R&B
Jorja Smith Releases New Single “Addicted”: Stream
Jorja Smith is back with an irresistible new track called “Addicted”. The song comes with a music video filmed entirely in isolation, which you can watch ahead. Following last year’s “Come Over” with Popcaan, “By Any Means” of Roc Nation’s Reprise compilation, and The Eddy contribution “Kiss Me in the Morning”, “Addicted” marks Smith’s first single of 2021. Musing in the atmosphere of a hazy beat punctuated with live guitars, the song is as alluring as a siren. Which is fitting, since the lyrics call for a lover to recognize how good they have it and “be addicted to me.” In a press statement explaining the track, Smith noted it’s about “focusing on wanting the full attention of someone who’s not giving enough (or any) when they should be.” “Addicted” comes with a self-directed video (...
CHIKA Covers Billie Eilish’s “my future”, Reimagines “U SHOULD”: Stream
All this week, the Spotify Singles series is highlighting the nominees for the 2021 Best New Artist Grammy. But the contribution from CHIKA comes as a double celebration, as today happens to be the Alabama MC’s 24th birthday. As a gift for your ears, she’s delivered a new rendition of her single “U SHOULD” as well as a cover of Billie Eiilish’s “my future”. Plenty of artists have put their own spin on Eilish’s single from last summer, including Artist of the Month Arlo Parks and Miley Cyrus. CHIKA takes it into a new realm, however, taking ownership of the luscious, jazzy ode to self worth with a whole new verse of her own. “Ain’t no stopping shooting stars/ They got their own mind, and that’s the gold mine,” she raps. “The whole grind is nuts, so hold mine/ I promise you I’m set for go ti...
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic to Make Live Debut at Grammys
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak are not only some of the smoothest guys making funk-based music these days, but they’re also two of the most entertaining artists of this era. A few weeks ago, they revealed they’re joining forces under the new moniker Silk Sonic, and now they’re already gearing up to make their live debut as such at the 2021 Grammy Awards. This all started when Mars and .Paak decided to write music together while stuck in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. The two artists originally bonded when .Paak opened for Mars on his 24K Magic world tour years ago, and they collaborated on record for the first time when they contributed to Chic’s 2018 album It’s About Time. But for them, Silk Sonic is a chance to explore other creative corners of the funk world that they’ve not...
The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” Becomes First Song in History to Remain in Billboard Top 10 for a Whole Year
The Weeknd just made chart history. The Canadian superstar’s smash hit, “Blinding Lights”, is now the first song to ever spend an entire year in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Ever since the iconic singles chart was first established on August 4th, 1958, there’s never been a song that’s remained in the Top 10 for a full 52 weeks, until now. Sure, the artist born Abel Tesfaye didn’t get the Grammy nomination he was hoping for, but the enduring success of “Blinding Lights” is arguably a more historic feat. Interestingly, the After Hours single didn’t look like a runaway success when it was first unveiled. The Weeknd released the tune on November 29th, 2019 as the second single for his album rollout. However, it only debuted at No. 11 on the Hot 100 during its first week, and then it pl...
Brittany Howard Covers Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher”: Stream
One of the biggest voices of this century is following one of the biggest voices of the last, as Brittany Howard has shared a new cover of “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” by Jackie Wilson. Released in 1967, “Higher and Higher” is not for the faint-hearted or pitch-challenged. “Mr Excitement” Wilson had a four-octave range, and on this, his signature song, he kept his voice moving. That’s no problem for Howard, whose picture you can find in the dictionary under “Powerhouse.” If anything, the rendition by the leader of Alabama Shakes has a little extra ferocity. Howard’s “Higher and Higher” skips over the original’s hand drums and prominent bass riff, preferring a drum kit and guitar-forward sound. She also uses a heavenly choir to a put a little extra height on those “Highe...
SZA Shares “Good Days” Video with “Shirt” Teaser: Watch
SZA scored her first Top 10 hit as a solo artist with “Good Days”, and now the Top Dawg Entertainment singer has released the song’s self-directed music video. The five-minute clip features a preview of her next single, “Shirt”, at the end. In the fairytale-inspired clip, the New Jersey native alternates between performing the song in a field surrounded by mushrooms, a la Alice in Wonderland, and twirling around a stripper pole in a library reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. Released on Christmas Day 2020, “Good Days” features additional vocals from Jacob Collier. It is expected to appear on SZA’s long-awaited follow-up to 2017’s Ctrl alongside her Ty Dolla $ign collaboration, “Hit Different”. Watch the “Good Days” music video below. Editors’ Picks [embedded content] Rel...
Beyoncé Shares Stirring Medley Tribute to Late Superfan Lyric Chanel: Stream
Beyoncé has released a stirring medley tribute to Lyric Chanel, a 13-year-old girl who died on Friday after years of battling brain cancer and anaplastic ependymoma. As Complex points out, Lyric caught Bey’s attention last year with a video singing one of her hit songs. The tribute was shared on Beyoncé’s website, with photos and video clips of Lyric being shown as Bey performs acoustic renditions of “Brown Skin Girl”, “Halo”, and “Love on Top”. In the chorus of the latter song, she replaces “baby” with Lyric’s name. “I love you with all of my heart,” Beyoncé says at the end of the video. Lyric was a social media sensation for her strength and optimism during her fight against cancer. In addition to Beyoncé, she caught the attention of Cardi B and formed a close bond with Houston rapper Tr...
Song of the Week: Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Play It Smooth as Silk Sonic on “Leave the Door Open”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak dropped their first single as Silk Sonic. Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak have teamed up under the name Silk Sonic, which seems to have been a good name choice. Their first single, “Leave the Door Open”, is nothing if not luxurious, velvety goodness. The full-length project, An Evening with Silk Sonic, reunites the two artists who previously toured together with .Paak as an opening act on Bruno Mars’ 2017 “24K Magic World Tour”. Sonically, “Leave the Door Open” is a return to form for Bruno Mars, who ha...
Rising UK Singer Karl Benjamin Announces Debut EP DRIST, Shares “Friends”: Stream
Karl Benjamin has been buzzing in the UK for his smooth vocals and rich blend of R&B and soul. Today, the singer announced his debut EP, DRIST, out on March 26th via Atlantic Records. DRIST stands for Deep Rooted Insecurities and Shy Tendencies. Benjamin further elaborated on the title’s meaning in a press statement: Being trapped in the house with my own thoughts for so long has really shown me how much this word means to me. I’m an antisocial extrovert that’s had the time to analyze their own DRIST, and in doing so, I’m slowly understanding myself and my cerebellum more each day. I wrote this EP with my DRIST in mind. I hope it reaches those with similar thought patterns to mine. To accompany the announcement, Benjamin shared his latest single, “Friends”. Stream it below. Written as ...
10 Artists Worth Bringing Back VH1 Storytellers For
Kendrick Lamar photo by Amy Price; St. Vincent photo by David Brendan Hall; Janelle Monáe photo by Philip Cosores VH1 Storytellers was such a cool show. It borrowed the idea of MTV Unplugged — a hugely popular act performing a stripped-down set in front of an intimate audience — and took it one step further. Audiences could see and hear artists in a more relaxed setting, dishing on their careers and telling stories about creating the songs we know and love. Storytellers first aired 25 years ago in late February 1996; Kinks mastermind Ray Davies was the first performer. It ran for 97 more episodes, the last starring Ed Sheeran in 2015. In between, there was a veritable Who’s Who of talent, from classic rock gods like David Bowie and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to ‘90s stars like Pearl ...
Win The Best of Philadelphia International Records Prize Pack with Vinyl, Turntable, Headphones
50 years ago, the sound of Philly Soul was born out of the legendary Philadelphia International Records. With the talents of The O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Three Degrees, McFadden & Whitehead, and others, the label rewrote the standards of soul music by blending in R&B, funk, and doo-wop with massive orchestral arrangements. To celebrate all P.I.R. contributed to the world of music, we’re giving away a Best of Philadelphia International Records prize pack. One (1) winner will receive the new The Best of Philadelphia International Records compilation on vinyl, not set for release until May 2021. The greatest hits collection features classic tracks from all the above musicians plus Lou Rawls, The Intruders, Billy Paul, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and P.I.R....
Redman, Method Man, and H.E.R. Join D’Angelo’s Verzuz in a Celebration of Live Music: Review
For music lovers, the COVID-19 pandemic effectively put an end to live performances for the foreseeable future. Many venues across the country have temporally (or permanently) closed or now operate with capacity restrictions. Never again will we take for granted the sweet simplicity of being able to catch our favorite artist/band in concert. But one of the few positive things to happen for live music during all the insanity that has taken place over the last year and counting is the emergence of the Verzuz series. Curated by super producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, who dueled in the first battle last March, Verzuz gave fans a lifeline as we sat at home watching our favorite producers and singers reminisce about the creation of their classic songs, many of which have defined hip-hop and R...
