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.

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

David Archuleta had seemed to be happy during his time pursuing a music career and getting a jump start by becoming runner-up during the seventh season of "American Idol" back in 2008. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his faith was very important to Archuleta, even putting his rising career as a pop singer on hold while he spent two years as a missionary. But he had also been keeping a secret that he had been struggling with for many years: he was gay. This created a problem for him with the Mormon Church when he finally came out in 2021, eventually feeling he had to leave it behind. Archuleta has continued with his music career, more recently with a desire to perform freely whatever kind of music that personally motivates him and he can have fun with. His latest single, "Crème Brulée" is exactly that, clearly inspired by Sabrina Carpenter's catchy hit, "Espresso" which he had performed live in concert. The music video for this playful song has Archuleta dancing with smooth choreography interchangeably locked with male and female dancers.



Here is a spotlight on some new music: Kendrick Lamar and SZA team up on the single, "Luther" from his album, "GNX" with the video as a short film; "Tonight", the latest from British pop artist, PinkPantheress that is a part of her upcoming mixtape; Lucy Dacus, member of the indie supergroup, Boygenius, has just released her fourth solo album, "Forever is a Feeling" and this is a single from the collection and Kesha is back with new music from her upcoming album, a country/hip-hop hybrid that features T-Pain.

It's not really a great surprise that the romantic relationship between actress/pop singer, Selena Gomez and producer/songwriter, benny blanco would lead to a musical connection between these two. Beginning their love affair a little over two years ago, although they first met working together on music for her second solo album, "Revival" in 2015, this couple, who are engaged, has just released their recent collaboration, "I Said I Love You First", an album filled with songs that focuses on the ending of one relationship and finally finding true love in a new one. Gomez, who stars in the popular series, "Only Murders in the Building" and recently co-starred in the provocative, Oscar-nominated big-screen musical, "Emilia Pérez" and blanco, the pop music creator who has probably worked at some point with every contemporary artist you may know, has brought on board Gracie Abrams, The Marías and J Balvin to appear on their project. Here are a few of my favorite tracks from the album:

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.

MY FAVORITE SONGS OF 2023

This past year in music, it reminded me of a time when I was a strange, awkward teen listening to AM radio in the 1970's. Back then it was common for stations to play all genres of music, tossed together indiscriminately, where it would create the ultimate pop music playlist. Over time, music became much more segregated but largely thanks to TikTok, we had a jumble of various sounds finding their way into our ears; classic soul, hip-hop, country, dance-pop, world music, Latin-pop, a bit of jazz and older music which were tunes that didn't receive much attention when initially released or songs that were popular years ago but have been rediscovered by a new generation. I really love this trend of as I don't believe that most people only listen to one style of music. The possibilities of discovery are endless, making this new year exciting and full of promise.

Here are a few songs that I loved that I didn't get an opportunity to share throughout the year:

2023 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

The 2023 Grammy Award nominations have been announced and women dominate all the major categories with SZA and her sophomore alt-soul release, "SOS" received the most nominations with nine including Album of the Year. Indie rocker, Phoebe Bridgers (which includes her work with boygenius) and r&b vocalist, Victoria Monét each follow with a total of seven nods while Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Miley Cyrus, all received six.

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

Record of the Year:

"Worship" - Jon Batiste
"Not Strong Enough" - boygenius
"Flowers" - Miley Cyrus
“What Was I Made For?" - Billie Eilish
"On My Mama" - Victoria Monét
"Vampire" - Olivia Rodrigo
"Anti-Hero" - Taylor Swift

Song of the Year:

"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)

Best New Artist:

Coco Jones
Gracie Abrams
Fred Again..
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Noah Kahan
Victoria Monét
The War and Treaty

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"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

Best R&B Album:

"Girls Night Out" - Babyface
"What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe)" - Coco Jones
"Special Occasion" - Emily King
"Jaguar II" - Victoria Monét
"Clear 2: Soft Life EP" - Summer Walker

Best R&B Performance:

"Summer Too Hot" - Chris Brown
"Back To Love" - Robert Glasper Featuring SiR & Alex Isley
"ICU" - Coco Jones
"How Does It Make You Feel" - Victoria Monét
"Kill Bill" - SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance:

"Simple" - Babyface Featuring Coco Jones
"Lucky" - Kenyon Dixon
"Hollywood" - Victoria Monét Featuring Earth, Wind & Fire & Hazel Monét
"Good Morning" - PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol
"Love Language" - SZA

Best Rap Album:

"Her Loss" - Drake & 21 Savage
"Michael" - Killer Mike
"Heroes & Villains" - Metro Boomin
"King's Disease III" - Nas
"Utopia" - Travis Scott

Best Rap Performance:

"The Hillbillies" - Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
"Love Letter" - Black Thought
"Rich Flex" - Drake & 21 Savage
"Scientists & Engineers" - "Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane
"Players" - Coi Leray

Best Melodic Rap Performance:

"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

Best Jazz Vocal Album:

"For Ella 2" - Patti Austin Featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
"Alive At The Village Vanguard" - Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding
"Lean In" - Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke
"Mélusine" - Cécile McLorin Salvant
"How Love Begins" - Nicole Zuraitis

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:

"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 Mí (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

Best Global Music Album:

"Epifanías" - Susana Baca
"History" - Bokanté
"I Told Them..." - Burna Boy
"Timeless" - Davido
"This Moment" - Shakti

Best Reggae Album:

"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

MY FAVORITE SONGS OF 2022

The one thing that became undeniably clear in 2022 is that record labels no longer held carte blanche over what would become a hit song. With TikTok now a dominant force in many people's lives, the app is now the go-to platform to introduce new music through creative clips, dance challenges, established artists leaking demos and aspiring musicians sharing their tracks.

And once TikTok decides a song is hot, the rest of the world tends to follow with shocking speed. Even songs from the past can be revived on the app (with Kate Bush's 1985 single, "Running Up That Hill" as the year's greatest example), becoming wildly popular once again but to a whole new generation of listeners. I think It's great that everyone has a fair shot at getting their music heard on their terms and be able to have a hit outside of the standard music industry that have long held control. However I am also concerned that this type of fast success without much professional guidance will make it even harder for musicians to establish a long-term career that will become substantial and lucrative for them.

I've been sharing songs that I loved throughout last year but here are some (largely TikTok hits) of my favorites that I didn't get a chance:

NEW SOUNDS

SZA

After teasing the track way back in late 2020 and Spotify apparently released the song prematurely a few weeks ago before pulling it back, SZA has officially dropped her latest single, "Shirt". With production and co-writing with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and "Freaky" Rob Gueringer, SZA delivers a smooth ballad about missing her former love and willing to fight his new woman, leaving a trace of her blood on her shirt. The music video is a mini-movie with veteran video director, Dave Meyers behind the camera and actor, LaKeith Stanfield making an appearance. With offbeat, artful visuals, this violent clip is about lovers on a crime spree, leaving several bloody bodies in their wake. And at the end during the credits, SZA teases a brief sample of another song which she revealed is called "Blind". It would seem like a new album should be on the horizon but it's been over five years since her debut was released so it's clear that SZA will only deliver the record when she feels it's ready.



RIHANNA

People have been losing their minds waiting for new music from Rihanna and after almost seven years, the wait is finally over. However, it is not the first single off a forthcoming new album but a song for the soundtrack to "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", the long-awaited sequel to one of the biggest superhero movies of all time. "Lift Me Up", one of two songs she contributed to the album, is a haunting, mournful ballad that will express a feeling that appears to be part of the plot for the film. The actor, Chadwick Boseman, who played Black Panther, passed away in 2020 from cancer and he was not recast, leaving his absence to be explained in the movie. Since it's been announced that Rihanna will be the performer for this year's Super Bowl half -time show, I have a feeling that an actual new album from the Barbadian pop superstar will appear sooner rather than later.

And to add to the holiday theme of Halloween, Rina Sawayama has released a video for her song, "Frankenstein" from her second album, "Hold The Girl". The British artist reveals how she wants a lover to rebuild her to a better version of herself, no longer wanting to be a monster. The video is set at a wild party and features some dance moves that have a vibe straight out of Michael Jackson's now classic creepy clip, "Thriller".

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

The US Supreme Court's recent overturning of Roe V. Wade has left many Americans frustrated and angry. This disturbing turn of events has inspired many artists to creatively express their feelings about this decision, some through music. Pink had tweeted strongly worded opinions regarding this reversal of abortion rights, then was told by some online trolls to just "shut-up and sing". So the singer promptly went and did just that, writing "Irrelevant" with Ian Fitchuk who produced the track. This protest song pushes back against people telling her that as a woman or entertainer, her thoughts and opinions are not important and feels she has every right to be heard. The music video for "Irrelevant" visually displays various protests from many different movements, ranging from civil rights, LGBTQ, #MeToo as well as a call to end gun violence.

Billie Eilish was in the middle of her world tour in support of her second album, "Happier Than Ever", performing in Manchester, England when she received word of the Supreme Court's decision. She had debuted a new song, "TV" during the concert, which had been written with her brother, Finneas O'Connell. They had written part of the song earlier and after Roe V. Wade was overturned, "TV" was completed to include their distressed thoughts about what has happened to women's rights. The song was recorded along with another new track, "The 30th" but instead of waiting until the next album, they were promptly released as an EP, "Guitar Songs".



Here is a collection of some new music from some of my favorite artists:

And a tribute to William "Poogie" Hart, the smooth lead vocalist for the soul group, The Delfonics who has passed away on July 14th at the age of seventy-seven. With his brother, Wilbert Hart and Randy Cain, the trio enjoyed their biggest success during the late 1960's and early 1970's with the hit singles, "La-La (Means I Love You)", "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)" and "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)". Founding member "Poogie" Hart (who had co-written many of the band's songs with their producer, Thom Bell, one of the creators of the "Philadelphia soul" sound) had continued performing with The Delfonics over the years, most recently in 2020.

MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IN MUSIC 2021

Another year has come and gone and during that time, I have shared the music that I have loved throughout. Here is a small collection of songs that were some of my favorites that I didn't get a chance to highlight:

STILL OVER IT

The Atlanta born and raised, Summer Walker is one of the hottest artists in r&b at this moment. Her debut album, "Over It" in 2019 first brought her international attention with the help of the singles, "Playing Games", "Stretch You Out", "Come Thru" and a remix of "Girls Need Love" that featured Drake. The album found it's way on several Best Albums of the Year critic's lists, won Best Album at the 2020 Soul Train Music Awards, was the most streamed album by a female artist on Apple Music and would go on to sell over two million copies in the U.S.

Now the twenty-five year old singer has released a direct follow-up, "Still Over It", another solid collection of contemporary soul with touches of '90's hip-hop and trap running through her sound. The focus of this record is the end of her relationship with London on da Track, an artist and producer on her debut which happened not long after giving birth to their daughter. Through each song, Walker makes it clear that she's not one to mess with and unwilling to put up with any nonsense. There is an impressive line-up of performers (which includes Cardi B, JT of City Girls, SZA, Ari Lennox, Pharrell Williams, Omarion, and Ciara) and producers who have contributed to the album. And most impressively, "Still Over It" debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 Album chart. Here are a few of my favorite tracks from the reigning queen of r&b, Summer Walker:

RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

Rina Sawayama and her 2020 debut album, "Sawayama" was critically acclaimed yet this amazing record still didn't get nearly enough attention by the public that it deserved. But there was one famous fan who was paying close attention: Elton John proclaimed Rina's pop album was one of his favorites of the year. And that lead to a friendship between the two British performers and now a musical collaboration. The veteran artist teamed-up with the thirty year old vocalist for a cover of a track off her album, "Chosen Family". This stripped down version details the importance of having the support of people who may not be related to you but are just as close as any biological family member, something of great significance particularly to queer people.



Here are a few new songs I'm enjoying right now I would like to share:

Indie rocker, Liz Phair decided to create her own path to making music after returning to her family home in Chicago after failing in an attempt to enter the business in San Francisco. Beginning with her 1993 debut, "Exile in Guyville", Fair became a critical darling and a fixture of the modern rock scene. And while Phair has been busy touring and working on projects, she had not released any new music in almost eleven years. That is about to change with the announcement of her upcoming seventh studio album, "Soberish", due out in June, and the first single, "Spanish Doors". The album was inspired by music of the singer's youth which included the sounds of 1980's new wave and art rock. "Spanish Doors" looks at when someone's perfect life comes apart, leaving them unsure of who they are anymore. 

HIT DIFFERENT

It's been four years since the release of the debut album, "Ctrl" from alt-r&b artist, SZA. The record was met with universal acclaim and placed a spotlight on an exciting new talent. And while she's made several guest appearances on records by other performers (most notably with Maroon 5 on 2017's "What Lovers Do" and teaming up with Kendrick Lamar on the top-ten hit, "All The Stars" for the "Black Panther" soundtrack which also was nominated for a Best Original Song Oscar), we have been waiting for new music from the singer born Solána Rowe.

SZA had also been frustrated, publicly grumbling recently about the hold-up of her follow-up album from her label, Top Dawg Entertainment which had announced the record's release back in 2019. But now a new song has just materialized called "Hit Different" and that certainly describes this track. Written by SZA, Rob Bisel, Ty Dolla Sign (who also performs on the tune) along with the track's producers, The Neptunes, the song rides a sensual yet choppy beat, which deals with a dysfunctional love affair that she just can't end.

There is also a music video for "Hit Different" directed by SZA that is a striking visual wonder. The clip features the singer seen in a several settings (in a junkyard and a farm surrounded by animals) while performing slick choreography with dancers while wearing various sexy and stylish outfits. But there are also shots of SZA covered in blood like some sort of new-born embryo. Then almost near the end of the video, we are briefly introduced to another song, a smooth ballad. What does it all mean? Who knows and who cares as it all looks and sounds great. I know I can't wait to hear more from SZA.

NEW SOUNDS

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Justin Timberlake provided his voice for a character in the 2016 animated feature, "Trolls" and contributed a smash hit single, "Can't Stop The Feeling!" for the soundtrack. Now for the forthcoming sequel, "Trolls World Tour" (due in U.S. theaters on April 10th), Timberlake is back in the movie and has dropped a new single for the soundtrack. "The Other Side" is a bold, funky pop track that has the singer teaming with SZA (who we are still anxiously awaiting her follow-up to her 2017 debut album). This is a fine return to form after venturing out in to a Southern Americana sound with his last album, "Man of The Woods".



DIXIE CHICKS

After fourteen long years, the country music trio, Dixie Chicks have finally come back together to release new music. With Jack Antonoff on board as producer and co-writer, Natalie Maines and sisters, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire have re-teamed to deliver "Gaslighter", the first single and title track of their upcoming eighth studio album. This catchy ditty seems to have been clearly inspired by Maines' recent ugly divorce from actor, Adrian Pasdar with implications of lying and emotional abuse. The album, which is due in May, is said to combine the band's early bluegrass music with the more countrified pop sound of their later records.



KATY PERRY

Katy Perry has delivered to us a new song, "Never Worn White". This lovely ballad (co-written with producer, Johan Carlsson) is about never before having the opportunity to wear wedding white but is ready to do so now with the man she truly loves. And if that man was Orlando Bloom, who would say no?  The music video for the song has Perry glowing and looking beautiful covered in flowers and in a long, flowing gown. And there is a message at the end of the clip which Perry reveals that she's has an upcoming joyful delivery.

32 ANTICIPATED ALBUMS IN 2020

Now that we are into the new year, it's time to look at some of the upcoming new music that is expected in 2020. In the first few weeks, we had new albums from Halsey, Selena Gomez and a posthumous release from Mac Miller. And Vulture has done a rundown of other artists who are supposed to release some long-awaited new music throughout the year. This includes some big names who have been promising something for awhile yet nothing has materialized to date. This includes Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, The Dixie Chicks, SZA, Adele and Rihanna to name just a few.

Please click below to read the article:

32 Anticipated New Albums in 2020

2019 OSCAR NOMINEES FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG

With the Kevin Hart hosting scandal creating some unwanted attention to this year’s Oscars, the Academy have found themselves in another mess but this time it appears to be of their own making. A rumor surfaced that the telecast would only invite two of the five Best Original Song nominees to perform (with the two being the pop hits from Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga). The issue intensified when the Academy did not deny this was accurate which created swift backlash. Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted to the Academy his unhappiness with this plan and reminded them the importance of hearing all of the nominees on the program. I agree completely with Mr Miranda that the songs have always been an enjoyable part of the Oscars and feel strongly that you should either invite all or no one. I think it’s rude and disrespectful to the nominees to be picking and choosing who gets to perform on the show.

But it seems the Academy have come to their senses (and apparently with a little nudge from Lady Gaga) and announced that all the five Original Songs will be performed live although in a shorter 90 second format. I’m not sure yet what is worse.

So that means we will see Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper recreating their moment in the movie, "A Star Is Born" with "Shallow"; Jennifer Hudson performing "I'll Fight", the theme song for the smash documentary, "RBG" about Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg which was written by Diane Warren who has received her tenth nomination in this category (and most likely to lose for the tenth time); David Rawlings and Gillian Welch, the writers of the song, "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" from the Coen Brothers' western comedy, "The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs", will sing their nominated tune and a "Surprise Special Guest" will perform the song from "Mary Poppins Returns", "The Place Where Lost Things Go" since actress, Emily Blunt, who sang the song in the movie, declined. There is no official word yet if Kendrick Lamar and SZA will appear to perform their hit song, "All The Stars" from "Black Panther". As for the winner, I think "Shallow" has a slight edge to take the Oscar but my personal choice would be "All The Stars". But we will see on February 24th when the 91st Annual Academy Awards will be presented. Here are all five Best Original Song nominees for your listening pleasure:

"All The Stars" from "Black Panther": Music by Kendrick Lamar, Mark “Sounwave” Spears and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith; Lyric by Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith



"I'll Fight" from "RBG": Music and Lyric by Diane Warren



"The Place Where Lost Things Go" from "Mary Poppins Return": Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyric by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman



"Shallow" from "A Star Is Born": Music and Lyric by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt



"When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings" from "The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs": Music and Lyric by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

25 SONGS THAT TELL US WHERE MUSIC IS GOING

With each generation, pop music has reflected the mood, attitude and spirit of the times while in the process, provide the perfect soundtrack to their memories. For their annual music issue, New York Times magazine has once again selected 25 songs they think best tell us where music is heading. These songs represent topics and sounds that ideally express the current state of the world and perhaps, shaping what's to come. Some of these tunes come from well-established artists (Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift) and cult figures (Lana Del Rey, Tracey Thorn, Perfume Genius) but most are emerging musicians who have already sparked interest (Camila Cabello, SZA, Cardi B) and those who are sure to eventually do so (Young Fathers, Big Shaq, DJ Taye). Their songs cover subjects that are hardly new: love and loss; success and failure; feminism and femininity; addiction and recovery. But they communicate their ideas in a way that is darker, gaudier and just plain weirder then people may be used to hearing, making these tunes all the more thrilling.

Here are a few of my favorites from the songs selected but click below to read the article:

25 Songs That Tell Us Where Music Is Going

BLACK PANTHER: THE ALBUM

Unless you were living uncomfortably under a rock over this past weekend, then you must be aware that the Afrocentric super-hero movie, "Black Panther" had one of the biggest four-day openings in movie history with it accumulating domestically $242 million dollars. I saw it and it was fantastic but what I'm going to talk about here is the incredible soundtrack album for the film with director Ryan Coogler selecting one of the hottest and most inventive musical artists right now, Kendrick Lamar to curate the music. Originally, Lamar was only going to provide a few songs for the film but after viewing extensive footage, he wanted to become more involved in the creation of the music. The album features songs that are in "Black Panther" and were inspired by the movie and includes an interesting selection of contemporary hip-hop and r&b artists such as Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Khalid, Vince Staples and Jorja Smith. There has been three singles released to date with Lamar teaming up with Jay Rock, Future and James Blake on "King's Dead", the Weeknd is featured on "Pray For Me" and my favorite has SZA providing a dazzling hook for him on "All The Stars".  While this collection works impressively on it own, it does the job by experimenting with sounds and textures, beautifully enhancing the rhythmic energy of this film.

MY FAVORITE MOMENTS IN MUSIC IN 2017

2017 has come to a close and it was another year of some great music. I've always shared the tunes that I've loved and enjoyed throughout the year but time didn't permit me to get to everything. So to end 2017 properly, here's a round-up of a few of my favorite songs and videos from the previous year I didn't get a chance to share:



"HUMBLE" - Kendrick Lamar (2017) mp3

"High" - Ledisi (2017) mp3

"Stay" - Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (2017) mp3

"Feel It Still" - Portugal. The Man (2017) mp3



"Shining" - DJ Khaled featuring Beyoncé and Jay Z (2017) mp3

"Sorry Not Sorry" - Demi Lovato (2017) mp3











"Now or Never" - Halsey (2017) mp3

2017 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

On the sixtieth year of honoring the best in all genres of music, the Grammy Awards seems to have finally presented a list of nominations that comes closest to representing the music that many people are actually listening to. Hip-hop, rap and alt-r&b, which has been the driving force in popular music for at least the last ten years, has actually made a significant and long overdue dent in the major categories. Jay Z leads with the most nominations with eight for "4:44". the rap artist's response to his wife,  Beyoncé's album of pain, betrayal and infidelity, "Lemonade", including Album of The Year. Kendrick Lamar's critically acclaimed, "DAMN." follows with seven while Bruno Mars received six nominations for his tasty slice of classic soul, "24K Magic" with both also vying for the best album of 2017. Lorde's long-awaited follow-up album, "Melodrama" and Childish Gambino, otherwise known as actor, Donald Glover, and his collection of psychedelic funk, "Awaken, My Love" (which received five nominations) round out the Album of The Year category. Two young performers, Khalid and SZA, who both represent thrilling new directions for r&b music, each received five nominations and competing against each other for Best New Artist along with Alessia Cara, Julia Michaels and Lil Uzi Vert.

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards will be televised live on January 28, 2018 at New York City's Madison Square Garden. This is the first time the ceremony has been held in the Big Apple in fifteen years and James Corden will once again serve as host.

Here is a partial list of the nominations for the 60th annual Grammy Awards. For the complete list of nominees, please click below:

Grammy.com

Album of the Year:

“Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino
"4:44" — Jay-Z
"DAMN." — Kendrick Lamar
"Melodrama" — Lorde
"24K Magic" — Bruno Mars

Record of the Year:

"Redbone" — Childish Gambino
"Despacito" — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
"The Story Of O.J." — Jay-Z
"HUMBLE." — Kendrick Lamar
"24K Magic" — Bruno Mars

Song of the Year:

"Despacito"— Ramón Ayala, Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Erika Ender, Luis Fonsi & Marty James Garton, songwriters (Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber)
"4:44" — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)
"Issues" — Benny Blanco, Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Julia Michaels & Justin Drew Tranter, songwriters (Julia Michaels)
"1-800-273-8255" — Alessia Caracciolo, Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, Arjun Ivatury & Khalid Robinson, songwriters (Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid)
"That’s What I Like" — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Best New Artist:

Alessia Cara
Khalid
Lil Uzi Vert
Julia Michaels
SZA

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Love So Soft" — Kelly Clarkson
"Praying" — Kesha
"Million Reasons" — Lady Gaga
"What About Us" — P!nk
"Shape Of You" — Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Something Just Like This" — The Chainsmokers & Coldplay
"Despacito" — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
"Thunder" — Imagine Dragons
"Feel It Still" — Portugal. The Man
"Stay" — Zedd & Alessia Cara

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:

"Nobody But Me" (Deluxe Version) — Michael Bublé
"Triplicate" — Bob Dylan
"In Full Swing" — Seth MacFarlane
"Wonderland" — Sarah McLachlan
"Tony Bennett Celebrates 90" —  Various Artists

Best Pop Vocal Album:

"Kaleidoscope" EP — Coldplay
"Lust For Life" — Lana Del Rey
"Evolve" — Imagine Dragons
"Rainbow" — Kesha
"Joanne" — Lady Gaga

Best Dance Recording:

"Bambro Koyo Ganda" — Bonobo Featuring Innov Gnawa
"Cola" — Camelphat & Elderbrook
"Andromeda"— Gorillaz Featuring DRAM
"Tonite" — LCD Soundsystem
"Line Of Sight" — Odesza Featuring WYNNE & Mansionair

Best Dance/Electronic Album:

"Migration" — Bonobo
"3-D The Catalogue" — Kraftwerk
"Mura Masa" — Mura Masa
"A Moment Apart" — Odesza
"What Now" — Sylvan Esso

Best Rock Performance:

"You Want It Darker" — Leonard Cohen
"The Promise" — Chris Cornell
"Run" — Foo Fighters
"No Good" — Kaleo
"Go To War" — Nothing More

Best Rock Song:

"Atlas, Rise!" — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica)
"Blood In The Cut" — JT Daly & Kristine Flaherty, songwriters (K.Flay)
“Go To War” — Ben Anderson, Jonny Hawkins, Will Hoffman, Daniel Oliver, David Pramik & Mark Vollelunga, songwriters (Nothing More)
"Run" — Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
"The Stage" — Zachary Baker, Brian Haner, Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward & Brooks Wackerman, songwriters (Avenged Sevenfold)

Best Rock Album:

"Emperor Of Sand" — Mastodon
"Hardwired…To Self-Destruct" — Metallica
"The Stories We Tell Ourselves" — Nothing More
"Villains" — Queens Of The Stone Age
"A Deeper Understanding" — The War On Drugs

Best Alternative Music Album:

"Everything Now" — Arcade Fire
"Humanz" — Gorillaz
"American Dream" — LCD Soundsystem
"Pure Comedy" — Father John Misty
"Sleep Well Beast" — The National

Best R&B Performance:

"Get You" — Daniel Caesar Featuring Kali Uchis
"Distraction" — Kehlani
"High" — Ledisi
"That’s What I Like" — Bruno Mars
"The Weekend" — SZA

Best Traditional R&B Performance:

"Laugh And Move On" — The Baylor Project
"Redbone" — Childish Gambino
"What I’m Feelin'" — Anthony Hamilton Featuring The Hamiltones|
"All The Way" — Ledisi
"Still" — Mali Music

Best R&B Song:

"First Began" — PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton)
"Location" — Alfredo Gonzalez, Olatunji Ige, Samuel David Jiminez, Christopher McClenney, Khalid Robinson & Joshua Scruggs, songwriters (Khalid)
"Redbone" — Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)
"Supermodel" — Tyran Donaldson, Terrence Henderson, Greg Landfair Jr., Solana Rowe & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (SZA)
"That’s What I Like" — Christopher Brody Brown, James Fauntleroy, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Ray Charles McCullough II, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus & Jonathan Yip, songwriters (Bruno Mars)

Best Urban Contemporary Album:

"Free 6LACK" — 6LACK
"Awaken, My Love!" — Childish Gambino
"American Teen" — Khalid
"Ctrl" — SZA
"Starboy" — The Weeknd

Best R&B Album:

"Freudian" — Daniel Caesar
"Let Love Rule" — Ledisi
"24K Magic" — Bruno Mars
"Gumbo" — PJ Morton
"Feel The Real" –Musiq Soulchild

Best Rap Performance:

"Bounce Back" — Big Sean
"Bodak Yellow" — Cardi B
"4:44" — Jay-Z
"HUMBLE." — Kendrick Lamar
"Bad And Boujee" — Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert

Best Rap/Sung Performance:

"PRBLMS" — 6LACK
"Crew" — Goldlink Featuring Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy
"Family Feud" — Jay-Z Featuring Beyoncé
"LOYALTY." — Kendrick Lamar Featuring Rihanna
"Love Galore" — SZA Featuring Travis Scott

Best Rap Song:

"Bodak Yellow" — Dieuson Octave, Klenord Raphael, Shaftizm, Jordan Thorpe, Washpoppin & J White, songwriters (Cardi B)
"Chase Me" — Judah Bauer, Brian Burton, Hector Delgado, Jaime Meline, Antwan Patton, Michael Render, Russell Simins & Jon Spencer, songwriters (Danger Mouse Featuring Run The Jewels & Big Boi)
"HUMBLE." — Duckworth, Asheton Hogan & M. Williams II, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
"Sassy" — Gabouer & M. Evans, songwriters (Rapsody)
"The Story Of O.J." — Shawn Carter & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z)

Best Rap Album:

"4:44" — Jay-Z
"DAMN." — Kendrick Lamar
"Culture" — Migos
"Laila’s Wisdom" — Rapsody
"Flower Boy" — Tyler, The Creator

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Body Like A Back Road" — Sam Hunt
"Losing You" –Alison Krauss
"Tin Man" — Miranda Lambert
"I Could Use A Love Song" — Maren Morris
"Either Way" — Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:

"It Ain’t My Fault" — Brothers Osborne
"My Old Man" — Zac Brown Band
"You Look Good" — Lady Antebellum
"Better Man" — Little Big Town
"Drinkin’ Problem" — Midland

Best Country Song:

"Better Man" — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Little Big Town)
"Body Like A Back Road" — Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Sam Hunt)
"Broken Halos" — Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
"Drinkin’ Problem" — Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne & Mark Wystrach, songwriters (Midland)
"Tin Man" — Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

Best Country Album:

"Cosmic Hallelujah" — Kenny Chesney
"Heart Break" — Lady Antebellum
"The Breaker" — Little Big Town
"Life Changes" — Thomas Rhett
"From A Room: Volume 1" — Chris Stapleton

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media:

"Baby Driver" — (Various Artists)
"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2" — (Various Artists)
"Hidden Figures: The Album" — (Various Artists)
"La La Land" — (Various Artists)
"Moana: The Songs" — (Various Artists)

Best Song Written For Visual Media:

"City Of Stars" — Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, songwriters (Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone)
"How Far I’ll Go" — Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Auli’i Cravalho)
"I Don’t Wanna Live Forever ("Fifty Shades Darker")" — Jack Antonoff, Sam Dew & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Zayn & Taylor Swift)
"Never Give Up" — Sia Furler & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Sia)
"Stand Up For Something" — Common & Diane Warren, songwriters (Andra Day Featuring Common)

Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical):

Calvin Harris
Greg Kurstin
Blake Mills
No I.D.
The Stereotypes

Best Music Video:

"Up All Night" — Beck
"Makeba" — Jain
"The Story Of O.J." — Jay-Z
"HUMBLE." — Kendrick Lamar
"1-800-273-8255" — Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid