First I will start off with some new music from alt-pop performers with some intriguing music videos:
I have never actually seen "Later with Jools Holland" but I have heard of the BBC Two music program. I grew up watching "American Bandstand", "Soul Train", "Solid Gold", "The Midnight Special" and a proud member of the MTV generation so I actually miss a show dedicated to spotlighting music. Holland, a musician and an original member of the band, Squeeze, has been hosting his late-night show since 1992 and it features a mixture of established and new performers of world and pop music. I have seen clips of several live performances over time on YouTube and I'm looking back to spotlight two distinctive British acts who came to fame in the 1990's; the trip-hop band, Portishead with "Glory Box" and the alt-rock musician, PJ Harvey doing "Down by the Water":
June is Pride month which celebrates the LGBTQI+ communities. Here is some new music from Hayley Kiyoko, Jake Shears, Cynthia Erivo (with the first single from her upcoming debut studio album) and Boys Noize (that features Shears) with music videos that embraces queer themes.
And there is the latest from Todrick Hall with "Rainin' Fellas", his 21st Century spin on the 1982 dance classic, "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls. The song is campy fun and proudly queer with a music video that pushes the boundaries (and show us how far we have come) that features wet, naked, dancing men in high heels, drag queens as back-up singers and we even have Lance Bass making a brief appearance. It couldn't possibly get any gayer than this.
After a bit of teasing, an unplanned leak and some surprisingly provocative cover art, Lorde has officially released her new single, "Solar Power". This is the title track for the twenty-four year old New Zealand musician's upcoming third studio album with currently no set release date.
Working again with the busy Jack Antonoff (who co-wrote and produced "Solar Power"), this low-key yet offbeat song feels far more carefree and relaxed than her previous work. The music video takes the summery vibe even further with Lorde, in a bright yellow halter and skirt, dancing around like a manic tour guide at a beach resort.
Usually displaying an image that is dark and intense, she comes across now much lighter and more playful than we have previously seen from the young singer. There's also been some chatter about Lorde's song sounding a little like George Michael’s "Freedom 90". But I don't hear it despite trying really hard to find the similarities. Anyway, this is a very welcome return and can't wait to hear more from Lorde.
When the British vocalist, Celeste recently appeared on this year's Academy Awards show to perform her nominated song, "Hear My Voice" she had co-written for the film, "The Trial of the Chicago 7", this was her major appearance on these shores. But she had already made a big impact in her home country and throughout Europe with her first album, "Not Your Muse", debuting at number one in the UK earlier in the year. The twenty-seven old singer received nominations for Best New Artist and Album of the Year at the 2021 Brit Awards.
Born Celeste Epiphany Waite in Culver City, CA. to a British mother working as a make-up artist and a Jamaican father who had recently moved to the US. But after her parents separated when she was three, Celeste moved to the UK with her mother. As she was growing up, Celeste was interested in ballet and music, particularly classic soul and jazz. By the time she was teenager, music had become very important to her, writing songs and performing with several bands. And after graduating from high school, Celeste began her pursuit of a professional music career.
Celeste first gained attention with the song she wrote called "Daydreaming". This ballad was released as a single in 2016 under pop-star, Lily Allen's record label. This lead to an EP, "The Milk and The Honey" the following year. With her vocals being compared to everyone from Billie Holiday to Adele, this made people pay attention and they quickly discovered that Celeste had her own distinctive sound. She signed with Polydor Records, releasing several singles and another EP, "Lately" in 2019. Buzz continued to build around Celeste and when Elton John added two of her songs to his Apple Music playlist, people began to actively seek out the young singer.
Finally, Celeste's debut was released in January (with most songs written by the singer and musician/producer, Jamie Hartman) and the singles, "Strange", "Stop This Flame", "A Little Love" and "Love Is Back" helped make the album a big success. She has hasn't received much attention in this country yet but I have a feeling Celeste will be a name and voice we will be hearing from here very soon. Here are a few highlights of the music from this dynamic vocalist:
With the pandemic finally moving behind us and the ability to reconnect with other people, face to maskless face, on the horizon, music will be playing an important part of the upcoming hot weather season. And what will be the ultimate song of the summer? That is the big question and Vulture has created a guide on what new music we will be listening to and what we can possibly (hopefully) expect to hear. The list is separated by upcoming releases that have been confirmed (Billie Eilish, Prince, BTS, Lana Del Rey) and potentially coming soon (the usual suspects, Adele, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar and Drake) . And there is a listing of all of the live music festivals (remember those??) happening throughout the summer.
BJ Thomas, a pop and country singer most famous for the Oscar-winning song, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", has passed away today at the age of seventy-eight. Thomas had been diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer earlier this year in March.
Born Billy Joe Thomas in Hugo, OK, he grew up in and around Houston, TX. He began singing in his church choir as a teen before joining a country group, The Triumphs. In 1966, the band signed with Pacemaker Records and had a big hit with a cover of Hank Williams' song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry".
Thomas later signed with Scepter Records as a solo artist and released his debut, "On My Way" in 1968. The album was a moderate success, featuring the singles, "The Eyes of a New York Woman" and "Hooked On a Feeling" which reached number five on the pop charts (although the Swedish band, Blue Swede's 1974 version would become better known).
The following year, Thomas was approached by Burt Bacharach and Hal David to record a song they had written for the film, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" would stay at number one on the US pop charts for four weeks, seven weeks atop the adult contemporary chart and Billboard ranked it the number four song of 1970. Thomas would have another number one hit in 1975 with "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song".
After this hit, the singer turned to recording contemporary Christian music with the 1976 album, "Home Where I Belong" which went on to sell over a million copies. During the 1980's, Thomas began to perform country music, releasing several albums and had two number one singles on the country charts with "Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love" and "New Looks from an Old Lover". And you might recognize his voice on the theme song for the television sitcom, "Growing Pains" with the song, "As Long as We Got Each Other" which was done solo and as duets with Jennifer Warnes and Dusty Springfield (!).
The newest single from the British rock group, Coldplay is "Higher Power". The band, made up of lead guitarist, Jonny Buckland, bassist, Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and vocalist and pianist, Chris Martin, teamed-up with the renowned Swedish producer of pop, Max Martin to work with them on the track. And while the song might seem to have a religious angle, "Higher Power" was actually inspired by intergalactic ideas involving astronauts and the possibilities of life outside of our planet. The music video features hologram aliens dancing along with the band and was first transmitted to astronaut, Thomas Pesquet aboard the International Space Station to view before anyone on Earth. "Higher Power" is the first release from Coldplay's upcoming ninth studio album with no title or release date available at this time.
NICKI MINAJ
Nicki Minaj released her third mixtape, "Beam Me Up Scotty" in 2009, becoming a game changer for the aspiring hip-hop performer. After deciding she was spending more time on her image than her music, Minaj went to work to change that, focusing on the songs and enlisting guest appearances from some big names in the game: Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane and Drake to name just a few. And this plan worked out quite well for the artist, receiving critical acclaim and a song, "I Get Crazy" reaching the top-forty on the Hip-Hop and R&B charts. Minaj's debut album, "Pink Friday" soon followed and the rest is history.
Now to celebrate this breakthrough, "Beam Me Up Scotty" has been re-released, rearranged and contains three new tracks. Two of those songs, "Seeing Green" (which uses a sample of Heather Headley's "In My Mind" and features Lil Wayne and Drake) and "Fractions" have been getting some play.
P!NK
One musical artist who defies categorization is P!nk. The now forty-one year old performer has been making music since 2000, beginning with her successful R&B-influenced pop debut album, "Can't Take Me Home". After pushing back against her label trying to mold her in the image of a "pop princess" and wanting to take creative control of her sound, she teamed-up with 4 Non Blondes singer, Linda Perry and released the pop-rock follow-up, "Missundaztood" which made her a star on her own terms. Since then P!nk has covered alt-rock, folk and country with her distinctive soulful and gritty voice.
P!nk recently received the 2021 Billboard Music Award for Top Touring Artist and performed live on the show a brief concert of a few of her hits. The singer has just released a new backstage concert documentary, "All I Know So Far" from her 2019 tour of Europe. And there is a companion live album which features a new title track song. "All I Know So Far" (co-written with Justin Paul and Benj Pasek with production by Greg Kurstin) was inspired to offer loving words of advice to her nine year old daughter, Willow. The music video for the song is a short film that features P!nk's family (including husband, Carey Hart and son, Jameson), actress, Judith Light and the one and only, Cher.
And the mother and daughter have already reached the pop charts together with "Cover Me With Sunshine", a song released in February they shared as a duet that found success across the globe.
Tawny Kitaen was an actress who appeared notably in the 1984 comedy, "Bachelor Party" (a film that helped launch Tom Hanks) but it was her numerous appearances dancing in music videos for the heavy-metal band, Whitesnake during the height of MTV that brought her acclaim as a video vixen. The San Diego born and raised performer sadly passed away on May 8th at the age of fifty-nine. No cause of death has been revealed to date.
Born Julie Kitaen, she started going by the nickname "Tawny" as a teen. Having studied ballet, gymnastics and with a deep love for rock & roll, Kitaen was perfect fit for music videos. She appeared in five videos with Whitesnake and was featured on the covers of Ratt's first two albums and the video, "Back for More". With her sensual moves, dramatic flair and wild mane of auburn hair, Kitaen made these clips quite memorable.
Kitaen had a relationship with Ratt guitarist, Robbin Crosby and would marry Whitesnake's lead vocalist, David Coverdale in 1989, but it was short-lived, ending after two years. She later wed baseball player, Chuck Finley in 1997 and they had two children. But this marriage would also end not long after the actress, who has had a history of substance abuse, was charged with spousal battery in 2002.
