music

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Obama Drops His Summer Reading, Music Lists

Former president is having a 'brat' summer with Charli XCX's '365,' among other tunes

(Newser) - With the year's warmest weather heading into its final stretch, former President Obama has dropped his summer song and reading lists. "With summer winding down, I wanted to share some songs that I've been listening to lately—and it wouldn't be my playlist if it didn'...

She Just Drew Lollapalooza's Biggest Crowd Ever

Chappell Roan continues her 'meteoric rise'

(Newser) - It's the summer of Chappell Roan. The 26-year-old pop star has had a "meteoric rise" over the last few months, with single "Good Luck, Babe!" climbing the charts and the earlier "Femininomenon" taking over social media, CNN reports. And now, Roan appears to have drawn...

Think Pop Song Melodies Seem Simpler? They Are
Pop Songs Have
Changed in a Big Way
Since the '50s
NEW STUDY
Jul 27, 2024 5:30 AM CDT

Pop Songs Have Changed in a Big Way Since the '50s

Researchers find melody complexity has dropped big time, with simpler rhythms and pitch

(Newser) - If you've ever seen the viral clip of popular radio tunes that all use the same four chords , this latest study will, well ... strike a chord. The research published earlier this month in the journal Scientific Reports isn't about chords per se, but about rhythm and pitch—both...

One of the Oak Ridge Boys Has Died
One of the Oak Ridge Boys
Has Died
obituary
Jul 9, 2024 2:33 PM CDT

One of the Oak Ridge Boys Has Died

Tenor Joe Bonsall was 76

(Newser) - Joe Bonsall, Grammy award winner and celebrated tenor of the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys, died Tuesday at age 76. Bonsall died from complications of the neuromuscular disorder Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a statement from his family, per the AP .
  • A
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His Band Created 'One of the Anthems of the 2000s'
His Band Created 'One
of the Anthems of the 2000s'
obituary
Jun 25, 2024 12:32 PM CDT

His Band Created 'One of the Anthems of the 2000s'

Shifty Shellshock, 49, rapped on 'Butterfly' with his group Crazy Town

(Newser) - The lead singer of the band behind the song "Butterfly" —described by Deadline as "one of the anthems of the 2000s"—has died at age 49. The singer known as Shifty Shellshock (real name Seth Binzer) co-founded the rap-rock group Crazy Town in the mid-1990s with...

Big-Time Hitmaker Accused of Raping His Protege

Lawsuit accuses 'Single Ladies' songwriter The-Dream of physical, psychological abuse

(Newser) - A music producer responsible for some of the biggest pop hits of the last two decades, including Rihanna's "Umbrella" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," has been hit with rape allegations. The-Dream, an eight-time Grammy winner who also worked on Justin Bieber'...

He Transformed Hip-Hop From the 'Tame'
He Was One of
Hip-Hop's 'Early
Provocateurs'
OBITUARY
Jun 4, 2024 1:42 PM CDT

He Was One of Hip-Hop's 'Early Provocateurs'

2 Live Crew member Brother Marquis dead at 58

(Newser) - Influential hip-hop group 2 Live Crew has lost an integral member. Brother Marquis, whose real name was Mark Ross, died at age 58, the group announced Monday on social media. A cause of death wasn't provided. Brother Marquis was one of the most notable members of the Miami hip-hop...

Eurovision Contestant Booted Right Before Finale

Joost Klein of the Netherlands was removed over a backstage incident now being investigation

(Newser) - A Dutch public broadcaster reacted angrily after the Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from the competition hours before Saturday's final over a backstage incident that's being investigated by police. The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes Eurovision, said Swedish police were investigating "a...

Enter the Era of Taylor Swift Fatigue
Enter the Tortured
Swift Fatigue Department
the rundown
Apr 23, 2024 8:56 AM CDT

Enter the Tortured Swift Fatigue Department

'NYT' describes complaints 'unlike any Swift has faced' recently

(Newser) - Taylor Swift has been on everyone's lips for months. That hasn't changed with the release of The Tortured Poets Department, her 31-song 11th studio album and the fifth new release in five years (not to mention those four rereleases). But what people are saying has changed. Indeed, as...

Chechnya Bans Music That Doesn't Have the Right Tempo

It can't be too fast or too slow

(Newser) - Chechen authorities have reportedly shrunk the number of songs that are permissible in the Russian republic by banning music that's too fast or too slow. "From now on all musical, vocal, and choreographic works must correspond to a tempo of 80 to 116 beats per minute" in order...

The Original Backs Tweaks to 'Jolene' by Beyonce

'Cowboy Carter' includes a recasting of Dolly Parton's 1973 classic

(Newser) - The latest review of Beyonce's new crossover album comes from a member of the country music and rock and roll halls of fame. The album includes Dolly Parton's 1973 classic "Jolene," but with a different structure and some different lyrics, Variety reports. On Friday, the day...

It's a 'Masterpiece' by Beyoncé, Though Nashville May Disagree

New album 'Cowboy Carter' has twang but is not strictly country, say critics

(Newser) - Enter the era of Cowboy Carter. Released Friday at midnight, Beyoncé's eighth album, and the second in a trilogy , provides country music—and much, much more. "This ain't a country album. This is a 'Beyoncé' album," the artist said last week on Instagram,...

John Hinckley Jr. Now a Struggling Musician

He claims he stands 'for peace' as concerts are canceled

(Newser) - Most musicians dream of name recognition. For John Hinckley Jr., it's the name recognition that's doing him in. The man who shot President Ronald Reagan and three others in a 1981 assassination attempt says he's a changed man but can't shake his poor reputation. "I...

Guess Who's Coming Back to Spotify?
Guess Who's
Coming Back
to Spotify?
Mar 13, 2024 8:20 AM CDT

Guess Who's Coming Back to Spotify?

Neil Young announces return to streaming platform, still complaining about 'low-res' files

(Newser) - More than two years ago, Neil Young yanked his songs off of Spotify, a protest against what Young said was COVID vaccine misinformation being circulated by podcaster Joe Rogan. Now the singer-songwriter has announced he's coming back to the streaming music platform, though the Consequence of Sound describes his...

'80s Group Had One Single. Now, a Record Deal

Zenana's 1986 single, 'Witches,' is finally getting traction after DJ found it in a UK record shop

(Newser) - A rare record-shop find has launched an obscure British '80s band into the spotlight. Zenana was formed in 1983 and released one single, "Witches," in 1986 (give it a listen here ). The synth-pop dance song never charted, the BBC reports, and the group disbanded the following...

Taylor Swift, Singapore Cut Deal and Neighbors Aren't Happy

Enter the growing industry of event tourism

(Newser) - We know Taylor Swift concerts generate billions in consumer spending . And now we know countries are willing to pay big for the advantage, at the cost of their neighbors missing out. Earlier this week, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong confirmed the country's tourism board paid an undisclosed sum—...

Ye Was Told Not to Sample Songs, Did It Anyway
Ye Was Told Not
to Sample Songs,
Did It Anyway
UPDATED
Feb 28, 2024 1:30 AM CST

Ye Was Told Not to Sample Songs, Did It Anyway

Ozzy Osbourne, Donna Summer's estate allege copyright infringement

(Newser) - Donna Summer's estate is now suing Ye and Ty Dolla $ign over their collaboration "Good (Don't Die)," which the estate has accused of sampling Summer's "I Feel Love" without permission. The copyright infringement lawsuit filed by the husband of Summer, who died in 2012,...

Beyonce Goes Country, Swiftly Makes History
After Going Country,
Beyonce Keeps Conquering
UPDATED
Feb 27, 2024 8:57 AM CST

After Going Country, Beyonce Keeps Conquering

'Texas Hold 'Em' reaches top of the Billboard Hot 100 after doing so on the country charts

(Newser) - First, Beyonce conquered the country charts in historic fashion with her single "Texas Hold 'Em." Now, she's reached No. 1 on the broader Billboard Hot 100 , reports Billboard . Beyonce earlier became the first Black woman atop the Hot Country Songs chart; now she's the first...

It's Time for a Post-Grammy Debate Over 'Cursive Singing'

Artists across genres are 'guilty' of the vocal trend, but really, it's been around for ages

(Newser) - Turn on the radio and you'll definitely hear it, but defining cursive singing, the vocal trend that's pervasive across genres, is a little harder. The Guardian takes a stab at this in an entertaining piece, noting that it occurs when singers tack on extra vowel sounds to syllables,...

Notes Finally Change in Organ Piece That's Played for 22 Years

Performance of John Cage's Organ2/ASLSP isn't slated to end until 2640

(Newser) - The late American avant-garde composer John Cage asked that his piece Organ2/ASLSP be played as its name instructs: That latter part is a nod to the phrase "as slowly and softly as possible," reports the Conversation . Cage, who died in 1992, never dictated just how slowly he meant,...

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