Music

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has labeled K-Pop as a “vicious cancer” that is corrupting the youth of the country he leads. As a result, he is imposing harsher penalties on citizens who are consuming South Korean movies, K-dramas and K-pop videos. The New York Times detailed the secretive anti-K-pop campaign that came to light through

All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Broadway is back, baby! Well, maybe not quite yet. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that

Biz 3 PR veteran Dana Meyerson has launched an imprint called Slashie through Mom + Pop Music. Its first release is “Finally,” the  new EP from Los Angeles-based Canadian singer-songwriter Elissa Mielke, and its  next will be “Wrecked,” a new single from queer country artist Evil, which was co-produced by Bill Reynolds from Band of

When “Solar Power,” the first single from Lorde’s long-anticipated third album, dropped on Thursday, the internet rapidly filled with mentions of previous songs it evoked, most prominently George Michael’s “Freedom 90” and the less-globally-known “Loaded” by long-running British rockers Primal Scream (along with the Eagles’ “Seven Bridges Road,” Kate Bush and others). In an interview

Amazon Music is bringing a piece of old-fashioned radio to the streaming era with the rollout of DJ Mode — a new experience that will feature top DJs, artists and music experts providing commentary over curated playlists. The first artist-led DJ Mode is hosted by teen superstar Billie Eilish. In Amazon Music’s limited-time “The Billie

RCA Records has announced a new partnership and label deal with Loud Robot, the record label from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, to release new musical talent. To kick off this partnership, Nnena, the first musical signing to Loud Robot, today releases a brand-new track and video for “Heart Moan,” the second track from her forthcoming debut EP “Bipolar AF,” which is set for release on June 25.

Primary Wave Music, the fast-rising independent music company, has entered into a worldwide distribution agreement with Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, an arm of Capitol Music Group in the U.S. The announcement was made by Virgin’s president, Jacqueline Saturn (pictured above, left), its general manager, Matt Sawin, and Gaither Group president Paul Sizelove (above,

Sony Music Entertainment has announced “an expansion of the comprehensive support we provide to thousands of our artists around the world” via a new initiative called Artists Forward, “prioritizing transparency with creators in all aspects of their development,” the company stated in a letter to artists. The most striking element of the campaign is the

“In the Heights,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tale of the immigrant community of New York’s Washington Heights, will be released on Friday. Its four Tony Awards for the original Broadway show included best musical, best original score, and best orchestrations for Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman — who oversaw the musical transition from stage to screen. Variety

“Elfman sings!” It’s almost as grabby a potential catchphrase as “Garbo speaks.” But of course, Danny Elfman has participated in the talkies before… or, to put it in plainer terms, his new album, “Big Mess,” does not mark the first time he’s stood in front of a rock ‘n’ roll band in the studio to

So, that derriere-revealing post Lorde put up three days ago, strongly hinting at imminent new music, wasn’t just a bum steer. Her first new music in four years has arrived in the form of “Solar Power,” a summer single that is gleefully self-conscious about being a summer single like few recent summer singles before it.

Mariah Carey has teamed up with legendary producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to release a new single, “Somewhat Loved (There You Go Breakin’ My Heart),” out now. The song is from Jam & Lewis’ upcoming debut studio album as recording artists, titled “Jam & Lewis, Volume 1.” Slated for a July 9 release, the

All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Whether your dad has always wanted to be coached on life by NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, serenaded by

When Pearl Jam’s 2020 world tour was scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, bassist Jeff Ament turned off CNN, put his phone away and got busy in his Montana home studio to record a batch of new songs inspired by that unprecedented year. The result is his fourth solo album, “I Should Be Outside,” which will be released Aug.

The new year should have marked hopeful new beginnings for the artist Tones and I, following a period which saw her halt her first world tour amid the pandemic, endure strict lockdowns in Australia and retreat from social media to escape the “nasty” bullies who’ve plagued her since the explosive success of her 2019 smash,

“I’m healing the world with comedy,” Bo Burnham sings at the beginning of his latest comedy special, “Inside,” a hilarious and harrowing glimpse into the mind of an artist in quarantine. While the assertion is clearly said in jest, poking fun at his egoistic urge to be heard amid a deadly pandemic, Burnham’s songs —

The Tribeca Festival screening of “In the Heights” on Wednesday was the first major movie event to take place in New York City since the COVID-19 pandemic. And what a celebration it was. The festivities took place at the United Palace theater in Washington Heights. “We deserve to have fun today,” Daphne Rubin-Vega, who plays

After being banned from the airwaves by major radio chains for the better part of four months, Morgan Wallen has quietly slipped back onto the air at most country stations in the last few weeks, even as he remains persona non grata at awards shows and other high-profile events. “There was no fanfare at all

Bruce Springsteen is getting back to work this summer, playing a big role in Broadway’s return by bringing back his $108-million-grossing “Springsteen on Broadway” for the entire summer, but that isn’t all he has in the works, as he revealed in a call on Sirius XM’s E Street Radio. “I am looking forward to being

“Desus & Mero” will make its post-lockdown studio comeback on Sunday, June 20, featuring special guest Lil Nas X. The late-night Showtime series, hosted by Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, has been filmed remotely from their own homes since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the duo is finally returning (live

It is remarkable how few people know that the same person produced Bob Dylan’s three defining early albums (as well as “Like a Rolling Stone”), the first two Velvet Underground albums, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s debut “Freak Out” and pivotal music by jazz legends Sun Ra and Cecil Taylor (including tracks with

Online-game company Roblox insisted that it does not tolerate copyright infringement, releasing a statement saying it is “surprised and disappointed” by a lawsuit filed on behalf of National Music Publishers’ Association members. On Wednesday, the NMPA sued Roblox seeking monetary damages of at least $200 million, alleging the platform allows rampant unauthorized use of songs

While some fans may point to John Lennon’s “Imagine” or Paul McCartney’s “Band on the Run,” a larger number may well agree that the greatest Beatles solo album is George Harrison’s sprawling 1970 triple-set “All Things Must Pass.” Along with such classic Harrisongs as “My Sweet Lord,” “What Is Life,” “Beware of Darkness,” the title

Superstar-level singer/guitar-shredders are still a rare hybrid in any genre, let alone in contemporary R&B and country. The two most foremost proponents of the breed in those respective genres, H.E.R. and Chris Stapleton, hooked up for a performance of her “Hold On” at Wednesday’s CMT Music Awards, that few onlookers were shy about heralding as

Taylor Swift was honored with the National Music Publishers Association’s Songwriter Icon Award during the trade organization’s annual membership meeting on Wednesday (June 9), which was held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic. In presenting the award, NMPA president/CEO David Israelite spoke not only of her achievements as a songwriter and artist, but also of

Nearly six months after Congress passed the $16 billion Save Our Stages act into law, less than 100 of the nearly 5,000 struggling independent venues have been approved for relief money, according to a report released Wednesday (June 9) by the Small Business Administration, which distributes the loans — and just “a few” have actually

The return of live music is bolstering the pockets of the world’s leading live entertainment company. “It feels so good to be where we’re at now. We’re just seeing massive, pent-up demand for concerts globally,” Live Nation president Joe Berchtold said on CNN today. It was part of his discussion with CNN International anchor Julia Chatterley,

A year after KROQ veteran Ted Stryker and radio partner Kevin Klein moved to the station’s A.M. slot — in a hasty shift after the station fired morning hosts Kevin Ryder, Allie Mac Kay and Jensen Karp — Stryker is departing the show. Stryker announced the news on his Twitter account: “After more than 22

Daphne Rubin-Vega’s face may be on an “In the Heights” billboard on 41st Street in Times Square, but her son isn’t so impressed. “He is 16, so I am not the coolest person at all on the planet,” Rubin-Vega tells me. “I’m like, ‘Just so you know, I’m the most badass mom you could ever

Scottish musical sensation Lewis Capaldi is the subject of a feature-length documentary directed by BAFTA winner Joe Pearlman (“Bros: After the Screaming Stops”) and produced by Pulse Films (“Lemonade,” “Beastie Boys Story”). The film will be shopped to buyers at the Cannes virtual market by Independent Entertainment. The 24-year-old Capaldi has enjoyed a meteoric rise