Country artist Morgan Wallen finally made an appearance on Saturday Night Live after being kicked off the show’s line-up two months ago.
Wallen was due to be the musical guest on a show in October but had his performance pulled when videos of him at bars and parties without a mask went viral.
Read more: The 25 best country music songs of all time
The Nashville-based singer-songwriter appeared in a sketch on the show last night (December 5) that skewered his removal from the past episode. In it, he was visited by versions of himself one and two months into the future, played by Jason Bateman and Bowen Yang respectively.
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Both future Wallens advised the star to leave the party to protect his slot on the sketch show. “Trust me somebody’s gonna post a video of you ignoring COVID protocols and the whole internet’s gonna freak out,” Bateman warned him.
“I just specifically asked her not to post it,” Wallen replied, referring to a video that cast member Chloe Fineman had just taken of the pair kissing. “I thought it was an airtight approach as well, but once people hear about the party, you’re in big trouble man, you’re gonna get kicked off Saturday Night Live,” Bateman responded. Watch it above now.
Days after the videos of the musician surfaced online, he posted a video on his Instagram account explaining that he had been removed from the show.
“I’m not positive for COVID, but my actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams,” he said. “I respect the show’s decision because I know I put them in jeopardy, and I take ownership for this.”
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He added: “I think I have some growing up to do. I think I’ve lost myself a little bit. I’ve tried to find joy in the wrong places, and it’s left me with less joy…I’m going to take a step back from the spotlight for a little while, and go work on myself.”
Police have launched an investigation into racist threats made towards an Asian-American woman.
Yet again, another "Karen" video has gone viral, this time coming out of Torrance, California. The incident began when a young Asian woman filming her exercise routine quietly said “Jesus” after being unnecessarily bumped into by a middle-aged white woman. The white woman, now dubbed “Staircase Karen,” quickly became enraged, threatening the younger woman and going off on a racist tirade.
“Next time you talk to me like that, you're gonna get your ass kicked by my family, they're gonna fuck you up!” she exclaimed. After making this threat she then demanded her to “Go back to whatever fucking Asian country you belong,” adding “You bitch! This is not your place, this is not your home, we don't want you here!”
“Staircase Karen” then challenged the woman to post the incident on social media, saying "I hope you do because every fucking person will beat the crap out of you from here on out.” Undeterred by this threat, the video has now gone viral on twitter, with some declaring her “Karen of the Year.”
While twitter users have gotten a good laugh out of the incident, law enforcement and public officials are taking the event much more seriously. Torrance Mayor Patrick Furey launched a police investigation in the name of “public safety,” stating that this type of racist behavior will not be tolerated.
Dawn French and Mark Heap are set to star in a new sitcom for the BBC titled Can You Keep a Secret?
The actors will play a married couple in the show, and when William Fenton, played by Heap (Spaced, Brass Eye) dies, French’s Debbie quickly moves through her grief and progresses on to thinking about the insurance payout.
That is because William is not in fact dead – a clerical error sees him declared as deceased when he is still alive. The couple take advantage of the situation, cooking up a scheme to claim a hefty payout, with William having to hide out in the loft for a few months until the money arrives.
Dawn French. CREDIT: BBC/Phil McIntyre Live/Marc Brenner
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The six-episode series will be directed by Simon Hynd (Ghosts, Motherland) and is written by Simon Mayhew-Archer (This Country).
“At last, a sitcom where I can keep my top on,” French said in a press release. “Mostly.”
“Can You Keep a Secret? hilariously delves into a rarely portrayed stage of the family life cycle, blending classic sitcom elements with an exhilarating farcical crime twist,” said Jon Petrie, director of BBC Comedy. “With Dawn French and Mark Heap leading the cast, this is an irresistible new comedy and I can’t wait for BBC viewers to see it.”
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No broadcast date has been confirmed for the show.
The comedian had been told to “catch up” after holding a podcast conversation about J.K. Rowling’s controversial comments about the trans community. “We’re all talking about inclusivity and favouring difference and all the rest of it,” she went on to say. “And that’s all great, I love the idea of that, but that’s not how we’re living.”
“We’re living the opposite of that – we’re massively intolerant, quick to blame, litigation, bullying and trolling and all of this dreadful stuff which has got nothing to do with understanding how other human beings operate.”
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French continued: “We are people who know we make mistakes, we know we have shortcomings, we know all this stuff but because we are expected to present ourselves as perfect and only celebrate all the perfect things, it’s just wiped out any margin for error.”
“I don’t like that – I’ve never been cowardly, I hope, but I’m starting to be that because I’m being circumspect about what I will support or not in case it causes trouble.”
Coel’s new series is titled First Day On Earth, a new 10-part drama set to air on BBC One and co-produced by HBO in association with A24. Armstrong will serve as an executive producer on the show.
Coel plays British novelist Henri, who goes to her parents’ home country of Ghana after she’s offered a film job there. It doesn’t just offer the opportunity for change she’s crying out for, but a chance to reconnect with her estranged father.
Michaela Coel. Credit: Spencer Hewett/BBC
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However, per a synopsis, “neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected, and soon Henri has to deal with danger and hypocrisy, form new friendships, lose her illusions, and create a new sense of identity – one that might leave her stronger, but could also break her.”
“I am delighted to be working with VAL, the BBC and HBO again, and to partner with A24; thanks to all of their combined taste, care and expertise, I feel our show is in great hands,” Coel said in a press release. “The process of creating FDOE thus far has been a beautifully intimate experience, and I am excited to embark on the next phase to eventually offer this as another televisual gift for anyone willing to accompany Henri on what will be a wild odyssey!”
Filming on First Day On Earth will begin next year.
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In a four-star review of I May Destroy You, NME wrote: “It’s an eye-opening, game-changing new show from one of Britain’s brightest talents. Coel plays her character brilliantly, with defiant wit and nuance. The awful things that happen to Arabella aren’t reserved for people in fictional stories or clichéd horror movies. I May Destroy You urges us to take care of ourselves – because if we don’t, who else will?”
Almost halfway through Hill Country Love, Cedric Burnside untangles a skein of blues from his guitar and starts singing, “Here I go, bout to walk through the door/I see people, all over the floor/I can’t blame them, the music is hot you know.” The opening of “Juke Joint”, one of the many high points of Burnside’s new album, does much to position his songwriting, and his music, within the rich tradition of hill country blues, placing it firmly in the juke joint: old rural weekend venues where black communities would gather to drink, eat, hang out and play music. It’s no surprise, then, that photographer and scholar Bill Steber once called juke joints the “kiln where the musical fires burned brightest” in the Mississippi Delta.
For Burnside, the juke joint is emblematic of both the development of hill country blues, and the community spirit that informs his music. He’s particularly well placed to carry that history: his grandfather was legendary hill country blues musician, RL Burnside; his father, Calvin Jackson, was a drummer who played with the likes of Jessie Mae Hemphill and Junior Kimbrough. All were key players who brought hill country blues into the late 20th and early 21st century. Burnside started playing with his grandfather, who he calls Big Daddy, in his mid-teens; negotiating the road as a youngster opened his eyes, and when he’d return to school after touring, his fellow students would say he “talked like a fifty-year old”, Burnside laughs.
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Being around such musicians also helped Burnside understand, at an almost molecular level, the histories of hill country blues, and the way those histories inform how this seemingly sui generis music comes together. Fundamentally, it builds out of fife and drum blues, a form of music where a cane fife (a small flute) player leads a troop of drummers. This music was first documented for a wider listenership by Alan Lomax, who ‘discovered’ Sid Hemphill, one of the key sources of hill country blues, in the early ’40s. From that music, and subsequent fife and drum corps like Othar ‘Otha’ Turner and his Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, you get the single-minded stream of melody and polyrhythmic complexity that makes Hill country blues so unique.
If anyone can be singled out as being responsible for bringing hill country blues to wider attention, though, it’s Mississippi Fred McDowell, whose Lomax recordings are among the foundational texts of modern blues. Burnside tips his hat to McDowell several times on Hill Country Love, giving remarkably faithful, spirited performances of McDowell classics “You Got To Move” and “Shake Em On Down”. On both, Burnside goes acoustic, the slide burring beautifully against the strings as Burnside sings these songs with deft confidence and a sensitivity to the curious corners of the melodies; he’s obviously drunk deeply from McDowell’s archive of recordings, and he knows how to mobilise that knowledge and understanding to stay faithful to the music’s past, while carving his own initials into the music too.
But the connection with McDowell, for Burnside, is even more intimate and immediate. “Him and my Big Daddy was really good friends,” he says. “They played house parties together; they drank moonshine together. He was one of the ones that I really wish I could have got to meet and shake his hand. That’s one of the reasons why I put ‘Shake Em On Down’ and ‘You Got To Move’ on the album. My Big Daddy used to play those songs.” One thing that keeps doubling back, throughout Hill Country Love, is the remarkably interwoven community that is hill country blues, the way the Burnside and Hemphill dynasties are so core to the music and its development, and the way this history feeds itself and creates parameters for the music that are, however, never limitations.
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You can hear those connections and parameters most clearly, perhaps, in the closing “Po Black Maddie”, where Burnside takes on a song from his grandfather’s catalogue and makes it his own. It’s one of the album’s most bravura performances, the guitar playing limber and lithe as Burnside and his band ride the song’s mantric riff and structure to the skies. It’s also an excellent example of what makes this music so special and unique – it’s fixed to a point; the music is hypnotic, droney, repetitive, but not reductively so, and it creates its own energy, its own head of steam, through such stark repetition. “I think that’s one of the good things of hill country blues,” Burnside reflects, “that drone, that hypnotic beat. It’s always going. No matter where the music goes, that beat is still there.”
If there’s a key to Hill Country Love’s 14 songs, it’s perseverance, when it comes both to the music, and to the life that sustains it. On “I Know”, Burnside’s cat’s-claw guitar figure is shadowed, beautifully, by Patrick Williams’ harmonica, keening away in the back of the mix, before stepping forward for a solo that draws as much as it can out of a child’s clutch of notes. A run of songs midway through the album weave together tightly to create parallels between dedication to one’s faith, and dedication to one’s music: “Closer”’s clipped guitars are tracked by Burnside’s rich voice, while “Love You Music” is carried by a riff that’s strangely filigree, while drummer Artemas LeSueur, the understated heartbeat of Hill Country Love, shifts from deep, sly toms, to martial clamour on the snare.
“Toll On They Life” feels like the album’s centrepiece, though, the simple poetry of Burnside’s lyrics cracked open by a surprising, unexpected chord change that leads the song into new terrain, briefly: the flourish feels like light chiming through carriage doors. Throughout, Burnside is quietly observational, taking in the way “People get mad when things don’t quite go the way they want/They do crazy things out of spite”; soon he’s warning, “People will lie in your face/To get things to go they way.” What’s remarkable about Burnside’s delivery here is the way it see-saws between a kind of dispassionate observation and an understated, yet stern judgement – something he can flick between in the simple curve of a syllable.
Lest this all sounds too heavy, Burnside’s also able to cut loose, to follow a groove to its natural conclusion. “Funky” does just what it says, with a railway rhythm from LeSueur matched by a grinding guitar riff and Burnside’s itchy, tetchy repetition, like a dancefloor mantra, of the title’s imperative. “Smile” is slower, but the chipped guitar riff with its decisive cut-offs, traced in outline by sleepy harmonica and the deep prowl of the bass, has a sensuous, smoky sway. Luther Dickinson’s bass playing on the album can slip by at times, but it’s a keen, grounding weight to the songs, giving them real heft.
Dickinson’s also co-producer of the album, along with Burnside himself. Recorded in a rather prosaically described “old building in Ripley, Mississippi”, you get the sense here of two friends at play; this is music created with ease, songs that are uncluttered, with no fuss or flash, but plenty of commitment. It’s another compelling achievement for a blues artist whose institutional recognition – a Grammy for best traditional blues album for 2021’s I Be Trying; the Mississippi Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence – actually makes perfect sense. As the keeper of the flame of hill country blues, Burnside’s earned it, and then some.
The pop icon shared the name of her upcoming eighth studio LP ‘Cowboy Carter’ via her official website on March 12. The site’s landing page featured a photo of a horse saddle with a red, white and blue sash that read “Country Carter.” Many believed that the photo of the saddle was the official album artwork.
Today (March 19), Beyoncé took to her official Instagram account to share the actual artwork for the LP. The photo sees the singer in a white cowboy hat with long platinum blonde locks while wearing a red, white and blue leather outfit holding an American flag and wearing a “Country Carter” sash while sitting upon a white horse.
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The artwork was shared in celebration of the ten day countdown until the album’s release on March 29.
“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive. It feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world, while also amplifying the voices of some of the people who have dedicated so much of their lives educating on our musical history,” wrote Beyoncé in the post’s caption.
She continued: “The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me. act ii is a result of challenging myself, and taking my time to bend and blend genres together to create this body of work.”
The singer also revealed that there are “a few surprises on the album” and shared that she hopes that fans will be able to hear the “heart, soul, love and passion” she poured into the album.
“I focused on this album as a continuation of RENAISSANCE…I hope this music is an experience, creating another journey where you can close your eyes, start from the beginning and never stop. This ain’t a Country album.” she concluded. “This is a “Beyoncé” album. This is act ii COWBOY CARTER, and I am proud to share it with y’all!”
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The album is available for pre-save/pre-order here. Limited edition coloured vinyl pressings in red, white, blue and black are available as well as two limited-edition CDs with alternative cover photos featuring half of her face on display. The LP serves as the second instalment of what is expected to be a trilogy of ‘Renaissance’ albums.
While talking about Beyoncé’s pivot to country music in an interview with Knox News, Parton was asked about rumours that Beyoncé will include a cover of ‘Jolene’ on her new album. “Well, I think she has,” Parton said to Knox News. “I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that.” Parton added: “I love her! She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.”
Rowland spoke to hip-hop commentator Big Tigger on the Atlanta radio station V-103 to promote the Tyler Perry-produced Netflix film Mea Culpa, in which she has a lead role. Tigger asked Rowland if the recent rumours about ‘Act II’ being “either rock-based or a [Destiny’s Child] reunion,” to which the 43-year-old replied “that is her business to talk about, not mind” before winking.
Los Angeles-born singer-songwriter Peter KingKing defies easy categorization. He's a multi-faceted talent who blends musical passion with sharp business acumen. While managing car dealerships across the country, KingKing finds solace and artistic expression through his soulful music.
KingKing's love affair with music began in his youth. The melodies of the guitar and the rhythmic pulse of the drums became his haven. This early influence translates into his music today, where his lyrics paint vivid portraits of love, longing, and life's complexities with raw authenticity.
His music resonates deeply because it cuts through the noise and connects directly with the listener's core. "Sweeter Than," his latest release, exemplifies this artistic power. It's a captivating exploration of infatuation, weaving a narrative of love and yearning with the skill of a seasoned storyteller. The track's infectious beats and catchy hooks perfectly capture the universal experience of desiring something just out of reach.
"True (You) Pt. 1" and "True (You) Pt. 2" further solidify KingKing's artistic versatility. These soulful compositions lay bare the intricate experiences of love and heartbreak. He welcomes listeners into a world of unflinching honesty and vulnerability, where lyrics shift between passionate declarations of devotion and somber reflections on loss. It's a journey through his emotional landscape, a powerful illustration of his willingness to be transparent.
KingKing's music isn't just entertainment; it's a catalyst for self-discovery. Each melody and lyric peels back another layer, revealing the depths of human emotion and offering a glimpse into his soul. His infectious energy and heartfelt music continue to propel him forward, leaving a lasting impression on the music scene.
KingKing's "True (You)" is a powerful two-part story. The first track pulsates with the exhilaration of new love, while the second confronts the sobering reality of heartbreak. This intentional contrast allows listeners to connect with the full spectrum of a relationship, from the initial spark to the aftermath.
What truly sets Peter KingKing apart is his vulnerability. He doesn't shy away from portraying the unfiltered emotions of love and loss. Through his music, he creates a space for listeners to not only be entertained but also to confront their own experiences with honesty and open-heartedness. This vulnerability is the key to his music resonating with such a wide audience seeking genuine connection in today's musical landscape.
KingKing's artistry extends beyond catchy melodies. He uses his music to forge authentic connections with his audience. By laying bare his vulnerabilities, desires, and struggles, he creates a space where listeners can connect with their own experiences. As Peter KingKing continues to navigate the world of music, his star is undoubtedly on the rise. His music leaves an indelible mark, a powerful reminder of the impact of honest storytelling and the unwavering pursuit of creative expression.
Love’s reputation rests on their dazzling third album, 1967’s Forever Changes. But the journey there involved several different stops. Not least among these is “She Comes In Colors” – a jazzier, flute and harpsichord-peppered Arthur Lee composition from 1966’s Da Capo. The Los Angeles band’s second album – named after a musical term meaning “back to the beginning” – took a pivotal step on the odyssey from their eponymous debut’s garage rock towards an ornate, psychedelic form of rock’n’roll.
“The first album was more minimalist, with everything recorded live,” recalls guitarist Johnny Echols, sipping ginger beer on a tour bus in Leeds, shortly before performing the hallowed catalogue with The Love Band. “But Da Capo was a more grown-up album. We wanted to push the envelope. I’m very proud of ‘She Comes In Colors’, because we’d been known as a garage rock band but suddenly jazz musicians would come up to us and ask, ‘How on earth did you guys come up with that..?’”
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The seeds of this adventure had been sown shortly before the main album sessions, when Love entered Sunset Sound Recorders’ Studio One with producer Jac Holzman and engineer Bruce Botnick to lay down “7 And 7 Is”, a hurtling proto-punk number that would become their first – and only – American Top 40 single (reaching No 33).
“That single was very different from the song Arthur had written,” says Echols, explaining that it had started out as “a kind of Dylanesque folk song about Arthur, very autobiographical”. As he explains it, an endorsement deal with Vox meant they could try out pioneering new effects, such as a tremolo box for a guitar and distortion pedal for the bass. “Which no-one had then. Arthur was listening in the booth and went, ‘That’s pretty cool.’” The results gave them the confidence to experiment even more, changing producers, studios and engineers for Da Capo and blossoming with “She Comes In Colors”. Receiving little airplay outside the LA area on release in 1966, the song wasn’t a hit but has had quite an afterlife. The Rolling Stones quoted it – “She comes in colours everywhere” – uncredited, in 1967 single “She’s A Rainbow”. The Hoosiers covered it and Janet Jackson sampled it. Even Madonna borrowed from it – unwittingly – on 1999 hit “Beautiful Stranger”, with producer William Orbit later admitting borrowing from the melody. “Arthur got a credit for that,” smiles Echols. “The whole group should have been credited really, but the acknowledgement was nice.”
JOHNNY ECHOLS: “My Little Book” had done quite well as a single [reaching US 52 in March 1966], so we wanted to keep pushing with “7 And 7 Is”.
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BRUCE BOTNICK: It was just really, really unusual for me. I had never heard anything like that before. But I loved the energy. The drummer [Alban “Snoopy” Pfisterer, who’d trained as a pianist, not a percussionist] struggled with the tempo. After about 30 takes Arthur said, “Sit down, I’ll play.” I guess Snoopy must have then figured out how to do it.
ECHOLS: By that time everyone was cursing at the poor man. We played it so much that by the end my fingers were bleeding, but after that we felt we could do anything. We realised we needed a real drummer, so finally got Michael Stuart [now Stuart-Ware] from the Sons Of Adam.
MICHAEL STUART-WARE: Arthur had heard the Sons play a few times. One day, he came by our pad in Laurel Canyon and said, “You guys can have this tune if you want it”, and banged out “7 And 7 Is” on his black Gibson acoustic. Our lead guitarist Randy Holden said, “That’s not really us”, so Arthur played us “Feathered Fish”. Randy went, “We’ll take that!” and we covered it. Love’s original drummer, Don Conca, was fabulous, but the drugs took over and he stopped showing up for gigs. One night Arthur asked, “Is there a drummer in the house?” So Snoopy had filled in, but was more comfortable once he switched to harpsichord. Arthur was always asking me to join and after the Sons stopped getting along, I finally said OK. When I bumped into Don Conca he said, “That’s cool, man. You’re the only drummer in Hollywood who can handle it.”
ECHOLS: Don Conca was a loud showman, like Gene Krupa or Buddy Rich. Michael was a finesse drummer. He did these rhythmic counterpoints that sounded marvellous. We all had eclectic tastes. Country, gospel, blues, jazz. Arthur and I went to the same Memphis high school as Charles Lloyd and I’d watch fascinated as he played clarinet. After we moved to Los Angeles, Charles came to see Love at [LA club] Bido Lito’s. We were drawing 10 times more people than him. He was kinda miffed, but light-heartedly. When we wanted to go more jazzy we got Tjay Cantrelli, who we’d played with in the Grass Roots, on woodwind. He was just going to play a session, but the flute changed the sound so much that he became part of the group.
STUART-WARE: I’d listened to the first Love album, but Arthur wanted to cover new ground from a jazz foundation. At the first practice at Arthur and [guitarist] Bryan MacLean’s pad on Brier, we smoked hash and listened to Charles Lloyd, Cat Stevens and Fresh Cream. Then Arthur played his new tunes on the Gibson, including “She Comes In Colors”. On stage at Bido Lito’s, Love were a natural LSD trip with no comedown, but the new songs sounded more sophisticated.
ECHOLS: We also changed producers. Mr Holzman [also Elektra Records boss] came from a folk music background and wanted everything clean and pristine, but our sound was loud, levels driven into the red. When Jac told us about Paul Rothchild, who’d just got out of prison for selling marijuana, we thought that was the coolest thing. We hadn’t heard his stuff. The only reason we hired him was because he’d gotten out of prison. We also got a new engineer, Dave Hassinger, who captured our sound as it was and got a great mix. We went into RCA Studios, because Paul Rothchild was working with The Doors in Sunset. RCA had installed an eight-track machine, so we could overdub on Da Capo. It was a brand new slate. I think Paul Rothchild expected us to do something like the first album. It took him a while to get used to these jazzier songs, but then he got on board and he was perfect.
STUART-WARE: Love ruled the Sunset Strip mysteriously. Because the group didn’t play often, everyone was always, “Where are they?” Our racial diversity enhanced that mystique and was an integral part of our difference.
ECHOLS: We were a racially diverse hard rock group because Arthur and I were racially diverse and grew up in a racially diverse community. We wanted our group to reflect who we were. We didn’t want to be typecast as R&B, or play the Chitlin circuit, where Chuck Berry’s manager had to carry a 45 and say, “Pay me now or he’s not going on.”
BOTNICK: It was highly unusual to have a black person doing rock’n’roll, before Hendrix, but Arthur never called any race issues. He dealt with you on the level of: “This is my music and this is what I want.”
ECHOLS: Arthur had taken accordion lessons and his parents had also bought him an organ. He only joined the band I had with Billy Preston in school because young ladies flocked to us. He had a musician’s soul but didn’t want to take the time to become one. His genius was to be able to sit down with a group of us and sing songs that he’d written, and as we’d find the chords he’d go, “I like that.” He assembled the music like a collage, in his head from what we played. “She Comes In Colors” was the most difficult song on Da Capo to record. It probably took seven or eight takes, because in a way it’s three songs in one, but it’s hard to hear where the changes are.
STUART-WARE: Playing unusual time signatures didn’t present much of a challenge for anyone in the group. I’d listened to Dave Brubeck in school and played in a high school jazz group. The jazzy groove on “She Comes In Colors” was one I had from the get-go. I just had to play harder because I was up against electronic instruments. The flute and harpsichord duet was groundbreaking, and Arthur’s vocal was diverse and immaculate, as always.
ECHOLS: Arthur was a showboat, an introspective child who’d found his thing by being different. In summer he’d wear a fur coat and one shoe, sweating in that coat so much it smelled. He had this idea that a rock person should be nutty, but he was a fantastic poet. Even in elementary school he was always writing little rhymes. He had the knack of taking the most mundane situation into something interesting, and you’d think, ‘Wow.’ He wrote “She Comes In Colors” about his girlfriend, Annette Bonan. She’s Annette Ferrell now, but always wore colourful clothes, like the flower children did then.
STUART-WARE: I never really knew what the songs were about. Arthur usually left it to the listener to work out the reality. If he was ever asked, self-deprecation was his blade of choice: “It’s just about some chick.” But maybe he did write that song for Annette.
ECHOLS: When Arthur sang “When I was in England town, the rain fell right down” he’d never been to the UK. I explained, “Arthur, it should be ‘London town’.” But he sang it anyway. Maybe he didn’t want to share songwriting credits, but people here think “England town” is kinda cute.
BOTNICK: By then Love should have been hugely successful, but Arthur wouldn’t tour, wouldn’t leave Hollywood. In those days to promote an act properly you had to play somewhere to get radio. I think he felt comfortable and safe in his environment, but not touring harmed their career.
STUART-WARE: Concert promoters would track me down by phone. I’d call Arthur and the answer was always no. Eventually he got mad at me for asking. I often wondered, ‘What’s with the not playing?’
ECHOLS: We played in New York, Vegas, or Massachusetts, but we couldn’t play in the South or middle America, or sometimes we’d have bookings cancelled. The problem was the racial makeup of the group. It hurt us, because The Doors and Buffalo Springfield and all those other groups were able to tour. But we were getting successful, buying houses and had women chasing us, whereas at the start we were just trying to make a living. Also, we did some dumb things. I’ll demonstrate the mindset of a rock’n’roll kid. I bought an E-Type Jaguar, and when it ran out of gas I left it at the side of the street. My father begged me to go back for it. Eventually it was impounded and auctioned. Those cars are worth hundreds of thousands now. Leaving my car was probably the dumbest thing I ever did, along with insisting that Elektra sign The Doors. We got a fantastic offer from MCA Records, who could get us into way more shops, but we knew that having Love on their label was part of Elektra’s cachet. We figured that if they had The Doors, maybe they’d let us go. But instead all the money that was going to promote Love went on The Doors. People went “What did you do that for?” Because we were dumb kids! I was barely 18 then.
STUART-WARE: Then The Rolling Stones stole the line “She comes in colours” for “She’s A Rainbow”. Wasn’t Mick [Jagger] afraid of being sued? I remember we all thought, ‘Wow. How could Mick think it was OK to do that?’
BOTNICK: We all take stuff, but I do remember Arthur being offended.
ECHOLS: When Madonna used the melody from “She Comes In Colors” for “Beautiful Stranger”, Arthur was credited as a writer.
STUART-WARE: It doesn’t bother me that neither Da Capo or Forever Changes were hugely successful. What does bother me is that we didn’t work harder to promote both albums, or play more shows just for the thrill of playing.
ECHOLS: But even though Da Capo didn’t sell a whole lot, we felt we’d arrived as a group. People like The Beach Boys were talking to us as peers. On the next album we felt we had to push it to another higher level. The universe smiled on us, we did Forever Changes, and in the 55 years since it’s never been out of print.
A key scene in new documentary Getting It Back: The Story Of Cymande shows how DJ Jazzy Jay used to cut between two turntables to extend the exuberant breakdown of “Bra”, sending a Bronx block party into raptures. It’s no surprise that the track became a foundation stone of hip-hop, sampled by Sugarhill Gang, Gang Starr and De La Soul, as well as on Raze’s early house hit “Jack The Groove”.
So who were the impossibly funky crew behind it? Surely they were from Harlem or New Orleans? Or maybe Kingston or Lagos? Nope. “Bra”’s co-writers Patrick Patterson and Steve Scipio grew up on the same street in Balham, south London, after their families emigrated to the UK from Guyana when they were kids. Coming of age in the late ’60s, they envisioned a band that would capture the spirit of the times – black pride, peace and love – while celebrating their Caribbean heritage. Their name came from a popular calypso about “a dove and pigeon fighting over a piece of pepper” – Cymande was the dove – and they recruited band members from south London’s Caribbean diaspora.
With lyrics that encouraged its listeners not to abandon the struggle (“But it’s alright/We can still go on”) “Bra” made a decent splash on its US release in 1973, following Cymande’s debut single “The Message” into the R&B charts and winning the band a support tour with Al Green. But back in the UK, the glass ceiling descended. Dispirited with the lack of opportunities for black British groups, Cymande disbanded in late 1974.
Patterson and Scipio eventually both studied law, going on to take up important positions in the governments of various Caribbean nations. As such, they were oblivious to Cymande’s second life as hip-hop progenitors. But word eventually reached them of their popularity amongst a new generation of crate-diggers, and Cymande reformed to jubilant scenes in 2014 with most of their original lineup intact. A new album is currently in the works, to follow the reissue of their original three albums.
“I had no idea,” says drummer Sam Kelly of Cymande’s miraculous rebirth. “One of the things that blows my mind is that we played in Brazil, we went to Croatia, all these places. My partner and I went to Australia a couple of years ago – we’d go out to a restaurant and hear our music being played in Melbourne, 12,000 miles away. It still puts a shiver down my spine.”
PATTERSON: I came to London in 1958, Steve came in ’63. And since then we’ve been together. Our street was full of people, many of whom came from our country, and we were all in the same community. So we carried our Caribbean culture with us. [In the late ’60s] we had a jazz group called Metre, which was the genesis of Cymande. We used to do Miles Davis’s “Footprints”, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, things like that. We liked to play in different time signatures. Looking back on it now, we were very inventive.
SCIPIO: For seven or eight months before we started to put Cymande together, we also played with a Nigerian band called Ginger Johnson And His African Drummers. Ginger was a well-known performer, he played with The Rolling Stones at Hyde Park.
PATTERSON: All of it contributed to where we were as musicians, directing us towards our future musical style.
KELLY: We started in the basement of my family house on Crawshay Road in Brixton. The main thing they emphasised is that, come hell or high water, they wanted to do original material. I wasn’t playing an instrument at all before I joined Cymande, but I used to listen to everything from James Brown to Hendrix, Sam & Dave to Pink Floyd. I was a blank canvas – I didn’t want to sound like any other drummer. The person that had the most influence on my playing was Steve. He didn’t play bass rhythmically, he played it lyrically. I was just trying to complement what he was playing.
PATTERSON: The support for black bands like ours was from places like Upstairs At Ronnie Scott’s, The 100 Club, the Pheasantry, Café Des Artistes. Small venues. We played the Croydon Greyhound with Edgar Broughton.
SCIPIO: We started doing some shows outside London, in some of the northern clubs. But I don’t think we were what they were expecting! In some of them, it didn’t go down very well…
PATTERSON: [adopts bolshie northern accent] “Do you know any Bill Haley? Come on!”
KELLY: Obviously we came across problems when we were trying to get record deals. They’d say, “You’re an all-black band, you should try to sound like the Americans – Otis Redding or Curtis Mayfield.” But we didn’t want to sound like that.
SCIPIO: There’s so many versions about how we connected with [producer] John Schroeder. John says he was in Soho, was passing this club and heard this racket going on. But my recollection is that our booking agent brought John Schroeder to us. In those days, John was a cool fella! Long blond hair and a big white Roller.
KELLY: He liked what he heard and thought he could work with us as a producer, which is a bit strange in a way, because the people that he had produced before – Cliff Richard or Helen Shapiro – were a million miles away from what Cymande was going for. But he let us just do what we did.
PATTERSON: We always give him credit for his commitment to the band. He liked what he heard and wanted to capture that, not to produce it or turn it into something else.
SCIPIO: Most of the first album was already written because those were the songs we were using on the road – they got perfected while we were gigging. For “Bra”, the bass was the genesis. How we were writing at the time is that the bass was used melodically. I’d go to Patrick with an idea and often he’d start putting stuff on top of that. In some songs, the vocals were the last thing to be developed. Normally it’s the other way around.
PATTERSON: When I was laying things on top, I was just thinking about patterns to fit. I’m a touch player, not a heavyweight player, so I’m bouncing off Steve rather than setting a thing myself.
KELLY: Unlike a lot of rhythm sections who are trying to lock in, we’re all playing individual things, so you’ve got this mixture going on.
SCIPIO: “Bra” was one of the popular songs at gigs. The middle break with just the bass and drums, as recognised in the documentary, people appreciated that even then.
KELLY: I’m playing four-to-the-bar on the bass drum. We were just trying to think how we could join the middle of the song to the end section. But the DJs turned this into a whole new record – amazing.
PATTERSON: When we came up, it was the time of “Say It Loud, I’m Black And I’m Proud”. You had the Black Panthers, you had the Black Liberation Front, you had artists who were articulating a black position and trying to make sure that black people recognised the importance of working together. The lyrics of “Bra” reflected that time.
SCIPIO: “Bra” is slang for brother. Within our community, everybody knew what it meant. It was only when we went to the States that you might have people saying, “Why are they singing about brassières?”
PATTERSON: Joey Dee was a talented, brilliant singer. He had a wonderful range, so we could put anything before him and he could sing it. And he had a good presence too. The voice was an instrument in Cymande, but it still gave him scope for demonstrating his talents.
SCIPIO: De Lane Lea was a wonderful studio because it was used for recording movie soundtracks as well as bands. Everyone had their little compartment to control the spillage and we just performed as if we were doing a live gig. We were young people, uninhibited! We didn’t have responsibilities, so when we went in the studio it was just pure enjoyment. A lot of producers want to put their stamp on the music, but John wanted the raw element of what he heard.
PATTERSON: And he produced it well. You could hear every instrument in its own space. Working with John was easy.
SCIPIO: It was very exciting to see our records on the charts in America. John wanted us over there as soon as possible to ride on the wave. It was like going to the centre of music, the Mecca.
KELLY: In England, we were playing relatively small venues. To then be suddenly supporting Al Green on these huge stages… I was half a mile away from Patrick and Steve! But Al Green’s drummer was amazing. For the first week, he would stand by the side of the stage and watch me play, and afterwards he’d come over and give me some advice. I’ll forever be grateful for that.
SCIPIO: The Apollo [in Harlem] had a reputation for not tolerating below-par performances – and the crowd would let you know! So I think some of us had some apprehension about it, but the week we did there was fantastic. We had Jerry Butler coming in and shaking our hands.
KELLY: The Apollo was a real pit, to be honest! The paintwork was crumbling, it smelt… but there was so much black music history oozing out of those walls. It was a great experience.
SCIPIO: It was very frustrating to have your music appreciated by that number of people and then to come back here and there being no-one at the airport, not even one reporter asking about how the tour went. No interest, no articles, nothing.
PATTERSON: It was demoralising. We were entitled to some recognition. So you come back and you find nothing… It says a lot about the industry and how it deals with us as black musicians. There was little or no promotion here, and no airplay.
SCIPIO: [After a while] we all recognised that performing in front of 40,000 and then doing gigs to 300 people, that’s not where we should be.
PATTERSON: We can’t go backwards in that sense. Who does it help? It doesn’t help black musicians or the aspirations we might have to achieve things in music. So let’s take a rest and see where we go.
SCIPIO: I joined Mike [‘Bami’ Rose, Cymande flute/sax player] in a South African band called Jabula. I played with them for maybe five years, but I wasn’t satisfied with just being a squad member in somebody else’s project. I started my law degree, and that was the last time I played any live music until Cymande came back together. I moved to Anguilla to work in the attorney general’s chambers.
PATTERSON: After Cymande, I was musical director for the Black Theatre of Brixton, then I went back to my law studies. I practised in chambers in England, then I worked for the government of Dominica.
SCIPIO: I certainly wasn’t aware of what was going on [with “Bra”’s use by hip-hop DJs]. The documentary was an eye-opener for me!
KELLY: Myself and Bami Rose kept playing professionally. I’d be somewhere setting up or packing away my drums and I’d hear “Bra” or “The Message” being played, which was really satisfying. But I didn’t have any idea what the DJs in the States were doing. It wasn’t ’til the film came out that I found out people had taken our tracks and remixed them. Watching these DJs talk about Cymande’s music in such reverent terms was just amazing.
SCIPIO: I’m happy people see something in our music that’s influential. To listen to something and appreciate it is one thing, but for it to impact on you in such a way that you take elements of that thing and make it part of your own, that’s on an entirely different level.
KELLY: We had unfinished business, but I didn’t know it was going to take 40 years!
SCIPIO: When we came off the road in the ’70s, it was never intended to be a disbanding, just a hiatus. But the renewed interest in us provided the opportunity to put into effect the plans we had when we first decided to call it a day.
PATTERSON: It was very exciting to see that we had, if you like, travelled through time. We were now faced with a bunch of young people appreciating our music.
SCIPIO: We’ve just completed a tour of Canada and the US, and at the end we took three or four days off and said, “We’ll do a couple of tracks.” And they went well.
PATTERSON: We recorded at a great studio in LA. It suited us, because we still cut live. This will be quite an important album, I think. The aspiration has to be consistent with what we have already created.
SCIPIO: The spirit of the performance should still be recognisably Cymande. Not like a load of old doddery guys just going through the motions!
South Korean singer V of K-pop boyband BTS has assured fans that he is “all good” after a recent stalking incident.
Earlier today (October 27), South Korean news outlet KBS reported that a woman in her twenties had been arrested for allegedly violating the East Asian country’s anti-stalking act.
According to the publication, the woman had reportedly waited for BTS’ V outside of the apartment building where he lives on October 26, before subsequently following the K-pop idol into the residence’s parking lot as he drove in.
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KBS also alleges that the woman later entered the same elevator V was taking, before attempting to speak with the singer and handing him a marriage certificate with her name on it.
The woman was arrested on the morning of October 27, after police tracked her down using the information on the marriage certificate. The alleged perpetrator is also said to have a history of stalking V in the past.
Big Hit Music, which represents BTS and V, has released a statement about the incident to TV Report. “We are responding with a no-tolerance policy to stalking crimes that disturb our artist’s personal life and threaten their safety,” the agency said, as translated by Soompi.
Meanwhile, V has since addressed the news in a post on Weverse, saying, “I’m all good~~ Don’t worry”, alongside a picture of himself posing with a sunset, as seen by Allkpop.
In other news, Bae Suzy, the star of Netflix’s new K-drama series Doona!, has voiced her desire to retire from the industry. In a new interview, she said that might happen “at any time”, saying that any current project could be her “very last”.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have announced a unique return to North America next year – where, instead of a cross-country tour, they will take up residency in four different venues throughout June.
READ MORE: King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard: “If something is shit and no one likes it, you just put out another one the next month”
The shows, announced today (November 15), will see the band play for several nights across The Caverns Underground in Tennessee, the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, The Salt Shed in Chicago and the Carnation Farms in Washington. In addition, the band will also perform one of their three-hour marathon sets at the famed Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to complete the run. A full list of dates are available below.
Tickets for each show will go on pre-sale from midday local time on Wednesday November 16. A general sale will then follow on Friday November 18, from 10am Pacific Time (PT) and 1pm Eastern Time (ET). All ticketing information for the tour can be accessed via the official King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard website.
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In a statement shared to social media, bassist Lucas Harwood noted that it was “a wild and exciting privilege” for the band to return to North America less than a year after their previous run of shows there. “We like to keep things interesting, different, fun and unexpected for us but also for you, our fans,” he wrote.
“So, we’ve hand picked some really unique venues around the country to camp out in for a few nights. Set up shop and really get to know the place. Rocks, Farms, Caves and Salt Sheds. Sounds like an album title? Maybe one day.”
In addition to the North American residencies, the band also announced that their 2020 concert film Chunky Shrapnel would be making a return to cinemas next month. Independent cinemas across North America, Canada, Mexico and the Netherlands will screen a freshly remastered version of the film – including “a 4K scan and new 5.1 surround sound mix” care of the band themselves.
“This thing was always made for the big screen, and we’re so pumped that it’ll be coming to an independent cinema near you in December,” the band wrote in a statement. A full list of Chunky Shrapnel screenings can be seen here, also via the band’s website.
2022 has seen King Gizzard release five studio albums – a feat they have equaled only once before, in 2017. ‘Made In Timeland’ was released in March, originally as a vinyl exclusive before it came to streaming services last month. ‘Omnium Gatherum’ followed in April, with the band then promising that there were three more albums to come by year’s end.
The septet then made good on this promise throughout October: ‘Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava’ was released on the 7th, with ‘Laminated Denim’ following on the 12th and ‘Changes’ on the 28th.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s ‘USA Residency’ tour dates are:
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JUNE Thursday 1 and Friday 2 – Grundy County, The Caverns Underground
Saturday 3 – Grundy County, The Caverns Amphitheater Wednesday 7 – Morrison, Red Rocks Amphitheatre Thursday 8 – Morrison, Red Rocks Amphitheatre (early show) Thursday 8 – Morrison, Red Rocks Amphitheatre (late show) Sunday 11, Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 – Chicago, The Salt Shed Friday 16, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 – Carnation, Carnation Farms Wednesday 21 – Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl
Sam Fender’s older brother Liam has teased his hopeful debut single ‘Love Will Conquer’ and confirmed a headline show at Newcastle’s Riverside. Check out our interview with Fender below, alongside an exclusive snippet of the track.
READ MORE: Sam Fender live in Newcastle: a euphoric homecoming for the Toon’s finest
‘Love Will Conquer’ will be released tomorrow (October 28) and is the first proper release from Liam Fender. “It’s been a long time coming,” he told NME of his debut single.
Fender went on to say the dreamy indie anthem is about “that feeling of togetherness in turbulent times. I’ve certainly felt that over the last few years, the world’s been going to hell in a handcart.” The song, which champions believing in yourself and other people, has “a universal message” according to the musician: “It’s about optimism and how things can always get better.”
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The video for ‘Love Will Conquer’ is set in the Fish Quay of Fender’s hometown of North Shields and sees Jacob Anderton as an aspiring musician, playing pub gigs to disinterested crowds while wrestling with self-belief. It is auto-biographical “to a degree” Fender explained, although he’s never actually been a trawlerman. “But it’s a story that a lot of people in the North East scene know well, as they slog away, trying to get their music out there and doing the gigs that they have to in order to pay the bills.”
Check out a snippet below:
Musically, Fender takes inspiration from “people who always follow their own path”, listing David Bowie, Tom Waits, Richard Hawley as key influences. “Coming from the North, there’s a certain romance in songwriting that I grew up with.”
“I’m really impressed by Arctic Monkey’s new stuff,” he continued. “They’ve taken on this crooner-ish feel and I know that’s influenced by Americana, but that romanticism of a bygone era is also something that’s deeply rooted in northern, working class towns. I’ve always drawn upon that.”
Fender has been writing songs for over 20 years now and spent a bulk of his twenties self-releasing EPs and playing the pub circuit. “It runs in the family,” he explained. “My dad was a musician and I come from a musical household. I was always fascinated by these bizarre characters and anarchist musicians that would come over to the house. I loved how they just followed their own path so from a really young age, I just wanted to do that.”
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Liam Fender. CREDIT: Press
He played his first gig aged 13 as a stand-in drummer for his dad’s mate’s band “and that’s where the bug really started. For better or worse, it’s always what I’ve wanted to do,” he explained. After struggling to make it and feeling “pretty disillusioned” with music in general, though, Fender took “a good few years out.”
“It’s really refreshing now, because I’ve fallen back in love with music. Everything feels exciting again,” he said.
But why now? “Sam’s stuff has really taken off over the last few years to a fairly crazy level,” explained Fender, who realised there was an audience for the raw, authentic, character-driven stories he was writing. “I just thought that if I didn’t have another shot at things now, I never would.”
Liam Fender. CREDIT: Press
Fender goes on to say that while Sam’s success has inspired him, he’s “not jumping on the bandwagon”. “We’re two very different artists, and I think we’ve inspired each other over the years,” he explained.
Growing up, there was no chance of Liam and Sam making the Newcastle version of Oasis though. “There’s a nine-year age gap between us, so I was too busy mopping up his sick and trying to stop him from ruining my instruments,” Fender laughed.
Earlier this year, Liam did join Sam onstage at Newcastle Arena to perform ‘The Dying Light’. “I’d been working on this project long before that but that certainly reminded me that this is something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Fender before describing the experience as “exhilarating and surreal.”
Fender went on to say that because of the age gap between him and his brother “there’s absolutely no rivalry there.” The siblings don’t text each other for advice, either. “If I gave him advice, he wouldn’t listen. Same if he tried to give me any advice. We do talk about the madness of it all though, and have a laugh about it all,” said Fender. “We’ve both always followed our own path though, and don’t like to interfere beyond listening to what each other are working on.”
Liam knows there are “definitely some expectations” that come with being related to one of the biggest rockstars in the country. “There’s a bit of pressure and it feels daunting but it’s also entertaining,” he said. “I didn’t think at the age of 37 I’d be putting out music in any meaningful sense, considering all my mates are having kids and settling down.”
“I don’t have any massive expectations and I’m not trying to become a big star or anything like that,” he added. “I just want to make music that I’m proud of.” He is currently sat on a handful of other songs that are “quite different” to ‘Love Will Conquer’ but “sit in place next to each other” and aren’t “totally sporadic”. There is also talk of an EP next year, followed by a “great” album: “That’s the ambition at the moment. What comes after that? Who knows. It’s all there for the taking really.”
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Liam is currently in rehearsals for his headline show at Newcastle’s Riverside on December 8, with tickets going on sale tomorrow. “I’m not one for doing things by half, so I’ve got a band of top musicians from the North East that I’ve handpicked,” he said.
“I’ve had people who’ve known me for years get really excited about the fact I’m getting back out there and giving it a go. That response has been really encouraging. I’m looking forward to the ride.”
He added: “There’s always an element of belief in what you do, but there’s always an element of doubt as well. If it feels good to me though, I know I’m doing the best I can.”
Liam Fender’s debut single ‘Love Will Conquer’ will be released tomorrow (October 28).
American YouTuber Logan Paul has accused Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny of taking advantage of his home country’s tax breaks.
During a recent appearance on Philip DeFranco’s YouTube show, Paul responded to Bad Bunny’s September music video for ‘El Apagón’, which was accompanied by a documentary about inequality in Puerto Rico due to the government’s foreign tax scheme.
READ MORE: Bad Bunny – ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ review: the sound of an artist in his imperial phase
“Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican living in Puerto Rico who is privately taking advantage of the same tax program that he is publicly condemning,” Paul told DeFranco.
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“I know this and I see things like this and it hurts. There are local Puerto Ricans who know about this. I see this music video that has stuck me in the middle of it surrounded by context that makes me look like a vulture in Puerto Rico. While I love Bad Bunny, I cannot personally support the hypocritical nature of his exploitation.”
Watch the snippet below, and the full interview here.
?EXCLUSIVE- Logan Paul Accuses Bad Bunny of Exploiting Puerto Rico.
? Claims BB is privately using the same tax program he is publicly condemning. pic.twitter.com/3ESywRmzdl
— Philip DeFranco ?? (@PhillyD) October 5, 2022
Narrated by journalist Bianca Graulau, the documentary — Aquí Vive Gente (People Live Here) — takes aim at the impacts the Individual Investors Act (formerly Act 22) is having on inequality, the environment and gentrification in Puerto Rico. The 2012 law provides tax exemptions to foreign individual investors on their passive income streams, such as stocks and crypto, if they invest in local properties.
Bad Bunny’s documentary references Paul by name as someone who has benefited from the tax scheme, having relocated to the country in 2021. As per the Independent, Paul said at the time that his “primary reason” for moving was for financial benefits.
Bad Bunny — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — is yet to respond to Paul’s allegations. However, Act 22 and related policies are only eligible to people coming to the island and not those already living there, explicitly excluding anyone who lived in Puerto Rico from January 17, 2006 to January 17, 2012. As Bad Bunny was born and raised in the country, it is unlikely he is benefitting from the scheme. Paul was also unable to provide evidence to support his claims.
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NME has reached out to Bad Bunny’s team for comment.
Bad Bunny released his new album ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ in May of this year. In a four-star review of the album, NME wrote: “Of course, 23 tracks is a lot to take in, especially if you’re listening to ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ on the bus to work rather than a balmy beach. But there’s no sense of bet-hedging in its lengthy runtime and no real filler.
“It’s the sound of an artist in his imperial phase doing as he pleases without needing to try too hard: not just a low-key flex, but a richly entertaining listen.”
The star, who was famous for hits such as ‘You Ain’t Woman Enough’, ‘The Pill’, ‘Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)’ and ‘Honky Tonk Girl’, passed away this morning (October 4), according to a statement from her family.
“Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills,” they wrote.
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Over the years she recorded 60 albums, with her most recent being last year’s ‘Still Woman Enough’, and topped the US country charts 16 times. She also sold more than 45million records worldwide.
A statement from the family of Loretta Lynn.
"Our precious mom, Loretta Lynn, passed away peacefully this morning, October 4th, in her sleep at home at her beloved ranch in Hurricane Mills.” The family of Loretta Lynn.
— Loretta Lynn (@LorettaLynn) October 4, 2022
She was nominated for 18 Grammy awards, of which she won three, including a lifetime achievement prize in 2010 and her most recent win in 2019.
In 2004, Lynn teamed up with Jack White who produced her album ‘Van Lear Rose’, which went on to become her best-performing album in the US charts at the time, before she topped it with her highest-charting album ever, 2016’s ‘Full Circle’.
In 2013, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama.
Dolly Parton, who collaborated with Lynn regularly over the years, was one of the first to pay tribute to the late country singer.
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“So sorry to hear about my sister, friend Loretta,” she wrote. “We’ve been like sisters all the years we’ve been in Nashville and she was a wonderful human being, wonderful talent, had millions of fans and I’m one of them. I miss her dearly as we all will. May she rest in peace.”
❤️ pic.twitter.com/lMThmUgY8x
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) October 4, 2022
Margo Price also paid her respects adding: “It’s safe to say I wouldn’t even be making country music today if it weren’t for Loretta Lynn. She showed me up what it looked like to be a musician and a mama. Her writing was as real as the day is long. This one hurts on another level. I’ll miss her forever.”
It’s safe to say I wouldn’t even be making country music today if it weren’t for Loretta Lynn. She showed me up what it looked like to be a musician and a mama. Her writing was as real as the day is long. This one hurts on another level. I’ll miss her forever. pic.twitter.com/xpQZwp4TnB
— Margo Price (@MissMargoPrice) October 4, 2022
Born Loretta Webb in a one-room rural Kentucky cabin in 1932, the star was one of eight siblings and the daughter of a coal miner which led to her signature song, 1970’s ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’.
Lynn married her husband Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn when she was 15, and they were together until his death in 1996. It was he who encouraged her to sing professionally and helped promote her early career.
They had six children together; the eldest, Betty Sue and Jack, died in 2013 and 1984 respectively.
Lynn is survived by her other four children, Ernie, Cissie, and twins Peggy and Patsy.
Reviewing her most recent album, NME awarded it four stars and said that Lynn continues “to explore the themes she pioneered in the 1960s – those of women’s innate strength and capabilities.”
A new documentary on the mass shooting that took place at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas almost five years ago is due to be released later this month – you can view a trailer below.
The atrocity occurred on October 1, 2017 when a gunman opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, targeting fans at the country music festival. The attack left 58 people dead and hundreds injured, making it the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
The four-part documentary, titled 11 Minutes, will include the first in-depth interview with country star Jason Aldean, who was performing at the time when the 11-minute shooting began. Concert attendees, first responders, police, and FBI agents have also been interviewed for the documentary, according to Pitchfork.
Directed by Jeff Zimbalist, the series includes footage obtained from over 200 hours of cell phone video, as well as previously unreleased police bodycam footage. The trailer shows the SWAT team heading towards the shooter’s Mandalay Bay hotel room, where he died by suicide before he could be captured.
11 Minutes will arrive at Paramount+ on September 27, coinciding with the week of the event’s fifth anniversary.
The incident led to musicians such as Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Moby joining calls for stricter gun control in the US.
The Killers also issued a message of solidarity following the tragedy in their home city.
The victims of the both the Las Vegas and Manchester Arena terror attacks of that year were honoured with an emotional tribute at the Grammys in 2018.
Kacey Musgraves has shared a new documentary on the making of her album ‘Star-Crossed’ to celebrate its first anniversary.
READ MORE: Kacey Musgraves – ‘Star-Crossed’ review: a powerfully honest depiction of heartbreak
The singer’s fifth studio album came out a year ago tomorrow (September 10, 2021) and the new 14-minute documentary follows the creation of the record.
Star-Crossed: Making The Album teams studio footage of Musgraves making the album with her collaborators and interview footage of her discussing specific songs and the themes behind the album.
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Check out the new documentary below.
Reviewing ‘Star-Crossed’ upon its release last year, NME said: “This record, with its varied sounds and brutally honest lyrics, never finds Musgraves shying away from the uncomfortable. It’s an intricate project – the record also comes with an accompanying 50-minute film – that could collapse under the weight of its concept. Bolstered by its author’s frank pen, though, and instilled with a sense of hope, it’s a powerful listen.”
After the album’s release, ‘Star-Crossed’ was embroiled in controversy after the record was deemed ineligible for the Best Country Album award at the 2022 Grammys.
Musgraves had submitted her recent album for Best Country Album category, but it was deemed to be ineligible because of how much it leaned towards pop. The singer seemingly responded to the news on Twitter after the nominations were announced, writing: “You can take the girl out of the country (genre) but you can’t take the country out of the girl,” alongside a picture of herself in a country outfit as a child.
Then, Recording Academy Chair Harvey Mason Jr. spoke to Billboard about this year’s categories and responded to a question which asked why they have “[removed] works, including those from Kacey Musgraves and Brandi Carlile, from the genres in which they were submitted and re-slotting them elsewhere.”
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When Mason Jr. was asked: “Why shouldn’t an entry stay where the label or the creator of the work thinks it belongs?”, he responded by saying genre categories are not straightforward.
“You’re seeing genre lines blurring,” he said. “You’re seeing people switching from song to song as to what [their music] sounds like.
Luke Combs played a free gig on Saturday (September 3) despite damaging his voice and refunding all tickets to the show.
READ MORE: The 25 best country music songs of all time
The country star was due to play in Bangor, Maine, US when he realised shortly before the concert that his voice was going. To console fans, he offered refunds and then went ahead with the gig anyway – seemingly feeling like he owed it to them to show up.
“I have to let you know that I have refunded all of your tickets,” Combs said in a video posted by fans of his statement at the beginning of the gig at Maine Savings Amphitheater.
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“At about 7pm today – a few hours ago – I realised that I was not going to be able to sing as good as I normally do.”
There’s a reason you can find similarities in successful people, even in different arenas.
Many lessons can be learned from this 2 minute video of Luke Combs. pic.twitter.com/C1eheoSXYA
— Bailey Montgomery (@BAMontgomeryMU) September 6, 2022
Combs explained that his voice was not what he thought it should be for the paying fans, so he offered to refund their tickets and play anyway, asking his fans to help him sing.
“We’re still gonna play the show…so we’re going to put on the best free show we could put on, and I want you guys to know how upset I am to have to tell you that tonight. But all I want you to know is that we’re going to do the very damn best. I’m gonna give you everything that I have. And I am so sorry,” he said, appearing to wipe away a tear.
As Billboard reports, another video from the second of two planned concerts to kick off Combs’ ‘Middle Of Somewhere’ tour revealed that the singer was even more generous to his fans. He spotted a sign in the audience held up by young fans who said they’d made $100 (£87) stacking firewood to earn enough money to attend the show.
WATCH: @lukecombs stop a concert to give young fans who stacked wood to buy their tickets $140.#countrymusic #lukecombs pic.twitter.com/Pq7hJXkpTo
— Stuart Banford (@StuartBanford) September 4, 2022
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Combs called the young fans, one of whom was celebrating his 12th birthday, to come over after seeing their sign and shook their hands.
“How much were your tickets?” he asked while taking out his wallet and handing over $140 (£121) in cash, then promising to give them a further $60 (£52) for the full refund. He then signed some memorabilia for fans and invited them back to say hello after the gig.
Earlier this year Combs was nominated for three gongs at the Billboard Music Awards 2022: Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, and Top Country Song (‘Forever After All’).
Glass Animals frontman Dave Bayley spoke to NME backstage at Reading Festival 2022 about the “unbelievable” experience of working on Florence + The Machine‘s fifth album, ‘Dance Fever’. Watch our full video interview above.
READ MORE:The story of Reading & Leeds 2022 – in glorious photos
In April the pair released an electronica-inspired remix of Welch’s recent single, ‘My Love’. Bayley co-wrote and co-produced the original track and worked on the ensuing ‘Dance Fever’ along with Jack Antonoff. For Bayley, collaborating with Welch was “a real honour”, as he explained: “I learned so much from [Florence]. We did a bunch of sessions for the new album, and I was blown away. I was like, ‘Woah, how do I compete with this real force of nature when it comes to songwriting?’
He continued: “I had to hold my own and I think we made a really wicked album. She’s a brilliant songwriter. Shout out to Florence: thank you for letting me work on your record, I feel really lucky.”
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Credit: Andy Ford for NME
Bayley also praised some more of his previous collaborators, describing former NME cover star Bree Runway – who Glass Animals teamed up with for a reworking of their 2020 track ‘Space Ghost Coast To Coast’ – as a “genius”. Referencing Denzel Curry‘s ‘Tokyo Drifting’ collaboration with the band, the Florida rapper also got a nod: “I think Denzel Curry is one of the greats: he is so young and so talented,” Bayley said. “I feel lucky I got to work with him.”
Yesterday (August 26), Glass Animals made their first appearance at Reading Festival since 2017. Taking to the main stage, the Oxford four-piece leaned on their 2020 album ‘Dreamland’. The set wrapped up with that record’s smash hit ‘Heat Waves’, which set a US chart record last year for the longest climb to the Top 10 in the country’s chart history.
Reading & Leeds 2022 continues today with performances from Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon and more.
Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, photos, interviews and more from Reading & Leeds 2022.
The property featured in BTS reality series In The Soop will soon be hosting two lucky fans for an overnight stay through Airbnb.
READ MORE: J-Hope – ‘Jack in The Box’ review: bright BTS rapper delves into darkness on sublime solo album
On July 26, Airbnb and In The Soop announced that the estate BTS stayed in during the reality show’s second season will soon be available for booking. Located in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the expansive countryside home will be hosting one lucky applicant and a guest for just US$7 on August 29.
relax, unwind and live like BTS at the @INTHESOOP_TV countryside estate in pyeongchang, south korea ?
booking opens on aug 2nd at 11am KST: https://t.co/uXoWJf8cOw pic.twitter.com/jw15GfQaCY
— Airbnb (@Airbnb) July 25, 2022
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According to the listing on Airbnb, the property will be partially furnished with the furniture and amenities enjoyed by the boyband during their stay. These include a karaoke machine system with all of BTS’ hits, as well as access to its pool and basketball court. The stay will also include specially catered meals like charcoal grilled Korean beef, tteokbokki and egg tarts produced by Bang & Bakers, served at HYBE’s music museum, HYBE Insight.
Applications to book the stay open on August 2 at 11am KST via the property’s listing on Airbnb. Guests will be responsible for their own travel to and from Pyeongchang County, though round-trip car transportation will be provided between Pyeongchang’s KTX station and the property.
While only one overnight stay at the In The Soop estate has been offered so far, Billboard has reported that there will “soon” be opportunities to visit the property while staying at other listings.
In The Soop first launched in 2020 with its first season, BTS In The Soop, which starred BTS. A second season of the series was later produced and aired in 2021. Last year also saw an edition of the show starring boyband SEVENTEEN, titled In The Soop SEVENTEEN Ver.
A spin-off of the series titled In The Soop: Friendcation premiered earlier this month via JTBC and Disney+. The four-episode special follows BTS member V and his celebrity friends Park Seo-joon, Choi Woo-shik, Park Hyung-sik and Peakboy – affectionally known to fans as the “Wooga Fam” – as they head on vacation together.
Cher has hit out at the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The ruling last month, meant abortion will no longer be protected as a federal right in the US for the first time since 1973, and each state will be able to decide individually whether to restrict or ban abortion.
The singer took to Twitter to reveal that she has suffered multiple miscarriages in the past, the first when she was 18.
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She wrote: “When I was young I had 3 miscarriages. 1st at 18. I was alone in our house. Son came home & I was sobbing, & rocking on our floor,” she wrote, explaining that Sonny Bono – whom she met at 16 and married in 1967 – was the one who found her. “When I got2 dr I was screaming in pain. Couldn’t even stop in elevator. Dr sent me straight 2 hospital & in2 operating rm.”
Drawing attention to Roe v. Wade the singer added: “WHAT WOULD HAPPEN 2 ME TODAY.”
When I was young I had 3 miscarriages.1st at 18.I was alone in our house.son came home & I was sobbing,& rocking on our floor.when I got 2 dr I was screaming in pain.couldn’t even stop in elevator.dr sent me straight 2 hospital,& in2 operating rm.WHAT WOULD HAPPEN 2 ME TODAY?
— Cher (@cher) July 19, 2022
Medical professionals have repeatedly pointed out since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortions are a medical procedure that is sometimes required to remove fetal tissue that the body is not naturally passing after a miscarriage, reports Billboard.
Cher previously hit out the Supreme Court’s ruling last month as she declared: “WHEN I HEARD ROE V WADE WAS REPEALED,I COULDN’T CONTAIN MY ANGER. STILL ANGRY,SAD AFRAID 4 WOMEN OF US.”
The singer then urged women to take action, adding. “We Must VOTE EVERY REPUB. OUT!!” she tweeted June 27. “They Are The Enemy & We’re At Their Mercy. They Mean 2 Lock Up Ur Bodies & Risk Ur Lives… WE CAN WIN. IF NOT US WOMEN WILL SUFFER.”
American Women????Be SMART‼️The Country’s Behind You,Dont Blow it.Take Your??Back.We Must VOTE EVERY REPUB. OUT‼️They Are The Enemy,& We’re At Their Mercy.They Mean 2 Lock Up Ur Bodies,& Risk Ur Lives.JOIN GROUPS AGAINST REPUBS.WE CAN WIN.IF NOT??WOMEN WILL SUFFER.#GILEAD
— Cher (@cher) June 27, 2022
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Her protests come after multiple musicians shared their reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade including Taylor Swift, who shared a letter that Michelle Obama had written about the decision and Pearl Jam, who wrote: “No one, not the government, not politicians, not the Supreme Court should prevent access to abortion, birth control, and contraceptives. People should have the FREEDOM to choose.
“Today’s decision impacts everyone and it will particularly affect poor women who can’t afford to travel to access health care. We will stay active, we will not back down and we will never give up.”
During their Glastonbury 2022 performance, Joe Talbot of Idles also spoke out against the decision.
“Of course, this is for every mother and every woman and her right to choose whether she is a mother or not,” Talbot said. “Long live the open-minded long live my mother and long live every single one of you.”
Rage Against The Machine also recently hit out at the ruling during a gig in Wisconsin.
Harry Styles has been doing all this “Late Night Talking,” and he is ready to take you for a ride in his bed — literally.
The British pop star dropped the new music video for his latest Harry's House hit on Wednesday (July 13), and it begins with Styles dressed in pink and brown pajamas, waking up in an empty bed. He finds his former bedmate’s clothes lying on top of an amp speaker. Confused, he looks under the covers and cartoonishly falls inside the mattress. He crawls through the covers in a new blue-brown polka dot set and enters another dimension: a red room with numerous people cuddling and kissing on a supersized bed.
“If you're feeling down, I just wanna make you happier, baby,” he sings, popping his head out of the scarlet covers. “Wish I was around, I just wanna make you happiеr, baby.” Styles wakes up in another bed inside a gallery, this time wearing a tan blazer over his PJs and with various people scrutinizing him as if he were an artwork himself. The next time the bed teleports, Harry is served a meal of spaghetti and meatballs. “I've never been a fan of change,” he sings in the second verse. “But I'd follow you to any place / If it's Hollywood or Bishopsgate, I'm coming too.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VaqA-5aQTM
He can be later seen briefly dining with a man, posing for selfies together. The scene changes to Styles sitting on an intricate baroque bed with a different woman, also taking photos and using binoculars to watch a road engulfed in chaotic traffic. As cars beep, the singer rides on a different bed across the street, enjoying a pillow fight with his friends. Different snippets and photos of him and his friends cuddling and snoozing together appear. “We've been doin' all this late-night talkin',” he sings in the chorus. “'Bout anything you want until thе morning / Now you're in my life / I can't get you off my mind.”
In the countryside, Styles hosts a book club with two women on a vine-encompassing bed, but a thunderstorm envelopes the sky. As it begins pouring, Styles suddenly disappears, leaving the women perplexed. He and his bed fall from a great height in panic initially but then, to conclude the video and song, Styles relaxes and lies on his back unbothered.
“Late Night Talking” is the second single from Harry Styles’ latest album Harry’s House and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and several other charts in multiple countries. Lead single “As It Was” still sits atop the Hot 100, and two songs from the album have debuted in the chart’s Top 10: “Music for a Sushi Restaurant” (No. 8) and “Matilda” (No. 9). Styles is also set to star in two upcoming films later this year: My Policeman, which will be set for a limited release in theaters on October 21 and available to stream on Prime Video on November 4, and Don’t Worry Darling in cinemas September 23.
