Music News

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For a uniquely brutal year, 2020 had more than its share of fantastic music, and in our latest episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, we look back at the year’s best albums, from Bad Bunny’s Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gan to Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You. (The podcast previously covered many of the albums on Rolling Stone’s list, via interviews with Dua Lipa, Phoebe Bridgers, and Jason Isbell, among others.) Brittany Spanos, Rob Sheffield, and Simon Vozick-Levinson join host Brian Hiatt for the discussion, which dives deep on albums from City Girls, Ariana Grande, Megan Thee Stallion, Paul McCartney, Jeff Tweedy, Fontaines D.C., Hayley Williams, The Weeknd, and many more.

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Penske Media Corporation (PMC) announced a new partnership with YT Media, one of China’s leading media companies, launching the Chinese Edition of Rolling Stone on Tuesday. Under a multiyear license, Rolling Stone China will feature original and syndicated content tailored to a booming consumer market and providing a new lifestyle brand to China’s Y-generation and 600 million online music consumers.

Rolling Stone China’s launch issue, out now, features cover stars Zhang Chu and Roy Wang, as well as Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift in their “Musicians on Musicians” interview. This debut issue will be followed by a series of corresponding core products and experiences including: a website, WeChat, Weibo, Bilibili channels, events, and quarterly print issues.

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Eric Church will give one of the biggest performances of his career on Sunday when he sings the National Anthem at the Super Bowl alongside Jazmine Sullivan. Today, Church made it clear that he doesn’t want it to be his only performance of 2021.

“Hey guys, we are working on a North American tour,” Church said in a video statement to fans. “We’re waiting for the right timing to officially announce all the details, but I want you to know that a tour is coming, and we are very excited to play new music for our old friends… I cannot wait to see you on the road.” In a press release, Church’s team said the statement was also intended to offer “reassurance that live music will indeed return in 2021.”

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After The Supremes disbanded in 1977, Wilson continued on as a solo artist. She was rarely far from the spotlight.

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Since 2019, podcasts have been central to Spotify’s growth strategy and goal of improving the company’s margins. Original and exclusive content not only attract listeners but can help ease pressure from rigid music licensing costs. On that front, Spotify’s spending matches its ambition. Most notably, Spotify paid $100 million to exclusively license The Joe Rogan Podcast, a consistent top podcast since its arrival on the platform in December. Other deals show Spotify is looking beyond celebrity podcasters to attract smaller creators. Megaphone, acquired in November, inserts audio advertisements into podcasts. New self-serve tools for Anchor, the podcast app it purchased in 2019, as well as new monetization options announced Monday, could also attract “long tail” podcasters and, eventually, more advertisers.

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Sisters and pop duo Aly & AJ discuss going viral on TikTok and making videos with their mom, breaking out of the Disney mold, realizing they’d become “gay icons,” and more in the latest installment of Rolling Stone’s The First Time.

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"You All Over Me (From the Vault)" is due out at midnight on Thursday (March 25).

Taylor Swift is opening her archives on Thursday night (March 25) to release the first song in her "From the Vault" series. "HI. I wanted to let you know that the first 'From the Vault' song I’m releasing from Fearless (Taylor’s Version) comes out tomorrow at midnight eastern," Swift said of the track, titled "You All Over Me (From The Vault)."

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Of Khaled Khaled’s 93,000 equivalent album units earned in the tracking week ending May 6, SEA units comprise 76,000 (equaling 106.87 million on-demand streams of the album’s tracks), album sales comprise 14,000 and TEA units comprise 3,000. Khaled Khaled was preceded by a pair of top 10-charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, both featuring Drake: “Popstar” and “Greece,” which reached Nos. 3 and 8, respectively, on the Aug. 1, 2020-dated chart.

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Southern rockers Blackberry Smoke have announced new dates for an extensive tour giving praise to their musical heritage. The Georgia group’s headlining Spirit of the South Tour: A Celebration of Southern Rock N Roll will kick off July 30th and feature guests the Allman Betts Band, the Wild Feathers, and founding Allman Brothers Band member Jaimoe.

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B.J. Thomas, the vocalist who mixed the stylish sophistication of a pop crooner and the down-home soul of a country singer on songs like the 1969 smash “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” died Saturday in his Arlington, Texas home at the age of 78. A rep for Thomas confirmed the singer’s death. The cause of death was lung cancer, which Thomas had publicly revealed he had in March.

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Foo Fighters, The Beach Boys, Demi Lovato, Lizzo, H.E.R. and Brandi Carlile are set to perform at the 2021 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in October.

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From the moment it starts, "Fast Car," the latest from queer phenom Syd, is the anthem of queer summer love that we all need in our lives right now. The Prince-inspired baseline guides listeners through the sultry new single, where Syd instructs her lover on exactly what to do. "We gon' piss some people off/ But right now that’s where we belong/ Right here in your fast car," she croons over the slinking new song. You certainly shouldn't be pissed off by Syd's latest entry — you should be blissed out and blasting it from your speakers.
"I wanted to make something for the gay Black girls," Syd said of the song in a statement. "I want them to see themselves in this and in me."


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Apple’s first iPhone model capable of connecting to ultrafast 5G wireless networks continued to power major increases in quarterly revenue and profits for tech’s most valuable company.

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With iPhone sales posting double-digit growth over the previous year for the third consecutive quarter, Apple’s profit and revenue for the April-June period easily exceeded analyst estimates. The Cupertino, California, company earned $21.7 billion, or $1.30 per share, nearly doubling profits earned during the same period last year. Revenue surged 36% to $81.4 billion.

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Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, longtime saxophonist and co-founding member of the legendary funk outfit Kool & The Gang, has died at the age of 70.
The band announced Thomas’ death Saturday, revealing that he “passed away peacefully in his sleep” in New Jersey. No cause of death was provided.

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Hollywood Park and So-Fi Stadium managing director Jason Gannon says YouTube Theater is complimentary to the stadium, which can hold 45,000 to 100,000 guests. “From a flexibility standpoint, it was really important for us to do something like this in a conditioned space,” he says.
“We’re very excited to open it up in a couple of weeks from a technology standpoint," Gannon continues. "There’s a lot of screens and a lot of interactive things around here. That was important in putting this together and also in the partnership with YouTube."

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Rico Nasty appeared on NPR’s “Tiny Desk (Home) Concert” series to showcase a varied set list of new and old tunes. Performing with her all-female band, the rapper opened with recent single “Magic.”
During the five-song set, Rico also dropped her breakout hit “Smack A Bitch,” as well as “Rage,” “Trust Issues” and “OHFR?”

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The clip also features the lip kit mogul displaying her bare baby bump, with the video ending in an adorable shot of little Stormi kissing Kylie's belly.
The reality star simply captioned the video with a silver heart and pregnant woman emoji, and tagged the "Franchise" rapper.

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Carlos Santana has released the video for “Move” featuring Rob Thomas with additional vocals from American Authors. The song will appear on Blessings and Miracles, which arrives on October 15th via BMG and is available for preorder.

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Leslie Bricusse, the Oscar and Grammy-winning songwriter who wrote lyrics for Bond theme songs and memorable tunes for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, died on Tuesday in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, Variety reports. He was 90.

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Spotify landed within prior guidance for the third quarter and reached the high end of expectations for revenue and monthly active users. In other words, the company met expectations and didn’t unveil the kinds of surprises investors hate. What's more, the company raised its expectations for fourth quarter revenue and gross margin. That’s good news for both investors and anybody due to receive royalties.

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The fourth quarter is peak season for subscription services and no time to disappoint. Spotify added 11 million subscribers in each of the last two fourth quarters, almost double its average for the first through third quarters of both years. Appropriately, CEO Daniel Ek said during Wednesday’s earnings call, “We’re all hands on deck to make sure the positive trend continues.”

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In the summer of 1974, the Carpenters sat down with Rolling Stone writer Tom Nolan at Hollywood’s Au Petit Café for a cover story. Richard and Karen Carpenter, who had spent the past four years scoring massive soft-rock hits like “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Superstar,” and “Top of the World,” took the opportunity to vent to Nolan about the uncool, wholesome image that they felt the press had created for the sibling duo.
The new book Carpenters: The Musical Legacy tries to show how wrong that was. Written by Mike Cidoni Lennox and Chris May, the massive, definitive biography chronicles the duo’s career in elaborate detail, based on more than 100 hours of interviews with Richard and full access to his archive.

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Kangol Kid, a member of the Brooklyn hip-hop group UTFO whose 1984 song “Roxanne, Roxanne” sparked a legendary rap rivalry, has died at the age of 55.

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The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the shortlists for Original Song and Original Score vying for Oscars nominations consideration. As Variety reports, the next phase of voting begins on Jan. 27 and ends Feb. 1. The official nominees for all the categories will be announced on Feb. 8.

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Let’s face it: This Christmas season is shaping up to be less than a beaut, Clark. Fortunately, there’s some new country and Americana recordings to dull the pain. Some extol the virtues of simply getting drunk or stoned, while others look to brighter and more clear-eyed days ahead. Here’s your must-hear holiday playlist.

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Elvis Costello and the Imposters took to the stage on Friday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to give a rousing performance of “Farewell, OK,” the lead track from the group’s latest album, The Boy Named If.

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The Who are heading back to North America in late April for an extensive tour that will keep them on the road through early November. They will once again be joined by local orchestras at every stop for an evening of music heavy on classics from Tommy, Quadrophenia, Who’s Next, and their 2019 LP Who in addition to selections from their other albums.

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A look inside Sheryl Crow’s life — from navigating her “arduous musical career” to facing “depression, cancer, and the price of fame” — is heading to Showtime on May 6. On Friday, Showtime released the official trailer for the film, which features interviews with the likes of Keith Richards, Joe Walsh, and Emmylou Harris.
“Sheryl is the voice of a generation,” says Laura Dern in the trailer. “You never questioned whether Sheryl was the boss,” adds Brandi Carlisle. “She’s so rock & roll.”

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Blessd, Myke Towers, and Ovy on the Drums are ready to be the next “global trend,” or “Teendencia Global,” in the new video for their collaboration.

The video, which dropped Friday, is full of clips of the three artists singing the track’s catchy lyrics while riding on a couch around Blessd’s Medellín, Colombia. In some scenes, the stars sing from sandy beaches, while Blessd rocks a Los Angeles jersey while riding a bike on a beat-up runner’s track.
“I’m going to get there and steal you/If you sang, you’d be a global trend,” sings Blessd in Spanish on the signature reggaetón beat. “Even women want to try/I let her travel private like Pablo Escobar.”

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Don’t get your hopes up: New Rihanna music isn’t coming via Lil Nas X. On Friday, the “Industry Baby” rapper tweeted that he’d be surprise-dropping a deluxe edition of his album Montero.

“I am so excited to announce that MONTERO DELUXE (featuring Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Tyler the Creator, NBA Youngboy, Saucy Santana, and more!),” the rapper captioned an intricately designed cover by Filip Custic, who made his Montero album cover. “WILL BE YOURS TONIGHT at 7P EST!”

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Daft Punk have shared a behind-the-scenes clip revealing the original storyboards for their beloved 1997 Michel Gondry-directed music video for “Around the World.” The video — originally part of the band’s DVD, D.A.F.T., also released in 1997 — showcases hand-drawn storyboards with scribbled instructions.
The original music video features numerous dancers moving around a stage in various costumes, including a group of mummies and women in synchronized swimming attire. The placement of the groups of dancers, drawn as stick figures, can be seen in the storyboards.

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Arcade Fire recorded their take on Harry Styles’ “As It Was,” during a performance at BBC’s Maida Vale studios in London for BBC Music. The group also performed two of their own tracks — “Age Of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)” and “The Lightning I, II“ — which come off their new LP, We.

Arcade Fire released We on May 6 via Columbia Records. The album — which was produced by longtime Radiohead collaborator Nigel Godrich along with Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne — was recorded at studios in New Orleans, El Paso, and Mount Desert Island, Maine, in mid-2021 following a pandemic period that marked “the longest we’ve ever spent writing, uninterrupted, probably ever,” Butler said in a statement.

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Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron had to sit out the band’s set on Thursday in Oakland, California after he tested positive for Covid-19, but the show still went on with an assist from a fan, and pinch hitters Josh Klinghoffer and Richard Stuverud, as Blabbermouth reports. It was the first time he missed one of their shows in 24 years.

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"Community! Community!" The words trumpeted out victoriously last night in Saint Vitus, a long-running metal outpost in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood. During a brief moment between songs by Finnish death-metal apostles Demilich, a mosher had discovered a phone on the floor and called out until its rightful owner claimed it. Then he held up a pair of glasses and called out again until someone felt their way forward from the masses to regain their sight. The group’s frontman, Antti Boman, just looked out bewildered and pleased from the front of the stage as New Yorkers came together to help each other and rock out on a Thursday night. It was a celebration.

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Queen + Adam Lambert, Duran Duran, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross and more all took the stage outside London’s Buckingham Palace concert as part of the Platinum Jubilee concert Saturday celebrating the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

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Lizzo is the latest celeb to appear on James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” and the singer brought a genuine sense of fun to The Late Late Show segment.
Filmed in Los Angeles, the clip showcases Lizzo and Corden driving around while singing several of Lizzo’s hits, including “Good as Hell,” “Juice,” and “Truth Hurts.” They pair also does their own version of Lizzo’s viral Tik-Tok dance for “About Damn Time” alongside a group of dancers and creator Jaeden Gomez.

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David Dalton, an early Rolling Stone writer who profiled the likes of Janis Joplin, Charles Manson and Little Richard before going on to pen biographies of some of pop culture’s most towering figures, died Monday in New York City at the age of 80. According to his son, Toby Dalton, the cause of death was cancer, The New York Times reported.

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Jamie Foxx gets into the vampire-slaying mood with the help of Dave Franco in the wild new video for his equally wild song, “Bud (Mowing Down Vamps).” The track is tied to Foxx’s new Netflix movie Day Shift, in which the actor plays a seemingly mild-mannered pool cleaner named Bud Jablonski, whose actual job is hunting vampires.

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