Music

Although singer-songwriter Jhene Aiko has been around for a minute and was even nominated for three Grammy Awards in 2015, the three nods her critically feted “Chilombo” album received for the upcoming 2021 awards was one of the more pleasant surprises in a year filled with them. Well, anyone looking to get a sense of

Loretta Lynn has announced that one’s on the way — that is, that she’ll be reprising classic songs like “One’s on the Way,” “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and “Honky Tonk Girl” on a forthcoming album titled “Still Woman Enough.” Although it’s not strictly an album of either remakes or duets, the March 19 release will

50 Cent has returned to Starz’s “Power” franchise with a music video for the “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” theme song. The track is titled “Part of the Game,” and the music video, which you can watch above, features teaser clips from the upcoming series as well as clips of the artist. The hip hop

Superstar Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi, certainly the funniest multiplatinum musician to emerge from the British Isles since Adele, has announced that he’ll be taking a break from social media in order to focus on his second album. “[It’s] honestly been the most incredible few years and it means the world to have the support of all

Alexi Laiho, former singer and guitarist of Finnish metal outfit Children of Bodom, died due to complications from unspecified “long-term health issues,” according to statements from his label, Napalm Records, and most recent band. He was 41. Laiho had been singer of the band Bodom After Midnight since his former group broke up in 2019.

Universal Music Group has announced a strategic expansion of its Sub-Saharan Africa leadership team, with Sipho Dlamini and Elouise Kelly named CEO and COO of Universal Music South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, respectively, and Chinedu Okeke named managing director of Universal Music Nigeria. Dlamini will continue to oversee all of UMG’s operations within English-speaking Africa.

Prolific British songwriter Geoff Stephens has died at the age of 86, his family confirmed to Variety Sunday. His songs include Grammy winner “Winchester Cathedral,” “There’s a Kind of Hush,” and “The Crying Game,” which was the theme song of Neil Jordan’s Oscar-winning film of the same title. London-born Stephens, who died on Dec. 24,

While Jimmy Iovine is best known as one of the music industry’s biggest power players — a cofounder of both Interscope Records and the Beats by Dre headphone empire, and as an Apple Music executive — he began his career as music producer and engineer, working with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, John Lennon, Patti Smith, U2,

Making predictions for as uncertain a year on the music calendar as 2021 involves peering into the murkiest of crystal balls, given how tricky it is to forecast when live music will return in any big or even small way. There’s a domino effect at play that goes beyond the live sector, with so many

Gerry Marsden, the frontman of Gerry and the Pacemakers and singer of Liverpool Football Club anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” has died, according to the BBC. He was 78. Marsden’s friend and journalist Pete Price broke the news via Twitter on Sunday, stating that the singer died “after a short illness which was an infection

A year ago at this time, if you’d have told us that Van Morrison would be single-handedly responsible for nearly a third of a worst-songs-of-2020 list (and that this would not be some kind of weirdly perverse, contrarian view, but something that had wide public agreement)… well, we would’ve assumed you’d dipped a little too

Claude Bolling, a French jazz pianist and composer whose work can be heard in over 100 films, died on Dec. 29 in Garches, France. He was 90. Bolling’s representatives announced his death on his website. No cause was given. Born on April 10, 1930 in Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France, Bolling was a child prodigy and began

Harry Styles suited up with “Fleabag” Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge for the throwback music video for “Treat People With Kindness,” the latest single off his sophomore album “Fine Line.” The black-and-white, cinematic video opens with Styles, in a flashy sequined jacket, crooning away at a club over martini-sipping guests before Waller-Bridge comes strutting down the

There’s so much we’d like to erase about 2020 — but never, ever the elation, élan, empathy, harmony, rich social commentary and dumb fun that the year’s best music brought us. Yes, we do hope the door hits 2020 on its way out, as long as it doesn’t make the needle jump on the songs

The book has closed on “KISS 2020 Goodbye,” the band’s livestream event broadcast from the Palm in Dubai — but not without changing a couple verses to adhere to local customs in the United Arab Emirates city. The band replaced the phrase “virgin soul,” from the Gene Simmons-sung “God of Thunder,” to “sacred soul,” and

Following Thursday’s announcement of rapper MF Doom’s death on Oct. 31, musicians and industry professionals took to social media to remember his career. No cause of death was provided in a post written by his wife, only that the hip-hop artist had “transitioned.” Brooklyn-based rapper Kota mourned his death, writing, “2020 had to do us

A year ago, the guitar was in dire straits. With songs like Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode,” Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings,” Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” and Panic! At the Disco’s “High Hopes” among the most consumed of 2019, programmed beats and horns were the sonic flavors of popular music. Sure, there were outliers — the Jonas Brothers’

Daniel Dumile, best know as the rapper and producer MF Doom, died on October 31, his wife announced on the artist’s Instagram page on Thursday afternoon. He was 49. “To Dumile. The greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could ever ask for,” his wife wrote. “Thank you for all the

Phyllis McGuire, the lead singer and last remaining member of the 1950s trio known as the McGuire Sisters, died in her Las Vegas home on Tuesday, according to The New York Times. She was 89. McGuire’s death was confirmed to the Times by the Palm Eastern Mortuary, but no cause of death was announced. “I

To wrap up a tumultuous year in the absence of live music, many artists are returning to the virtual stage to celebrate the new year with their fans. Pay-per-view concerts providing an incentive to stay in include shows by BTS, Justin Bieber, Jason Isbell, the Avett Brothers, Bob Weir, Melissa Etheridge, Michael Franti and more.

Bluegrass legend Tony Rice died on Christmas Day at age 69. To properly memorialize his prowess and spirit, Variety turned to one of his truest acolytes and a recognized contemporary great — Chris Eldridge, of Punch Brothers and Infamous Stringdusters fame (pictured above with Rice in 2001) — who penned the following tribute to his

Alto Reed, the longtime saxophone player for Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, died Wednesday of complications from colon cancer. He was 72. Reed’s notable performances with the Silver Bullet Band include the introduction to “Turn the Page” and his saxophone solo in “Old Time Rock and Roll.” On stage, Reed was Seger’s visual

With 2020 officially getting kicked to the curb on Thursday night (Dec. 31), Ryan Seacrest is hoping to set the stage for a better year when he interviews President-Elect Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden just before the ball drops at midnight as part of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.” “We

Rudy Salas, who was a member of the Latin R&B band Tierra and soul group El Chicano, died on Tuesday, Tierra announced. He was 72. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Rudy Salas, the leader and co-founder of Tierra, early this morning,” the group posted on Facebook on Tuesday. “We

Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quiñones, the dancer-actor who rose to fame starring in “Breakin‘” and its sequel “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo,” died Wednesday. He was 65. No cause of death has been announced. Just a day before he was discovered unconscious, Quiñones had posted a photo of himself smiling and giving the peace sign in bed,

President-elect Joe Biden will appear on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” to ring in the new year. Biden, who will take office on Jan. 20, will chat with host Ryan Seacrest ahead of the midnight ball drop in Times Square. This will mark the future president’s last interview of the calendar

The writers of some of the biggest perennial Christmas hits — or their estates, given how far back some of these songs go — are making some decent coin via streaming every year, according to a study released Wednesday that calculated the likely payouts from Spotify this season for the holiday songs that dominate music

Singer Petula Clark has issued a statement conveying her dismay at her 1960s classic “Downtown” being blared from an explosives-laden recreational vehicle before it blew up in downtown Nashville Friday morning. “I feel the need to express my shock and disbelief at the Christmas Day explosion in our beloved Music City. I love Nashville and

Variety’s Best 2020 Covers: Harry Styles, BTS, Taylor Swift and More – Variety Variety’s Best 2020 Covers: Harry Styles, BTS, Taylor Swift and More – Variety ad To help keep your account secure, please log-in again. You are no longer onsite at your organization. Please log in. For assistance, contact your corporate administrator.

Taylor Swift may not be guaranteed to hold on at the top of the album chart for evermore, but her latest album did manage to at least land a second week at No. 1, holding off a strong debut from Paul McCartney and an Eminem deluxe reissue in the week leading up to Christmas. Swift’s