Women in music

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April 18 Women in Music Gala Celebrates Edith Piaf

On Saturday, April 18, Friends of Music at Guilford's celebration of Women in Music is its signature annual fundraiser. Patrons will enjoy a generous buffet of hearty hors d'oeuvres and salads between 6 and 7 p.m. This year's concert then features vocalist Jessica Gelter and pianist Ken Olsson in a centennial tribute to legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf (1915-1963). An array of desserts prepared by area restaurant and bakery chefs follows.

Edith Piaf, who was "discovered" as a street singer while still in her teens, took the Paris cabaret scene by storm and became regarded as France's national diva. She was also one of its greatest international stars and mentored many other aspiring performers. Piaf's music was often autobiographical: her singing reflected her life, a contemplation of femininity, love, and home, sprinkled liberally with loss and sorrow. The program will cover a mix of Piaf's iconic hits and less-familiar songs, among them La Vie en Rose, Rien de Rien, La Belle Histoire d'Amour, Mon Dieu, and more.

The audience will also learn a bit about the singer's complex character, which, according to biographer Carolyn Burke ("No Regrets: Edith Piaf," 2011), included "a thirst for knowledge, a joie de vivre, and a forceful will." A taste of work by pioneering French women writers and philosophers who influenced Piaf will be sampled, too; these include her contemporaries Simone de Beauvoir, Anaïs Nin, and Marguerite Yourcenar.

Jessica Gelter was featured soloist at Friends of Music's 2014 Labor Day Weekend orchestra concert and the critically acclaimed "Now and Then" musical at Actor's Theatre Playhouse last summer. In both instances, she collaborated with Ken Olsson, who was conductor and music director/pianist, respectively. A trustee of Friends of Music since 2009, Jess was alto soloist for its 2012 Messiah Sing and performed a house concert of Spanish love songs in May 2013. She has also been an actor, singer, and/or director for many plays and musicals at both New England Youth Theatre and Vermont Theatre Company, and served as VTC president for a time. Jess is executive director of Monadnock Arts Alive in Keene, NH.

Ken Olsson has performed three organ recitals for Friends of Music at The Organ Barn in Guilford and has conducted its Labor Day Weekend Festival orchestra since 2012. Earlier that same year, he accompanied wife Julie Johnson Olsson in a FOMAG-sponsored program of arias and art songs. With a degree in Vocal Performance, Ken has performed in, and served as musical director for, many operas and musical plays in the region, most recently appearing in "Les Miserables" at Main Street Arts. He conducts the West River Valley Chorus in Townshend, Nordic Harmoni in Londonderry, and the Springfield Community Chorus.

These annual FOMAG house-concert galas also traditionally include an eagerly anticipated Silent Auction of 2-for-1 tickets to a broad selection of regional music, theater, and dance performances, plus a few other tempting items and gift certificates. Bidders can realize significant savings while supporting the Friends of Music current season of events.

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Tamar Braxton has released her new single "If I Don't Have You," taken off of her upcoming fourth studio album Calling All Lovers. The soulful ballad was produced by Da Internz. Braxton's new album Calling All Lovers, the follow-up to 2013's Love and War, is due out July 31. Following the release of Calling All Lovers, Braxton will embark on a new tour.

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Gladys Maria Knight (1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American recording artist, songwriter, businesswoman, humanitarian and author. A four-time Grammy Award-winner, she is best known for the hits she recorded during the 1960s and 1970s, for both the Motown and Buddah Records labels, with her group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which also included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and her cousins Edward Patten and William Guest.

Gladys Knigt - Licence To Kill
From the Soundtrack : Licence To Kill (1989)

Aretha Franklin - Queen of Soul

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Aretha Franklin also known as the Queen of Soul has re-defined American popular music for more than four decades now. Her incredible voice, sound and style have inspired numerous R&B and contemporary artists. Aretha has sold more million selling singles than any other female artist in history. She has also won eighteen Grammy’s and two honorary Awards.

Ms. Franklin during her long career have amassed twenty number one singles on the Billboard R&B charts and two #1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She also had 10 albums on this chart to reach number one, which was cited to be the most by a female artist. But her achievements doesn't stop there. The queen of soul was also inducted into several musical halls of fame which include her becoming the first woman to be entered into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and in 2005, the second woman behind Madonna to be inducted into the UK Hall of Fame.

The music icon has been honored by several US presidents during her long career. In 1999, she received The National Medal of Arts Award from then president Bill Clinton and In 2005, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from president George W. Bush and was most recently selected in 09 to be a guest singer at the historic inauguration of the nation’s first black president Barack Obama.

Her many hits include Respect, "Chain of Fools," "Think," "You Make Me Feel like ( A Natural Woman)," "Rocksteady" and Dionne Warwick hit "I Say a Little Prayer" among many others.

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20 years after Jagged Little Pill, the icon talks feminism, androgyny, and how it's okay to "be a little strange" in this world.

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"Thankfully, the the stories that were being told I can stand by, so I'm not cringing when I repeat them," Morissette says. "There was a timelessness to what I was expressing, which, of course, I had no idea about at the time. When I wrote it I was in a bit of a vacuum—so I thought that I was going through whatever it was that I was going through alone—and then when people connected with it, I realized that I was being given this opportunity to support and uplift and empathize with people. So that got really exciting because then I could be an artist, be in the public eye, and serve at the same time. That was the perfect slam dunk for me."

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Morissette co-wrote JLP when she was just 21. The resonating lyrics were ripped from her journals and her experiences, written and composed during an intensive studio session with Glen Ballard (Wilson Phillips, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson) in Encino, California. And while Ballard may have coaxed the album into existence, Morissette called the shots in many ways: "There were a lot of these songs we were going to try to recut, but she absolutely insisted: 'No, we're not going to recut them, because this is the essence of what makes them good," Ballard told the AV Club last month. "She was absolutely right. She was so right."

Morissette has taken some flak for her New Age-y leanings in the past, but as mindfulness and meditation have become increasingly popular GOOP fodder, the meditation altar she showed off on a 2005 episode of MTV's Cribs seems less out of place today. She leaves me with this advice: "I steal [time to meditate] when I can—sometimes it's as gross as sitting in a bathroom stall for three minutes. Sometimes I build things, like on airplanes I'll put a scarf over my head because people don't want to disturb the scary lady with the scarf over her head. It's okay to be a little strange," she says with a laugh, "because then people leave you alone."


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Taylor Swift - Blank Space

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Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is one of country music's top recording artists, having crossed over into pop and winning many awards.

Born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift's family moved to nearby Wyomissing where she started crafting songs at age 5, and at age 16, released her debut album. Hits like "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me" appealed to country and pop fans alike and helped fuel the multiplatinum success of her albums, with Fearless the 2009 top-seller. She has won many awards, including several Grammy Awards, and modeled for Cover Girl.

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Taylor Swift - Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar

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Taylor Alison Swift was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift spent her early years on her family's Christmas tree farm in nearby Wyomissing. Her grandmother had been a professional opera singer, and Swift soon followed in her footsteps. By the age of 10, Swift was singing at a variety of local events, including fairs and contests. She sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Philadelphia 76ers game at the age of 11, and began writing her own songs and learning guitar at 12 years old.

To pursue her music career, Swift often visited Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital. There she co-wrote songs, and tried to land a recording contract. Noting her dedication, Swift and her family moved to nearby Hendersonville, Tennessee, in an attempt to further Swift's career.

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Track 3 from the album, "Tapestry" (1971).

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Adele ~ Hello

Hello is taken from Adele's latest album, 25, will be release on Nov 20 adele.com/

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Taylor Swift - Style

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Born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift's family moved to nearby Wyomissing where she started crafting songs at age 5, and at age 16, released her debut album. Hits like "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me" appealed to country and pop fans alike and helped fuel the multiplatinum success of her albums, with Fearless the 2009 top-seller. She has won many awards, including several Grammy Awards, and modeled for Cover Girl.

http://youtu.be/-CmadmM5cOk

Katy Perry - Dark Horse (Official) ft. Juicy J

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Katy Perry Loves Coloring Her Hair!

“I’m naturally the most boring dishwater squirrel brown,” Katy told Glamour. “So I’ve been playing with colors since I was 15. I loved the grunge green, and shocking blue was fun. Colored hair is such a huge accessory that you don’t even need to add extra stuff.”


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On Tuesday 8 March, people around the world will be celebrating the achievements of women while calling for greater equality in the name of International Women's Day.

This year’s theme is #PledgeForParity to honour this day and to celebrate female success in the music industry, whilst still recognising the long journey we are still on for gender equality.

After successfully hosting our first ever Women in Music Event in March 2015, the Musicians' Union will once again be celebrating International Women's Day by hosting Women in Music 2016 in Manchester.

The first half of the day consists of Women in Industry Presentations with speakers from PRSF, PPL, Brighter Sound, CC Skills and the White Ribbon Campaign (Music Project).

Following this will be a panel discussion exploring ‘Challenges, Attitudes, Barriers and Positive Discrimination’.

Beyoncé graces Elle’s Women in Music issue and talks about everything from fashion to feminism. For the cover image, she dons a black bathing suit from her new Ivy Park athletic wear line.

While the issue is not available everywhere until April 6.

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According to Vogue, her activewear collection will go on sale in mid-April at Nordstrom, Topshop and Net-a-Porter.

She also appears on the Elle U.K. cover.

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'Beyoncé is not a woman to be messed with' – Lemonade review

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Dishearteningly billed as “a conceptual project based on every woman’s journey of self knowledge and healing” – a description that makes it sound like something agonisingly earnest you’d go out of your way to avoid at the Edinburgh Fringe – Beyoncé’s sixth solo album touches on a lot of potent topics. Quite aside from the presence of her much-discussed single Formation, a meditation on race that originally appeared in the middle of Black History Month, there are lyrical references to slavery, rioting and Malcolm X and a ferocious guest appearance by Kendrick Lamar that jabs at Fox News and police brutality and ends with something approaching a call to arms.

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In an era when pop doesn’t tend to say a great deal, there’s obviously something hugely cheering about an artist of Beyonce’s stature doing this: she increasingly seems to view her success and celebrity as a means to an end rather than something to be maintained at all costs. Nevertheless, Lemonade is an album less about politics than something more personal. It’s more preoccupied with the state of her marriage than it the state of the world, overshadowed by her husband Jay Z’s alleged infidelity. If you want to compare her to an old soul legend, it’s more Here, My Dear than What’s Going On: for all its brilliance, Formation feels oddly tacked-on at album’s end, arriving after All Night, a track that sounds remarkably like a grand finale.

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Ke$ha offered a stirring cover of Lady Gaga's anti-sexual assault track "Til It Happens to You" during a recent performance at Humane Society of the United States Gala in Los Angeles over the weekend. Songwriter Diane Warren was honored at the event and joined Ke$ha on piano for the performance. "I want to dedicate this song to every man, woman, child and animal . . ."

Ke$ha remains embroiled in a legal battle with both her record label and producer Dr. Luke, whom she has accused of rape.

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Avril Lavigne has stepped up to defend her estranged husband Chad Kroeger and his oft maligned band Nickelback. The comments came via Twitter after E! News poked fun at the Canadian rockers saying that the only person more hated than the band is GOP presidential front runner Donald Trump. "Hey @ENews and everyone writing these articles . . . grow up . . ."

"Hey @ENews and everyone writing these articles . . . grow up . . . this is extremely rude and uncalled for. @Nickelback is one of the of the highest selling rock bands of the past 2 decades selling more than 50 million albums worldwide. 17 #1 HIT SINGLES!!!! What an epic accomplishment!!!! @Nickelback is adored by millions worldwide !!! I've seen their sold out shows!!! Enough is enough!!! You can't live a positive life with a negative mind. #SpreadMoreLoveThanHate."

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Roberta Flack - Summertime

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Lady Gaga before Lady Gaga

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Alicia Keys performed on the Italian TV show Che tempo che fa in Milan on Saturday, June 11. The 35-year-old "In Common" singer, who has been on an anti-makeup crusade lately, was makeup free during her visit and wore a colorful headdress, black blouse with white squiggly lines and a black leather jacket.

The singer's recent visit to Europe was due to her singing at the opening of the UEFA Champions League final, which took place in late May.

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Songwriter Ingrid Burley made the admission to lyric website Genius, saying that "Love Drought" is actually about her own frustrations with Beyoncé's Parkwood Entertainment record label.

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Tina Turner onstage 1969

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Beyoncé took home five awards at the 2016 BET Awards on Sunday night, according to Rap-Up.com.

Queen Bey swept up the honors, which included Video of the Year for "Formation," Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, and the FANdemonium Award.

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Katy Perry and Jared Leto are among the celebrities to pay tribute to the victims of the recent terror attack at the international terminal of the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. At least 41 people have died and over 230 injured after three suicide bombers detonated explosives at Ataturk Airport earlier this week. "Common running theme: we are an unhappy world," Perry tweeted.

"Turkey - Our thoughts and hearts are with you."

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Adele paid tribute to Prince while kicking off her U.S. tour in Minnesota on Tuesday, July 5, according to NME. The 28-year-old British singer played the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota as her first stop on her U.S. tour. She performed several of her hits including "Hello," "Rumour Has It" and "Skyfall."

"I did maybe consider covering a song, but f**k it, it's Prince!"

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Miley Cyrus took to Instagram to show off her newest tattoo, a photo of jar of Vegemite. She reportedly got the new ink during a recent visit to Doctor Woo at the Shamrock Social Club in Hollywood. "@mileycyrus don't play when it comes to #vegemite," Dr. Woo wrote on Instagram while showing off the finished product Saturday afternoon. "#halfneedle."

"Vegemite, definitely, I had four bits of Vegemite toast this morning!"

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Selena Gomez has set the record for the most ever likes on one Instagram photo, People magazine reports. A photo of Gomez drinking a bottle of Coke with the caption "When your lyrics are on the bottle" set the record with 4.1 million likes. The bottle of soda features Gomez's lyrics "You're the Spark" from her song "Me & The Rhythm."

"The 23-year-old has racked up an astonishing four million likes on a single Instagram photo, making it the most liked image in the history of the platform," People reports.

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Beyoncé has earned four Emmy nominations for her most recent release, Lemonade, according to Rap-Up.com.

The visual album, which premiered on HBO in April, was nominated for Outstanding Variety Special, Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Event or Award Special, Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, and Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming.

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Taylor Swift has been officially given a songwriting credit on ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris and Rihanna's song "This Is What You Came For," according to NME. Reports were released last week that Swift contributed to the song under the pseudonym Nils Sjoberg. This rumor was later confirmed as true by Swift's rep and Harris himself.

"She sings on a little bit of it too . . . Amazing lyric writer and she smashed it as usual," Harris wrote on Twitter. "I wrote the music, produced the song, arranged it and cut the vocals though. And initially she wanted it kept secret, hence the pseudonym."

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Iggy Azalea has reportedly inked a major production deal with NBC and is set to start creating at least one new television show. The Aussie pop star shared the news via Instagram and notes that she's thrilled to begin creating content for the small screen. "Wanted to share with everyone that my production company "Azalea Street" has just signed on to create original content . . ."

"Wanted to share with everyone that my production company "Azalea Street" has just signed on to create original content for Universal NBC! So guys, I'm an Executive Producer for at least a few years to come! hopefully many! lots of scripted series in the works! lots of interesting ideas! I've been working on this for a long time now and can't wait to share more info with you soon. #careerwoman"

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Hayley Williams has opened up about the state of rock music and says that it's "amazing" to see how the perception of women has changed in the current era. She shared her thoughts during a recent interview with the blog Rock to Sound. "It's incredible to watch those people really thrive at the same time," Williams said.

"What is even more amazing is that there's now going to be another generation of young women who are looking up to [women].

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Tove Lo has revealed that her track "Cool Girl," which was inspired by a monologue from the film and book Gone Girl. Speaking with Rolling Stone, the Swedish pop star revealed that the story deeply affected her and felt relevant to the state of affairs for young women today. "I got the first inspiration from the Gone Girl movie," she said. "She's gone full psycho."

She adds, "I was thinking about it, and it's really true. Why do we try to be someone we're not to make someone love us? Would you want to fake yourself for the rest of your life? That's f****d up. Even though she's creepy, I kind of thought it was funny that it's just very common to see that."

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Carrie Underwood's new Sunday Night Football theme song "Oh, Sunday Night" has begun airing via a new 15-second teaser. In the new clip, Underwood, clad in a tight sparkly black dress, stands beneath a single spotlight and sings "Oh, Sunday night / Oh, Sunday night" to the tune of "Somethin' Bad" as shots of football stadium lights, players getting ready to take the field and cheering fans are interspersed.

"It has such a great stomp-clap, a 'We Will Rock You' kind of feel to it," says Underwood. "This is such a high-energy song."

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Alicia Keys has released "In Common (Remix)," featuring Kanye West and Travis Scott. The original version of "In Common" is expected to be included on Keys' upcoming sixth studio album, the follow-up to 2012's Girl On Fire. The song was written by Keys, Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese, Billy Walsh and Tayla Parks, and produced by Illangelo.

The original version of "In Common" is expected to be included on Keys' upcoming sixth studio album, the follow-up to 2012's Girl On Fire.

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The Dixie Chicks are doing their part to protest North Carolina's controversial "bathroom law" by distributing free hats to their fans. The trucker hats, which feature male, female and transgender symbols and the words "No Hate in Our State," were given to fans and attendees of their August 12 concert in Raleigh and August 13 concert in Charlotte, according to Rolling Stone.

The Dixie Chicks began the North American leg of their DCX MMXVI World Tour in June.

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Even when she appears on national television as a judge on The Voice, Alicia Keys says that she will not wear makeup. She made the announcement this past May. "I don't want to cover up anymore," she wrote in Lena Dunham's 'Lenny Letter.' "Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing."

"Every time I left the house, I would be worried if I didn't put on makeup: What if someone wanted a picture?? What if they POSTED it??? These were the insecure, superficial, but honest thoughts I was thinking. And all of it, one way or another, was based too much on what other people thought of me," she continued. "I found my way to meditation, and I started focusing on clarity and a deeper knowing of myself. I focused on cultivating strength and conviction and put a practice in place to learn more about the real me."

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Spencer Morrill, who had been fooled into thinking he had been corresponding with Katy Perry for six years has received her sympathy. Morrill had believed that he was dating the pop star. In describing his relationship with Perry, he stated, "She's awesome. Katy's funnier than I am, she's smarter than I am. I don't know how many people give her credit for that . . ."

Perry expressed sadness over the episode, explaining, "You know, like, my heart goes out to..."

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Mariah Carey's sister has allegedly been arrested on prostitution charges. The woman, 55-year-old Alison Carey, was picked up by investigators in upstate New York after allegedly agreeing to accept money from police in exchange for sex. Alison Carey had also allegedly posted an advertisement online offering up her services in which she quoted her sister's mega-hit "Fantasy."

"It's such a sweet, sweet fantasy baby, when I close my eyes I come and take you on and on."

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The singer and actress, Selena Gomez was diagnosed with lupus over a year ago. Since that time she has continued to work. However, now Gomez has made a decision to take time off and focus on her well-being. Gomez released her Revival album last year. In promotion of the record she has been on a massive world tour. The tour hasn't been easy though.

"I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happines."

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Beyoncé has had a hiccup in her Formation tour. The singer had to cancel her New Jersey MetLife show on doctor's orders, to rest her voice. The show, which was scheduled for September 7 has been pushed back a month to October 7.

Beyoncé's Formation tour is set to resume September 10 at St. Louis' America's Center Dome. There are nine dates remaining on the Formation tour, making the rescheduled New Jersey show the final stop.

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Ariana Grande has released "Knew Better (Part Two)," originally a half-song on Dangerous Woman. "And I ain't even worried 'bout it this time / I know he gon' be the one to treat me just right (just right) / Never had a mother**ker this tight / So baby, this is what your soulmate look like / I look good, right?" Grande sings on the new track.

Dangerous Woman, Grande's third studio album, was released in May on Republic Records. The album reached number one in the U.K. and number two on the Billboard 200

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