Not to plead hardship, but trying to handicap what records might win Grammy nominations is unlike the guesswork for any other top entertainment awards show. Tens of thousands of potentially eligible new recordings are released every year, and then individual categories have their own nominating committees to winnow through preliminary voting, making sure that wild
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Singer Shawn Mendes will release “Wonder,” a single with an accompanying music video, on Oct. 2 ahead of his fourth studio album of the same name, set to drop on Dec. 4. Mendes took to social media to announce the album and single, releasing an interactive website and a trailer — complete with backtracking from
Bebe Rexha has signed with Sal & Co. for management, where she will be represented by Wassim “Sal” Slaiby and Dina Sahim. She joins a roster that includes The Weeknd, French Montana and Doja Cat, among others. Sal & Co. is partnered with Beverly Hills-based Maverick, home to Madonna, Miley Cyrus, U2 and Britney Spears,
When I heard two or three days ago that Mac Davis was critically ill after heart surgery, I said, “God, please, I don’t wanna write a eulogy about Mac Davis.” Last night, when a friend told me she’d heard some sad news, I knew what it was. Mac Davis, a native of Lubbock, Texas who
Corey Taylor is best known as the hard-charging (and often masked) singer and lyricist for metal acts Slipknot and Stone Sour. So it might come as a surprise that his upcoming streaming solo concert at The Forum in Los Angeles was inspired by a dad joke. “My guitarist Christian Martucci and I had this idea
Even before the pandemic, the 2021 Grammy Awards were going to be very different from previous shows. For the first time in 40 years, the show will not be produced by veteran Ken Ehrlich, who announced in 2019 he’d be stepping aside for longtime James Corden producer Ben Winston. Ehrlich brought such familiar signature touches
In case you didn’t know, the hip-hop/R&B genre is far and away music’s most lucrative sector, accounting for some 31% of the industry and inking new millionaires from across the professional spectrum — artists, producers, songwriters, agents — by the dozen. Among the most prolific producers feeding the hip-hop resurgence is David Doman, better-known to
Patti Smith, Jackson Browne, Natalie Merchant, Rosanne Cash, Taj Mahal and many more artists will be featured in the 40 th annual John Lennon Tribute Charity concert presented by Theatre Within, the non-profit organization that has presented the concert since 1981. The concert will be streamed for free at LennonTribute.org and will premiere on what
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. With the release of their newest single “Dynamite,” BTS has continued to climb the global charts – and
Being multi-talented is nothing unusual in Korean entertainment as Henry Lau can attest. The Canadian 30-year-old is one of K-pop’s biggest stars, and is now simultaneously breaking into the Korean, Chinese and English-language film and TV businesses. The top Korean talent agencies typically cast their recruiting nets very wide, and Lau was found by SM
Gifting nearly 1.5% of Big Hit Entertainment’s pre-IPO shares to the seven members of BTS is looking like a win-win for all concerned as the company and the band remain invested in each other’s success. But it does little to mitigate the notion that the Seoul-based firm is a one-act show. The company is poised
After several days of online hints and teasers, Australian high-volume rockers AC/DC have confirmed their return to active duty by announcing that veteran singer Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams have rejoined the band after several years’ absence. A new photo of the band finds them looking older but energized, with lead
The K-pop group BTS is riding a global wave of popularity to new heights. The seven members — Jung Kook (real name: Jeon Jung-kook), V (Kim Tae-hyung), Jimin (Park Ji-min), j-hope (Jung Ho-seok), RM (Kim Nam-joon), Suga (Min Yoon-gi) and Jin (Kim Seok-jin) — have taken the world by storm, drawing comparisons to The Beatles. Styling: Lee
It was just a year ago that BTS’ Love Yourself: Speak Yourself tour was selling out stadiums all over the world. Each night of the 20-date trek, which grossed $116 million, a total of nearly a million ticket buyers around the planet witnessed a thumping opening liturgy at the top of the K-pop band’s set
Even the coronavirus pandemic couldn’t stop BTS. In this behind-the-scenes footage, the seven members — Jung Kook (real name: Jeon Jung-kook), V (Kim Tae-hyung), Jimin (Park Ji-min), j-hope (Jung Ho-seok), RM (Kim Nam-joon), Suga (Min Yoon-gi) and Jin (Kim Seok-jin) — have suited up for Variety‘s cover story. In Variety‘s Grammy preview issue, which hits
The pandemic has wreaked havoc on nearly every corner of the music industry, but along with musicians, independent venues are certainly among the hardest hit — a recent survey by the National Independent Venues Association says that 90% of such venues are in danger of closing permanently if they do not receive federal aid. While there’s
Singer Helen Reddy, who became an emblem of feminism with the 1972 smash “I Am Woman,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles. She was 78. In a statement, her daughter and son, Traci and Jordan, said: “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Helen Reddy, on the afternoon of
Rob Thomas has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Round Hill Music, joining a roster than includes Trombone Shorty, Toro Y Moi and Bones UK, among others. A gifted songwriter, Thomas’ credits include two decades-worth of hits by Matchbox Twenty (including the No. 1s “Push,” “3AM,” “Bent,” “If You’re Gone” and “Unwell”), his own solo
Probably no one had thought that Taylor Swift’s recent “Cardigan” and Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You” were similar enough to belong together in a medley before Yungblud did, but upon hearing his strings-lade mashup, the “Folklore” artist was swift with her approval. Yungblud blended the two songs in a segment filmed for BBC Radio 1’s
The Bonnaroo Festival has moved its 2021 dates from June to September, the organizers announced on Tuesday. The move is yet another indication that the lockdown imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, which has shut down the live-entertainment business almost completely, has no end in sight and it will be many months before anything resembling a
Kelly Clarkson’s longtime management company filed a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming it’s owed $1.4 million in unpaid commissions. Starstruck Management Group, run by Narvel Blackstock, filed the claim in Los Angeles Superior Court. Clarkson married Blackstock’s son, Brandon Blackstock, in 2013, and filed for divorce earlier this year. The couple has two children together. According
In the years since his 2018 multi-format smash “Heaven,” breakout country star Kane Brown has filled his dance card with a long line of duet partners across multiple genres, including Swae Lee & Khalid (current single “Be Like That”), John Legend (“Last Time I Say Sorry”), Lauren Alaina (2017’s “What Ifs,” his first country chart-topper)
It’s an early step, but it’s a step forward nonetheless: On Monday an updated Heroes Act, which includes provisions of the $10 billion bipartisan Save Our Stages Act designed to provide financial assistance to independent music and live-entertainment venues across the U.S., was introduced in the House of Representatives. Independent venues have been devastated financially
DaBaby and Roddy Ricch led the nominees for BET’s 15th annual “Hip Hop Awards” with 12 and 11 nominations respectively, the network announced. Drake and Megan Thee Stallion followed with eight nods each. The awards will air on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 9 p.m ET/PT. The full list of nominees appears below. Other notable nominations
The , Roc Nation and Pepsi announced today that Emmy- nominated producer Jesse Collins has been named an executive producer of the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, taking place in Tampa, Florida on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7, 2021. He is the show’s first-ever Black executive producer. Collins joins executive producers Roc Nation, who debuted in that role earlier this year with a
Variety’s countdown to its BTS cover continues with a video sneak peek of the photoshoot. Here’s a taste of what’s in store with bandmates J-Hope (real name: Jung Ho-seok), Jimin (Park Ji-min), Jin (Kim Seok-jin), Jungkook (Jeon Jung-kook), RM (Kim Nam-joon), Suga (Min Yoon-gi) and V (Kim Tae-hyung). Variety previously released a few tidbits from
Venues are coming up with all kinds of ways to keep their sense of purpose alive during lockdown, but the Theatre at the Ace Hotel has come up with what may be a unique one: “5-7-5,” an “open air text-based art project” with poetry on its marquee. Twelve poets, songwriters, and text-based artists will contribute
J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Ozuna are the top nominees for the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards, announced Tuesday morning. The awards are voted on by The Latin Academy’s international membership body of music creators, who represent all genres and creative disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, producers, mixers and engineers. Artists with multiple nominations include
Rapper 21 Savage and producer Metro Boomin have announced the release of their latest collaborative project, “Savage Mode 2,” with a video featuring the voice of actor Morgan Freeman. Over imagery of crows with blood-red eyes, a snowy graveyard and Savage and Boomin in the studio, Freeman’s soothing voice informs viewers of the true meaning
When he’s not drumming up a Grammy-winning record for Vampire Weekend, the critically beloved New York-based rock band he co-founded in 2006, Chris Tomson relaxes in the hip L.A. neighborhood of Silver Lake. Over the summer, the 36-year-old laid out $1.6 million for a traditional 1930s cottage with impressive views of the Hollywood Sign and