snoh Aalegra Debuts Exclusive “Find Someone Like You” and “I Want You Around” Performances
Artist Mentioned “When I was nine years old, I told my mom, ‘I’m going to be an artist, let’s do this,’” Snoh Aalegra laughs. Her mother picked up the phone book and started making calls. Without any demos or recordings to share, she landed a meeting with a studio executive who gave her young daughter a chance to sing for him. That eventually led to a development deal with Sony ATV in Sweden for the hopeful 13-year-old. At the time the family lived in Enköping and a young Aalegra had to travel 45 minutes to Stockholm after school and on the weekends to attend recording sessions. She looks back on those years fondly, remembering train rides as a time to sit quietly with her thoughts. In the first of two new exclusive performances, Aalegra returns to that familiar train setting w...
The Weeknd Shut Out of All Grammy Categories
After Hours is the best full-length album of The Weeknd‘s career, and this year “Blinding Lights” has been about as ubiquitous as photons. Many observers expected a slew of Grammy nods for the artist born Abel Tesfaye, so when the nominations were announced earlier today, it came as a shock when he was shut out entirely. As Variety points out, there are a few possible explanations. First, perhaps The Weeknd’s representatives at Republic Records forgot to submit his music for consideration. Granted, they successfully handled Taylor Swift’s paperwork, helping her on the way to five nominations, but it’s conceivable. Another possibility is that the right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing; that the R&B committee considered him pop, the pop committee figured he counted...
The Weeknd Performs “In Your Eyes” with Kenny G at 2020 American Music Awards: Watch
Never one to pass up on a sax-y mood, The Weeknd was joined by Kenny G at the 2020 American Music Awards on Sunday. The two performed their remix of After Hours single “In Your Eyes”, along with “Save Your Tears”, all while strolling down the 4th Street Bridge in Los Angeles… Please click the link below to read the full article. The Weeknd Performs “In Your Eyes” with Kenny G at 2020 American Music Awards: Watch Lake Schatz 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 rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
RMR Reimagines Drake with “That Was Therapeutic”: Stream
RMR has released the second installment of his new audiovisual project 4th Quarter Medley. “That Was Therapeutic” is a reimagining of Drake and Lil Durk’s “Laugh Now Cry Later”, with the original radio-friendly melody repurposed into a searing, introspective, piano ballad. Like previous release “The Wishing Hour”, “That Was Therapeutic”… Please click the link below to read the full article. RMR Reimagines Drake with “That Was Therapeutic”: Stream Wren Graves 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 rewards by chatting, sharing photos, bloggi...
RMR Announces 4th Quarter Medley, Reimagines Matchbox Twenty with “The Wishing Hour”: Stream
Mysterious masked singer RMR has announced 4th Quarter Medley, a three-part series of videos and songs. Each new track reimagines a classic song, and first up is a fresh take on Matchbox Twenty’s “3AM” called “The Wishing Hour”. RMR (that’s pronounced ‘rumor’) broke out earlier this year with “Rascal”, which was both… Please click the link below to read the full article. RMR Announces 4th Quarter Medley, Reimagines Matchbox Twenty with “The Wishing Hour”: Stream Wren Graves 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 rewards by chatting, sharin...
