music blog
6LACK Delivers Back-to-Back Singles “Rent Free” and “By Any Means”
6LACK has dropped off a pair of new singles entitled “Rent Free” and “By Any Means.” Featuring production from EY, Fwdslxsh, Leon Thomas, Rex Kudo and Kill September, the two tracks are 6LACK’s first solo releases of the year and follows his 2020 EP, 6pc Hot. “Rent Free” hears the Atlanta-raised artist crooning over a partner he lost but still lives “in my mind rent free,” while “By Any Means” is a reflection of his successful career. Prior to the tracks’ releases, 6LACK took to Twitter to share, “i missed y’all.” It was also confirmed that his followup to East Atlanta Love Letter, his last full-length release from 2018, will be dropping in 2022. Stream 6LACK’s “Rent Free” and “By Any Means” on Spotify. i missed y’all — black (@6LACK) December 16, 2021 In other music news, Drake’s performa...
Adele Enters Fourth Week Atop Australia’s Albums Chart With ’30’
It’s a week before Christmas, though Adele, Elton John and Dua Lipa get their presents early. Adele starts a fourth straight week at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart with 30 (Columbia/Sony), while fellow British pop superstars Elton and Dua snag a fourth non-consecutive cycle atop the Australian singles survey with “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” (via Warner/Universal). Also on the latest ARIA chart, an album of bird songs takes flight. After debuting at No. 5 last time, Australian Bird Calls set Songs Of Disappearance (MGM) lifts to No. 3, a new peak. Featuring the sounds of 53 of the most threatened species of Australian native birds, the project is a fundraiser for BirdLife Australia‘s conservation projects. The highest charting new release on the latest frame is Juice WRLD’s second posthumous ...
Ne-Yo ft. Yung Bleu “Stay Down,” Troy Ave “So Bitter” & More | Daily Visuals 12.15.21
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Scott Dudelson / Getty It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard a single vocal from R&B star, Ne-Yo and as many a singer have come and gone in that space and time, the man returns to show that he’s still got the skills to pay the bills. Linking up with Yung Bleu in his latest visuals to “Stay Down,” Ne-Yo gets back to doing what he does best, wooing a pretty young woman in a dimly lit apartment that ends up getting flooded for whatever reason. Ne-Yo loves taking women to struggle apartments for his videos. Back in Brooklyn, Troy Ave has a little fun in the sun and in his clip to “So Bitter” hits up a pool party filled with women before taking a jet skit out for a ride. Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Price featuring Big K.R.I.T...
Earl Sweatshirt Enlists Armand Hammer for ‘SICK!’ Single “Tabula Rasa”
Earl Sweatshirt has joined forces with rap duo Armand Hammer for “Tabula Rasa,” the lead single of his forthcoming LP SICK! Produced by the Theravada and Rob Chambers, the slow-burning track hears the trio trade verses over a looped soul sample that runs for approximately four minutes. “Tabula Rasa” also arrives with an accompanying music video directed by Josh, which shows the creation of the track’s recording in a one-shot take and closely follows the themes of “2010.” SICK!, which is set to drop January 14, 2022, marks Sweatshirt’s first project since FEET OF CLAY in 2019: “SICK! is my humble offering of 10 songs recorded in the wake of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns. Before the virus I had been working on an album I named after a book I used to read wit...
MOTÖRHEAD: New Book ‘Fast & Loose: Snapshots From The Graham Mitchell Archive, 1977-1982’ Out Now
Graham Mitchell, who was MOTÖRHEAD‘s tour manager in the late 1970s and early 1980s, was also an avid photography enthusiast. A new large-format tabletop book, “Fast & Loose: Snapshots From The Graham Mitchell Archive, 1977-1982”, collects nearly 100 of his snapshots, including many that have never been published before. “I somehow knew how important it all was,” Mitchell says. “I knew I needed to capture at least some of those moments. I’d see the band to the stage and then immediately go out into the house, jostle with the punters, and get what I could.” One of the most influential hard rock bands of all time, MOTÖRHEAD mixed rock, punk, and heavy metal into an aggressive blend of pure explosive energy. During the era documented in R...
SKILLET’s JOHN COOPER Calls Vaccine Mandates ‘Absolutely Insane’
John Cooper, the frontman and bassist for the Grammy-nominated Christian rock band SKILLET, has once again railed against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, saying it is “absolutely insane” that the government is requiring vaccines as a way to contain the virus outbreak, which has killed nearly 800,000 people in the U.S. The 46-year-old vocalist/bassist, who previously publicly revealed that he was unvaccinated, discussed his views on the COVID-19 vaccines during the final 2021 installment of his “Cooper Stuff” video podcast. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s a new year. I don’t know where we’re at. I don’t know if it’s gonna get worse or if, all of a sudden, people are gonna wake up and realize how insane this i...
SAXON’s BIFF BYFORD: ‘They’re Vaccinating People Like Crazy In The U.K.’ Right Now
Vocalist Biff Byford of British metal veterans SAXON spoke to Liselotte “Lilo” Hegt of HeadBangers LifeStyle about the band’s plans to return to the road in 2022. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “[We’re doing] 40th-anniversary shows [in the U.K.] with a big production. And we’ve got three of those to do [in January]. And we’ve also got some of those to do in Europe as well in the summer, at the festivals. So I don’t know what’s happening with them. They’re still on. They’ve been postponed and put back to next year, like Bang Your Head!!! in Germany and Graspop [Metal Meeting in Belgium]. We’re doing festivals in the summer — they’re still there; we’re still doing them. And I think we’re ...
‘METALLICA Day’ Proclaimed In San Francisco On Band’s 40th Anniversary
San Francisco mayor London Breed proclaimed Thursday (December 16) as “Metallica Day” in the city, ahead of the band’s citywide “takeover” this weekend for its 40th anniversary. Earlier today, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo appeared with Breed and Another Planet Entertainment president Gregg Perloff for a press event where an official proclamation was made commemorating the first 40 years of the legendary heavy metal band. Mayor Breed praised the band for its importance to San Francisco and the Bay Area, calling the members of METALLICA “extraordinary musicians and people” “They’re part of the fabric of the community,” Breed said. “They have touched people’s lives for generations. “When you t...
Watch Young Dolph’s ‘Celebration of Life’ Memorial Livestream
The life and legacy of Young Dolph were celebrated by family and friends at a memorial service held at the FedEx Forum in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The service featured remarks from Young Dolph’s closest friends and family, as well as many performances from artists who are under his label, Paper Route Empire. Dolph’s partner Mia Jerdine spoke began the ceremony by sharing stories from their 10-year relationship, focusing on his kindness and generosity. She calls him her “guiding star” before their children spoke about their fondest memories with their father. Other artists gave their individual tributes including 2 Chainz, 8Ball and members of Three 6 Mafia. Young Dolph’s contributions to music were acknowledged by former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton. The memorial comes just a d...
Aaliyah Releases Posthumous Single “Poison” With The Weeknd
The late Aaliyah has dropped her newest single “Poison” with The Weeknd. Clocking in at under three minutes, the track marks her first new release in over 15 years and is billed “as a thank you to her fans.” Static Major, Aaliyah’s long-time collaborator and friend, and The Weeknd co-wrote the song while DannyBoyStyles and Nick Lamb produced, Mike Dean mixed and Shin Kamiyama engineered the cut. Meanwhile, Joe Perez of Beyoncé’s Black Is King fame and Katie McIntyre designed the cover art. “Poison” serves as a first listen to Aaliyah’s upcoming fourth studio album Unstoppable, which is set to drop in 2022 via Blackground Records 2.0/EMPIRE. “I’m so excited to share this new song by Aaliyah and the very talented The Weeknd,” Barry Hankerson, Founder of Blackground Records, said in a st...
Roddy Ricch Drops Sophomore Studio Album ‘LIVE LIFE FAST’
Roddy Ricch has officially released his second studio album, LIVE LIFE FAST. Clocking in at 50 minutes, the 18-track effort features a slew of guest appearances from Future on “all good,” 21 Savage and Kodak Black on “hibachi,” Takeoff on “paid my dues,” Jamie Foxx on “no way,” Alex Isley and Ty Dolla $ign on “slow it down,” Fivio Foreign on “murda one,” Lil Baby on “moved to miami” and Gunna on “don’t i.” Meanwhile, the likes of Mustard, Southside, Boi-1da, Cardo, Wheezy, TM88, Ronny J, Kenny Beats and Tarentino handled production for Ricch’s record. LIVE LIFE FAST arrives a lengthy two years after his debut album Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, which became the longest-running No. 1 debut rap album since 2003. The 23-year-old artist also recently received his first ever diamond pl...
Astroworld Festival Victims Died of Compression Asphyxia, Medical Examiner Rules
Weeks after 10 people died at Travis Scott’s 2021 Astroworld Festival in Houston on November 5, the Harris County Medical Examiner’s office has ruled that the victims died from compression asphyxia, according to The Associated Press. The deaths were also ruled accidental, as Rolling Stone notes. The ages of the victims ranges from 9 to 27. Representatives for Travis Scott offered no comment when reached by Pitchfork. Roughly 300 people were injured at the festival, while 25 were taken to hospitals after a crowd surged toward the front of the stage at NRG Park. The tragedy was labeled a “mass casualty incident,” with an initial death toll of eight. In the following days, 22-year-old Bharti Shahani and a 9-year-old boy died after sustaining injuries at Astroworld. Countless lawsuits have bee...
