Jessie Ware is one of pop’s most expressive vocalists, someone who’s able to convey a lifetime of joy or regret in the way she shades a syllable. On excellent albums like 2014’s Tough Love and 2017’s Glasshouse, she’s used that voice to increasingly languid ends, often sinking into slow-burn atmosphere …
Read More »Kathy Mattea on New Album, Voice Struggles, Grappling With Loss
Guitars and other instruments line the walls of the living room in the Nashville home that singer Kathy Mattea shares with husband-songwriter Jon Venzer. Alongside them are color-splashed works of art, many created by the couple’s close friends. On the fireplace mantel rests an oversized painting by Nashville artist Deborah …
Read More »Lil Pump Cancels 'Harverd Dropout Tour' Amid Legal Issues
Lil Pump has canceled his upcoming “Harverd Dropout Tour” amid his recent probation violation. Live Nation revealed Friday that all of the “Gucci Gang” rapper’s tour dates had been canceled, a move that likely stems from his recent legal issues. Lil Pump’s 15-show tour was originally set to to kick …
Read More »Trixie Mattel on Folk Music, Comedy and Breaking the Vinyl Ceiling
Each of Trixie Mattel‘s album releases to date, 2017’s Two Birds and 2018’s One Stone, hinted at a bygone era of popular music. The colorful winner of RuPaul‘s Drag Race All Stars season 3, who’s also a talented folk singer-songwriter, evoked the simplicity of the Fifties with the pastoral scene …
Read More »Watch Dillon Francis Talk Panic! at the Disco Obsession, Ambitious New Album
EDM producer Dillon Francis was in the Dominican Republic working on new music when he heard that one of his favorite artists, the reggaeton star Arcángel, was staying nearby. After a friend approached Arcángel at the gym, he invited Francis over to his hotel to hang out, even though the …
Read More »See 'Voice' Hopefuls Sing Luke Combs, Brooks and Dunn in Blind Auditions
Season 15 of NBC’s The Voice premiered on Monday, September 24th for its first round of blind auditions, with two standout country performers looking to separate themselves from the pack. First up was Kameron Marlowe, who made such a quick first impression on the coaches’ panel that both Kelly Clarkson …
Read More »Blondie Plot Four-Day Cuba Trip Featuring Concerts, Cultural Tours
Blondie will host an eclectic “cultural exchange” during “Blondie in Havana,” a four-day event set for March 14th through 18th, 2019. Tickets will include two career-spanning sets from the New Wave band, along with museum visits, photography and architecture tours, meals, five-star hotel accommodations, meet-and-greet and photo opportunities and performances …
Read More »R&B's Been Taking Cues From Rap for 20 Years. Now, a Few Singers Are Bringing Its Soul Back
During the 50-odd years that R&B was a central force in pop culture, no other genre celebrated as many fine gradations of the human voice. Few acts could match Otis Redding’s volcanic ache; Smokey Robinson’s exquisite falsetto communicated unrivaled fragility; Aretha Franklin offered an inimitable combination of steely and combustible. …
Read More »See Steve Perry Showcase Celebratory 'We're Still Here' in New Video
Steve Perry has shared his new video for “We’re Still Here,” the latest single preceding Traces, the former Journey singer’s first solo album in 24 years. Like the singer’s previous video for “No More Cryin’,” “We’re Still Here” finds Perry and his backing band performing the Traces track that “celebrates …
Read More »Ella Mai Broods in Intimate 'Trip' Video
Ella Mai released the video for “Trip,” the follow-up to her breakout smash “Boo’d Up,” on Tuesday. Since “Boo’d Up” was such a big hit — Top Ten on the Hot 100, and still climbing at pop radio — Mai doesn’t mess with the formula on “Trip:” This single also …
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