NEW SOUNDS

NORTH WEST

North West is the twelve year old daughter of the erratic hip-hop musician, Kanye West (currently going by "Ye") and the media personality-turned-entrepreneur, Kim Kardashian. And it's not really much of a surprise that she has been dabbling in professionally performing and making music since she was ten. Now, West has just debuted her first EP as a solo artist, "N0rth4evr". She was fully hands on in the production and songwriting of this recording with the six tracks featuring an intriguing blend of rap, goth rock and hyperpop. Most of the songs are under two minutes but I have to say that this album is a solid collection, twisting sounds and beats to inventively blast out her Gen Alpha angst. With "N0rth4evr", West reveals she has much in common with her father, credibly displaying that she does have the essential qualities to potentially become a major musical artist.





MAYA HAWKE

The actor and musician, Maya Hawke has released her fourth studio album with "Maitreya Corso". The title represents a fictional "magical misfit" persona that allows Hawke to boldly explore themes of ego, ambition, and reinvention. The songs possess an other-worldly vibe, transporting us through with eclectic sounds, understated arrangements and whimsical thoughts. The twenty-seven year old offspring of actors, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman has crafted an indie-pop record that also pays tribute to her community of fellow musicians in the New York scene, collaborating with local performers like Benjamin Lazar Davis, Will Graefe, and Michael Riddleberger. 

THE 68TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS

Last year, the focus was on the fires that devastated Los Angeles and this year during the ceremony of the 68th annual Grammy Awards, was the current administration’s immigration crackdown that has recently turned tragically deadly. "ICE OUT" pins were worn by many in attendance and several artists made subtle yet passionate comments during their acceptance speeches including Billie Eilish who accurately proclaimed that "No one is illegal on stolen land".

For his sixth and final time as host, Trevor Noah largely continued to focus on playfully teasing the starry audience, rattling off Grammy statistics and rousing the crowd to give a performer or winner another round of applause. One notable change is that Noah, no longer feeling constrained with concern about his future on the show, delivered more pointed political jokes with one reference to Trump and the Epstein files which has sent the President into a litigious tizzy.

As always, the Grammys ceremony is less about handing out awards and more about the performances that you won't see anywhere else. And this show did not disappoint. Bruno Mars kicked off the show with a guitar-driven version of "APT", his duet with K-pop star, Rosé before returning later his band, the Hooligans to perform his new single, "I Just Might". Justin Bieber delivered a literally stripped down performance of "Yukon" from his nominated album, "Swag" in just his underwear and socks. Sabrina Carpenter reliably brought her campy style to the show with an airport setting for her performance of "Manchild" while Lady Gaga went darker for a manic version of "Abracadabra". And just like last year, all of the eight nominees for Best New Artist were given a spotlight to perform on the telecast with some (Lola Young, Leon Thomas and the eventual winner, Olivia Dean) faring better than others (Addison Rae, Katseye and Sombr).

But the highlight of the evening turned out to be a lengthy, "In Memoriam" musical tribute. It began with a lovely rendition of "Trailblazer" by country music legend, Reba McEntire, accompanied by Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson, shockingly making her very first appearance on the Grammy stage. Then an all-star rock line-up that included Post Malone, Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N' Roses, paid tribute to the late heavy metal artist, Ozzy Osbourne by blasting through with a rousing version of Black Sabbath's, "War Pigs". The set concluded with Ms. Lauryn Hill, who had not appeared on the show since 1999, leading a memorable tribute to D'Angelo and Roberta Flack that was incredibly packed with an impressive group of performers that featured Raphael Saadiq, Anthony Hamilton, Leon Thomas, Jon Batiste, Lalah Hathaway, John Legend, Chaka Khan and Wyclef Jean, who reunited with his former Fugees bandmate on stage to close with Flack's "Killing Me Softly With His Song".

While he was unable to perform due to his contractual commitment for his upcoming half-time show on the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny still made a major impact on the show with him winning Album of the Year for "Debí Tirar Más Fotos", becoming the first winner with a Spanish-language recording. The thirty-one performer also won two more awards for Best Música Urbana Album and Best Global Performance. Kendrick Lamar also scored big by winning five of his nine nominations which included Record of the Year for his musical tribute to the late Luther Vandross that featured SZA. Cher, a recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award this year, made an appearance to present Record of the Year. While it ended up being a bit of a mess with missed cues and the winners unable to decide who would speak, this iconic legend looked incredible and contributed to an unforgettable night. And Billie Eilish along with her brother, Finneas made history by becoming the first artists to win Song of the Year three times.

This is the final year the Grammys will air on CBS after fifty-four years of broadcasting the ceremony. The show will begin a ten-year deal on ABC, Hulu and Disney+ starting next year and taking it through to 2036. Time will tell if this will just be a continuation of the show's traditions or begin an exciting new chapter for the Grammys.

Here is a partial list of winners of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" - Bad Bunny
Record of the Year: "Luther" - Kendrick Lamar with SZA
Song of the Year: "Wildflower" - Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Best New Artist: Olivia Dean
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Mayhem" - Lady Gaga
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "A Matter of Time" - Laufey
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Messy" - Lola Young
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Defying Gravity" - Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Best Dance/Electronic Album: "Eusexua" - FKA twigs
Best Dance/Electronic Recording: "End of Summer" - Tame Impala
Best Dance Pop Recording: "Abracadabra" - Lady Gaga
Best Remixed Recording: "Abracadabra (Gesaffelstein Remix)" - Gesaffelstein, remixer (Lady Gaga, Gesaffelstein)
Best Rock Album: "Never Enough" - Turnstile
Best Rock Performance: "Changes (Live From Villa Park) Back to the Beginning" - Yungblud featuring Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman and II
Best Rock Song: "As Alive as You Need Me to Be" - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)
Best Alternative Music Album: "Songs of a Lost World" - The Cure
Best Alternative Music Performance: "Alone" - The Cure
Best R&B Album: "Mutt" - Leon Thomas
Best Progressive R&B Album: "Bloom" - Durand Bernarr
Best R&B Performance: "Folded" - Kehlani
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Vibes Don’t Lie" - Leon Thomas
Best R&B Song:"Folded" - Darius Dixson, Andre Harris, Kehlani Parrish, Donovan Knight, Don Mills, Khris Riddick-Tynes and Dawit Kamal Wilson, songwriters (Kehlani)
Best Rap Album: "GNX" - Kendrick Lamar
Best Rap Performance: "Chains & Whips" - Clipse, Pusha T and Malice featuring Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams
Best Rap Song: "TV Off" - Jack Antonoff, Larry Jayy, Kendrick Lamar, Dijon McFarlane, Sean Momberger, Mark Anthony Spears and Kamasi Washington, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay)
Best Traditional Country Album: "Ain’t in It for My Health" - Zach Top
Best Contemporary Country Album: "Beautifully Broken" - Jelly Roll
Best Country Solo Performance: "Bad as I Used to Be (from "F1: The Movie")" - Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "Amen" - Shaboozey and Jelly Roll
Best Country Song: "Bitin’ List" - Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)
Best Americana Album: "Big Money" - Jon Batiste
Best American Roots Performance: "Beautiful Strangers" - Mavis Staples
Best Americana Performance: "Godspeed" - Mavis Staples
Best Folk Album: "Wild and Clear and Blue" - I’m With Her
Best Jazz Vocal Album: "Portrait" - Samara Joy
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: "Southern Nights" - Sullivan Fortner featuring Peter Washington and Marcus Gilmore
Best Alternative Jazz Album: "Live-Action" - Nate Smith
Best Jazz Performance: "Windows — Live" - Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Brian Blade
Best Traditional Blues Album: "Ain’t Done With the Blues" - Buddy Guy
Best Contemporary Blues Album: "Preacher Kids" - Robert Randolph
Best Gospel Album: "Heart of Mine" - Darrel Walls and PJ Morton
Best Latin Pop Album: "Cancionera" - Natalia Lafourcade
Best Tropical Latin Album: "Raíces" - Gloria Estefan
Best Reggae Album: "Blxxd & Fyah" - Keznamdi
Best African Music Performance: "Push 2 Start" - Tyla
Best Musical Theater Album: "Buena Vista Social Club" - Marco Paguia, Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
Best Comedy Album: "Your Friend, Nate Bargatze" - Nate Bargatze
Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording: "Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama" - Dalai Lama
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: "Sinners" (Various Artists); Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson and Serena Göransson, compilation producers; Niki Sherrod, music supervisor
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (Includes Film and Television): "Sinners" - Ludwig Göransson, composer
Best Song Written for Visual Media: "Golden" from "KPop Demon Hunters" - Ejae, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (Huntr/x: Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami)
Best Music Video: "Anxiety" - Doechii
Best Music Film: "Music by John Williams" - John Williams
Best Album Cover: "Chromakopia" - Shaun Llewellyn and Luis “Panch” Perez, art directors (Tyler, the Creator)
Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical): Amy Allen
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical): Cirkut

GIRL, GET UP

To cap off a very prosperous and productive year, Doechii has just unexpectedly released a new track, "Girl, Get Up". While Doechii, born Jaylah Hickmon, is enjoying plenty of well-deserved success and fame, she has also experienced some negative energy that has come her way through online backlash with claims of her achieving popularity only through connections in the business instead by her hard work and talent. But Doechii is not having none of it.

Unlike most current artists who share what's going on with them through social media, Doechii is wisely expressing her views inventively through music. With the song, she goes over her impressive accomplishments while letting these critics know exactly what she thinks of their narrowminded, unwanted opinions while SZA makes an appearance to provide vocals on the track. The music video for "Girl, Get Up", shot at night with the artist largely obscured, was filmed near the Sydney Harbour Bridge where Doechii is in the middle of an Australian tour.

D'ANGELO (1974 - 2025)

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".

TAKE TWO: RUN DMC

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 pave the way for hip-hop to shift from an underground sound to become part of popular culture. Their classic beats still continues to inspire and has been recognized as 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.

RANDOM SIGHT + SOUNDS

Tyler, The Creator has brought an eccentric vision and innovative sound to hip-hop since his debut solo album back in 2009. Now with his ninth studio album, "Don't Tap The Glass", The Creator (born Tyler Okonma) has continued to push the sonic boundaries of what is considered hip-hop. Recorded during his Chromakopia: The World Tour that began earlier this year and the shortest album (at twenty-eight minutes) of his career, Tyler has delivered an unpredictable collection that boldly fuses house, techno and funk in exciting and colorful ways. Two singles have been dropped to support the album: "Sugar On My Tongue" is an electro-beat driven tune describing how tasty his lady is to him. While "Ring Ring Ring" is a blast of techno-funk that has him calling his lover who he misses, desperately hoping she'll answer.





Here is a round-up of new songs that is on my playlist: Sabrina Carpenter's follow-up album, "Man's Best Friend" is out now and the latest single, "Tears" is a disco-pop track with the video featuring actor, Colman Domingo in drag; After co-writing several songs for Gracie Abrams, Audrey Hobert has just released her debut single, "Sue Me"; Former American Idol contestant, Johnny Keyser, who now goes by John K, has continued his career in music with his recent third studio album, "Salt + Light" and the single, "Never Been in Love"; singer/actress, Reneé Rapp has delivered a soulful kiss-off with a live version of  "I Think I like You Better When You're Gone" from her second studio album, "Bite Me"; r&b vocalist, Kehlani has a new single, "Folded" which asks a lover to reconsider after they're hasty break-up and Doja Cat has returned with an '80's inspired dance track, "Jealous Type" which is co-written and produced by Y2K and Jack Antonoff.

And a new single from Lady Gaga, "The Dead Dance" has been released. This pulsing synth-pop song is part of the soundtrack for the second season of "Wednesday" with the singer making an appearance on the supernatural comedy show based on the character in "The Addams Family". Tim Burton directs the black & white music video for "The Dead Dance" which features Gaga, in an eerie gothic setting, as a cracked porcelain doll that comes to life.

SEX HYSTERIA

Jessie Murph, the provocative alt-country artist, has burst into the mainstream with her strip-club anthem, "Blue Strips" which is a reference to the blue security strip on one hundred dollar bills. This hip-hop tinged song with a country twang about a woman seeking payback for her man cheating on her with a stripper by showing up that club to throw money at her reached number fifteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Like many music performers today, the Alabama native, Murph began her career posting videos of herself singing covers on TikTok and Instagram as child. By sixteen, she had built enough of a following to lead her getting signed to Columbia Records. A mixtape, "Drowning" soon followed in 2023 that brought Murph even more attention.

Pushing her sound even further than her debut album, "That Ain't No Man That's the Devil" from last year, Murph's recently released second album, "Sex Hysteria" digs deeper into edgy, country-soul confessional songs dealing with childhood trauma, love relationships and blunt sexuality. Sporting a towering beehive of inky black hair, Murph's image is of a classic '60's styled, sexy bad girl in constant search of a good time. She's even managed to attract rappers, Gucci Mane (who is also the name of a track on the album) and Lil Baby to provide vocals on the album.

The now twenty year old performer continues to push boundaries with the single, "1965". She has received some backlash from the song due to it's lyrics involving outdated gender roles while the video features a graphic sex scene that has raised accusations that she's glorifying domestic violence. But Murph has dismissed the controversy by stating it's all simply satire. 

Here is a sampling of the sounds by the daring, Jessie Murph which includes the controversial, "1965" and a remix of "Blue Strips" featuring Sexxy Red.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Lizzo is back with a new sound and a new look. Following some unpleasant allegations and lawsuits made against her, the singer took some time away from the spotlight. But Lizzo has reemerged fully energized and in fighting shape, having recently achieved significant weight loss although she has made it clear she still continues to advocate for body positivity. And she has new music with the release of the title track off of her upcoming fifth studio album, "Love in Real Life". This rock-inspired song looks back at a time before social media when people connected face-to-face. The music video for "Love in Real Life" was influenced by 90's style and features Lizzo decked out in black leather and doing some moves with back-up dancers that Michael Jackson would envy. And the video for another song,the dance-pop track, "Still Bad" continues where the other clip ended. Lizzo will be hit the road this month for some shows in New York, LA and Minneapolis.





Here are some new songs that I'm feeling which includes "Taste", the latest from Coco Jones which samples Britney Spears' "Toxic";  Haim returns with the sisters getting funky while bemoaning "Relationships"; the Canadian singer, Tate McRae talks about her need for speed with her single, "Sports Car"; Sam Smith returns with a lovely ballad, "Love is a Stillness", rising British artist, Bishop Briggs has dropped a new single with the positivity anthem, "Woman is King" and Lil Nas X is back, embracing the pink, with a new single, "Hotbox".

Roy Ayers, a pioneer of jazz-funk whose music would be one of the most sampled in hip-hop, passed away on March 4th at the age of eight-four. The LA-born Ayers came from a family of musicians and began learning to play the vibraphone at the age of five. After playing with several bands and recording solo projects, he formed his own acid-jazz group in 1972, Roy Ayers Ubiquity, which he chose because "ubiquity" means "a state of being everywhere at the same time". Ayers worked on the soundtrack for the Pam Grier film, "Coffy" and released the 1976 album, "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" which the title track would go on to find great popularity later by being heavily sampled, with the song used at least two hundred times on various recordings. Some of his other music was also sampled and he returned the favor by performing the vibraphone as a session musician for albums of many neo-soul, jazz and hip-hop artists. During his career, Ayers would record thirty studio albums as a solo artist and with his band.

ANGIE STONE (1961 - 2025)

Angie Stone, the neo-soul singer who expertly merged old school r&b with modern hip-hop, has tragically passed away on March 1st. She had been traveling from Alabama to her next concert in Atlanta when the vehicle she was in became involved in a car accident. Stone was sixty-three.

Born Angela Brown in South Carolina, she found her love of music in the church, singing gospel as part of the choir. As a teenager, Brown joined an all-female hip-hop trio, The Sequence with Cheryl Cook and Gwendolyn Chisolm. Signed to Sugar Hill Records, they had a hit with their 1980 single "Funk You Up", reaching number fifteen on the US Billboard Black Singles chart. During this time, she married Rodney Stone, a musician from the hip-hop group, Funky Four Plus One. The Sequence continued to achieve modest success before disbanding five years later.

Stone would join other bands; an electro-funk group, Mantronix, the lead vocalist of the r&b trio, Vertical Hold and soul group, Devox. She began songwriting, working on D'Angelo's first two albums and going on tour with him as well as performing on Lenny Kravitz's "5" album in 1998. This helped lead Stone to the attention of Clive Davis and she was signed to his label, J Records. 

Her solo debut, "Black Diamond" was released in 1999, a collection of hip-hip infused soul that was warmly received and critically acclaimed. Stone would record two more albums for the label before joining a revived Stax Records in 2007. She released her last album, "Love Language" two years ago that featured her version of classic Southern R&B and Philly soul.

Stone was a powerful vocalist who kept the spirit of soul music alive and well. Yet she was also a vital and gifted artist who was not fully recognized for her brilliant contributions to contemporary hip-hop soul.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Here is a round-up of new music I'm feeling right now: Khalid and Normani team-up again (following their 2018 hit release, "Love Lies") for the latest single off the deluxe edition of his third album, "Sincere"; the new dance-charged song from Olly Alexander of Years and Years; the quirky sounds of the indie band, Japanese Breakfast and the first single from their upcoming fourth album; Sky Ferreira has finally resurfaced with a contribution to the soundtrack of Nicole Kidman's erotic thriller, "Babygirl" with an electro-rocker, "Leash"; the teaming of two of the hottest artists in hip-hop right now, GloRilla and Sexyy Red; and Adam Lambert is currently on Broadway appearing in the latest revival of the musical, "Cabaret" as the MC and has released his version of the torch song, "I Don't Care" from the show.













And here is a tribute to some music artists we have recently lost:

Brenton Wood, the r&b vocalist and songwriter best known for "The Oogum Boogum Song" and "Gimme Little Sign", passed away on January 3rd. He was born Alfred Jesse Smith in Shreveport, LA but grew up in San Pedro, CA. After deciding to pursue a career in music, he changed his name to "Brenton Wood" and broke through with the novelty song, "Oogum Boogum" he had written in 1967. It cracked the top-forty on the US pop chart and reached number nineteen on the soul chart. Wood would have an even bigger hit later that year with the follow-up, "Gimme Little Sign", becoming a top-ten hit in four countries. These two singles would remain the major highlight of Wood's long career as he continued making music throughout the following years. At eighty-three, Wood had embarked on what was planned as a final tour last year but became ill in May, forcing him to put the rest of the tour on pause.

Alfa Anderson, one of the vocalist for the disco group, Chic and later an educator, has died on December 17th at the age of seventy-eight. She first got into the music business performing background vocals for a variety of artists. Fellow back-up musician and friend, Luther Vandross helped get Anderson work during the recording sessions of a new dance music group created by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. They both worked on the band's 1977 self-titled debut, "Chic" and are heard on the background of the hit singles, "Dance, Dance, Dance" and "Everybody Dance". Following one of the original lead singers, Norma Jean Wright leaving the group, Anderson was asked to replace her. Along with fellow lead vocalist, Luci Martin, Chic would go on to have many more hits, including the number-one disco smashes, "Le Freak" and "Good Times" and the top ten hit "I Want Your Love" which Anderson performed the lead vocals. Anderson also worked on other Rodgers and Edwards productions at the time for Sister Sledge and Diana Ross. When Chic came to an end in 1983, Anderson continued to work providing background vocals for other musicians during recordings and on tour.

And Sam Moore, one half of the dynamic soul duo, Sam & Dave, passed away on January 10th at the age of eighty-nine. With Dave Prater (who died in 1988), they performed together for about twenty years from 1961 to 1981 and considered one of the greatest live acts of the 1960s. They were best known for bringing the sounds of the black gospel church to pop music with their call-and-response records which included such hits as "Hold On, I'm Comin'", "I Thank You", "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby", "Wrap It Up" and "Soul Man". Moore and Prater met while each was performing individually working the gospel music circuit. After later singing together at a small nightclub, Sam & Dave officially became an r&b act. They signed with several record labels, finding moderate success but it wasn't until they met producer, Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records that Sam & Dave would go to the next level. Recording with Stax Records (which Atlantic was distributing nationally), Sam & Dave broke through with "You Don't Know Like I Know" (written and produced by newcomers, Isaac Hayes and David Porter) which hit number seven on the US soul chart in 1966. "Hold On, I'm Comin'" reached number one on the soul chart and crossed over to the pop chart, making it to the top-twenty, that same year. The duo would make their final stage appearance together on New Year's Eve, 1981 in San Francisco. Moore went to work as a solo artist performing and recording throughout the following decades, recently appearing on Bruce Springsteen's 2022 soul covers album, "Only the Strong Survive", duetting on two songs.

LANA

SZA has just released "Lana" which is the deluxe version of her critically acclaimed and award-winning 2022 second studio album, "SOS". This album came about during the writing sessions for "SOS" with the singer creating almost one hundred songs. The singer had planned on using some of these that didn't make it on the final record for a future project, teasing possible tracks and releasing a single, "Saturn" back in February.

With "Lana" (born Solána Rowe, this was her family nickname during childhood), there are fifteen new songs that precede the standard tracks from "SOS".  This includes "30 for 30" that features Kendrick Lamar and another recent single release, "Drive", a guitar-driven ballad with the music video featuring actor, Ben Stiller lip-syncing to the tune.

As for the exact meaning of the album's cover which features a barely clad SZA with an insect-like creature face surrounded by tall grasses, your guess is as good as mine.







And in addition to new music, SZA will be making her acting debut in the upcoming comedy, "One of Them Days" with Keke Palmer. They play best friends who discover that their rent money has been spent by a boyfriend, forcing them to go on a wild race to come up with some cash before they get evicted. "One of Them Days" is due in theaters on January 17th.

2024 NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY

On April 16th, The National Recording Registry selected the latest twenty-five sound recordings to be inducted to highlight what it calls "the range and diversity of the American recorded sound heritage". The Registry is an extension of the passage by Congress in 2000 of the National Recording Preservation Act. Since 2002, the Library of Congress oversees the selection of 25 recordings, which must be at least 10 years old at the time of induction, and deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". This latest group brings the total number of recordings in the registry to 650.

Some of the recordings selected include the debut album by the new-wave rock band, The Cars; "Chances Are", the second single by easy listening crooner, Johnny Mathis to sell over a million copies; the punk-rock group, Blondie's breakthrough album, "Parallel Lines" that features the disco tune, "Heart of Glass"; "Ain't No Sunshine", Bill Withers' soul-folk song that became his first major hit; "Arrival", the fourth album by the Swedish pop quartet, ABBA that contains their international smash, "Dancing Queen"; Patti Page's popular pop version of the country song, "Tennessee Waltz"; "Ready To Die", the semi-autobiographical debut studio album from the late hip-hop artist, The Notorious B.I.G.; the crossover pop hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by jazz performer, Bobby McFerrin; "This Is a Recording", Lily Tomlin's first comedy album that won her a Grammy Award and the holiday classic about that reindeer with the shiny red nose originally recorded by Gene Autry, "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

Here is the complete list of the twenty-five selections entered into the 2024 Recording Registry:

"Clarinet Marmalade" – Lt. James Reese Europe’s 369th U.S. Infantry Band (1919)
"Kauhavan Polkka" – Viola Turpeinen and John Rosendahl (1928)
Wisconsin Folksong Collection (1937-1946)
"Rose Room" – Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian (1939)
"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" – Gene Autry (1949)
"Tennessee Waltz" – Patti Page (1950)



"Rocket ‘88’" – Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (1951)
"Catch a Falling Star" / "Magic Moments" – Perry Como (1957)
"Chances Are" – Johnny Mathis (1957)



"The Sidewinder" – Lee Morgan (1964)
"Surrealistic Pillow" – Jefferson Airplane (1967)



"Ain’t No Sunshine" – Bill Withers (1971)
"This is a Recording" – Lily Tomlin (1971)
"J.D. Crowe & the New South" – J.D. Crowe & the New South (1975)
"Arrival" – ABBA (1976)



"El Cantante" – Héctor Lavoe (1978)
"The Cars" – The Cars (1978)
"Parallel Lines" – Blondie (1978)



"La-Di-Da-Di" – Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick (MC Ricky D) (1985)



"Don’t Worry, Be Happy"– Bobby McFerrin (1988)



"Amor Eterno" – Juan Gabriel (1990)



"Pieces of Africa" – Kronos Quartet (1992)
"Dookie"– Green Day (1994)



"Ready to Die" – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
“Wide Open Spaces” – The Dixie Chicks (1998)

NEW SOUNDS

LIL NAS X

Over the last week, Lil Nas X has been using social media to draw attention to his upcoming new music. Now the song, "J. Christ" is out along with a controversial music video that is certain to draw the ire of the religious faithful. The clip begins with a long line of people, which includes dubious look-alikes of Oprah, Taylor Swift and former President Barack Obama, preparing to ascend to heaven. Nas, dressed throughout in stylish, gender-fluid fashion, straddles between heaven and hell before playing a game of hoops with the devil. He uses biblical imagery but places his own provocative, queer spin on them. This song, which Nas dedicates to "the man who had the greatest comeback of all time", is far less intriguing than the video, with the young artist seeming to be more interested in whipping folks up into a wild frenzy than being musically adventurous. Regardless, I have to say I admire him greatly for pushing boundaries and fearlessly pursuing his artistic vision to make his point. And to dive further into this and the rest of his new music, there will be a documentary released on January 27th called "Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero" on HBO and MAX.





ARIANA GRANDE

Also using social media during the last month to tease footage of her working in a recording studio, Ariana Grande has dropped a surprise new single on Friday. "Yes, And?" is a beat heavy, dance-pop tune that the singer has made her career with, reuniting with long-time producers, Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh who helped to co-write the track. The song deals with people criticizing and commenting on her personal life while encouraging listeners to ignore the negative chatter. The music video for the song drives the point home with a bunch of jaded critics arrive to a location to hear Grande's new music. Bringing to mind the Fosse inspired Paula Abdul video for "Cold Hearted", Grande shows off impressive dance moves which must have been sharpened since filming the upcoming movie musical, "Wicked". "Yes, And?" is the first release from Grande's upcoming seventh studio album entitled, "Eternal Sunshine" with no exact release date set at this time.



And we have Jennifer Lopez and the release of the video for her new single, "Can't Get Enough". From the upcoming album, "This Is Me... Now" (due out on February 16th) which is a sequel of sorts to her 2002 release, " This Is Me... Then", this clip is a spoof of the many wedding movies Lopez has made (and perhaps the numerous weddings she has had in real-life) and shows her dancing during her marriages with three different grooms. This dance-pop song is fun and perhaps will help Lopez find her way back up the charts.

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

"Used To Be Young" is the latest single from Miley Cyrus. This is a bonus track on the reissued digital copy of her album, "Endless Summer Vacation" and first premiered on her recently updated documentary concert special, "Endless Summer Vacation: Continued (Backyard Sessions)". The introspective ballad (co-written by Cyrus with Gregory Aldae Hein and co-producer, Michael Pollack) addresses her wild behavior in the past, summing it up to her simply being young. The music video for the song is uncluttered and direct with Cyrus going through a flood of emotions while performing the song.

It has been ten years since Ariana Grande's debut studio album, "Yours Truly" that helped turn this teen actress into a pop music icon. Now a re-issue of the album has been released and this 10th anniversary edition features the original twelve tracks and new versions of six songs, recorded live at the Soho House in London. There is also a Spanglish take of Grande's breakout single, "The Way" with the late Mac Miller.

After briefly deciding to step away from music following the disappointing reception of her 2021 third album, "The End of an Era", Iggy Azalea has made a comeback with a new single. "Money Come", produced by Tricky Stewart and features a sample of K7’s "Come Baby Come", has the Aussie rapper's distinctive style and swagger back in action. The video for the song has Azalea acting as a CEO, going through an office building filled with men and transforming them into powerful women. She has also surprisingly teamed up with OnlyFans to help her in promoting the upcoming fourth album.

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

Fresh off her dazzling performance in the Disney live-action musical, "The Little Mermaid", Halle Bailey is here to remind us she has not abandoned her music career. After spending much of her professional life with her sister, Chlöe (who had released her debut studio album, "In Pieces" in March), the twenty-three-year-old singer has released a single, "Angel" which is the first song off her own upcoming solo album. This uplifting ballad (written by Bailey, Sebastian Kole, and the song's producer, Ron "Neff-U" Feemster) explores her experiences of growing up as a Black woman in this world. And Bailey will be back on the big screen soon as she will make an appearance in the musical adaptation of "The Color Purple" due in theaters on Christmas Day.





"Freak Me Now", the latest single from Jessie Ware's euphoric, disco-inspired, "That! Feels Good!", is a now remixed and features fellow Brit dance floor veteran, Róisín Murphy. This pairing does not disappoint, with these fierce vocalists tearing up on this retro track and team up together in a fun, campy music video.

And the latest song from Doja Cat's upcoming fourth studio album has dropped. Coasting along on a sample of the Dionne Warwick's classic, "Walk On By", "Paint The Town Red" is about the singer not caring what her haters think, ignoring them all and enjoying her life. The accompanying music video certainly give you the impression that Doja Cat is "the Lady Gaga of Hip-hop" with the clip featuring outrageous imagery that includes scenes of her dancing intimately with "Death", throwing bloody chunks of meat and riding on a giant dragon through the sky. And there is still no release date or title of Doja's next album.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

After showing off his acting chops in the widely watched yet much maligned HBO series, "The Idol" where he played the creative director for one of the biggest pop acts in the world, Australian pop star, Troye Sivan has returned to his own music career. "Rush" is a breezy, feel good dance track that brings to mind the sounds of 1980’s Pet Shop Boys. Sivan admits this song was partly inspired by that feeling that comes from inhaling poppers which a popular brand is called Rush. This is the first single off of Sivan's upcoming third album, "Something to Give Each Other", due out in October, which he promises will be a celebration of sexy, good times.



Here are some songs I'm into right now including Fall Out Boy's lyrical update of the 1989 Billy Joel classic, "We Didn't Start The Fire":

The actress and singer, Jane Birkin has passed away on July 16th at the age of seventy-six. While she was British born and raised, Birkin first found fame in France after meeting French musician, Serge Gainsbourg in 1968 while they were shooting a film. They fell in love and the couple recorded an album the following year, "Jane Birkin/Serge Gainsbourg" which featured, "Je t'aime… moi non plus", a controversial song at the time due to it’s sexual content. And while it was banned in some countries, the song (originally written by Gainsbourg for French actress, Brigitte Bardot) reached number one in Birkin's native country, the first foreign-language song to do so in the UK. Birkin would go on to record several solo albums (mostly written by Gainsbourg) before their relationship ended in 1980. She would continue to act, appearing in French and English language films such as "Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman", "La Belle Noiseuse", "Death on the Nile", "Evil Under the Sun" and "Jane by Charlotte" which was her final screen appearance in this 2021 docu-drama directed by Birkin's daughter, actress Charlotte Gainsbourg. And yes, that handbag by Hermès was created for her in 1984 and the Birkin bag has become a much coveted status symbol.

And finally, I would like to honor the legacy of the legendary crooner, Tony Bennett, who we lost on July 21st at the age of ninety-six. Since his first number-one hit, "Because of You" in 1951 and his popular, signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1962, the New York born and raised vocalist kept the sounds of jazz and traditional pop alive and well, even when it fell out of favor. Bennett successfully found relevance again with the MTV Generation in the late 1980s and 1990s without ever having to alter his music. He teamed-up with many contemporary artists, most notably Lady Gaga, and Tony Bennett was cool once again. Here is a highlight of Bennett performing duets with some of his biggest fans: Judy Garland, k.d.Lang (who recorded an album with him, "A Wonderful World" in 2002), Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga (who recorded two albums with Bennett which included his final album, "Love For Sale" in 2021).