R&B
Song of the Week: Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande Welcome the Storm on “Rain on Me”
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 New Sounds playlist. Just like local governments and health officials across the country have spoken of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of phases, it seems like artists are also slowly venturing back to normalcy in phases. If this week taught us anything, it’s that strumming a guitar from your living room on Instagram is totally last phase. This week instead saw notable names like Carly Rae Jepson, Owen Pallett, Jeff Rosenstock, and Dave Harrington (of Darkside) release surprise albums. Another trend finds many of our favorite artists pairing up for surprise singles. Just this week collaborations included Soccer Mommy and Jay Som, Local Natives and Sylv...
The Opus Celebrating the Greatest Love of All With Whitney Houston’s Self-Titled Debut
For nine seasons, Consequence of Sound and Sony’s The Opus podcast has examined the legacy of a range of iconic albums. Previous seasons dug into Bob Dylan (Blood on the Tracks), The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Electric Ladyland), Jeff Buckley (Grace), Willie Nelson (Red Headed Stranger), Ozzy Osbourne (Blizzard of Ozz), The Clash (London Calling), Simon & Garfunkel (Bridge Over Troubled Water), Miles Davis (Bitches Brew), and Mobb Deep (The Infamous). For the series’ 10th season, host Andy Bothwell, a.k.a. Astronautalis, will celebrate the greatest love of all with Whitney Houston. In 1985, Houston celebrated Valentine’s Day with the release of her self-titled debut. It was a minor splash that would become an unstoppable tidal wave as the record gathered speed over 55 weeks to reach...
Doja Cat Pounces on Remix of The Weeknd’s “In Your Eyes”: Stream
Doja Cat has learned the power of the remix, especially after “Say So” featuring Nicki Minaj became each woman’s first number one hit. Now she’s teamed up with Canadian megastar The Weeknd, pouncing on a new remix of his After Hours track “In Your Eyes”. She feels right at home in The Weeknd’s tripped-out pop landscape, where the melodies are intoxicating and the artists have been over-served. She begins her verse in tears over her love, even though the rest of the lyrics imply that the relationship is going well. “I can’t stop staring at you” she sings, before spitting raps. “It’s like I forgot that staring is rude/ And that’s what five shots could turn me into.” Check out “In Your Eyes (Remix)” below. In March, The Weeknd shared a deluxe edition of After Hours featuring re...
The Weeknd Announces Rescheduled Tour Dates for 2021
After releasing one of the most popular albums of the year in After Hours, The Weeknd was understandably excited about a massive arena tour. Unfortunately the coronavirus pandemic put the kibosh on that, but the Canadian pop star has now announced that he’s rescheduled those tour dates for the summer and fall of 2021. “The After Hours (Rescheduled) Tour” kicks off in Vancouver in June, exactly one year and a day after it was originally set to commence. The 67-date trek criss-crosses North America until October, at which time he’ll take the show to Europe. All of his old performances have found a new home except for a November stop in Glasgow, the exact time of which is still TBD. He’ll be joined on tour with openers Sabrina Claudio, Don Toliver, and Black Atlass. Check out the full sc...
Win the 35th Anniversary Reissue of Whitney Houston’s Self-Titled Debut
It’s fitting that this is the year Whitney Houston will finally be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It is, after all, the 35th anniversary of her self-titled debut, and the whole industry seems to be celebrating. A Whitney hologram tour launched back in February, the same month Vinyl Me, Please released a special vinyl reissue of Whitney Houston. Now, Consequence of Sound is getting in waxing nostalgic by making the album the focus of our new season of The Opus podcast. The Opus: Whitney Houston launches later this month, but rather than saving all our love for the iconic record until then, we’re starting the party early. We’re giving away one (1) copy of Vinyl Me, Please’s 35th anniversary Whitney Houston box set. Coming in conjunction with Legacy Recordings,...
R.I.P. Betty Wright, Veteran R&B Singer Dies at 66
Betty Wright, the veteran R&B singer known for hits such as “Clean Up Woman” and “Where Is the Love?”, has died at the age of 66, according to TMZ. A native of Miami, Florida, Wright achieved her first Top 40 single at the age of 14 with “Girls Can’t Do What the Guys Do”. Arriving three years later, Wright’s signature song, “Clean Up Woman”, spent eight weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard R&B charts in addition to peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Top 100. “Clean Up Woman” was later sampled by a number of prominent R&B and hip-hop artists, including Mary J. Blige (“Real Woman”) and Chance the Rapper (“Favorite Song”). Even Sumblime sampled the song on their 40oz. To Freedom track “Get Out!”. In 1974, Wright earned her first and only Grammy Award for “Where Is the Love”, which ...
Tei Shi on What to Expect After “Die 4 Ur Love”
Kyle Meredith With… Tei Shi Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Valerie Barbosa, aka Tei Shi, calls up Kyle Meredith to discuss her new single “Die 4 Ur Love” and her upcoming EP. The Columbian-Canadian singer talks about the difference in writing in Spanish vs. English, how this new set of songs came together in six days, and what to expect from the tracks we haven’t heard. She also discusses the mood during her last handful of pre-quarantine shows and the artistic chemistry she finds with collaborator Blood Orange. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs de...
New Music Friday: 7 Songs You Need to Hear
Each Friday, Consequence of Sound rounds up the most exciting new music to hit our inbox. Today, May 8th, brings fresh releases from Angela Muñoz, Reo Cragun, Nana Adjoa, BandoKay, Peter Bibby, Berwyn, and Ariel View. Take a listen below, and keep track of all our favorite New Sounds via our exclusive Spotify Playlist. Angela Muñoz -“So Young” [embedded content] 18-year-old Los Angeles singer Angela Muñoz got her start collaborating with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad on their 2018 project The Midnight Hour. Now, she’s ready to step into the spotlight on her own with the upcoming release of Introspection, due out on June 26th through Linear Labs. The hypnotic “So Young” serves as the album’s latest single. Reo Cragun – “Cuss You Out” [embedded content] Following opening stints...
Kehlani Stunts On New Album It Was Good Until It Wasn’t: Stream
Quarantine is about to get a lot more soulful thanks to Kehlani, whose new album It Was Good Until It Wasn’t is out today on Atlantic Records. Listen in below via Apple Music or Spotify. The follow-up to 2017’s SweetSexySavage features prominent collaborations with James Blake, Jhené Aiko, and Tory Lanez. Early on, Kehlani teased the sophomore record with singles “Toxic”, “F&MU”, and “Everybody Business”; all three came with music videos that were filmed while on lockdown. In a press release, the Oakland native described It Was Good Until It Wasn’t as a “tale of perspective.” To illustrate her point, she pointed to the album’s cover artwork, which depicts the artist curiously peering over a cinderblock wall in her yard. Editors’ Picks “The sun is shining, the sky is blue, bu...
JoJo on Singing for Britney Spears, What She Learned from Robin Williams, and Her New Album
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Radio Public | Stitcher On today’s episode of This Must Be the Gig, JoJo discusses her new album, good to know. The R&B pop star burst onto the scene at only 14 years old with her 2004 debut single “Leave (Get Out)”, an incredible, soulful jam that is already stuck in your head just from reading the title. After releasing two albums as a teen, a dispute with her label led to those tracks being held away for years from any and every online streaming or purchase outlet. After settling the dispute in 2014, she re-recorded the albums and started putting out new music, and that’s not even mentioning her acting career, starring in films such as RV and Aquamarine. Today, that evolution continues, with ...
The Weeknd Guests on American Dad, Performs New Song “I’m a Virgin”: Watch
Throughout his entire discography, The Weeknd dishes on his salacious, sex-fueled nights and his luxe life of fancy cars and mansions. For his latest project, however, the Canadian R&B singer is looking to change that narrative, if for just 30 minutes. Abel Tesfaye co-wrote and starred in the newest episode of Seth MacFarlane’s American Dad. Titled “A Starboy is Born” (referencing his Starboy album from 2016), it sees the artist show his true colors — and it’s a stark contrast from the rich playboy we’ve all come to know. Kidnapped by Roger the Alien, The Weeknd settles into the Smith family household surprisingly quickly, reveling in homemade lasagna, mundane house chores, and suburban pleasantries. “I miss being around boring people like this family,” he says at the dinner table. The...
