R&B
Adele’s 21 Brought Sincerity to Pop Music When It Needed It Most
Editor’s Note: Consequence has been around long enough that so many of the new albums that originally turned us on to music are now celebrating their first milestone anniversaries. As we begin to reflect on these records, you can catch our updated assessments here. It’s September 2011, and London’s breathtaking Royal Albert Hall is filled with over 5,000 music fans. (Oh, how I miss live music.) On stage, a 23-year-old Adele has the undivided attention of every eye, every ear, every soul, as she tells the story of “Someone Like You,” the overwhelmingly successful second single from her sophomore album, 21. “I didn’t have that one song that I believed myself on…that one song that moved me,” she explains to the crowd. “And it’s important that I do feel like that … so I have the confidence to ...
Zayn Drops New Album Nobody is Listening: Stream
English pop/R&B singer Zayn has released his new album, just one week after its announcement. Stream Nobody is Listening down below via Apple Music or Spotify. Nobody is the follow-up to 2018’s Icarus Falls. It also serves as Zayn’s third solo LP to date since leaving One Direction in 2015. The 11-track collection features velvety lead single “Better” and the sensual “Vibez”. Additionally, there are collaborations with Syd of The Internet and London rapper Devlin. Editors’ Picks According to a statement, Nobody is Zayn’s “most personal project to date.” The album comes just a few months after the birth of the 28-year-old first child with model Gigi Hadid. Nobody is Listening Artwork: Nobody is Listening Tracklist:01. Calamity02. Better03. Outside05. Vibez06. When Love’s Arou...
D’Angelo, Björk, FKA twigs, and The Chemical Brothers to Curate Their Own Sonos Radio Stations
FKA twigs (photo by Matthew Stone), D’Angelo (photo by Gregory Harris), and Björk Ready those speakers, because D’Angelo, Björk, FKA twigs, and The Chemical Brothers are about to take over the airwaves — on Sonos Radio, that is. The online radio streaming service has asked all four acts to curate their very own radio stations. Given the eclecticism of this group of musicians, the new stations are sure to contain exciting finds. Airing first is D’Angelo’s station, named “Feverish Fantazmagoria” (January 13th), followed by FKA twigs’ “main squeeze” (February 10th). On February 24th, Björk will debut her lengthily titled “21 years worth of wave files liquidated into a stream”, while The Chemical Brothers will launch “Radio Chemical” on March 2nd. In addition to these stations, all four ...
Zayn Announces New Album Nobody Is Listening, Shares Single “Vibez”: Stream
The Zayn train has been pretty quiet since the release of single “Better” back in September — but that changes today. The pop-R&B artist has announced the release of a new album Nobody is Listening, set for release in just one week’s time on January 15th. He’s also loose a new song titled “Vibez”. It feels like forever since anybody sincerely, coolly used the letter “z” in place of “s” in words, but you can probably get away with it if you’re Zayn. Which he does. Over pulsing, sensual production the former One Direction star aches about wanting to do the deed with a special someone. “Don’t keep me waiting/ I’ve been waiting all night to get closer/ And you already know I got it for ya,” Zayn sings on the chorus. “You know the vibes/ Know the vibes, put it on ya/ If it movin’ too f...
The Weeknd Shows Off Horrifying Plastic Surgery in New Video for “Save Your Tears”: Watch
The saga of self-violence continues. After promoting “Blinding Lights” with a theatrically bloody face and literally losing his head in the video for “Too Late”, The Weeknd has unveiled new visuals for “Save Your Tears” that showcases the after-effects of some horrifying plastic surgery. The singer performs the After Hours track with lips as big as a fist and a jawline grotesquely stretched until his chin is even wider than his forehead. He also wears a turtleneck, perhaps to hide the decapitation scars earned in “Too Late”. His appearance is wild, but the rest of the video is just as deranged. He performs at a glamorous, masked ceremony that might be a parody of the Grammys, since they recently shut him out of all categories. Most of the patrons wear masks, but one young lady makes a...
Chloe x Halle Debut a Polished Rendition of ‘Don’t Make It Harder On Me’
To say Chloe x Halle have dominated an unprecedented year in music somehow still feels like an understatement. The Atlanta-born sister duo has been on a tear in 2020, connecting with new audiences while reintroducing themselves to day-one fans with a slew of awe-inspiring performances like their recent outing with NPR’s Tiny Desk. And in a year spent without live music, there was no better way to commemorate the release of Ungodly Hour, their most critically acclaimed work to date. The 13-track LP resonated with audiences and earned its place on year-end lists from Rolling Stone, Variety and Time Magazine, largely due to the pair’s willingness to eschew the “angelic” image that was cast upon them in favor of flaunting their own imperfections. On songs like “Lonely” and “Wonder What She Thi...
Kamaiyah Opens Up on Her Own Terms with No Explanations: Review
The Lowdown: Since 2016’s A Good Night in the Ghetto and her inclusion in the coveted 2017 XXL Freshman Class, Kamaiyah has been one of rap’s most consistent and exciting players. The Oakland-born and -raised rapper has hyphy written all over her music as part of the Bay Area’s highly influential scene, one that has birthed some of the most iconic gangster rap and party anthems. Kamaiyah exists in between the “hard” and the hyphy, taking the infectious, cocky grooves of Mac Dre and Too $hort into a new age for a wider audience without yielding to current trends. After departing from Interscope Records due to release disputes, the Bay Area star used 2020 to release multiple projects, No Explanations being the third. Despite a quiet release, due in part to the end of the year lull, Kamaiyah ...
Chloe x Halle Perform NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch
The Bailey sisters Chloe x Halle took their Grammy-nominated album Ungodly Hour for a spin in a new NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. While the performance took place in a studio setting, the ground was festooned with homey touches: plants, books, candle holders, and childhood memorabilia courtesy of the duo’s mother. After opening with “Don’t Make It Harder on Me”, elder sister Chloe paused to acknowledge the pandemic and the effect it’s had on everyone’s mental health. She said, “I know this year 2020 has been absolutely bonkers for all of us. For those moments where you kinda feel less than, and you’re not good enough, that’s why we wrote this song: for ourselves, as a mantra, to let ourselves know that whatever happens, we’ll be OK. And this is our world.” From there, the sisters...
Jeremih Released from Hospital Following COVID-19 Battle
Jeremih has officially been released from the hospital after receiving treatment for a severe case of COVID-19. The R&B singer had been placed in the intensive care unit and put on a ventilator due to his deteriorating health. In a statement provided to ABC 7, Jeremih offered his immense gratitude to the healthcare workers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago who “saved” his life. The 33-year-old Windy City native also shouted out all the friends, family, colleagues, and fans who’ve prayed for his speedy recovery: “First and foremost, I would like to thank God and the incredible team of doctors and nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for saving my life. I will be forever grateful. I would also like to thank my family and friends for all their prayers and well wishes. I’m o...
The Weeknd Releases “Blinding Lights” Remix with Rosalía: Stream
There’s only four weeks until 2021 begins, but that isn’t stopping The Weeknd from making these last moments count. He just released a new remix of “Blinding Lights” featuring Rosalía, and it’s available to stream below. Despite having to postpone his massive tour, 2020 has arguably been The Weeknd’s biggest year ever — especially due to the sheer willpower of “Blinding Lights”. The After Hours single dominated the radio, was Spotify’s most-streamed single of the year, and has spent a full year on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. No wonder it earned our coveted spot as the best song of 2020. Of course, all of this is in addition to the other cool things he’s done in support of After Hours. The Weeknd performed an augmented reality concert on TikTok, literally lost his head in the “Too Lat...
Top 50 Songs of 2020
The 2020 edition of our Annual Report continues today with our Top 50 Songs of 2020. If you haven’t already, check out our Top 50 Albums of 2020, which came out earlier in the week. Also, be sure to tune in next week as we begin handing out our annual accolades and continue looking back on the strange year that was 2020. Upon being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame some years ago, Tom Waits said, “We love music, but what we really want is for music to love us back.” Believe it or not, it felt like music did that in 2020. For me, anyway. I know that it’s easy to see the world through pandemic goggles right now or strictly through the lens of racial injustice or political turmoil. Tragedy and frustration that keeps piling on can definitely cloud our vision or color our window on t...
Top 50 Albums of 2020
As we return from Thanksgiving and head into December, our Annual Report will spend the next few weeks looking back upon the strange year that was 2020 and the music, film, and television that came with it. We begin today with our Top 50 Albums of 2020. You’ve heard it from me dozens of times already: 2020 has not been a normal year. And by that, I mean absolutely nothing has been normal. The music world hasn’t been immune, of course. I’ve spent more time cancelling flights and accommodations and trying to get tickets refunded than I actually did watching live music this year. Instragram became a concert venue, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions had no performances, and livestreams (which are pre-taped) seem to be the often-underwhelming future of live music at least for the forseea...
