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What Does ‘Alternative’ Mean in 2020?
Laura Ohls, senior editor, folk and AAA, Spotify: I’ve always thought of “alternative” as referring to any artist creating music that challenges what’s being popularized in the mainstream, across all genres. In the ’90s, rock music was still very much at the core of popular music culture, and as a result, “alternative” [was more] guitar-driven in sound. Fast forward to 2020, where hip-hop, pop and Latin are the titans of genre, and you’ll find that the class of artists defying what’s expected are doing so within these genre spaces. As a result, there is an amalgamation of genres that make up modern “alternative” sounds. We launched our Alternative Hub earlier this year in order to unite all of our alternative programming into one dedicated space. The idea was to have a destination that enc...
The Top 10 Country Songs of 2020: Staff Picks
10. Gabby Barrett, “I Hope” Barrett’s multi-format smash starts innocently enough, as she tenderly wishes her ex-boyfriend well with his new love. But just as soon as she’s lulled the listener into thinking she’s moved on, she delivers the stinging zinger: “I hope she’s wilder than your wildest dreams/ She’s everything you’re ever gonna need/ And then I hope she cheats,” she sings as the song twists from sweet to sinister. Barrett’s supple vocals wring every bit of nuance out of the tune that serves as a PG-rated revenge fantasy. 9. Kalie Shorr, “My Voice” Though only in her mid-20s, Shorr has been a force in Nashville for a few years, advocating for women and independent artists. On this twangy tune, she takes mainstream country radio to task for not playing more women —...
The White Stripes’ ‘Greatest Hits’ Goes Top 10 on Album Sales Chart
The White Stripes previously visited the top 10 on Top Album Sales with Icky Thump (No. 2, 2007), Get Behind Me Satan (No. 3, 2005) and Elephant (No. 6, 2003). The Greatest Hits sold particularly well at independent record stores, as the album debuts at No. 1 on the Tastemakers Albums chart, with 6,000 sold via indie retailers. (Tastemakers ranks the top-selling albums of the week at indie stores.) Additionally, the set bows at No. 2 on the Vinyl Albums chart, with 13,000 sold via vinyl LP (64% of the album’s overall first week sales). Meanwhile, Shawn Mendes’ Wonder bows at No. 1 on Top Album Sales with 54,000 copies sold — which aids its No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. Carrie Underwood’s holiday album My Gift is steady at No. 2 on the Top Album Sales chart with 33,000 sold (up 18...
Ringo Starr’s New Song Features Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Sheryl Crow & More: Stream It Now
When you’re the most famous drummer on the planet, you can recruit the creme dela crème for your projects. That’s exactly what Ringo Starr did for his new recording, “Here’s To The Nights,” which features a mindboggling lineup of guest performers. Ringo called on a long list of stars from the past 50 years, from his Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney, to Dave Grohl and Eric Burdon, Sheryl Crow, Chris Stapleton, Joe Walsh, Finneas O’Connell and songwriting great Diane Warren, who penned the lyrics. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fa...
Holiday Titles Make Up Nine of Streaming Songs’ Top 10 for the First Time
Holiday song dominance comes early this year; despite already setting the all-time top 10 record for the chart, the latest list covers the tracking period of Dec. 4-10, with Dec. 25 contained as part of the Streaming Songs tally dated Jan. 9, 2021, this year — three chart refreshes away. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” reigns for a seventh total week on Streaming Songs with 31.4 million U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It’s followed by Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” at 29.2 million streams. The only non-seasonal song in Streaming Songs’ top 10? Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez’s “Dakiti,” with 19.8 million streams, at No. 6. The Dec. 19-dated Streaming Songs list sees 29 holiday songs in all, one of which is a debut: Donny Hathaway’s “This Christma...
Recording Academy Paid $4.5M in Legal Fees in 2019, Filings Show
Dugan’s short-lived tenure as Portnow’s successor began Aug.1, 2019, and her salary — as well as any changes in expenditures that occurred under her short-lived tenure — are not indicated in this filing. Five days after being put on administrative leave on Jan. 16, 2020 — just 10 days before the 62nd Grammy Awards — and eventually terminated, Dugan filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to Dugan’s EEOC complaint, she learned in May 2019 that “[Joel] Katz and his law firm [Greenberg Traurig] are paid an exorbitant amount of money by the Academy.” She accused the academy of being “boys’ club network” — a place “where men work together to the disadvantage of women and disen...
Faith No More Reschedule Australia Tour to 2022
“Once again in this world of things being temporarily out of our control, we are having to postpone our AU/NZ dates,” reads a statement from Mike Patton and Co. “Postponed and not cancelled being the silver lining here and we’re grateful for that. We intend on making it up to you only at a time when things are safe for all of us. Until then, thanks for sticking this out with us and take care. We’re all in this together and when it happens we promise to make it special.” The rescheduled dates see Faith No More kick off their tour Feb. 10, 2022 at Christchurch Arena, followed by a show Feb. 12 at Spark Arena in Auckland, followed by arena shows at each of the Australia’s five big cities. All original ticket purchases are valid for entry at the rescheduled shows, confirms Frontier Touring, wh...
St. Vincent Confirms 2021 Album Release
We’ve waited more than three years since Vincent’s sixth and most recent album Masseduction, which gave the American artist (real name Annie Clark) her first Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at No. 10. Its title track scored a Grammy Award, her second, for best rock song. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native won her first career Grammy for the 2014 effort St. Vincent, which took out best alternative music album. Vincent has just been announced to the lineup for The Ally Coalition’s seventh annual Talent Show, a livestream event set to raise money for various LGBTQ youth programs around the country. The event will be streamed on Jack Antonoff’s Twitch channel Monday, Dec. 21, at 9 p.m. ET. To learn more about the event, click here. You Deserve to Make Mo...
Joie Manda Exiting Interscope Geffen A&M: Exclusive
Formerly Interscope’s head of urban music, Manda assumed the executive vp role in 2017. With Janick, he helped bring the label to record-level market share, signing or working with top hip-hop and R&B acts including DaBaby, Summer Walker, Mike Will Made-It, Rae Sremmurd, Machine Gun Kelly, 6lack, Tory Lanez, Dreezy and Playboi Carti, and was instrumental in the 2014 partnership with J. Cole’s Dreamville Records. But he also supported the labels’ pop efforts like Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez and Blackpink. Manda previously served as president of Def Jam Records, also a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Prior to joining the UMG family, Manda served as head of urban music for Warner Bros. Records, where he worked closely with Jill Scott, Common and Rick Ross’ May...
‘The Voice’ Crowns 2020 Winner
The Voice has hit its final, high note for 2020. And the winner is…[spoiler alert]…Carter Rubin. Team Gwen’s cherubic teenage singer won hearts every step of the way, and on Tuesday night he was declared winner. Really, even casual fans of NBC’s talent quest knew Rubin was a strong chance to take the grand prize ever since the Blind Auditions when, aged just 14, he blew away viewers with his cover of “Before You Go” by Lewis Capaldi. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
‘Kelly Clarkson Show’ Renewed Through 2023
Clarkson’s show debuted in fall 2019 and became the most watched new daytime talk show in seven years. The current season — which returned to studio production after filming remotely in the spring and summer — is putting up solid ratings as well, averaging 1.31 million daily viewers and ranking in the top five syndicated talkers. “The Kelly Clarkson Show is one of the most optimistic success stories in first-run syndication,” said Valari Staab, president NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “Kelly is a beloved performer and host with deep roots at NBC, and we are delighted to have her continue to be a very important and treasured part of our stations’ programming.” The show won three Daytime Emmys in 2020, including one for Clarkson as bes...
The 25 Best Rock Songs of 2020: Staff Picks
Few of the shoegaze revivalists of recent years carry the instrumental brawn of Philly-based Reprise Records quartet Nothing, whose crushing gauzefests owe as much to cloud-pop industrialists HEALTH and alt-metal deep divers the Deftones as to Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. “Say Less” is maybe their most propulsive single to date, particularly as they take the track’s advice on the late song’s instrumental break, for what might qualify as the first true beat drop in dream-pop history. — A.U. 22. Porridge Radio, “7 Seconds” This banger sounds like CRISPR technology was used to splice together DNA from Gang of Four and The Go-Gos to create a song as dark as it is danceable. Frontwoman Dana Margolin has said “7 Seconds” is about “the end of so...
