Olivia Dean has had a very good year. The twenty-six year old British pop singer made a huge impact over the last twelve months with a collection of worldwide hits; "Nice To each Other", "Man I Need", "So Easy (To Fall In Love)" and recently dazzled with her live performance on "Saturday Night Live". To cap off this impressive run, attention has been brought to her version of the Nat "King" Cole holiday classic, "The Christmas Song". Originally recorded by Dean back in 2021, the young vocalist beautifully captures the spirit of this lovely song. Here she is performing the song live at Westminster Abbey with a full orchestra.
BRYAN ADAMS
The Canadian rocker, Bryan Adams has just released an original holiday single, "California Christmas". Adams (who co-wrote the song with his long-time music partner, Jim Vallance) is surrounded by a group of fellow Canadian artists, Alessia Cara, Barenaked Ladies, Alan Doyle and The Sheepdogs to help him record this rocking X-mas tune live. "California Christmas" clearly expresses a desire to have a sunny and warm holiday season that is unique to the West Coast.
MEGHAN TRAINOR
"Gifts For Me" is a new Christmas song from pop artist, Meghan Trainor. This amusing single was inspired by Trainor not being exactly thrilled with some of the Christmas gifts she had received from her husband, actor Daryl Sabara. So she figured it will better to just buy gifts for herself, especially since she'll know that they'll be perfect (and won't have to be exchanged). The singer, best known for her number one hit single, "All About The Bass", had released a holiday album, "A Very Trainor Christmas" five years ago and wanted to add something special and fun for this upcoming season.
Madonna has continued digging into her vaults to look back on her musical legacy. To celebrate the release of her sixth studio album, “Bedtime Stories” (which had its thirtieth anniversary last year), "Bedtime Stories: The Untold Chapter" is an EP that features remixes of songs from the album and some tracks that didn’t find their way on the record.
At the time of the recording of this album, Madonna was interested in leaning more into r&b and hip-hop, enlisting the producers, Babyface, Dallas Austin, Nellee Hooper and Dave Hall to help with her vision. Many demos were recorded, leading to "Bedtime Stories" which became another critical and popular album by the superstar in 1994. The EP includes the demos, "Love Won't Wait", "Let Down Your Guard", "Freedom" and "Right on Time" which didn’t make the final cut on "Bedtime Stories". There are also dance remixed versions of the singles, "Secret" and "Human Nature" as well as the tracks, "Survival" and "Don't Stop".
Following the less than warm reception to her last album, "143", Katy Perry has wasted no time to return with some new music. First performed live during the Lyon, France leg of her Lifetimes Tour earlier this month, "Bandaids" is a pop-rock ballad about dealing with the end of a relationship. This seems to reflect Perry's current state of mind as she's currently experiencing this with her recent break-up with actor, Orlando Bloom. A new album also appears to be on the horizon but no additional information has been revealed to date. The clever music video for "Bandaids", co-directed by Perry and Christian Breslauer, seems inspired by the horror franchise, "Final Destination" with Perry appearing in numerous horrific accidents.
Here are a few new music highlights: the Swedish performer, Zara Larsson has dropped a fresh remix of her dance-pop track, "Midnight Sun" (which helped earn Larsson her first Grammy nomination) that features Muni Long; best known as an actress, Hilary Duff has had some success as a pop singer and after almost ten years returns to music with a new single, "Mature" and an album due out soon; country crooner, Orville Peck recently released an EP, "Appaloosa" that includes this ballad, "Drift Away"; Perfume Genius has the latest single, "Me & Angel" from his seventh album, "Glory" and "FMT" (which stands for "F*ck My Type") is a guitar-driven, r&b ballad by Summer Walker about prioritizing a partner who genuinely chooses her and not settling for unhealthy relationships.
It has been twenty years since the release of "Confessions on a Dance Floor", the tenth studio album by Madonna. And to celebrate this milestone, a Twenty Years Edition has been released. This anniversary collection features the entire original album (seamlessly strung together like a DJ set), B-sides and remixes. It has also been announced that Madonna is not only returning to her long-time label Warner Bros. Records but it has been teased that there is a sequel of sorts to "Confessions" on the way. Not a lot of details on that yet but we should have that to look forward to next year. In the meantime, here are a few tracks from this album.
And finally, Ace Frehley, the lead guitarist of the costumed rock band, Kiss, passed away on October 16th at the age of seventy-four. Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951 in The Bronx, he received a guitar as a Christmas present when he was twelve, teaching himself how to play the instrument. He had gotten involved in street gangs around this time, which is when he got the nickname "Ace" but began to lose interest when music became more of a priority. Frehley began playing in local bands during high school and later got a job as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix. He drifted from several bands and worked many odds jobs to make a living before he saw an ad in The Village Voice looking for a guitarist.
When he went in to audition, he met rhythm guitarist, Paul Stanley, bass guitar player, Gene Simmons and drummer, Peter Criss. He was hired and they became Kiss in 1973. The band decided to paint their faces and create stage personas for live performances with Frehley becoming "Space Ace". They released their self-titled debut the next year and while there was no hit single, the record went gold on the strength of promoting the album and touring. With a frenzied style of guitar playing, Frehley became one of the popular rock players during the 1970's.
In 1978, each member of Kiss released a self-titled solo album with Frehley having a hit single "New York Groove", a cover of a 1975 song by the British glam-rock band, Hello, reaching number thirteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. After Criss was voted out of the band in 1980, Frehley became frustrated by the musical direction of Kiss and was always outvoted as the replacement drummer had no vote. Two years later, Frehley would quit Kiss. Forming his own band, Frehley's Comet in 1984, he returned to his preferred heavy metal rock and enjoyed a brief time of success. In 1996, all four original members of Kiss reunited to tour and record an album, "Psycho Circus" before disbanding again by 2002. Frehley would go on to continue his solo career, with his latest album, "10,000 Volts" released last year, until his health had begun to decline recently.
Freddie Mercury was the charismatic front man of the British rock band, Queen who helped them become one of the biggest acts in pop music history. He had been making hits with the band steadily for fifteen years and while he did managed to push them to experiment musically, his bandmates were only willing to go so far. He soon decided it was time to pursue an outside music project.
Mercury had introduced a bit of dance music to Queen's sound on their last two albums, "Hot Space" and "The Works" but with his solo album, he could experiment even further with a dance beat and there would not be a rock guitar to be found anywhere on this record. It took two years to complete due to his commitment with Queen but "Mr Bad Guy" was finally released in 1985. Mercury had written all the songs and co-produced the album with German producer, Reinhold Mack. There was a point that Michael Jackson was supposed to make an appearance on the record but it proved too difficult for these two very busy artists to find the time to get together. Since Mercury is the familiar, melodramatic voice behind his band, none of these songs would really feel completely out of place on a Queen album. Yet the singer does seem to achieve a greater sense of creative liberation on each track, letting loose and being far more musically playful than he's allowed himself to be with his group. "Mr Bad Guy" would wind up being Mercury's only solo album released during his career with him passing away in 1991 from complications of AIDS at the age of forty-five.
While "Mr Bad Guy" did attract some international attention when it was released, the album was completely ignored in the US. Time has helped give the album a new and greater appreciation. Never hearing "Mr Bad Guy" previously, my first listen made me realize that this album probably alienated many of Mercury's rock fans at the time who didn't know what to make of this dance record. I really love this collection with it boldly capturing a rhythmic sensibility that feels fresh and modern today.
To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of "Mr Bad Guy", a Special Edition vinyl reissue will be available on December 5th. You can pre-order now at FreddieMercury.com.
It's been about seven years since we last heard from Robyn, the Swedish dance-pop sensation, but the wait is finally over. The forty-six-year-old singer had announced two days ago new music was on the way and now "Dopamine" is here. For those who might not be sure, "dopamine" is a neurotransmitter made in your brain that plays a role in many bodily functions, including memory, movement, mood, attention and more. And she describes this pulsing dance song is about capturing the intensity of emotions and the acceptance of these feelings as part of the human experience.
The producer Klas Åhlund revealed in September that he and Robyn have already completed a new album, but no title or release date has been revealed yet. In the meantime, let's enjoy this new song with a music video that features her four-year-old son, Tyko dancing with her in the clip.
The nominees have been announced for the 2025 Grammy Awards with Kendrick Lamar leading the nominations with nine, including Record, Song and Album of the Year, for his album, "GNX". The rest of the Album of the Year nominees include Lady Gaga, also one of the most nominated artists for Grammys with seven for her recent studio album "Mayhem"; the Latin music superstar, Bad Bunny is up for three awards in the top categories for his latest album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" and a total of six nominations; Sabrina Carpenter also received six nominations for her album, "Man"s Best Friend" as well as fellow actor/musician Leon Thomas for his second studio album, "Mutt"; Justin Bieber has been recognized for his recent pop-soul collection, "Swag"; "Chromakopia", the album from alt-hip-hop artist, Tyler, The Creator, has a total of five nominations and the hip-hop duo, Clispe has been recognized for their fourth recording collaboration, "Let God Sort Em Out".
This year sees the introduction by The Recording Academy of two new categories: Best Album Cover and Best Traditional Country Album. While honoring album cover art seems long overdue, the splitting of the country music album category from "traditional" and "contemporary" seems to be as a direct result of Beyoncé's win in this category last year for her alt-country work, "Cowboy Carter", clearly disturbing some members of the Academy. However from the look of the nominees in these categories it appears to be very arbitrary on the selections with no obvious reasoning on the distinction of what makes an artist modern or traditional country.
The 68th annual Grammy Awards will be revealed on Sunday, February 1, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. CBS will air the award show and stream it live on Paramount+.
Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards:
Album Of The Year:
"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" – Bad Bunny
"Swag" – Justin Bieber
"Man’s Best Friend" – Sabrina Carpenter
"Let God Sort Em Out" – Clipse
"Mayhem" – Lady Gaga
"GNX" – Kendrick Lamar
"Mutt" – Leon Thomas
"Chromakopia" – Tyler, The Creator
Record Of The Year:
"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" – Bad Bunny
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Anxiety” – Doechii
“Wild Flower” – Billie Eilish
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga
“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar with SZA
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“Apt” – Rosé and Bruno Mars
Song Of The Year:
“Abracadabra” – Lady Gaga (Songwriters: Lady Gaga, Henry Walter and Andrew Watt)
“Anxiety” – Doechii (Songwriter: Jaylah Hickmon)
“Apt” – Rosé and Bruno Mars (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Chae Young Park, Theron Thomas and Henry Walter)
“Debí Tirar Más Fotos” – Bad Bunny (Songwriters: Marco Daniel Borrero, Scott Dittrich, Benjamin Falik, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Hugo René Sención Sanabria, Tyler Thomas Spry and Roberto José Rosado Torres)
“Golden” – Huntr/x: (Songwriters: Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick)
“Luther” – Kendrick Lamar with SZA (Songwriters: Jack Antonof, Roswita Larisha Bacha, Matthew Bernard, Scott Bridgeway, Sam Dew, Ink, Kendrick Lamar, Solána Rowe, Mark Anthony Spears and Kamasi Washington)
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Sabrina Carpenter)
“Wildflower” – Billie Eilish (Songwriters: Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell)
Best New Artist:
Olivia Dean
Katseye
The Marias
Addison Rae
Sombr
Leon Thomas
Alex Warren
Lola Young
Best Pop Vocal Album:
"Swag" – Justin Bieber
"Man’s Best Friend" – Sabrina Carpenter
"Something Beautiful" – Miley Cyrus
"Mayhem" – Lady Gaga
"I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy" (Part 2) – Teddy Swims
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
"Wintersongs" - Laila Biali
"The Gift Of Love" - Jennifer Hudson
"Who Believes In Angels?" - Elton John & Brandi Carlile
"Harlequin" - Lady Gaga
"A Matter Of Time" - Laufey
"The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume 2" - Barbra Streisand
Best Pop Solo Performance:
“Daisies” – Justin Bieber
“Manchild” – Sabrina Carpenter
“Disease” – Lady Gaga
“The Subway” – Chappell Roan
“Messy” – Lola Young
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
“Defying Gravity” – Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
“Golden” – HUNTR/X
“Gabriela” – KATSEYE
“APT.” – ROSÉ, Bruno Mars
“30 For 30” – SZA With Kendrick Lamar
"EUSEXUA" - FKA twigs
"Ten Days" - Fred again..
"Fancy That" - PinkPantheress
"Inhale/Exhale" - RÜFÜS DU SOL
"F— U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!" - Skrillex
Best R&B Album:
"BELOVED" - GIVĒON
"Why Not More?" - Coco Jones
"The Crown" - Ledisi
"Escape Room" - Teyana Taylor
"MUTT" - Leon Thomas
Best Progressive R&B Album:
"BLOOM" - Durand Bernarr
"Adjust Brightness" - Bilal
"LOVE ON DIGITAL" - Destin Conrad
"Access All Areas" - FLO
"Come As You Are" - Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
Best R&B Performance:
“YUKON” – Justin Bieber
“It Depends” – Chris Brown Featuring Bryson Tiller
“Folded” – Kehlani
“MUTT (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk)” – Leon Thomas
“Heart Of A Woman” – Summer Walker
Best Rap Album:
"Let God Sort Em Out" – Clipse
"GLORIOUS" – GloRilla
"God Does Like Ugly" – JID
"GNX" – Kendrick Lamar
"Chromakopia" – Tyler, The Creator
"SABLE, fABLE" – Bon Iver
"Songs Of A Lost World" – The Cure
"DON’T TAP THE GLASS" – Tyler, The Creator
"moisturizer" – Wet Leg
"Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party" – Hayley Williams
Best Traditional Country Album:
"Dollar A Day" – Charley Crockket
"American Romance" – Lukas Nelson
"Oh What a Beautiful World" – Willie Nelson
"Hard Headed Woman" – Margo Price
"Ain’t In It for My Health" – Zach Top
Best Contemporary Country Album:
"Patterns" – Kelsea Ballerini
"Snipe Hunter" – Tyler Childers
"Evangeline vs. The Machine" – Eric Church
"Beautifully Broken" – Jelly Roll
"Postcards from Texas" – Miranda Lambert
Best Country Solo Performance:
“Nose On The Grindstone” – Tyler Childers
“Good News” – Shaboozey
“Bad As I Used To Be” – Chris Stapleton
“I Never Lie” – Zach Top
“Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
"A Song To Sing" - Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton
"Trailblazer" - Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson
"Love Me Like You Used To Do" - Margo Price & Tyler Childers
"Amen" - Shaboozey & Jelly Roll
"Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame" - George Strait & Chris Stapleton
Best Americana Album:
"Big Money" – Jon Batiste
"Bloom" – Larkin Poe
"Last Leaf On The Tree" – Willie Nelson
"So Long Little Miss Sunshine" – Molly Tuttle
"Middle" – Jesse Welles
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television):
"How To Train Your Dragon" – John Powell, composer
"Severance: Season 2" – Theodore Shapiro, composer
"Sinners" – Ludwig Göransson, composer
"Wicked" – John Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers
"The Wild Robot" – Kris Bowers, composer
Best Album Cover:
"Chromakopia" - Shaun Llewellyn & Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, The Creator)
"The Crux" - William Wesley II, art director (Djo)
"Debí Tirar Más Fotos" - Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, art director (Bad Bunny)
"Glory" - Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S., art directors (Perfume Genius)
"moisturizer" - Hester Chambers, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes, Matt de Jong, Jamie-James Medina, Joshua Mobaraki & Rhian Teasdale, art directors (Wet Leg)
Songwriter Of The Year (Non-Classical):
Amy Allen
Jessie Jo Dillon
Edgar Barrera
Tobias Jesso Jr.
This year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will honor the English rock group, Bad Company; pioneer rock performer, Chubby Checker; the late British blue-eyed soul singer, Joe Cocker; the colorful, pop-rock vocalist, Cyndi Lauper; hip-hop innovators, Outkast; the American rock band, Soundgarden and indie-rock duo, The White Stripes.
The Musical Influence Award will go to the famed female rap trio, Salt-N-Pepa and the late rock singer/songwriter, Warren Zevon. The Musical Excellence Award will be given to the late producer, arranger, and songwriter of "Philly soul", Thom Bell; the English pianist, the late Nicky Hopkins and Carol Kaye, the female bass player who was a part of the legendary recording session band, The Wrecking Crew. And the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which honors a non-performer, is going to Lenny Waronker, a one-time president of Warner Bros. Records, and co-founder and co-chair of DreamWorks Records who was noted for his unwavering support of the artists.
To become eligible for entry into the Hall, an artist must have released it's first commercial recording at least twenty-five years prior to the nomination year. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on November 8th in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theater and will stream live on Disney +. ABC will have a prime-time special that will feature highlights from the event to air on January 1, 2026. The special will be available for streaming on Hulu the following day.
BAD COMPANY
Bad Company, formed in 1973 with four British musicians who first found fame with other notable bands, is considered a rock supergroup. Mick Ralphs, the ex-guitarist of Mott the Hoople; former King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell; singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke both from the band, Free, were represented by Led Zeppelin's manager, Peter Grant and Bad Company was the first group signed to that band's Swan Song label. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1974 and became an immediate hit, reaching number one on the US Billboard 200 Album chart, on the strength of the popular singles, "Can't Get Enough" "Movin' On" and the title track. More hit albums followed and charting songs that include "Good Lovin' Gone Bad", "Feel Like Makin' Love", "Young Blood" and "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy".
By the time they recorded their sixth studio album, "Rough Diamonds", Bad Company had lost their manager following the death of Led Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham in 1980 and had a difficult time trying to work together as a band. The album was not well received and sold poorly with Bad Company parting ways not long after the release. Although the band had officially come to an end in 1982, Bad Company would reunite later on several occasions, with various other musicians filling in over the years, to record and tour until 2019. Burrell died in 2006 and Ralphs passed away in 2025, leaving Kirke and Rodgers as the only surviving members of the original line-up. During their time together, Bad Company would go on to sell over forty million records worldwide.
CHUBBY CHECKER
Achieving his fame through several novelty songs, with the most celebrated being "The Twist", has made it a bit complicated for Chubby Checker to be taken seriously as a recording artist. He made several attempts throughout his long career, even going as far as releasing a psychedelic rock album, but Checker could never manage to be viewed beyond the singer who sparked a wildly popular dance craze. This is probably why he is only now being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame even though he's been eligible since the conception of the Hall back in 1986. But the now eighty-four year old performer is finally being honored and recognized for his significant contributions to pop music.
Born Ernest Evans, he was raised in the projects of South Philadelphia where he would perform in street-corner harmony groups. He soon developed a gift of vocal impressions of popular pop singers of the day. This led to him recording a novelty record personally for Dick Clark, who was the host of the popular music and dance program, American Bandstand, called "The Class" with Checker playing a teacher doing impressions of Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Fats Domino for his students. This record got into the hands of people in the music industry, helping him score a record deal and the song was released commercially. It's been said that Clark's wife is the one who gave him the name "Chubby Checker" with "Chubby" being a nickname of his since childhood. Checker's next single was "The Twist" in 1960 (which was actually a cover that was originally recorded by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters in 1958) and went straight to number one with the help of the dance that got plenty of exposure on "American Bandstand". Checker had other popular songs that inspired dances like "Pony Time", "Limbo Rock", "The Fly" and the sequel, "Let's Twist Again". But by the arrival of the British invasion, the music of Checker fell out of favor. He would continue his career recording and touring in Europe for many years.
JOE COCKER
Born in Crookes, Sheffield, Joe Cocker, a vocalist of gritty, raw intensity, was influenced by American r&b and delivered his own style of soul when he first began singing with a vocal group as a teenager. A few years later, under the stage name "Vance Arnold", Cocker started a new band, Vance Arnold and the Avengers where they performed soul covers. This was a short lived venture yet Cocker managed to get a recording contract as a solo artist, releasing a single in 1964, "I'll Cry Instead", a cover of the Beatles' song, under the name of Arnold. The single failed to generate much interest and was dropped from the label. But Cocker was undeterred, dropping the stage name and forming a new group, Joe Cocker's Blues Band. Cocker later joined another group, The Grease Band where they played in local pubs in Sheffield.
And this helped get Cocker signed to another label and released his debut album, "With a Little Help From My Friends" in 1968. This title track was a reworking of another Beatles' song and became a huge hit in England, reaching number one of the pop chart. With a mix of covers and original songs co-written by Cocker, the album got the singer attention in the US with him making live appearances at several music festivals including being added to the lineup at Woodstock. Following that major career event, Cocker released his follow-up album, "Joe Cocker!" which featured his version of songs by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Leon Russell and two songs by the Beatles. He became a popular live act, making well attended stops all across the globe. But this would take it's toll on the singer with him suffering from severe substance abuse. After he managed to pull himself out from addiction by the late '70's, Cocker continued to be a vital presence on stage. He would find himself on the pop charts again with "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes for the soundtrack of the 1982 film, "An Officer and a Gentleman". The song became an international smash hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and winning his only Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. Cocker died from lung cancer on December 22, 2014 at the age of 70.
CYNDI LAUPER
The New York born and raised, Cyndi Lauper was exposed to wide spectrum of different musical genres as a child. By the age of twelve, Lauper learned how to play the guitar and soon started writing songs. Around this time, she also began expressing herself by dying her hair in wild colors and wearing outrageous fashions. Fortunately, her mother encouraged her daughter to express her creativity and individuality. After deciding to pursue music professionally, she started by joining several cover bands but really disliked only being able to perform other artist's songs. In 1978, Lauper met sax player, John Turi and they formed a new-wave rock band called, Blue Angel. The band recorded a few demos and sent them out to labels. But those that responded only wanted to sign Lauper to a record deal but she held out for the band. Polydor Records eventually signed the entire group and they released their self-titled debut in 1980. Despite some critical acclaim, the album was not a commercial success and Blue Angel soon disbanded.
Lauper continued singing in local clubs and met David Wolff, who became her manager and got her signed with Portrait Records. Her debut solo album, "She's So Unusual" was released in 1983. It was an immediate hit, thanks to the first single, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun". The song, originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard from a male point of view, had the lyrics slightly altered by Lauper to capture a female perspective. "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" went to number two on the U.S. pop charts and with the help of MTV and the music video made Lauper a major pop star. "She's So Unusual" had a total of four top ten singles, was nominated for six Grammy Awards, (winning two including Best New Artist) and sell a total of sixteen million copies across the globe. Lauper would go on to have a successful recording career, releasing twelve studio albums to date which include different genres of music; pop standards ("At Last"), electronic dance ("Bring Ya To The Brink,"), the blues, ("Memphis Blues") and country ("Detour"). She composed music and lyrics for the Broadway musical "Kinky Boots", winning the 2013 Tony Award for Best Original Score, making her the first woman to win solo in this category. The now seventy-two year old performer has just completed her "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" Farewell World Tour but will begin her first Las Vegas residency in 2026.
OUTKAST
Over about a twelve year period, the hip-hop duo, Outkast would help innovate the genre to become one of the most important and influential artists in rap. Antwan Patton (known as "Big Boi") and André Benjamin (going by "André 3000") met while they were high school students in Atlanta. After participating in rap battles, the duo decided to pursue music together and were approached by Organized Noize, a group of local producers. As Outkast, they signed to L.A. And Babyface's label, LaFace Records in 1992 and making their first recording appearance on the remix of TLC's "What About Your Friends?".
Their debut album, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" came out two years later with many considering this collection the beginning of what would become known as southern hip-hop. The first single, "Player's Ball" was a hit, helping create buzz for the rising hip-hop duo and the album, which was certified platinum, received critical acclaim. This helped give Outkast more creative control on their next album and the 1996 follow-up, "ATLiens" featured a more experimental sound with dub and reggae influences. They also changed their image, going from hard-partying playas to Afro-futuristic personas. This album was another million seller and Outkast's third album, "Aquemini" continued their winning streak thanks to the single, "Rosa Parks" which is widely considered to be one of their best songs.
With "Stankonia" in 2000, Big Boi and André 3000 pushed hip-hop in a new direction with more more melodic vocals and expanded the range of subject matter to more complex and introspective ideas. The singles, "B.O.B", "So Fresh, So Clean" and "Ms. Jackson" (which became the group's first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100) helped Outkast win the Best Rap Album Grammy Award. Three years later came "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below". Originally conceived as each member's solo albums, the label insisted that it would be released as a double album under Outkast's name. The singles, "Hey Ya!", "The Way You Move" and "Roses" helped the album sell well over eleven million copies and win the the 2004 Grammy for Album of the Year. Following the 2006 feature film, "Idlewild" which they starred in and the soundtrack album, Big Boy and André 3000 each went to work on solo projects. And while there was never an official announcement of breaking up, Outkast has not made another album to date.
SOUNDGARDEN
Soundgarden,one of the pioneers of grunge rock that emerged from the Seattle area beginning in the mid 1980's, helped to popularize the sound with their introspective, socially conscious lyrics accompanied by thrashing rock guitars. Lead guitarist, Kim Thayil, bassist, Hiro Yamamoto and vocalist, Chris Cornell first began playing together in 1984. Cornell initially was playing drums as well as singing but they brought in Matt Cameron. to allow him to concentrate on vocals two years later. After making the rounds locally, Soundgarden signed to the indie label, Sub Pop and released a single, "Hunted Down" in 1987. Two EPs followed before signing to another independent label, SST Records for their debut album,"Ultramega OK" in 1988. And while the record brought them attention and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance, the band felt it strayed too far from their sound.
Soundgarden's next album, "Louder Than Love" was released through a major-label, A&M Records which had some fans concerned they would leave behind their punk roots. But the album maintained their sound filled with rage and angst which expanded Soundgarden's audience. However, Yamamoto, frustrated by his feeling he wasn't making proper contributions, left the band and eventually was replaced by Ben Shepherd. Soundgarden released, "Badmotorfinger" in 1991 brought the band even more acclaim as they were swept up with the sudden popularity of grunge outside of Seattle. Three years later, Soundgarden achieved significant commercial success with "Superunknown", which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart driven by the singles, "Spoonman", "Black Hole Sun", and "Fell on Black Days", ultimately selling over six million copies in the US. By the time they went to work on their next album, creative tensions grew between the band on their musical direction with "Down on the Upside" being less hard rock than their previous output. The end of the tour to support the album in 1997 brought an end of Soundgarden. Each member went to work on solo projects before a reunion twelve years later, leading to another album, "King Animal" in 2012. But Cornell's tragic death in 2017 would sadly bring an end to Soundgarden once again.
THE WHITE STRIPES
Part of the underground garage rock revival that started in the early 2000s, the White Stripes brought a quirky style and punk-blues sensibility to their music. Jack Gillis met Meg White at high school in Detroit, where they first became friends, sharing a love of music. Able to play the guitar, keyboards and drums, Gillis performed with the country-punk band, Goober & the Peas before they broke up. Gillis and White were married in 1996 with him deciding to take on her last name. After Meg taught herself how to play the drums, the couple came together to form a band. Claiming to be siblings and wearing only black, white or red on stage, The White Stripes played around the Detroit-area indie rock scene, developing a rabid following. This lead to them being signed to a local record label and releasing their self-titled debut in 1999. It didn't make it far out of the Detroit area but still generated some buzz for the band. The duo released two more albums with their third, "White Blood Cells" capturing some mainstream success.
The couple had divorced by 2000 but continued on as a band. Their fourth studio album, "Elephant" was released on a major label and would become their biggest commercial and critical success. The single, "Seven Nation Army" would become their signature song and winning the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. In 2005, The White Stripes' next album, "Get Behind Me Satan" marked a change in the band's musical direction with piano-driven melodies and more rhythm-based guitar. Two years later, "Icky Thump" was released and delivered a return to their blues-punk rock sound. A tour had been arranged to promote the album but was cancelled due to Meg's anxiety about performing. Following a 2009 documentary concert film, "Under Great White Northern Lights" which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, the band had planned to tour behind the film but that did not occur. But by 2011, the White Stripes officially announced that they had disbanded. Jack has continued his career as a musician and producer while Meg retired and returned to Detroit.
The British pop star, Lily Allen has just released her latest album, "West End Girl", her first in seven years, which chronicles the demise of her marriage, expressing the bitterness and anger through each song. Allen's last album, "No Shame" sprang from the dissolution of her first marriage where she revealed that she suffered from an identity crisis and dealt with her issues with substance abuse.
Brutally honest and vividly detailed, Allen holds nothing back in "West End Girl", describing all the rage and disappointment she had experienced during her marriage to actor, David Harbour, best known for his work in the Netflix series, "Stranger Things", while trying to move forward with her life.
Recorded in Los Angeles over sixteen days, the title of the album comes from her moving to New York with her new spouse and then going back to the UK after getting a role in a West End play when he proceeds to request an open marriage over the telephone. Allen admits she went into this situation with her eyes wide open yet felt was misled and lied to by her husband who she claims had his own agenda. While the songs are based on facts, she states they are still fictionalized accounts of events and circumstances. "West End Girl" brilliantly captures pain and despair in a way that is still filled with wit and style. Allen plans to tour next year where she will perform the album in it's entirety.
I think the music of the 1980's was the greatest of all time. Okay, perhaps I'm being a bit hyperbolic. But this was the era of my formative years as a teen moving into adulthood with this exhilarating music helping by providing a soundtrack to my budding life. This is why I was looking forward to the B-52s and Devo coming together as part of the Cosmic De-Evolution tour with a two night stop at the Hollywood Bowl which I caught on October 19th. I had never seen either of these bands before and excited to see them. Yet I must admit I was also somewhat apprehensive since it's been about forty years since these bands had made regular appearances on the music charts. But I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed for a single moment during their performances. While they may be moving a little bit slower now, Devo and The B-52s were giving their all and ready to party hardy.
The B-52s came out first, launching into the title track of their fifth album, "Cosmic Thing". Formed in Athens, GA in 1976, the band embraced it's queerness from the beginning with their delightfully oddball songs and kitschy fashion sense. Now down to the three original members: Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson who all provide vocals and percussion (Keith Strickland, who played drums, guitar and keyboards, retired from touring in 2012 and Cindy's brother, Ricky died of AIDS-related illness in 1985), the band was still in great form with their sound filled out by Tracy Wormworth on bass, Ken Maiuri and John Andrews on guitars and drummer, Sterling Campbell.
The band covered their quirky songs that didn't really rise up the pop charts but helped create a rabid cult following like "Party Out of Bounds", "Dance This Mess Around", "Private Idaho" and "Rock Lobster". The B-52s did achieve commercial fame with their "Cosmic Thing" album in 1989 where "Love Shack" reached number three on the US pop chart. Another top-ten hit from the album was "Roam" which is highlighted by the soaring harmonies of Wilson and Pierson, a nice contrast to the shout/sing style of Schneider. Still in dynamic vocal form, the women had another opportunity to show off their melodic skills with "52 Girls" from their debut album.
Devo was early to embrace music videos (years before MTV arrived) to enhance their songs, using visual images to express their social worldview with surrealist humor, and the group projected outlandish imagery on screens behind them throughout their performance. This new wave band from Akron, OH, taking their name from from the concept of "de-evolution" which involves the idea that mankind reverts back instead of moving forward, first came together with two sets of brothers: Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, Gerald and Bob Casale and Alan Myers (who passed away in 2013). Devo had disbanded in 1991 but came back together five years later with the Mothersbaugh brothers and Gerald Casale still together on the road performing (Bob died in 2014). On stage, Devo went through many of their best known songs: "Peek-A-Boo!", "That's Good", "Jocko Homo", "Freedom of Choice" with adept precision while placing their biggest pop hit, "Whip It" unceremoniously in the middle of the set.
Lene Lovitch, a prominent figure in the early new wave scene, was the special guest who kicked off the concert, bringing her unique brand of art-rock to the stage. Although born in the Motor City, she moved to London as a teen, soaking up the early punk movement that would influence her explosive musical sound and eccentric style when she began her career. Never gaining more than a cult following in her home country, Lovitch reached the top three on the UK Singles Chart with "Lucky Number" in 1979. The now seventy-six year old performer remains a magnetic presence, delivering a massive dose of wild, quirky energy to her opening set.
The Cosmic De-Evolution tour was certainly a fun, nostalgic musical trip back in time with the crowd made up of the expected fans who were around during the height of each of these band's fame. Yet I was pleasantly surprised to see that the audience also had plenty of Gen Z and younger filling the seats at the Bowl, fully apreciating and enjoying music that was made long before they were born.
Here is a collection of new sounds that I want to highlight:
Following her venture into hard rock, Demi Lovato has returned to music with an upcoming dance-pop collection, "It's Not That Deep" which is due out on October 24th. The latest single is "Kiss", a fun, throbbing techno-pop track.
The British art-pop stylist and actress,FKA Twigs had released her well-received third album, "Eusexua" earlier this year. On the horizon is a sequel to this collection entitled, "Eusexua Afterglow" which originally was going to be a deluxe edition of the previous album but will now be a follow-up of new music. The first single, "Cheap Motel" which is accompanied by a seven minute music video that is much like a short film.
Born in Ethiopia and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the alt-r&b artist, Alemeda has been creating music since 2020. She began with a hyper-hip-hop sound before moving towards soulful indie rock,. The twenty-five year old performer (born Rahema Alameda) is preparing to release another EP, "But What The Hell Do I Know" with the first single, "Beat A B!tch Up" features an appearance by her label-mate, Doechii.
The popular, Chicago-based DJ, Honey Dijon has moved further in creating her own music and has released a new song. "The Nightlife" is an expected sultry club-banger but features r&b vocalist, Chlöe Bailey performing on the track with her first major venture to the dance floor.
Haim has just released a deluxe edition to their most recent album, "I Quit" that features three new songs. One of those songs, "Tie You Down" is a collaboration with indie rocker, Bon Iver.
D'Angelo, one of the pioneers of the neo-soul movement during the 1990's, has sadly passed away on October 14 at the age of fifty-one. His family announced that he had been privately battling pancreatic cancer.
Inspired by classic soul, rock, gospel and Prince, D'Angelo took these influences and filtered them through to masterfully create a bold new sound; familiar yet fresh and progressive. Along with Maxwell, Erykah Badu, Angie Stone and Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo helped expand the possibilities of soul music with his assured vision and commanding artistry.
He was born Michael Eugene Archer in South Richmond, Virginia on February 11, 1974. He began displaying his musical abilities at a very early age, teaching himself how to play the piano. He performed with a variety of different singing groups throughout his teenage years. With his band, Michael Archer and Precise, they went to New York City for the chance to perform during Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater. To their surprise, they won three consecutive times which came with a cash prize. After returning to Richmond, Archer dropped out of school and went back to New York alone to start his career in music.
Once he arrived, he took on the stage name "D'Angelo" (which in Italian means "of the angel") and began writing and producing. He worked with the r&b super-group, Black Men United (that featured vocalists, Brian McKnight, Usher, Boyz II Men and Raphael Saadiq) and co-created the song, "U Will Know" with his brother, Luther for the soundtrack of the film, "Jason's Lyric" in 1993. This hit single, which reached number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, lead to D'Angelo being signed to EMI Records as a solo artist. His debut, "Brown Sugar" was released in 1995 and became a certified platinum album in a year thanks to the hit singles, "Lady", a cover of Smokey Robinson's 1979 hit, "Cruisin" and the title track.
After touring to support the album, D'Angelo had wanted to begin work on his next project but was suffering from writer's block. During this time, he worked on covers for soundtrack albums and was featured on "Nothing Even Matters", a duet with Lauryn Hill from her debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill".
D'Angelo eventually managed to overcome the block and his next album, "Voodoo" was released in 2000. The long-awaited record was well-received, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, and critically acclaimed with the singles, "Devil's Pie", a cover of Roberta Flack's, "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" which was highlighted by the sensuous music video that featured just the singer chiseled and nude.
Following the tour for this album, D'Angelo began to suffer from some personal demons and became more uncomfortable with his fame that he withdrew from public life. He would enter rehab a few years later following a car accident and an arrest for drug possession. There were rumors for some time that he was working on new music (with some new songs performed live when he had went on tour) but it would be almost fifteen years before his third studio album, "Black Messiah" would be released. This recording was met with wide critical praise and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. D'Angelo went on the road for a world tour to promote the album with plans for "a companion piece album" to "Black Messiah" to be out soon. Yet sadly, nothing materialized with D'Angelo's last recording was "I Want You Forever" with Jay-Z for the soundtrack of the 2024 film, "The Book of Clarence".
Run DMC became the first rap artists to achieve notable fame and commercial success during the 1980's and have remained one of the most influential performers in hip-hop. The New York based trio, made up of Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell, became a momentous force by combining heavy rock with rap and experimenting with the use of sampling from records by other artists to innovate hip-hop with a bold, progressive sound. They were also responsible for popularizing the characteristic street style of rap that included Kangol hats, thick gold chains, and unlaced Adidas shoes.
Simmons and McDaniels had grown up together in Hollis, Queens since they were children. Simmons' older brother, Russell was the manager of Kurtis Blow who had made a name for himself by becoming one of the first rappers signed by a major label and to have the first commercially successful rap singles, "The Breaks". The younger Simmons, going by "DJ Run", was able to get some stage time with Blow. He would convince his friend to begin rapping and McDaniels took on the name, "Easy D". They met Mizell, then known as "Jazzy Jase", hanging out at Two-Fifths Park in Hollis. After becoming friends, they went on to pursue music together.
The older Simmons was approached to record them. He eventually relented, helping to produce a single, land the trio a record deal and gave them the name, "Run-D.M.C". The single, "It's Like That" was released in 1983 and reached number fifteen on the r&b chart. A self-titled debut album followed the next year which was well was received and included the groundbreaking hit, "Rock Box" which merged rap and hard rock. The music video for the song would become the first ever hip-hop clip to be broadcast on MTV and received heavy rotation.
Achieving enormous success quickly, Run DMC performed at the Live Aid benefit concert and were featured in the 1985 hip-hop movie, "Krush Groove" which told the fictionalized story of Russell Simmons' rise in hip-hop as a music entrepreneur.
For their third album, "Raising Hell", the group approached Rick Rubin to produce who had just worked on LL Cool J's debut album, "Radio". He came up with the idea to record a version of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". Originally, the thought was for Run DMC to rap over the original 1975 rock record but Rubin wanted to push the idea even further by having Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith perform on the actual cover recording. This single became a global smash in 1986, reaching number four in the US (even charting higher than Aerosmith's original) which helped make Run DMC become internationally known and would revitalize Aerosmith's career.
Run DMC would release "Tougher Than Leather" in 1988 which abandoned rap-rock for more sample-heavy sounds. The album did not sell as well and an ill-advised movie which they starred named after the record and directed by Rubin did not help matters. By 1990, the sounds of hip-hop was evolving once again and their next album, "Back From Hell" felt unfortunately dated, failing to generate much interest. During this time, each of the men had begun to suffer from personal and legal matters. They would all turn to the church for healing and guidance. Three years later, a reinvigorated Run DMC was back with a new album, "Down With the King", a well-received hip-hop collection that offered some subtle religious references.
Over the next years, the members began to have different ideas of how to continue, leading to creative tensions and personal conflicts. One more album was made together, the long delayed, "Crown Royal" in 2001. The following year, Mizell was murdered in his recording studio in Jamaica, Queens. Shortly after this tragic event, Simmons and McDaniels would announce that Run DMC would officially be disbanded and they created a fund to financially assist Mizell's family.
Run DMC helped pavethe wayfor hip-hop to shift from an underground sound to become part of popular culture. Their classic beats still continues to inspireand has been recognizedas an important part of music history. Run DMC has gone on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009; honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and their album, "Raising Hell" was placed into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2018.
Olivia Dean, the British neo-soul singer, is back with the follow-up to her 2023 acclaimed debut, "Messy". She began to seriously pursue music at sixteen, teaching herself how to play the guitar, piano and writing songs. Dean went on to release two EPs which brought her attention and now her latest album, "The Art of Loving" is now out. This collection of alt-r&b offers her perspective on different forms of love and intimacy, revealing the now twenty-six year old performer's growth as an artist. The guitar-driven first single, "Nice To Each Other", which has recently reached the top-ten on the Billboard Global chart, simply asks the question "What if we were just nice to each other?" in a relationship. Now the latest single, "Man I Need" has become another world-wide hit. Dean will open for Sabrina Carpenter on some dates as well as her own The Art of Loving Live tour which will begin next year.
RAYE
The British singer, Raye has been using her big, soulful voice to reinvigorate pop music. Born Rachel Keen and raised in South London, Raye had been interested in pursing music since she was a child. After briefly attending the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology and dropping out due to feeling creatively stifled, she went off on her own to make it into music. At seventeen, Raye received notice for her self-released EP in 2014 and kept on recording and making connections in the industry. Her big breakthrough came in 2022 with "Escapism", a trip-hop styled pop song that clicked across the globe including the US. Now Raye is preparing to release her second album. The first single, "Where Is My Husband!" captures a retro girl group sound merged with hip-hop beats. Raye had also teamed with producer/musician, Mark Ronson last summer for the original song, "Suzanne" that was part of the APxMusic programme to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Swiss watchmaker, Audemars Piguet.
KHALID
The pop-soul vocalist, Khalid has been making music professionally since he was teenager with his single, "Location" becoming a top twenty hit back in 2016. More hits followed for the El Paso, TX native with "Young Dumb & Broke", "Love Lies" (with Normani), "Eastside", "Better" and "Talk". But last year Khalid came out as gay after being outed. This has not changed anything for the singer except that now he no longer feels a need not to be completely honest as an artist. He has just released a new single, "Out of Body" from his upcoming fourth album, "After the Sun Goes Down". For the music video for this dance song, Khalid moves seductively with his male dancers, feeling much freer to generate a smoldering sensuality that he's not been able to reveal before.
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