Following his recent foray into French pop, the Lebanese-American singer, Mika is back with an upcoming English-language album, "Hyperlove" and the second single, "Immortal Love"; The Swedish pop artist, Robyn has dropped another single, "Talk To Me" from her forthcoming ninth studio album, "Sexistential"; Ari Lennox has another song, "Twin Flame" that will be on the long awaited third album from the r&b vocalist, "Vacancy"; and PinkPantheress teams with Zara Larsson for a new version of the single, "Stateside" from her remix album, "Fancy Some More?":
The legendary Dolly Parton has rounded up fellow artists, Lainey Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah, and Reba McEntire, with a new recording of her 1977 song, "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" to raise money for pediatric cancer research at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in Nashville. Parton had explained that she had originally written this as a "song of deliverance" when she was dealing with the pain from her break with longtime musical and business partner Porter Wagoner in 1974 in order to further her career. "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" has gone on to be covered by many artists since then including Parton herself who rerecorded this inspirational song two previous times before this recent version.
And finally, I would like to pay tribute to a couple of musicians we lost recently: Carl Carlton, a soul music hit maker, died on December 13th. The Detroit native had been recovering from a stroke he had in 2019. Carlton was seventy-three. He began his professional career as child, first performing under the name "Little" Carl Carlton, a publicity stunt that brought attention to Stevie Wonder who had achieved success around this time. After signing to a recording label, Carlton released some singles with the song, "Competition Ain't Nothing", becoming popular in the UK northern soul scene in 1968.
But his real breakthrough would come six years later with his version of "Everlasting Love" (which was first a hit for Robert Knight in 1967) reaching number eleven on the Billboard R&B chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. A royalty dispute with his new label, ABC Records would prevent Carlton from recording for a period of time. He would join a new label and find his way back on the charts in 1981 with the single, "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)". This popular funk song would reach number two on the r&b chart, earn Carlton a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance and continue to be a staple for soundtracks and music sampling.
Chris Rea, the British blues rocker, passed away on December 22nd at the age of seventy-four. He had been struggling with several health issues since the turn of the century which included pancreatic cancer, diabetes and a stroke in 2016. Born in Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England, Rea bought his first guitar in his early twenties and self taught himself how to play. A fan of the blues and American rockers, Rea became a member of the rock group, Magdalene and would begin singing after the vocalist failed to show for a gig. In 1973, Rea went on to form his own band which lead to him getting signed as a solo artist to Magnet Records. His debut album, "Whatever Happened to Benny Santini?" was released in 1978. The first single, "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was only a minor hit in the UK but went on to reach number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earning him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Rea would go on find greater success in his native country, recording twenty-five studio albums throughout his career with several charting songs on the UK pop chart. But Rea would never tour in North America, preferring to remain closer to his family than away from them for months at a time.
When Miley Cyrus approached the recording of her latest album, "Something Beautiful", she was inspired by the win of her first Grammy Award last year for Best Pop Solo performance for "Flowers". It's not that she placed that much importance in awards but it did give Cyrus even more confidence that she was moving creatively in the right direction. A performer since she was thirteen when cast in the Disney Channel television series "Hannah Montana", the now thirty-two year old Cyrus has conceived her ninth studio album as a visual concept record centered around the theme of "healing". She continues to take control of her sound, co-writing and co-producing the album, with this collection utilizing alt-r&b, jazz and disco-pop to express her thoughts on discovering beauty and light following trauma and heartbreak. "Something Beautiful" also features guest appearances by Brittany Howard, Danielle Haim, Flea of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Super Model, Naomi Campbell. A musical film that is a companion to the album called "Something Beautiful", directed by Cyrus along with Jacob Bixenman and Brendan Walter, made its premiere on June 6th at the Beacon Theatre during the Tribeca Festival and will be released theatrically on June 12th.
June is Pride month and to help kick off the celebration here are some recent songs by artists who are either queer or strong allies: The latest song from David Archuleta is a sensual ballad, "Can I Call You"; the French musical stylist, Christine and the Queens has an upcoming EP collaborating with legendary disco producer, Cerrone and their lead single is the throbbing dance track, "Catching Feelings"; Sam Williams, the grandson of the influential country music pioneer, Hank Williams and son of Hank Williams Jr., is continuing in the family tradition yet in his own way with a country-pop love song that is unabashedly queer; German producer, Toby Gad has released "Run", a track from Donna Summer that was unreleased from the recording sessions for her final studio album, "Crayons" back in 2008; and the performer who first found fame in musical theater before soaring on to the big screen (in the adaptation of hit musical, "Wicked") and this year's Tony Awards host, Cynthia Erivo has managed to find time to record her second studio album, "I Forgive You", a collection of contemporary r&b.
And to close, here is a classic one-hit wonder from 1969 that I love from Spiral Starecase, a Northern California based band, and their big hit, "More Today Than Yesterday". Beginning as an instrumental group called the Fydallions, they managed to get signed to Columbia Records but the label insisted they change their name. Taking it from a 1946 psychological horror film but slightly altering the spelling, Spiral Starecase charted with "More Today Than Yesterday" with the soulful pop song reaching number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. None of their follow-up music managed to find much success and the band actually disbanded a little over a year after their charting hit due to in-fighting amongst the members and poor management.
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, collectively known as Pet Shop Boys, have been creating music together since 1981. Throughout this time, the British music duo have never strayed too far from their original sound: electronic dance music. Pet Shop Boys have just announced their upcoming fifteenth studio album, "Nonetheless", due out in April. With producer, James Ford, the Boys continue to explore the diverse emotions that makes us human through dance-oriented beats and their sound has expanded to include orchestral string arrangements. The first single, "Loneliness" from the album takes me back to the time of their breakout song, "West End Girls" which will be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the original dance club version with the song re-recorded two years later and becoming a worldwide pop music smash.
Here is a collection of recent dance songs which includes the latest from Charli XCX (with a wild, crazy music video that I love); the inspired pairing of Sia and Kylie Minogue; another sexual, dance-floor ditty by Kim Petras from her recent EP, "Slut Pop Miami", a sequel to her 2022 release; Olly Alexander of Years & Years just dropped a romantic, beat heavy track and the latest dance anthem from the queer performer, Vincint.
Miley Cyrus has dropped a new song yet it's not actually new. Back in 2013, Cyrus teamed up musician, Pharrell Williams during the recording of her "Bangerz" album where the pop star played with a more musically funky style. An outtake from those sessions, "Doctor (Work It Out)" has just been released. Why is this song seeing the light of day at this particular moment in time? Who knows and who really cares because "Doctor" sounds just as fresh as if it were recorded yesterday. For the music video, Cyrus seems to be channeling Las Vegas showgirls who stomped on the casino stages like Ann-Margaret and Lola Falana (look 'em up) back in the '70's, right down to the choreography.
Frankie Goes to Hollywoodburst on to the music scene back in 1983 with the song, "Relax" which not only topped the charts in their native Britain but became an international sensation. But what made this band really stand out beyond their popular music was that they were unapologetically queer, which was not at all common by pop artists to reveal at this time. Two following singles, "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love" impressively also reached number one on the UK pop chart . Not long after this incredible success, Frankie Goes to Hollywood imploded and went their separate ways in 1987. In the recent film, "All of Us Strangers", filmmaker, Andrew Haigh effectively uses Frankie's ballad, "The Power of Love" to close out his deeply moving dramatic fantasy about loss and acceptance. Haigh has stated that this song was an important part of his music playlist from his youth in the '80's during a time when he was trying to come to terms with love and his identity as a gay teenager.
Jon Batiste is the only male artist to be recognized for Album of the Year (who won the prize two years ago for "We Are") for his concept record, "World Music Radio". The debut studio album of boygenius, "The Record", an indie-rock supergroup which consists of Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus; Janelle Monáe's latest Afrobeat inspired collection, "The Age of Pleasure"; and Lana Del Rey's psychedelic-pop record, "Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" fill out the Album of the Year category along with Swift's "Midnights", Cyrus' "Endless Summer Vacation" and Rodrigo's follow-up album, "Guts".
This is a record year for Swift, with an overall total of twelve wins and a career year-to-date of forty-six nominations, who now holds a Grammy record with her nomination for Song of the Year with "Anti-Hero", making this her seventh in the category, the most held by any songwriter. And the Recording Academy has added three new categories this year: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.
The 66th annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 4, 2024 and can be viewed on CBS and Paramount+. Here is a partial list of the nominations of the 2023 Grammy Awards:
Album of the Year:
"The Record" - boygenius
"The Age of Pleasure" - Janelle Monáe
"World Music Radio" - Jon Batiste
"Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" - Lana Del Rey
"Endless Summer Vacation" - Miley Cyrus
"Guts" - Olivia Rodrigo
"SOS" - SZA
"Midnights" - Taylor Swift
"A&W"— Jack Antonoff, Lana Del Rey & Sam Dew, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
"Anti-Hero" — Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
"Butterfly" — Jon Batiste & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Jon Batiste)
"Dance the Night" (From the Motion Picture, "Barbie") — Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
"Flowers" — Miley Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Miley Cyrus)
"Kill Bill" — Rob Bisel, Carter Lang & Solána Rowe, songwriters (SZA)
"Vampire” — Daniel Nigro & Olivia Rodrigo, songwriters (Oliva Rodrigo)
"What Was I Made For?" (From the Motion Picture "Barbie") — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
"Chemistry" - Kelly Clarkson
"Endless Summer Vacation" - Miley Cyrus
"Guts"- Olivia Rodrigo
"- (Subtract)" - Ed Sheeran
"Midnights" - Taylor Swift
Best Pop Solo Performance:
"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus
"Paint the Town Red" - Doja Cat
"What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
"Vampire" - Olivia Rodrigo
"Anti-Hero" - Taylor Swift
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
"Thousand Miles" Miley Cyrus featuring Brandi Carlile
"Candy Necklace" - Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste
"Never Felt So Alone" - Labrinth featuring Billie Eilish
"Karma" -Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice
"Ghost in the Machine" - SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
"To Steve with Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim" - Liz Callaway
"Pieces Of Treasure" - Rickie Lee Jones
"Bewitched" - Laufey
"Holidays Around the World" - Pentatonix
"Only The Strong Survive" - Bruce Springsteen
"Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 3" - Various Artists
Best Dance/Electronic Music Album:
"Playing Robots into Heaven" - James Blake
"For That Beautiful Feeling" - The Chemical Brothers
"Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022)" - Fred Again..
"Kx5" - Kx5
"Quest For Fire" - Skrillex
Best Pop Dance Recording:
"Baby Don’t Hurt Me" - David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray
"Miracle" - Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
"Padam Padam" Kylie Minogue
"One in a Million" - Bebe Rexha & David Guetta
"Rush" - Troye Sivan
Best Dance/Electronic Recording:
"Blackbox Life Recorder 21F" - Aphex Twin
"Loading" - James Blake
"Higher Than Ever Before" - Disclosure
"Strong" - Romy & Fred Again..
"Rumble" - Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan
"Sittin' On Top of the World" - Burna Boy Featuring 21 Savage
"Attention" - Doja Cat
"Spin Bout U" - Drake & 21 Savage
"All My Life" - Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole
"Low" - SZA
Best Country Album:
"Rolling Up the Welcome Mat" - Kelsea Ballerini
"Brothers Osborne" - Brothers Osborne
"Zach Bryan" - Zach Bryan
"Rustin' In the Rain" - Tyler Childers
"Bell Bottom Country" - Lainey Wilson
Best Country Solo Performance:
"In Your Love" - Tyler Childers
"Buried" - Brandy Clark
"Fast Car" - Luke Combs
"The Last Thing on My Mind" - Dolly Parton
"White Horse" - Chris Stapleton
Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
"High Note" - Dierks Bentley Featuring Billy Strings
"Nobody's Nobody" - Brothers Osborne
"I Remember Everything" - Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves
"Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold)" - Vince Gill & Paul Franklin
"Save Me" - Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson
"We Don't Fight Anymore" - Carly Pearce Featuring Chris Stapleton
Best Americana Album:
"Brandy Clark" - Brandy Clark
"The Chicago Sessions" - Rodney Crowell
"You're The One" - Rhiannon Giddens
"Weathervanes" - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
"The Returner" - Allison Russell
Best Rock Album:
"But Here We Are" - Foo Fighters
"Starcatcher" - Greta Van Fleet
"72 Seasons" - Metallica
"This Is Why" - Paramore
"In Times New Roman..." - Queens of The Stone Age
Best Rock Performance:
"Sculptures Of Anything Goes" - Arctic Monkeys
"More Than A Love Song" - Black Pumas
"Not Strong Enough" - Boygenius
"Rescued" - Foo Fighters
"Lux Æterna" - Metallica
Best Alternative Music Album:
"The Car" - Arctic Monkeys
"The Record" - boygenius
"Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd" - Lana Del Rey
"Cracker Island" - Gorillaz
"I Inside The Old Year Dying" - PJ Harvey
"The Source" - Kenny Barron
"Phoenix" - Lakecia Benjamin
"Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn" - Adam Blackstone
"The Winds of Change" - Billy Childs
"Dream Box" - Pat Metheny
Best Latin Pop Album:
"La Cuarta Hoja" - Pablo Alborán
"Beautiful Humans, Vol. 1" - AleMor
"A Ciegas" - Paula Arenas
"La Neta" - Pedro Capó
"Don Juan" - Maluma
"X MÃ (Vol. 1)" - Gaby Moreno
Best Contemporary Blues Album:
"Death Wish Blues" - Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton
"Healing Time" - Ruthie Foster
"Live In London" - Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
"Blood Harmony" - Larkin Poe
"LaVette!" - Bettye LaVette
Best Gospel Album:
"I Love You" - Erica Campbell
"Hymns (Live)" - Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"The Maverick Way" - Maverick City Music
"My Truth" - Jonathan McReynolds
"All Things New: Live in Orlando" - Tye Tribbett
"Born For Greatness" - Buju Banton
"Simma" - Beenie Man
"Cali Roots Riddim 2023" - Collie Buddz
"No Destroyer" - Burning Spear
"Colors Of Royal" - Julian Marley & Antaeus
Best Comedy Album:
"I Wish You Would" - Trevor Noah
"I'm An Entertainer" - Wanda Sykes
"Selective Outrage" - Chris Rock
"Someone You Love" - Sarah Silverman
"What's In a Name?" - Dave Chappelle
Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording:
"Big Tree" - Meryl Streep
"Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder" - William Shatner
"The Creative Act: A Way of Being" - Rick Rubin
"It's Ok to Be Angry About Capitalism" - Senator Bernie Sanders
"The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times" - Michelle Obama
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (includes Film and Television):
"Barbie" - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, composers
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" - Ludwig Göransson, composer
"The Fabelmans" - John Williams, composer
"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" - John Williams, composer
"Oppenheimer" - Ludwig Göransson, composer
Best Song Written for Visual Media:
"Barbie World" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. and Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua)
"Dance the Night" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa)
"I’m Just Ken" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Ryan Gosling)
"Lift Me Up" (from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Music from and Inspired By") - Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Robyn Fenty and Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Rihanna)
"What Was I Made For?" (from "Barbie: The Album") - Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
Songwriter of the Year (Non-Classical):
Edgar Barrera
Jessie Jo Dillon
Shane McAnally
Theron Thomas
Justin Tranter
Producer of the Year (Non-Classical):
Jack Antonoff
Dernst "D’Mile" Emile II
Hit Boy
Metro Boomin
Daniel Nigro
"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.
After her last venture into '80's synth-pop and hard rock and roll with "Plastic Hearts", Miley Cyrus is back with "Endless Summer Vacation", a new collection that falls more into contemporary dance-pop and mellow rock. Cyrus has teamed up with some of today's top hitmakers on this album, collaborating with Greg Kurstin, Justin Tranter, Tobias Jesso Jr. (who won the very first Grammy Award for Songwriter of the Year last month), Mike Will Made It, Sia and Kid Harpoon, the British musician who handled much of the album's production, crafting an album that is an ode to the city of LA with contrasting musical styles that surprisingly work well together. There are guest artists on board as well with Sia, who provides vocals on "Muddy Feet", and Brandi Carlile is featured on "Thousand Miles". Following the first hit single, "Flowers", this latest album from the thirty year old Cyrus has proven to put even more distance between her early days as a perky, Disney pop-star and effectively displays her growth and maturity as a serious musical artist.
Here is a spotlight on some new songs that I like from Usher (which is giving a Prince vibe), RóisÃn Murphy, Mae Stephens and the rally calls of the pretty people from Big Boss Vette and Soulja Boy Tell'em:
And finally, I would like to pay tribute to Bobby Caldwell, the r&b musician who passed away on March 14th at the age of seventy-one. He is best remembered for the 1978 ballad, "What You Won't Do for Love" which has gone on to become an enduring classic. But what was not popularly known at the time, largely because it was never actually publicized and Caldwell was not prominently featured on his first album cover, is that the singer behind this soulful song was actually White. Born in New York but raised in Miami, Caldwell was exposed to a variety of soul and Carribean music which would greatly influence his style when he would turn to becoming a professional musician. His first break came playing rhythm guitar on tour for Little Richard in the early '70's. Caldwell later went on to pursue a solo career, eventually signing with TK Records. As they were a r&b label, his self-titled debut was released with an artist rendering that didn't reveal his face, hoping not to alienate their African-American audience. But they had nothing to worry about as the song (which Caldwell co-wrote with Alfons Kettner) was warmly embraced, reaching number six on the r&b chart and cracking the top-ten on the pop chart. "What You Won't Do" went on to be covered and sampled by many artists over the following years, increasing the popularity of the original version. This would be Caldwell's only significant hit as an artist but would go on to write songs for other musicians, most notably "The Next Time I Fall", a hit for Peter Cetera and Amy Grant in 1986.
Here are the latest videos of singles from P!nk, Miley Cyrus and Chlöe who all have new albums dropping in the next few weeks.
And there is the return of Everything But The Girl, a British electronic band who found their greatest fame in the '90's with the remix of the single, "Missing". After twenty-four years, the duo (that features Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt) have come back together to create some new music with an album, "Fuse" due out in April. The first single, "Nothing Left to Lose" reveals that this band has moved forward with a sound that fits perfectly well in today's musical landscape.
I love how Sam Smith now feels free to openly embrace a queer esthetic without having to fear that it might adversely effect their career. Following their worldwide smash single, "Unholy" with Kim Petras, Smith has released their fourth album, "Gloria". This collection features a myriad of personal expressions and musical textures. They have with returned with two singles from the record, "Gimme", a sexy, Caribbean flavored track that features Jessie Reyez and Jamaican musician, Koffee and "I'm Not Here To Make Friends", a new dance collaboration with Calvin Harris. Both videos for these songs express an unapologetic queer vibe; free-wheeling, decadent and fun.
"80 For Brady" is the upcoming campy comedy that has assembled a cast of legendary actresses; Oscar-winners, Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda, Sally Field and nominee, Lily Tomlin. Based on a true story, these four longtime friends and big New England Patriots fans decide to travel to Houston in order to watch their hero, Tom Brady play in the Super Bowl and they're not going to let not having tickets stop them. And a theme song for the movie written by Diane Warren has put together an equally impressive line-up of veteran singers to sing on the track. Belinda Carlisle, Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper and Dolly Parton have come together on "Gonna Be You". While the song might not be considered that memorable, it is certainly fun to hear this unlikely round-up of ladies performing collectively.
And to close out, here are tributes to a couple of artists we have recently lost. Anita Pointer of the family singing group, The Pointer Sisters passed away on December 31st at the age of seventy-four. She had been struggling with cancer over the last couple of years. Born and raised in Oakland, CA., she and her sisters, June, Bonnie and Ruth, all began performing together professionally in 1972, signing to Blue Thumb Records and releasing their self-titled debut which featured their first hits, "Yes We Can Can" and "Wang Dang Doodle". This r&b group enjoyed further success together before Bonnie decided to leave to pursue a solo career.
Now as a trio, the Pointer Sisters changed musical directions, moving into a pop-rock sound and found even greater success first with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire". More high charting songs followed with "He's So Shy", "Jump (For My Love)", "Slow Hand" and "I'm So Excited". She recorded only one solo album, "Love For What It Is" in 1987. Pointer retired from the group in 2015 and co-wrote a memoir with her brother, Fritz, "Fairytale: The Pointer Sisters' Family Story" which chronicled their family history and career.
Considered one of the greatest guitar players in rock, Jeff Beck died on January 10th from complications of bacterial meningitis. He was seventy-eight. This British musician began his career playing with several bands and was a session guitarist before being offered to join The Yardbirds to replace Eric Clapton based on a reccomendation from Jimmy Page in 1965. Beck didn't stay long yet was a part of the band during their biggest commercial success. He was eventually fired from The Yardbirds due to excessive absences and his firery temper.
In 1967, Beck went on to form his own band, The Jeff Beck Group which included Ronnie Wood on bass and Rod Stewart on vocals. This blues-rock group was another short-lived venture for Beck that produced two successful albums before this line-up disbanded two years later. He would revive the band later with different musicians in the 1970's, recording two more albums. Beck soon began recording as a solo artist, moving into jazz-rock fusion. He had continued to work over the years on his own albums and with other artists, recently collaborating with friend, actor and part-time musician Johnny Depp last year on what would be Beck's final album, "18". During his accomplished career, Beck recorded fourteen studio albums and won eight Grammy awards.
I know I'm not the only one glad to see 2020 come to an end. It was a rough and difficult year in many ways but thankfully we had music to help us get through.
And to bring an official end to 2020, here are a few songs that I loved from last year that I didn't get a chance to highlight:
I have always had a take or leave attitude towards Miley Cyrus, usually leave in most cases. However with the recently dropped single from the twenty-seven year old performer, "Midnight Sky", I really loved the song after the first listen. This sparkling dance-pop track utilizes classic disco (and samples "Edge of Seventeen" from Stevie Nicks) to tell a story about finding inner strength and self-love through challenging times. This is the first single from "She is Miley Cyrus", the long-delayed seventh studio album from the singer which had been postponed due to some personal struggles including her marriage and separation with actor, Liam Hemsworth and the shutdown of the world due to the Coronavirus. There is no exact release date yet for the album.
While Dua Lipa's latest album, "Future Nostalgia" was already dance-floor ready, the British singer decided to take it up another notch. And that has lead to "Club Future Nostalgia", a remix collection of songs from the record that takes them in some interesting new directions. This mixtape forges 1990's house with 2020 pop music and a splash of 1980's soul. The first single released is "Levitating" which was remixed by the DJ, The Blessed Madonna and features Missy Elliott and the Queen of Pop, Madonna. It's been revealed that Mark Ronson will take on the song, "Physical" with Gwen Stefani but no additional info on other tracks has been made available at this time. But the album will be out on August 28th.
Alicia Keys has released another song from her forthcoming album simply called, "Alicia". "So Gone" is a guitar-driven ballad that teams the singer with the young alt-r&b artist, Khalid which results in a thrilling meeting of classic and contemporary soul. I love the music video which features actress, Sasha Lane. The clip, which takes place at a prom with Keys and Khalid as the live entertainment, humorously looks at our youth's obsession with their phones and creating social media content instead of interacting with the people right next to them.
Finally we have another generational musical pairing but this time in country music. The rising alt-country artist from Canada, Orville Peck comes together with fellow Canadian, the legendary, Shaina Twain on the new song, "Legends Never Die". This is the latest track from Peck's recently released EP, "Show Pony" which pays tribute to the style of country music he grew-up listening to and also features a cover of Bobbie Gentry's 1970 classic, "Fancy". The music video cleverly uses social distancing with Peck and Twain performing the song at a drive-in. I love seeing these two over-the-top performers, who never fitted comfortably in the traditional country music format, come together on this great track.
Since I have lived here longer than any other city in my life, Los Angeles is now what I consider home. It has changed quite a bit since I moved here and nothing has been more noticeable than the Hollywood and Downtown areas. When I first arrived, I had visions of a Los Angeles that I had seen in the movies and television. But the city had fallen on rough times by the time I got here with Hollywood filled with dilapidated buildings and hookers standing where movie stars once strolled. And just like what happened with New York City, developers eventually pounced on these rundown areas and have rebuilt them into livable neighborhoods and exciting destinations with new massive buildings continuously rising everyday.
Musicians have always been inspired by the City of Angels, writing songs that would help the world understand the beauty of Los Angeles yet also reveal the darkness that lurks behind the sunshine. The LA Times have put together a playlist of fifty songs which best represents the sound of 21st century Los Angeles. Some are familiar tunes from well-known artists while others are musical musings by more obscure performers. Each song is presented with key lyrics and a little background of the song.
For the soundtrack for the upcoming reboot of "Charlie's Angels", Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey have been impressively assembled for the first single, "Don't Call Me Angel". The ladies co-wrote this empowering track with producers, Max Martin and Ilya and this theme song is clearly inspired by Destiny's Child's "Independent Women" from the first "Charlie's Angels" film. Yet "Don't Call Me Angel" lacks a solid, cohesive sound than that tune. This was surely planned as a thrilling meeting of three of the most idiosyncratic female vocalists in pop music right now but they never seem to be working on the same page. Ms Grande is doing most of the heavy lifting by covering the hook and a verse while Ms Cyrus and Ms Del Rey essentially offer distinctive yet minor backing support. The best part of this collaboration is the music video directed by Hannah Lux Davis and look for the appearance of actress, Elizabeth Banks who directed and acts in the new "Charlie's Angels" feature:
Fresh off his Oscar win for co-writing with Lady Gaga, "Shallow" from the musical-drama, "A Star Is Born", Mark Ronson has returned to creating his own music. "Late Night Feelings" is the British producer/musician's fifth album and he has rounded-up an eclectic group of all female artists to contribute to the project. Some of the talent includes Alicia Keys, Camila Cabello, Angel Olsen and Miley Cyrus who was a part of the first single, "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart", a country-disco track released late last year. The latest single is the title song and features the Swedish vocalist, Lykke Li. It is a shimmering dance track that is elevated by Li's sensual delivery. Look at to the music video for the track and here is Ronson and Cyrus live on "SNL" performing their song:
The one and only Cher was on TheTonight Show With Jimmy Fallon last week which spent the entire show paying tribute and honoring her amazing career. The musical based on her life, "The Cher Show" was recently on Broadway and the three actresses who played her plus the real deal came together to perform one of Cher's biggest hits, "If I Could Turn Back Time". It is an epic battle of the Chers and I'm sure I don't have to tell you who is the victor. Take a look:
I wasn't aware that "country rap" was actually a thing but Lil Nas X, at one point, impressively had his twangy trap tune, "Old Town Road" on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop song charts all at the same time. However, Billboard removed the song from the country chart due to it "not having enough elements of today's country music". This move has ignited a serious conversation about what exactly makes something "country music" and how much did race play a part in this decision to remove the song from the chart? Anyway, Miley's daddy, Billy Ray Cyrus loved the song and teamed-up with Lil Nas X for a remix of the track. Have a listen:
Finally I had heard a song on the radio which I thought was a new Adele single. During further investigation, I was surprised to discover that this song, "You Say" was actually from contemporary Christian singer, Lauren Daigle. This song became her third number one on the Hot Christian Songs chart and Daigle's first crossover pop hit. While I do really like the song and admire the inspirational message, it still bothers me how Ms Daigle copies much of Adele's vocal style and production on this record. I guess that's nothing new in the music business but this is just a little too blatant for my taste. Have a listen and judge for yourself:
Miley Cyrus has certainly caused a little whiplash with her drastic image shifts. She was introduced as the cute "Hannah Montana" character then becoming a more natural, sweet country-rock princess before shocking everyone as a raunchy, pot-smoking provocateur. Now the twenty-four year old singer has evolved once again. With a semi fresh-scrubbed, drug-free persona and leaving hip-hop far behind, Cyrus has returned to her pop-rock roots with a new song, "Malibu". Inspired by a reconnection with her former fiance, actor Liam Hemsworth, the guitar-driven song is about her falling in love again. I really like this and find "Malibu" a refreshing sound for pop radio.
Here are some recent music videos of follow-up songs from artists with new albums on the horizon:
I had mentioned earlier of TLC releasing new music but there is another female r&b group from the '90's also making a comeback. En Vogue, who brought us such hits like "Hold On", "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" and "Don't Let Go (Love)". are back with a new single, "I'm Good". Now down to a trio which includes original members, Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron along with Rhona Bennett, the song may not be as memorable as when they were riding high on the charts but it features a classic soul vibe and their perfect harmonies. En Vogue's seventh studio album, "Electric Cafe", which feature production assistance from Raphael Saadiq and the group's original founders and producers, Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, is due out later this year.
Since when has a MTV Video Music Award been worth fighting over?
First, Nicki Minaj was offended that her video wasn't nominated for Video of The Year (despite earning three other noms) and complained that it was because she wasn't skinny or white enough. Then, Taylor Swift (rightfully assuming Minaj was referring to her) took the bait and publicly defended her honor against the rapper's slam for her receiving a nomination. Recently, this year's host, Miley Cyrus scolded Minaj (through the New York Times, of all places) about her comments while alluding to the performer's well-known unpleasantness.
All this childish drama over nothing has lead to this year's VMAs. It was another spectacle of raunchy irreverence, wacky excess and some old-fashioned weirdness. The one and only Nicki Minaj kicked off the show with a performance of "Trini Dem Girls" and "The Night is Still Young" and guess who made a surprise appearance during the number? The one and only Taylor Swift, proving to the world that they have squashed their fifteen minutes of beef. However, it appears a new one has started after Minaj's win for Best Hip-Hop Video when she calls Cyrus out on stage for her NYT comments. I'm not sure if this bit was staged but if not, I strongly urge Cyrus to watch her flat backside.
The evening had a few other solid musical moments with my favorites include a video recreation on the streets of downtown L.A. by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis of their new single, "Downtown", The Weeknd worked the crowd with a fiery take of his hit, "Can't Feel My Face" and an amped-up version of "Should've Been Us" by rising talent and vocal powerhouse, Tori Kelly. I have never been a fan of Justin Bieber with a performance of his comeback single, "What Do You Mean" and an overly emotional outburst at the end still left me feeling unimpressed. But I will admit that the boy can dance.
And then there was Kanye. He's the recipient of this year's Michael JacksonVideo Vanguard Award and guess who presented the volatile artist with this honor? The one and only Taylor Swift who gave a touching tribute, proving to the world that they're on good terms after the rapper drunkenly interrupted her award victory six years ago. West, who virtually issued a public apology to Swift without ever uttering the words, gave a semi-coherent speech that went on about his career and impact as an artist before ending with an announcement of a future run for president. In the age where Donald Trump is considered a serious candidate, why not?
I nearly got whiplash over the rapid speed of how Miley Cyrus went from a sweet, Disney pop princess to a pot smoking, tongue wagging, profanity-laced, sexually outlandish provocateur. I'm not really buying this act. Her wild antics don't feel organic. I seem to recall when Cyrus mentioned Jay Z in her hit, "Party in The U.S.A.", it was revealed that she had never even heard his music. Now, the hardcore stoner is hanging out with Snoop Dogg and other rappers. The whole thing comes across more like another costume, like her previous Hannah Montana one. Perhaps the real Cyrus falls somewhere in the middle or perhaps we will meet another "Miley Cyrus" sometime down the road.
Our host closed out the show with a extravaganza of a performance. It was a new song (part of a free album that Cyrus is giving away to her most fervent fans) that featured a parade of colorful drag queens made famous on RuPaul's talent show. Although the constant sight of Cyrus' tongue got on my nerves, it was fun, bizarre and over-the-top. Just exactly how you expect an evening of the VMAs to be.
Oh, and Taylor Swift took home Video of The Year, proving to the world that she was actually skinny and white enough to win.
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