With the 2018 CMT Artists of the Year special Wednesday night dedicated solely to honoring female country artists, a tribute to one of the greatest women in any musical genre was, well, a natural. Aretha Franklin, who died in August after battling pancreatic cancer, influenced generations of women, transcending genres …
Read More »Brandi Carlile Enlists Sam Smith for 'Party of One' Duet
Brandi Carlile teams up with U.K. singer-songwriter Sam Smith for a new duet version of her song “Party of One.” A graceful piano ballad, the original appears as the final track on Carlile’s latest album,By the Way, I Forgive You. Carlile and Smith recorded the song with producer Dave Cobb …
Read More »Evolution Can't Keep Up With Mammal Extinction
Earlier this month, a daunting U.N. report laid out in no uncertain terms that humans need to drastically change the way we live, and fast, to avoid a major crisis — without a massive shift, more extreme weather, unlivable conditions, increased poverty and food scarcity are all in our not-too-distant …
Read More »Richard Linklater Is Back With Another Anti-Ted Cruz Ad
One of the best political ads of 2018 was also one of the simplest. Directed by filmmaker Richard Linklater and commissioned by the Fire Ted Cruz PAC, the ad features a distinctly Texan man questioning the senator’s mettle. “Somebody left something on my door the other day. It said ‘Ted …
Read More »Kanye West Posts Video Rant Decrying 'Mind Control,' Publishing Rights
Kanye West ended his social media hiatus on Saturday with several videos posted from Africa, including one nine-minute rant dubbed “Mind Control.” The video, live-streamed over Periscope, featured the rapper’s signature stream-of-consciousness delivery, touching on mind control, “positive energy” and social media.The rant also centered on the rapper’s desire to …
Read More »Watch Brockhampton Turn Alicia Keys' 'Un-Thinkable' Into Sinister Jam
Brockhampton took a momentary break from being America’s sweetest boy band to shine a light on the solo talents of Bearface. On Triple J’s latest “Like A Version,” Ciarán McDonald aka Bearface covers Alicia Key’s 2010 classic, “Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready),” as the rest of Brockhampton lay quietly on the floor …
Read More »Asbury Park's Sea.Hear.Now Festival Will Return in 2019
Asbury Park’s Sea.Hear.Now festival kicked off its inaugural year in a big way last month, when Bruce Springsteen surprised fans by joining California punks Social Distortion onstage for a searing three-song set including “Ring of Fire.” It was just one special moment of the festival, which brought 45,000 to the …
Read More »Apple Music Adds Genius Lyrics to Its Growing Arsenal
Spotify’s Genius-powered “Behind the Lyrics” integration, which flashes lyric snippets and behind-the-scenes tidbits during users’ listening experience, has become one of the music-streaming service’s most viral, beloved features. Not to be outdone, rival service Apple Music is now also partnering with Genius — and in classic one-up fashion for the …
Read More »The GOP Is No Longer Fighting Trump's Delusions
Brett Kavanaugh was officially sworn in as a Supreme Court justice on Saturday, but President Trump wanted to do it again. “A man or a woman must always be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” Trump said during a ceremony at the White House on Monday. “You, sir, under …
Read More »Vic Mensa on XXXTentacion Diss: 'I Stand Behind Those Statements'
UPDATE:Vic Mensa’s cypher performance dissing late rapper XXXTentacion aired during the 2018 BET Hip-Hop Awards Tuesday. Mensa’s freestyle pointedly referenced the allegations of domestic abuse that had been leveled at the late rapper: “Only time you bear arms is in a wife beater, loser/ Your favorite rapper’s a domestic abuser.” …
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