International
Ennio Morricone, Legendary Composer for the Movies, Dies at 91
Ennio Morricone, the Oscar winner whose haunting, inventive scores expertly accentuated the simmering, dialogue-free tension of the spaghetti Westerns directed by Sergio Leone, has died. He was 91. The Italian composer, who scored more than 500 films — seven for his countryman Leone after they had met as kids in elementary school — died in Rome following complications from a fall last week in which he broke his femur. A native and lifelong resident of Rome whose first instrument was the trumpet, Morricone won his Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight (2015) and also was nominated for his original scores for Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978), Roland Joffe’s The Mission (1986), Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987), Barry Levinson’s Bugsy (1991) and Giuseppe To...
The 13 Best Things That Happened in Music This Week (July 3)
This week was full of star-studded events and awards shows, with the “Global Goal: Unite For Our Future” concert, BET Awards and Juno Awards all taking place virtually. In other awards show news, we’ve got an update on the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards — more on that later. Take a look at some of the week’s biggest music happenings below. Stars came together for the virtual “Global Goal: Unite For Our Future” concert From Jennifer Hudson’s rousing kickoff to Justin Bieber and Quavo’s stripped-down performance, the “Global Goal: Unite For Our Future” event on Saturday (June 27) was chock-full of amazing moments. Christine and the Queens, Chloe x Halle, Shakira and more also performed. In case you missed the concert, you can watch all of the must-see performance videos here! The 20...
Guy Sebastian’s Former Manager Titus Day Arrested For Allegedly Defrauding Singer
Chart-topping Australian pop singer Guy Sebastian says he’s “absolutely devastated” by allegations his former manager Titus Day had ripped him off to the tune of more than A$1 million ($690,000). Day was arrested Wednesday night (July 1) at his home in Bondi, Sydney and was charged with multiple fraud offences. New South Wales police allege Day defrauded Sebastian of A$1.15 million ($800,000) over a seven-years period, from December 2013. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Day is facing 61 counts of dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception. On Thursday, he was granted bail at Waverley Court, under the condition that he surrenders his passport, puts up a A$10,000 surety and he is not to contact Sebastian. The court heard that Day, who worked w...
Apple Music Launches Africa Rising Artist Showcase with Debut Cover Star Omah Lay
The new program, designed to elevate the careers of African artists, will also include a companion playlist. Over the last couple of years, Africa has become an increasingly important force on the global music scene, leading labels, publishers and streaming services to extend their reach on the long-neglected continent. In late April, Apple Music announced an expansion of its platform in two dozen African countries, and now the streaming service has unveiled a new initiative to identify and showcase rising talent on the continent. Named Africa Rising, the artist program and companion playlist will feature an African artist chosen by Apple Music’s editorial team every two months, using the full weight of the platform to elevate their careers in Africa and around the world. The first artist ...
Ed Sheeran, Rolling Stones and More U.K. Music Stars Plead With Government for Live Sector Aid
Some 1,500 artists backing #LetTheMusicPlay warn of ‘mass insolvencies’ from ongoing concert lockdowns due to COVID-19. Some of the U.K.’s biggest music stars are pleading with their government to come to the aid of the £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion) live music sector during the coronavirus lockdown, warning that government support is vital to prevent “mass insolvencies.” A group of 1,500 artists — including Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, The Rolling Stones, Rita Ora and many others — signed a letter to Oliver Dowden, the secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, urging the government to create a funding package for the live sector similar to what Germany’s government did last month. “With no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed,...
Nigerian stocks down by N1.14 trillion in first half
Nigerian stocks closed the first half down with average loss of 8.80 per cent, equivalent to net capital depreciation of N1.14 trillion as investors struggled with a threesome of domestic macroeconomic uncertainties, global decline in crude oil price and trade wars and the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. Benchmark indices at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), which are generally regarded as sovereign equity indices for Nigeria, showed that Nigerian stocks swiveled through steep decline in first quarter and a major recovery in early months of the second quarter, closing the six-month period with net loss of N1.14 trillion. The All Share Index (ASI), a common value-based index that tracks all share prices at the Exchange, closed first half at 24,479.22 points as against 26,842.07 points recorded...
Rising J-Pop Duo YOASOBI Reveal Influences From Anime to Folk: Interview
YOASOBI is a breakout J-pop act whose debut single, “Yoru ni kakeru,” has been taking various Japanese music rankings by storm. The male-female duo formed for a project by the online creative writing site monogatary.com, and its unique concept is to produce music inspired by stories submitted to the site. Released in December 2019, “Yoru ni kakeru” — which can roughly be translated to “Racing into the night” in English — is based on an original short story by Mayo Hoshino titled “Thanatos no yuuwaku” (“Seduction of Thanatos”) that depicts the fleeting romance between the first-person narrator, presumably a young man, and the woman he loves who repeatedly tries to commit suicide. “Yoru ni kakeru” first took ...
50 Years In, Argentina’s Los Palmeras Prep ‘Great Show We Never Did’: Interview
Many artists have enjoyed years of success, but Los Palmeras have managed to reach the top of their career after 50 years. The group was formed in Santa Fe, Argentina, in 1968 with the idea of performing local cumbia, which includes touches of reggaeton and chamamé, a traditional rhythm from the northeast of the country. It is made up of Rubén “Cacho” Deicas, Marcos Camino, Exequiel Enrique, Gustavo Martínez, Darien Jorge Grenon and Silvio Medina. Although they have performed more than 10,000 times, the sextet is preparing what will be their greatest show ever at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires. The show, full of rhythms never played before by the band and with guests from all over the region, was scheduled for May 16 and canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The group w...
Blackpink’s ‘How You Like That’ Collects Multiple Guinness World Records
Blackpink’s historic week has been rewarded with a swag of Guinness World Records. The south Korean girl group’s music video for “How You Like That” earned 86.3 million views on its arrival June 26, enough to set records for most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours, most viewed music video on YouTube in 24 hours, and most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a K-pop group. It’s not such a great week for compatriots BTS, who were the previous record holders in those categories with the video for “Boy With Luv” featuring singer Halsey, which dropped in April 2019. “Boy With Luv” is now scrubbed from the record books. Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa aren’t done with busting records. The live premiere of ‘”How You Like That” reached 1.66 mil...
The Dead South Sparkle With ‘Diamond Ring’ Performance at 2020 Juno Awards: Watch
The Dead South were very much alive and kicking at the 2020 Juno Awards, with the four-piece snaring a trophy and delivering a punchy performance. The folk-bluegrass act’s LP Sugar & Joy won the Juno for traditional roots album of the year, and the audience at home won with the Dead South’s performance of “Diamond Ring.” Nate Hilts and Co. brought an energy and sparkle with “Diamond Ring,” lifted from their award-winning third album. Speaking ahead of its release last October, the Regina, Saskatchewan-based band explained how FAME Studio-trained producer Jimmy Nutt turned the record into gold. “We’re really proud of the instrumentation on our new album,” the band said. “With the first two records, we were still figuring out how to fit it all together. With the help of Jimmy...
Haim Lead Midweek U.K. Albums Chart With ‘Women in Music Pt. III’
Haim are on course for another U.K. chart crown. The Los Angeles sister trio’s third LP Women in Music Pt. III (Polydor) dominates the midweek albums chart, with a lead of nearly 5,000 combined sales, according to the OCC. It’s also the best-selling album on vinyl so far this week. Haim have good form on the U.K. survey. Their debut Days Are Gone (Columbia) bowed at No. 1 in October 2013, and their July 2017 sophomore set Something to Tell You reached No. 2. The album with the best chance of snatching the crown is Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways, which sits in second place and is the market-leader on CD sales. Rough and Rowdy Ways opened at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart last Friday, for Dylan’s ninth leader in the territory. British singer and songwriter Jessie Ware is at N...
‘Music From The Home Front’ All-Star Album Beats Bob Dylan to Australian Chart Crown
It took something special to keep Bob Dylan’s comeback album from the crest of Australia’s albums chart. Music From The Home Front (Bloodlines/Universal) is something special. The companion album to Michael Gudinski’s all-star virtual concert blasts to No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and becomes the ninth homegrown album to hit the summit in 2020. Music From The Home Front was broadcast on free-to-air Channel 9 on ANZAC Day, April 25, featuring performances from the likes of Tones And I, Kevin Parker, Vance Joy, Delta Goodrem, Dean Lewis, Crowded House and Jimmy Barnes. “I’m humbled and proud to receive this No. 1 award from ARIA on behalf of all the incredible artists who stepped up at the eleventh hour and delivered for ‘Music From The Home Front’, ‘Support Act’, ‘the RSL’ and all ...
