Music

Somewhere in downtown Cleveland, along the shore of Lake Erie, Greg Harris is busy pondering all that led up to the naming of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020… and the inevitable controversies that followed. Inevitably, the inclusion of singer Whitney Houston and rapper the Notorious B.I.G.  — voted in along

Seventeen or so years ago, as the world was first getting to know the rising underdog Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, it would have been hard to imagine the most controversial man in hip-hop receiving a star on the Walk of Fame. It would have been even harder to imagine that his successes as a beverage

On the basis of the Beatles’ swan-song 1970 film “Let It Be,” the album’s sessions were downright morose. While the idea was to show the group performing live, creating music on the spot, “as nature intended.” But the sessions actually took place early in the morning in the depths of a London winter, and in

January 30, 2020 5:00AM PT The ongoing legal showdown between Peloton and music publishers dealt a small but important blow to the exercise bike company. On Wednesday, a federal judge shot down a counterclaim filed by Peloton alleging that the trade group had conspired to interfere in their discussions with various publishing companies. Underlying the

Madonna restarted her injury-plagued “Madame X” world tour in London on Wednesday night, earning a raft of positive reviews from the British media. After cancelling dates in Portugal and the U.K. because of injury, the 61-year-old singer took to the stage two days later than planned at London’s Palladium. So far, 10 of the tour’s

Nine months since JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass almost broke the internet with their show-stopping Coachella performance, a new year is bringing new anticipation for an NSYNC reunion. There’d be a strong hook for it: 2020 is an anniversary year for “No Strings Attached,” the album that set a first-week record

After two days of quiet on the Recording Academy vs. Deborah Dugan front, the organization’s ousted CEO has asked to be released from the arbitration agreement she signed when she joined the Academy. The contract she signed upon joining the Academy last year requires her to arbitrate any disputes confidentially. “The Academy intentionally brought this

January 29, 2020 2:12PM PT Fresh off her five Grammy wins, Billie Eilish will take the stage at the Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 9. She’ll perform during the Oscars’ ‘In Memoriam’ segment during which the Academy honors those in the film industry who died in the previous year. The Oscars will take place at

As anticipated, My Chemical Reunion’s December show at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles, their first in nine years, was not a one-off, as America goes. Following the announcement of some European gigs, the group has also slated a month-long run of arena shows in 18 cities this fall, including a return to L.A.

Making good on news that was reported last July but not officially announced until now, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville has appointed Rusty Gaston CEO. As head of the titan Nashville division, Gaston will work under Jon Platt, Sony/ATV’s chairman/CEO. “The Sony/ATV Nashville catalog is the undisputed greatest collection of country music on the planet,” Gaston

Willie Nelson could have warned mamas not to let their babies grow up to be Americana musicians, but too late — he’s one of the core heroes and spiritual gurus of that roots-based movement, and some of its leading lights gathered at L.A.’s Troubadour on Grammy weekend to salute Nelson by covering his songs, showing

January 28, 2020 1:37PM PT Two of the summer’s biggest festivals — Firefly in Delaware and Osheaga in Montreal — announced their lineups this week, and both feature some of the most important artists working today. Delaware’s Firefly Festival will feature headliners Billie Eilish, Halsey and Rage Against the Machine (the latter of whom who

In the Broadway-bound musical version of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” actor Rob McClure has the unenviable job of following in the footsteps of comedy great Robin Williams, who memorably played the title role in the 1993 film on which the stage show is based. Listen to this week’s podcast below: How does McClure hope to fill those

Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before: Eccentric young rapper signs with major label; Writes catchy song based on borrowed beat; Inspires memes on Instagram and viral videos on TikTok; Lands on chart; Hits No. 1; Stays on top; Week after week, after week, after week. Sound familiar? While it’s tempting

An elegant traditional estate conveniently sited in the Hollywood foothills just above the iconic Sunset Strip recently traded hands for nearly $9.2 million. Originally built in the late 1930s, the house was sold by tech tycoon Sean Rad, co-founder of juggernaut dating app Tinder, and acquired by exceptionally prolific songwriter/record producer Benny Blanco. Blanco may

The annual iHeartCountry Festival has announced a slate of performers for its 2020 concert stream and broadcast, led by top country performers Dierks Bentley, Kelsea Ballerini, Sam Hunt, Lady Antebellum, Dustin Lynch and Kane Brown, iHeartMedia announced Tuesday. The show will take place at Austin’s Frank Erwin Center May 2 and be broadcast live across

Over the past few years, the Universal Music showcase has become a staple of Grammy Weekend: a tightly run, three-hour-ish sampler of the company’s current and upcoming talent, ranging from superstars to brand-new artists, wherein each act plays a song or two. It was the first place we saw Ariana Grande and Chris Stapleton; the

For dance music fans, festival season kicks off early, with the number of warm weather winter events growing apace with demand. Festivals targeting the same American audience of EDM enthusiasts took place — or will take place — this winter in Costa Rica (BPM Festival), Hawaii (next month’s ‘E Komo Mai’ festival), Florida (Groove Cruise),

January 28, 2020 5:55AM PT Kobalt today announced that it has signed Lewis Capaldi to an international neighboring rights deal. The Capitol recording artist was previously represented by PPL for international collections. Ann Tausis, CEO of Kobalt Neighboring Rights, commented on the deal, “Lewis’s ascent to the top has been breathtaking. His emotive songs and

Justin Bieber will release his fifth studio album, “Changes,” on Feb. 14. The Valentine’s Day drop comes a little over three weeks after his YouTube series “Justin Bieber: Seasons” premieres on the video streaming platform. The single “Yummy” is already out and has logged more than 300 million streams since its debut last month. In

January 27, 2020 9:48PM PT Reed Mullin, drummer and cofounder of long-running North Carolina hard rock outfit Corrosion of Conformity, has died, according to a social media posts from the band, fellow musicians and many of the friends he had made in the music world over the years. He was 53. It’s with heavy hearts

Sometimes there’s so much bad news that it’s wonderful to have a reason to celebrate, and in a weekend marred by Kobe Bryant’s death, the scandal surrounding the Recording Academy’s controversial ouster of president/CEO Deborah Dugan, presidential impeachment proceedings and more depressing stuff, the music business managed to push back the clouds and throw down

Elvis Costello picked up his second contemporary Grammy on Sunday for his 2018 album “Look Now,” making his first trip to the podium since he and Burt Bacharach won for their joint project “Painted from Memory” 21 years ago. But, of course, it’s his first miss, all the way back in 1979, that continues to

From Demi Lovato’s emotional comeback to the Grammy’s stage to Billie Eilish’s five award wins, this year’s ceremony honoring the best in music got Twitter talking. Of the most memorable moments during the show, the internet praised Lovato (so choked-up that she had to start her performance over again) as she debuted her song “Anyone.”

Truth be told, there was little to be found in the 2020 Grammy results that could be considered a major shock to those prognosticating these things. The big question going into the evening was: Would Billie Eilish win it all, or just almost all? Often, the Recording Academy likes to spread the love a little

The Grammys are nothing if not a sensory experience, but what you see and hear on stage hardly tells the full picture. Variety had reporters on the ground and backstage keeping tabs on the actions. Read on for what you didn’t see on TV. • After completing his red carpet duties, Lewis Capaldi headed to

“It’s been a hell of a week,” said Alicia Keys, moments into her hosting gig on Sunday night’s Grammys telecast. “Damn! It’s a really serious one — real talk.” No kidding. Was this the first 99.9% joke-free Grammys, in the 62-year history of the telecast? Not that anyone should be complaining about that, exactly … not

It was a big night for Billie Eilish at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. The Interscope/Dark Room artist took home five awards, including the top four categories of song of the year, album of the year, record of the year and best new artist, in addition to best pop solo album. Her brother Finneas O’Connell

Billie Eilish swept the top Grammy categories on Sunday night, becoming the youngest (and only the second) artist in history to win the big four.  In their spectacular Grammys debut, Eilish, 18, and her brother/recording partner Finneas O’Connell, 22, took home six of the seven awards they were nominated for on Sunday. Eilish won album

Longtime Grammy telecast producer Ken Ehrlich has delivered his Grammy swan song (figuratively and literally), and it couldn’t have happened without … Walt Whitman. To usher out his 40-year era as the guiding light behind some of TV’s greatest musical moments, Ehrlich chose the song “I Sing the Body Electric” from the 1980 movie musical