Things took an unpredictable turn at the top of the Billboard charts this week as Gunna’s new album unexpectedly slipped past the Weeknd’s, albeit in a photo finish that had the rapper pull ahead of the superstar competition by the tiniest of margins. The Weeknd’s “Dawn FM” debuted with 148,000 album-equivalent units, almost but not
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Dan Einstein, a Grammy winner who co-founded independent record labels with singer-songwriters John Prine and Steve Goodman, only to quit the business and open a bakery that became an East Nashville community hub, died Saturday in Nashville at 61. A cause of death was not given, but family members said he had been suffering from
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you haven’t seen the first two episodes of “Euphoria” Season 2. In HBO’s “Euphoria,” music isn’t just a supplementary factor to the plot — it’s arguably as important as the characters themselves. For proof, look no further than the titles of the episodes — most are named after songs,
After nearly six years of wide-ranging assessments, parties involved with Prince’s estate have finally agreed on its value: $156.4 million, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the Associated Press. The estate’s outgoing administrator, Comerica Bank & Trust, had valued it at $82.3 million, provoking howls of outrage from multiple parties, not least the heirs of
Jon Lind, writer of hits for Earth, Wind & Fire, Madonna, Vanessa Williams and others, passed away Saturday after a two-year battle with cancer, his attorney, Jeremy Rosen, has confirmed. He was 73. Lind’s catalog, in which Primary Wave acquired a majority stake last year, included such songs as “Boogie Wonderland” and “Sun Goddess” by
Left out of most of the obituaries about renowned country music talk-show host Ralph Emery, who died Saturday, was how he infamous to many rock fans for having gotten into a tiff in the late 1960s with the Byrds. Their beef even resulted in Emery being dismissed, by name, in a Byrds track — “Drug
Dallas Frazier, a songwriter who broke out with the pop novelty hit “Alley Oop” and went on pen country classics like the Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira,” died Friday at 82. “Dallas Frazier is among the greatest country songwriters of all time,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “He
Ralph Emery, a radio and TV host who became as famous in the country world as most of the stars he interviewed over the decades, died Saturday at Tristar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. He was 88. No immediate cause of death was given. Emery’s renown as, alternately, “the Dick Clark of country music” or
Celine Dion is bringing her Courage World Tour to an early end in the United States and Canada. The singer shared the unfortunate news with fans on Saturday, saying that she would need to spend the spring recovering from “severe and persistent muscle spasms” inhibiting her ability to perform. “I was really hoping that I’d
Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, has dropped a new single, collaborating with rapper The Game. In the new track “Eazy,” Ye tackles his impending divorce with Kim Kardashian West and their shared custody of their four children. The rapper mentions comedian Pete Davidson, who is currently in a relationship with Kardashian. “God
The ’90s: back! Also back: overwhelming existential dread! They’re two great tastes that taste great together, as any fan of Showtime’s hit series “Yellowjackets” can attest. Besides all the mid-’90s pop and indie-rock needle drops that pop up amid the calmer moments in the show’s sometimes horrific storm, there’s also music of an uneasier nature
From the moment it was announced, Swedish House Mafia’s appearance at the 21st Coachella festival has been confusing, and the unveiling of the official lineup on Wednesday has done little to clarify matters. The EDM titans are listed on the Coachella lineup digital poster — which carries its own subtext, based on order of placement
Singer-songwriter Allison Russell has signed a deal with Flatiron Books to write a memoir that will cover some of the same territory as her solo debut album “Outside Child,” a lyrical accounting of her journey out of an abusive upbringing and her salvation through music and community. The album was heralded by many critics as
After no less than four COVID-related cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the biggest names in music are once again heading to the Indio desert for the Coachella festival on the weekends of April 15-17 and April 22-24 — at least, as of today. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s not to bet on a concert,
Vicente Fernández, the indisputable king of traditional Mexican ranchera music, will get the biopic series treatment from a joint production between Univision and Televisa. The two Spanish-language mass media companies will adapt the series from the book “El Último Rey” (“The Last King”) by Argentine journalist and author Olga Wornat. Televisa reached an agreement with
Just days after their forthcoming scheduled appearance at Coachella was announced, the long-running hip-hop group Brockhampton say they’re taking an indefinite hiatus after that performance and one in London. In a statement dated Friday, the group wrote: “BROCKHAMPTON’s upcoming performances at the O2 Academy Brixton in London and at Coachella will be their final as
Indie icon Cat Power — a.k.a. Chan Marshall — has been releasing fine albums of original material for more than 25 years, but imaginative covers have always been a big part of her sound: Her sparse debut LP, “Dear Sir,” which featured a song written by Tom Waits and one by This Kind of Punishment,
Chip Monck may be the second-best known behind-the-scenes person from the original 1969 Woodstock festival, thanks to his having been drafted as a master of ceremonies for the daytime parts of the event on top of his night job as its lighting designer. The festival is most associated, of course, with co-founder Michael Lang, with
The pandemic may have completely up-ended the music industry’s traditional business model, but artists found all kinds of ways to make many millions of dollars in 2021 — and the big winners were nearly all white and male, according to a “10 Highest Paid Musicians” list published by Rolling Stone on Friday. The list, created
Late Thursday night, a workaholic friend who’d promised to finally take a real vacation texted a series of photos of herself on a sun-kissed beach, enjoying exotic drinks and a tropical sunset. “You proud of me?” she wrote, then followed immediately with the real topic that brought her out of her vacation reverie: “Why is
Heidi Klum is making music. The multi-media superstar dropped a new single today, “Chai Tea With Heidi,” a dance track featuring Snoop Dogg. “Anyone who knows me, knows I love hip-hop,” Klum says. “Working with Snoop Dogg has always been a dream of mine.” The tune will serve as the theme song for Season 17
Britney Spears has responded to her sister Jamie Lynn’s recent ABC News interview, in which she spoke about their relationship and defended her role in the pop star’s 13-year conservatorship. In a series of Notes App screenshots posted to Twitter on Thursday, Britney Spears wrote about how she watched the interview, parts of which aired
Alamo Records has announced the appointment of Juliette Jones to chief operating officer. Based in New York, she will report to Alamo Records’ founder-CEO Todd Moscowitz. In this newly created role, Jones will work closely alongside Moscowitz to oversee Alamo’s business development, marketing and promotion efforts for the multi-genre artist roster, according to the announcement. Additionally, she will
Rona Elliot was a 22-year-old backpacking her way across north Africa when she received a telegram from Mel Lawrence, an ex-boyfriend who had just been hired by Michael Lang to work at a music festival he was planning as director of operations. “Come home,” it said. “Stop. Festival in upstate New York. Stop.” Elliot was
Spencer Elden, the man whose baby picture was used on the album cover for Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” has refiled a lawsuit alleging the cover image was taken and used without his consent and the nudity amounts to child pornography. A judge dismissed the lawsuit on Jan. 3 due to missed deadlines, but Elden and his representation
Variety asked Stevie Van Zandt, who grew up adoring Ronnie Spector and eventually came to work with her, for his thoughts on the legendary singer, who died Wednesday at 78. He writes: It was “Mean Streets” that finally drove it home. It had been 10 years since “Be My Baby” was a hit, but Marty
Interscope Records is launching its 30 th anniversary celebration in an imaginative manner with more than 50 artworks at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) called “Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined.” This exhibition will feature new works by a diverse group of visual artists — including Cecily Brown, Julie Curtiss, Shepard Fairey, Lauren Halsey, Damien Hirst, Rashid Johnson, Takashi Murakami, Richard
Maren Morris has a new album on the way in March, “Humble Quest,” and fans won’t have to meet her in the middle. As the single released a week ago, “Circles Around This Town,” seemed to promise, the singer is doubling down on country, rather than move into the pop crossover sphere that seemed to
Kanye West has been named as a suspect in a battery report taken by the LAPD’s Newton Division early on Thursday morning, Variety has confirmed. He was not arrested; a rep for West did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to LAPD spokesperson Redina Puentes, the incident occurred at about 3 a.m. at
Following the lead of the Sundance Film Festival itself, the ASCAP Music Cafe that usually takes place during the festival will be going virtual for a second consecutive year. ASCAP’s web offerings for the 2022 fest will feature performances by Brandy Clark, John Doe and the teaming of Evan Rachel Wood and Zane Carney, among