Music
Beyonce and Jay-Z Release Surprise Joint Album Everything Is Love and "Apes**t" Video. Surprise! Beyonce and Jay-Z just dropped new music as they continue their On the Run II tour. The two on Saturday released on Tidal their first joint album, the nine-track record Everything Is Love, and a music video for its single "Apes**t." The footage shows Bey and Jay at the Louvre museum in Paris, including shots of them standing in front of the Mona Lisa painting while wearing pink and mint suits as well as shots of dancers performing in skin-colored tights and crop tops. Two performers appear on the cover of the Everything Is Love album. The video was filmed on location last month, a Tidal rep told E! News. Beyonce sings and raps in the song "Apes**t." Sample lyrics include, "I can't believe we made it / This is why we're thankful" and "Have you ever seen a crowd going apes**t?" The couple announced their surprise Everything Is Love album at their concert in London and also debuted their video there. Jay-Z had Beyonce have collaborated on other songs in the past but never on a full album. He told the New York Times in 2017 that the two both "using our art almost like a therapy session" when they had marital problems -- which ultimately resulted in her Lemonade alum and his 4:44 album. "And we started making music together. And then the music she was making at that time was further along. So her album came out as opposed to the joint album that we were working on," Jay-Z said. (Eonline)
Parkinson's disease can't stop Neil Diamond from shining. Neil Diamond may have retired from touring due to Parkinson's disease, but the singer didn't let that stop him from giving a cheery and memorable performance at the 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony. Diamond, who was officially inducted into the Hall in 1984, earned the Johnny Mercer Award on Thursday and closed the multi-hour event in New York City with a rousing rendition of "Sweet Caroline." He was happy and excited onstage, performing an extended version of the iconic song, backed by a band and the audience of songwriters and music industry players who sang along. The 77-year-old, who announced he was diagnosed with Parkinson's in January and canceled planned concerts, barely spoke at the event, where John Mellencamp, Alan Jackson, Kool and the Gang and Jermaine Dupri were inducted as the Hall's 2018 class.
Judge orders Juelz Santana's mom to accompany rapper on tour. Rapper Juelz Santana can go on tour while he's facing weapons charges, providing he's monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet ... and mom. A federal judge on Friday modified the bail conditions for Santana, whose real name is LaRon James, to allow him to play the first five shows of his upcoming 15-city nationwide tour. Among the conditions: that Santana's mother accompanies him on the trips, that he drives instead of flies and that they don't travel with other members of the tour. In court Friday, Santana told the judge that his mother, who wasn't in attendance, had consented to join him on the tour. Santana will be back in court next month for a review of "how things went" and to discuss whether he can play other shows, U.S. District Judge Michael Hammer said. "I view it as a reasonable and productive exercise of his time to work and provide for his family," Hammer said. Prosecutors had opposed changing the bail conditions. Santana has pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and carrying a weapon on an aircraft. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Authorities say Newark Liberty International Airport security on March 9 found a loaded .38-caliber handgun and non-prescribed oxycodone pills in a carry-on bag containing Santana's identification. He has been free on $500,000 bail and living with his mother and brother. "I just want to say thank you to the judge," he said as he left the courtroom. The shows in question are in Hampton, New Hampshire; Norfolk, Virginia; Baltimore, and Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Latzer argued Friday that Santana had been en route to a show when he was arrested and that he could easily carry a gun with him in a car. She also noted that other performers on the tour have prior weapons arrests and that the electronic ankle bracelet can monitor where Santana is but not what he's doing. "It's a very long leash," she said. Citing prior domestic violence issues, Hammer delayed ruling on Santana's motion to be allowed to return his home in Totowa, New Jersey, with his girlfriend and children. Santana pleaded guilty to making a terroristic threat to commit a crime of violence in 2011 after an incident during which he also was charged with violating a restraining order. A trial date hasn't been set. (PageSix)
Hitting that high note while flashing that ring! Ariana Grande delivered a surprise performance during the 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Dinner in NYC on Thursday, June 14. The crowd was taken aback as the "Side to Side" singer, 24, made her way to the stage to sing "Be Alright." The Weeknd presented shortly after. Grande attended the event with fiance Pete Davidson, and they were seen holding hands at one point in the evening. During her set, the former Disney star showed off her stunning engagement ring, which the Saturday Night Live star reportedly paid $93,000 for. Us Weekly exclusively confirmed earlier this week that Grande and Davidson, 24, are engaged after just a few weeks of dating. Following the news, they celebrated at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. They'd later fly to the Big Apple and catch the 11 p.m. showing of the supernatural horror flick Hereditary at the Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 on June 13. Despite the whirlwind romance, a source tells Us that the pair plan on having a long engagement. "They are a perfect fit. They are not rushing to get married. Their friends are really excited and supportive," one insider said. "They are both constantly making each other laugh. Their moms have met. They've been very public with their relationship on social media, and they are very in love." (US Weekly)
Drake's new music video for "I'm Upset" -- with his 'Degrassi' castmates -- wasn't a clever distraction from his beef with Pusha T ... but it was a bad, and unavoidable, coincidence. Drizzy took a ton of heat for releasing the video while fans were dying for him to respond to Push. It came off like he was using the whole 'Degrassi' reunion thing as a smoke screen for the drama. However, sources close to production tell us they started planning for the single's release and video weeks before it was even shot. As we reported, Pusha T released "The Story of Adidon" -- a diss track that revealed Drake has a secret son -- on Tuesday, May 29. We're told the "I'm Upset" shoot schedule was set for last weekend, before Push's track came out, and neither Drake nor his team felt it needed to change. Drizzy revealed Wednesday night he'll release his new album, "Scorpion," on June 29 -- so, it's still possible he'll fire back then. However, as we've told you, powerful people around him are advising against it. (TMZ)
Sofi Tukker Tell Story of 'Best Friend' Song, 'Treehouse' Debut Album. If you are looking for something infectious, bubbly and all sorts of cool vibes, check out Sofi Tukker's viral breakout Treehouse track "Best Friend," featuring NERVO, The Knocks and Alisa Ueno. Sofi Tukker sat down with Billboard Radio China to share their successes and achievements on their "Best Friend" track. Sofi Tukker -- the duo of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern -- are best friends with two different personalities and backgrounds. "It got to where it is today, and getting to know each other, figuring out who we are and making things," they shared. Coming from different backgrounds, they discovered they have similar interests. Sofi's national identity is a unique case: She was born in Germany but moved around the world with her parents. Despite her travels, she shared that she still finds her home country of Germany as the place that has been most influential to her. Tucker grew up in Boston and always loved music that sounded weird, different and "out there." In college, he fell in love with European and Latin-inspired house music. Tucker explained that they do not like to describe their music in genre terms but aim to produce music that people can move to, dance to and take them to where they want to be. On their writing process, Sofi explains, "I spend time working on lyrics on my own, and Tucker spends time working on production on its own. When we come together, we give each other feedback to it." The duo have been writing both Portuguese and English since the beginning of the band. "I think we are just interested in what we are inspired by, sometimes in English and sometimes in Portuguese, it depends." Tucker also said that including elements of different languages is not considered a new direction for them but instead a way to express and show the different sides of themselves all the time. \ "The root of the Sofi Tukker theme is colorfulness and self-expression in a sort of fun way," they explain. As seen in their music videos and outfits, both members agree on loving colorful, bright and sparkly things. Sophie says, "I like things that make me feel like I want to dance, colorful, powerful and confident in my body in a good way, goofy too." One of the biggest milestones of Sofi Tukker was their first studio album release, Treehouse, in April. They explained that in their album, they produced a group of songs as a collection that works together as a unit. Sofi and Tukker had no pressure putting out the album: "We didn't have any expectations; we just wanted to keep putting things out there so that people can get to know us better," they said. Known for the track's vibrant, lively and unique cool vibe, "Best Friend" featuring Nervo, The Knocks and Alisa Ueno hit No. 1 on Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay. It all started in a garage in Florida, Sophie was on the phone with her best friend from college, and, "I came back in, and Tucker was making this really cool beat, and I was like, 'Oh my God, I love my best friend so much. I want to make a song about her." Sofi Tukker said they are surprised by the success of the track. "The fact that the song broke down some doors for us, it is pretty fitting and really exciting for us." They both did not expect that it would end up in an Apple commercial and reaching Radio Top 40. "It really is what we are about," they said. "We are about community, about friendship and everyone encouraging everyone shining." As to what's next, the duo are currently touring on a bus around the U.S. and Canada. They are also planning to go to Japan for a short visit, then go back to Europe to attend music festivals. "We are constantly on the road, neither of us have permanent apartments," they shared. As fans eagerly await the next album, the duo revealed that in the meantime, they are releasing a lot of new music and music videos: "We are gonna continue creating and continue loving what we are doing." Sofi Tukker added that they are excited and looking forward to travel to China: "That always has been an exciting goal of ours and hope we can come very soon." (Billboard)
Ed Sheeran not only thinks the claim he ripped off a Marvin Gaye classic is total rubbish, but one of the people suing him doesn't even have a leg to stand on ... according to new docs. We broke the story ... Sheeran was sued nearly 2 years ago for allegedly jacking the heart of Gaye's sexy song, "Let's Get It On," for his hit track, "Thinking Out Loud," and after some legal back-and-forth, Ed's finally fighting back. Sheeran claims the alleged similarities between the 2 jams are simply because the chord progressions and drum patterns are "extremely commonplace" in the music world. What's more -- according to the docs -- is that the similar elements of 'LGIO' are unprotectable, public domain elements. He also claims there are little to no similarities when it comes to the vocals and song structures. The kicker though -- Sheeran claims the woman suing him on behalf of the late Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the tune with Gaye, has no right to do so because, while she might be Townsend's biological daughter ... she was adopted by others at birth. Sheeran claims this means under California law, she has no standing in the case. (TMZ)
BTS End Fifth Anniversary Festa Event With Announcement Of 'Five, Always' Exhibition. After several new songs and a variety of related events, BTS' fifth anniversary 2018 Festa celebrations officially came to a close on Wednesday (June 13), but not without some exciting news from the group: the septet will present an exhibition of sorts later this summer. Though little information has currently been announced, the exhibition is titled "Five, Always," in Korean, which is a play on the word for "Today," and will take place from Aug. 25 to Oct. 28. It was promoted on social media using a slogan, "The today that connects the past and the future." BTS announced the event through a variety of posts on Instagram and Twitter. The "Five, Always" announcement came after days of celebratory activities from BTS, including a concert event known as the "Prom Party," during which the members performed a variety of fan-favorite songs, including the Festa-release "Ddeng." The Korean group's anniversary celebration came just weeks after BTS made history as the first act of the decade to top the Billboard 200 with a predominantly non-English language album. (Billboard)
Nas' New Album 'Nasir' Is Here: Stream It Now. Nas' 11th solo album Nasir was, until recently, a secret to all but his inner sanctum. Few even knew it was coming until its producer Kanye West alerted us. And then, earlier this week, West tweeted its tracklist. Nasir debuted in full late Thursday night at a listening party near Queensbridge Park in Queens, New York, and hosted on YouTube by Mass Appeal (the urban culture specialist has just struck a deal global distribution deal with Universal Music Group). Guests included Pusha-T, Mobb Deep's Havoc and Chris Rock. As thousands jumped on to watch at home, the stream buckled. Those who stayed online were rewarded; Nasir was played twice and archived. Nasir is the follow-up to 2012's Life Is Good, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It's the fourth Kanye-produced album to drop in as many weeks. All have seven tracks. Those earlier sets are Pusha-T's Daytona, Kanye's ye and Kids See Ghosts, his collaborative set with Kid Cudi. Next Friday should see a new Kanye-produced solo album from Teyana Taylor. (Billboard)
Gloria Trevi Debuts Bloody, Vampire-Themed Single & Music Video. Gloria Trevi is drinking something red and it's dripping down the side of her face in her latest music video. In "Que Me Duela" (It Pains Me), the Mexican pop star's latest single is inspired by vampires and a night of naughty fun as the backdrop of a glowing L.A. skyline introduces the opening scenes, complete with bats and later a frosty-white wolf by her side. Trevi is radiant in her latest music video. She also takes on the persona of a vampire frolicking through the night with a cast of characters in various scenes, from a simulated orgy to drinking blood (or is it wine?) and having a severe reaction to the sunrise. Trevi has been teasing the latest single on her Instagram account for several days and on Thursday night (June 14), the entertainer took questions with her fans via a Facebook LIVE session. "The idea is to entertain," Trevi said with a chuckle as she addressed one of her followers regarding the new video. "It's about getting the passion out." The pop star also asked her fans about which outfits and wigs they liked and spoke about a bathtub scene that made for a very chilly L.A. morning. "It was almost 6 a.m. and it was cold," Trevi told her fans. "It's warm during the day L.A., but at night it's totally cold. I didn't want to go into that icy cold bath." Trevi, wearing a black dress and pearls during her live chat, said that she realized that her video may look a tad like something Lady Gaga would do, but the video is ultimately about "the idea to play with fantasy," she said. "All the women in one and one in all of them." Trevi also said that this video hints at her next touring show as she's known for being hands-on as she enjoys designing her concert spectacles. She also said that in the upcoming days she'll make an announcement about a contest that comes with a prize to appear in her next music video. "Just get ready for a lot of new music that I've been holding onto for you," Trevi said to her fans during the live talk. "Prepare yourselves because this is going to go fast like never before." To close her live chat, Trevi attempted to blow out five candles and even though she struggled, Trevi shrugged it off and laughed, remarking that she almost burned her eyebrow off. (Billboard)
Christina Aguilera's 'Liberation' Is Here: Stream It Now. Xtina is back. It's been six long years since Christina Aguilera released her last album, Lotus. The pop superstar breaks the drought with Liberation, her eighth album which dropped at midnight across digital music services. Liberation contains 15-tracks, including the previously-released "Like I Do" featuring rapper GoldLink; "Accelerate" with hip-hop stars Ty Dolla $ign and 2 Chainz; and "Fall In Line" with star guest vocalist Demi Lovato. Also, Jamaican dancehall singers Keida & Shenseea appear on "Right Moves" and rapper XNDA guests on "Pipe." Aguilera will support the new album later this year with a 22-city North American tour, her first since 2008. To coincide with the new release, the pop star appeared overnight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. (Billboard)
Parkinson's disease can't stop Neil Diamond from shining. Neil Diamond may have retired from touring due to Parkinson's disease, but the singer didn't let that stop him from giving a cheery and memorable performance at the 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony. Diamond, who was officially inducted into the Hall in 1984, earned the Johnny Mercer Award on Thursday and closed the multi-hour event in New York City with a rousing rendition of "Sweet Caroline." He was happy and excited onstage, performing an extended version of the iconic song, backed by a band and the audience of songwriters and music industry players who sang along. The 77-year-old, who announced he was diagnosed with Parkinson's in January and canceled planned concerts, barely spoke at the event, where John Mellencamp, Alan Jackson, Kool and the Gang and Jermaine Dupri were inducted as the Hall's 2018 class.
Judge orders Juelz Santana's mom to accompany rapper on tour. Rapper Juelz Santana can go on tour while he's facing weapons charges, providing he's monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet ... and mom. A federal judge on Friday modified the bail conditions for Santana, whose real name is LaRon James, to allow him to play the first five shows of his upcoming 15-city nationwide tour. Among the conditions: that Santana's mother accompanies him on the trips, that he drives instead of flies and that they don't travel with other members of the tour. In court Friday, Santana told the judge that his mother, who wasn't in attendance, had consented to join him on the tour. Santana will be back in court next month for a review of "how things went" and to discuss whether he can play other shows, U.S. District Judge Michael Hammer said. "I view it as a reasonable and productive exercise of his time to work and provide for his family," Hammer said. Prosecutors had opposed changing the bail conditions. Santana has pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and carrying a weapon on an aircraft. He faces up to 20 years in prison. Authorities say Newark Liberty International Airport security on March 9 found a loaded .38-caliber handgun and non-prescribed oxycodone pills in a carry-on bag containing Santana's identification. He has been free on $500,000 bail and living with his mother and brother. "I just want to say thank you to the judge," he said as he left the courtroom. The shows in question are in Hampton, New Hampshire; Norfolk, Virginia; Baltimore, and Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Latzer argued Friday that Santana had been en route to a show when he was arrested and that he could easily carry a gun with him in a car. She also noted that other performers on the tour have prior weapons arrests and that the electronic ankle bracelet can monitor where Santana is but not what he's doing. "It's a very long leash," she said. Citing prior domestic violence issues, Hammer delayed ruling on Santana's motion to be allowed to return his home in Totowa, New Jersey, with his girlfriend and children. Santana pleaded guilty to making a terroristic threat to commit a crime of violence in 2011 after an incident during which he also was charged with violating a restraining order. A trial date hasn't been set. (PageSix)
Hitting that high note while flashing that ring! Ariana Grande delivered a surprise performance during the 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Dinner in NYC on Thursday, June 14. The crowd was taken aback as the "Side to Side" singer, 24, made her way to the stage to sing "Be Alright." The Weeknd presented shortly after. Grande attended the event with fiance Pete Davidson, and they were seen holding hands at one point in the evening. During her set, the former Disney star showed off her stunning engagement ring, which the Saturday Night Live star reportedly paid $93,000 for. Us Weekly exclusively confirmed earlier this week that Grande and Davidson, 24, are engaged after just a few weeks of dating. Following the news, they celebrated at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. They'd later fly to the Big Apple and catch the 11 p.m. showing of the supernatural horror flick Hereditary at the Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 on June 13. Despite the whirlwind romance, a source tells Us that the pair plan on having a long engagement. "They are a perfect fit. They are not rushing to get married. Their friends are really excited and supportive," one insider said. "They are both constantly making each other laugh. Their moms have met. They've been very public with their relationship on social media, and they are very in love." (US Weekly)
Drake's new music video for "I'm Upset" -- with his 'Degrassi' castmates -- wasn't a clever distraction from his beef with Pusha T ... but it was a bad, and unavoidable, coincidence. Drizzy took a ton of heat for releasing the video while fans were dying for him to respond to Push. It came off like he was using the whole 'Degrassi' reunion thing as a smoke screen for the drama. However, sources close to production tell us they started planning for the single's release and video weeks before it was even shot. As we reported, Pusha T released "The Story of Adidon" -- a diss track that revealed Drake has a secret son -- on Tuesday, May 29. We're told the "I'm Upset" shoot schedule was set for last weekend, before Push's track came out, and neither Drake nor his team felt it needed to change. Drizzy revealed Wednesday night he'll release his new album, "Scorpion," on June 29 -- so, it's still possible he'll fire back then. However, as we've told you, powerful people around him are advising against it. (TMZ)
Sofi Tukker Tell Story of 'Best Friend' Song, 'Treehouse' Debut Album. If you are looking for something infectious, bubbly and all sorts of cool vibes, check out Sofi Tukker's viral breakout Treehouse track "Best Friend," featuring NERVO, The Knocks and Alisa Ueno. Sofi Tukker sat down with Billboard Radio China to share their successes and achievements on their "Best Friend" track. Sofi Tukker -- the duo of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern -- are best friends with two different personalities and backgrounds. "It got to where it is today, and getting to know each other, figuring out who we are and making things," they shared. Coming from different backgrounds, they discovered they have similar interests. Sofi's national identity is a unique case: She was born in Germany but moved around the world with her parents. Despite her travels, she shared that she still finds her home country of Germany as the place that has been most influential to her. Tucker grew up in Boston and always loved music that sounded weird, different and "out there." In college, he fell in love with European and Latin-inspired house music. Tucker explained that they do not like to describe their music in genre terms but aim to produce music that people can move to, dance to and take them to where they want to be. On their writing process, Sofi explains, "I spend time working on lyrics on my own, and Tucker spends time working on production on its own. When we come together, we give each other feedback to it." The duo have been writing both Portuguese and English since the beginning of the band. "I think we are just interested in what we are inspired by, sometimes in English and sometimes in Portuguese, it depends." Tucker also said that including elements of different languages is not considered a new direction for them but instead a way to express and show the different sides of themselves all the time. \ "The root of the Sofi Tukker theme is colorfulness and self-expression in a sort of fun way," they explain. As seen in their music videos and outfits, both members agree on loving colorful, bright and sparkly things. Sophie says, "I like things that make me feel like I want to dance, colorful, powerful and confident in my body in a good way, goofy too." One of the biggest milestones of Sofi Tukker was their first studio album release, Treehouse, in April. They explained that in their album, they produced a group of songs as a collection that works together as a unit. Sofi and Tukker had no pressure putting out the album: "We didn't have any expectations; we just wanted to keep putting things out there so that people can get to know us better," they said. Known for the track's vibrant, lively and unique cool vibe, "Best Friend" featuring Nervo, The Knocks and Alisa Ueno hit No. 1 on Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay. It all started in a garage in Florida, Sophie was on the phone with her best friend from college, and, "I came back in, and Tucker was making this really cool beat, and I was like, 'Oh my God, I love my best friend so much. I want to make a song about her." Sofi Tukker said they are surprised by the success of the track. "The fact that the song broke down some doors for us, it is pretty fitting and really exciting for us." They both did not expect that it would end up in an Apple commercial and reaching Radio Top 40. "It really is what we are about," they said. "We are about community, about friendship and everyone encouraging everyone shining." As to what's next, the duo are currently touring on a bus around the U.S. and Canada. They are also planning to go to Japan for a short visit, then go back to Europe to attend music festivals. "We are constantly on the road, neither of us have permanent apartments," they shared. As fans eagerly await the next album, the duo revealed that in the meantime, they are releasing a lot of new music and music videos: "We are gonna continue creating and continue loving what we are doing." Sofi Tukker added that they are excited and looking forward to travel to China: "That always has been an exciting goal of ours and hope we can come very soon." (Billboard)
Ed Sheeran not only thinks the claim he ripped off a Marvin Gaye classic is total rubbish, but one of the people suing him doesn't even have a leg to stand on ... according to new docs. We broke the story ... Sheeran was sued nearly 2 years ago for allegedly jacking the heart of Gaye's sexy song, "Let's Get It On," for his hit track, "Thinking Out Loud," and after some legal back-and-forth, Ed's finally fighting back. Sheeran claims the alleged similarities between the 2 jams are simply because the chord progressions and drum patterns are "extremely commonplace" in the music world. What's more -- according to the docs -- is that the similar elements of 'LGIO' are unprotectable, public domain elements. He also claims there are little to no similarities when it comes to the vocals and song structures. The kicker though -- Sheeran claims the woman suing him on behalf of the late Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the tune with Gaye, has no right to do so because, while she might be Townsend's biological daughter ... she was adopted by others at birth. Sheeran claims this means under California law, she has no standing in the case. (TMZ)
BTS End Fifth Anniversary Festa Event With Announcement Of 'Five, Always' Exhibition. After several new songs and a variety of related events, BTS' fifth anniversary 2018 Festa celebrations officially came to a close on Wednesday (June 13), but not without some exciting news from the group: the septet will present an exhibition of sorts later this summer. Though little information has currently been announced, the exhibition is titled "Five, Always," in Korean, which is a play on the word for "Today," and will take place from Aug. 25 to Oct. 28. It was promoted on social media using a slogan, "The today that connects the past and the future." BTS announced the event through a variety of posts on Instagram and Twitter. The "Five, Always" announcement came after days of celebratory activities from BTS, including a concert event known as the "Prom Party," during which the members performed a variety of fan-favorite songs, including the Festa-release "Ddeng." The Korean group's anniversary celebration came just weeks after BTS made history as the first act of the decade to top the Billboard 200 with a predominantly non-English language album. (Billboard)
Nas' New Album 'Nasir' Is Here: Stream It Now. Nas' 11th solo album Nasir was, until recently, a secret to all but his inner sanctum. Few even knew it was coming until its producer Kanye West alerted us. And then, earlier this week, West tweeted its tracklist. Nasir debuted in full late Thursday night at a listening party near Queensbridge Park in Queens, New York, and hosted on YouTube by Mass Appeal (the urban culture specialist has just struck a deal global distribution deal with Universal Music Group). Guests included Pusha-T, Mobb Deep's Havoc and Chris Rock. As thousands jumped on to watch at home, the stream buckled. Those who stayed online were rewarded; Nasir was played twice and archived. Nasir is the follow-up to 2012's Life Is Good, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It's the fourth Kanye-produced album to drop in as many weeks. All have seven tracks. Those earlier sets are Pusha-T's Daytona, Kanye's ye and Kids See Ghosts, his collaborative set with Kid Cudi. Next Friday should see a new Kanye-produced solo album from Teyana Taylor. (Billboard)
Gloria Trevi Debuts Bloody, Vampire-Themed Single & Music Video. Gloria Trevi is drinking something red and it's dripping down the side of her face in her latest music video. In "Que Me Duela" (It Pains Me), the Mexican pop star's latest single is inspired by vampires and a night of naughty fun as the backdrop of a glowing L.A. skyline introduces the opening scenes, complete with bats and later a frosty-white wolf by her side. Trevi is radiant in her latest music video. She also takes on the persona of a vampire frolicking through the night with a cast of characters in various scenes, from a simulated orgy to drinking blood (or is it wine?) and having a severe reaction to the sunrise. Trevi has been teasing the latest single on her Instagram account for several days and on Thursday night (June 14), the entertainer took questions with her fans via a Facebook LIVE session. "The idea is to entertain," Trevi said with a chuckle as she addressed one of her followers regarding the new video. "It's about getting the passion out." The pop star also asked her fans about which outfits and wigs they liked and spoke about a bathtub scene that made for a very chilly L.A. morning. "It was almost 6 a.m. and it was cold," Trevi told her fans. "It's warm during the day L.A., but at night it's totally cold. I didn't want to go into that icy cold bath." Trevi, wearing a black dress and pearls during her live chat, said that she realized that her video may look a tad like something Lady Gaga would do, but the video is ultimately about "the idea to play with fantasy," she said. "All the women in one and one in all of them." Trevi also said that this video hints at her next touring show as she's known for being hands-on as she enjoys designing her concert spectacles. She also said that in the upcoming days she'll make an announcement about a contest that comes with a prize to appear in her next music video. "Just get ready for a lot of new music that I've been holding onto for you," Trevi said to her fans during the live talk. "Prepare yourselves because this is going to go fast like never before." To close her live chat, Trevi attempted to blow out five candles and even though she struggled, Trevi shrugged it off and laughed, remarking that she almost burned her eyebrow off. (Billboard)
Christina Aguilera's 'Liberation' Is Here: Stream It Now. Xtina is back. It's been six long years since Christina Aguilera released her last album, Lotus. The pop superstar breaks the drought with Liberation, her eighth album which dropped at midnight across digital music services. Liberation contains 15-tracks, including the previously-released "Like I Do" featuring rapper GoldLink; "Accelerate" with hip-hop stars Ty Dolla $ign and 2 Chainz; and "Fall In Line" with star guest vocalist Demi Lovato. Also, Jamaican dancehall singers Keida & Shenseea appear on "Right Moves" and rapper XNDA guests on "Pipe." Aguilera will support the new album later this year with a 22-city North American tour, her first since 2008. To coincide with the new release, the pop star appeared overnight on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. (Billboard)
Comments
Post a Comment