Vietnamese singer-songwriter thuy (pronounced twee) released the deluxe edition of her critically-acclaimed debut EP, i hope u see this. The fourteen-track project is a reflection of thuy‘s truth, unraveling the complexities of love through a utopia of harmonies that spotlight heartbreak, love, empowerment, and self-confidence. i hope u see this (deluxe) introduces five more reasons as to how thuy is paving the future for modern R&B in her own right.
“The deluxe project is a continuation of the theme that I’m closing the door on the past in order to enter a new chapter in my life,” thuy said with excitement about the deluxe EP.
i hope u see this (deluxe) is a cohesive body of work that celebrates thuy‘s innate musicality. It’s a consistent approach, meant to be played in any setting that honors emotion. Songs like “distance between us” prove that thuy’s regaining control over those overwhelming thoughts and unwanted feelings that have sapped her energy over the years. Her smooth vocals permeate the work, flirting over bouncy percussion that grinds into a catchy hook with “inhibitions” featuring P-Lo.
When trying to make sense of thuy, you’re introduced to a fiery songstress that’s capable of making the best out of a bad situation. “in my bag” featuring Destiny Rogers channels those elements of misfortune into a deeper meaning that encourages listeners to remain focused in the face of adversity. Diving deeper into the remix, thuy explains, “the ‘in my bag’ remix with Destiny Rogers is a major women empowerment anthem and that’s why I knew I wanted to get another female artist on it. Destiny Rogers was the perfect feature for this remix; she just exudes confidence and drive. I wanted to really embody the idea that women can be bosses and to never count us out of anything because we always come out on top!”
About Thuy
thuy is a recording artist and songwriter who marked her debut in 2015 with her first radio record, “Hands on Me”. Born and raised in the Bay Area, the now LA-based artist has released several records showcasing her angelic vocals, skillful songwriting, and modern R&B stylings. Having amassed over 150 million streams and garnered support from premier publications including Billboard, Rolling Stones, Paper, VIBE, Harper’s Bazaar, Lyrical Lemonade, MTV, NBC, Flaunt, and more thuy is setting herself apart in the pop R&B scene.
As a Vietnamese-American recording artist, thuy was featured in Paper’s first feature on Southeast Asian-American artists, highlighting how the rising artist has “carved out a space for herself both within and beyond the community of self-made Asian-American musical artists that have emerged in the streaming era.”2021 marked a turning point for thuy, who released her debut EP: i hope u see this. The project shares a beautiful and introspective collection of records touching on heartbreak, love, empowerment, and self-confidence. Through the project, thuy hopes that her music continues to inspire confidence in others and to be a voice for those who want to feel seen.
On the heels of their spectacular North American arena tour, Journey is back with a brand new single “Let It Rain” from their forthcoming studio album titled Freedom set for release July 8 via BMG – available for pre-orderHERE.
“Just coming off of the first leg of our SOLD OUT JOURNEY FREEDOM TOUR, we are excited for our new single release ‘Let It Rain’ as it offers a sampling of what the next new chapter of music we have in store on our new albumFreedom,” says the group’s founding member, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Neal Schon.“It’s so exciting to see multi-generational fans in our audience; many of them being very young and singing all the songs and very open minded to the new material. We look forward to seeing you all for the second leg of our summer tour!”
Emerging from the pandemic with a supercharged new studio line-up, “Let It Rain” will be followed by an epic, fifteen-track set of new original songs that brings back the grand scale of the group’s greatest moments, along with updated and bold new directions and sounds.
Schon adds, “We didn’t immediately work on the song, it just sat there as a jam for a long time, and then every once in a while, I’d come in to work on something, and Narada (Michael Walden) would play it for me, and I’d go, ‘Wow, we should really fucking work this thing up, there’s something there.’”
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, Journey have 25 gold and platinum albums, including the fifteen-million selling Greatest Hits collection, with total sales adding up to 80 million records around the world. As the band’s legend continues to grow larger and their touring gets bigger, Freedom will be the first album of new material to be released in eleven years, since 2011’s Eclipse, and inaddition to longtime keyboard player and primary lyricist Jonathan Cain and vocalist Arnel Pineda, one more member was recruited for the upcoming album — bassist extraordinaire Randy Jackson, who had played on Journey’s 1986 album Raised on Radio.
Freedom Tracklist
Together We Run Don’t Give Up On Us Still Believe In Love You Got The Best Of Me Live To Love Again The Way We Used To Be Come Away With Me After Glow Let It Rain Holdin On All Day And All Night Don’t Go United We Stand Life Rolls On Beautiful As You Are
Catch Journey’s Neal Schon LIVE this Friday, May 20 at 9pm ET on Talk Shop Live‘s The Rock N Roll Channel with host Steve Harkins. Harkins will be speaking with Schon about the new album and the band’s latest tour plans. Fans will be able to pre-order autographed copies of the new album. For more click HERE.
Journey and AEG have announced four exclusive Las Vegas show dates featuring special symphony orchestra performances at the new, state-of-the-art Resorts World Theatre.
Tickets for the special engagement are on sale now. For more info click HERE.
The adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC Quavo features handwritten lyrics from Quavo’s unreleased album “Cheat Code”
Combining personalized design, music and audio innovation, Adidas Headphones and Grammy nominated recording artist, Quavo, are coming together to announce Adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC Quavo. This limited-edition release arrives following Quavo and adidas Headphones’ initial partnership to launch adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC, which has now received a customized refresh. Designed in collaboration with Quavo himself, the headphone case showcases handwritten lyrics in silver from the rapper’s unreleased album, “Cheat Code,” while the earbuds respectively feature “Quavo Huncho” and “Cheat Code” in the same silver writing.
The official countdown to launch has now started on adidasheadphones.com, with limited quantities available worldwide on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning on Thursday, May 19 at 10 am EST.
Best known for being the frontman of the iconic hip-hop/rap trio Migos, as well as his love of sports and basketball in particular, Quavo was at the center of the creative process for the limited-edition earbuds, which are made for those with an active lifestyle like himself.
“When working on my new album, I hand wrote lyrics on a note, which later inspired this collaboration and concept for the headphones,” says Quavo. “I’m excited to be teaming back up with adidas Headphones to offer my fans these limited-edition earbuds designed by me with style, sound and music in mind.”
As a brand focused on sport and lifestyle, the base model adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC is a fully equipped true wireless earbud engineered to meet the demands of training routines and everyday life head-on. The game changing earbuds feature:
Noise Control: ANC (active noise canceling) alongside passive transparency for both efficiency and safety
Made to Measure: Interchangeable ear tips for a perfect fit
Versatile: On-and-off the field comfort to meet both the sport and lifestyle needs of athletes
Design: Emphasis on the look-and-feel of the product to match any activewear
Long-Lasting: 20 hours of playtime
“We are so excited to be continuing our partnership with Quavo on this limited-edition design that combines the ultimate audio experience in a customized look,” said Ella Renneus, Creative Design Lead at adidas Headphones. “Quavo’s eye for fresh design marries perfectly with our earbuds that fuse together innovation and the highest quality materials.”
There are 150 units of the adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC Quavo earbuds available worldwide and each pair will feature its own unique number for the wearer. Priced at $200, the headphones are available for purchase starting on May 19 at 10 AM EST exclusively at adidasheadphones.com.
adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the company employs more than 61,000 people across the globe and generated sales of € 21.2 billion in 2021.
About Zound Industries
Zound Industries designs and develops speakers and headphones under the brand names Adidas, Marshall and Urbanears. With a strong focus on innovative technology and user-centered design, Zound has launched a wide range of iconic, award-winning products. Zound currently has around 260 employees, with offices in Stockholm, New York, London, Paris, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. In 2021 turnover reached about SEK 2.15 billion.
SEVENTEEN will bring back their powerhouse performances to the concert stage this June with ‘SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR [BE THE SUN]’ (hereinafter ‘BE THE SUN’).
The K-pop stage-breakers announced their world tour ‘BE THE SUN’ on their official social media channels. While revealing North American tour dates, the announcement hinted at more shows to be added to the list, including cities in Asia and a Japan Dome Tour through November to December.
SEVENTEEN will kick off the tour on June 25 with two consecutive dates in Seoul, to be followed by shows in 12 North American cities: Vancouver on August 10, Seattle on August 12, Oakland on Augst 14, Los Angeles on August 17, Houston on August 20, Fort Worth on August 23, Chicago on August 25, Washington, DC on August 28, Atlanta on August 30, Belmont Park on September 1, Toronto on 3 and Newark on September 6.
‘BE THE SUN’ will be the K-pop supergroup’s first world tour in 2 years, after ‘SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR’ prematurely came to an end in 2020 due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The 13-piece act signaled the return of their highly-anticipated live shows earlier this month, with a fan meet in Japan that amassed 60,000 people.
SEVENTEEN will release their 4th studio album Face the Sun at midnight (ET) on May 27. The 9-track album with the lead single “HOT” has already racked up over 1.74 million pre-order sales in its first week, reaching an all-time high for the band.
About SEVENTEEN
Racking up 2 billion streams and selling 10 million albums, SEVENTEEN has rocketed to the forefront of the music scene fueled by a fiercely independent spirit and an unmatched in-house creative ecosystem. The group’s innovative structure hinges on the interplay of three units: hip-hop, vocals, and performance. Living up to the title of “K-pop Stage-breakers,” SEVENTEEN has unassumingly made history and become one of the biggest groups ever due to their world-class synchronization, jaw-dropping choreography, and tight teamwork. Moving at an unparalleled pace, the K-pop stage-breakers made their U.S. television debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden in January 2021 and followed it with unforgettable performances on The Kelly Clarkson Show,The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and MTV’s Fresh Out Live. SEVENTEEN’s latest EP, Attacca, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and No. 13 on the Billboard 200. It sold over 1.3 million copies in the first week of release, earning the K-pop superstars the “quintuple-million seller” title.
The album features his new single “Salam” with Swizz Beatz and French Montana, out today alongside the official music video—watch HERE. The video stars $kinny, Swizz Beatz, and French Montana and includes impressive video effects that portray iconic Saudi Arabian monuments and Arabic elements, allowing the three artists to continue to bring their Arabic culture into the mainstream.
On “Salam,” $kinny says, “‘Salam’ is a magical record. It started off with an Instagram post from Swizz listening to my song. He sent me a direct message, and we ended up in a studio that same night. It was one of the greatest moments in my career so far. We played that song at least 100+ times that night!”
Swizz Beatz comments, “Being the executive producer of Have a Nice Trip was easy because $kinny is super talented. He’s not just an artist, he writes and produces, which made the process even better!! My favorite part of making ‘Salam’ was the energy the record has. I know it will give off!!” French Montana adds, “That hook represents everything I stand for.”
Today, Variety ran an exclusive piece on the new single and album—read it HERE.
$kinny presents Saudi culture from a fresh perspective, infusing the traditions, inspirations, and sounds of his heritage into an otherworldly brand of hip-hop irreverent of borders and boundaries, yet firmly rooted in the future. He says, “My vision is to make timeless music. From hard energetic records to smooth melodic vibes that take you for a ride, I’m here to push the envelope and give the world a new vibe. I hope my music helps my fans go through the bad and good times. I want my songs to be there for them when they’re happy or sad… also that they should be confident in who they are and always be themselves, dreams come true so be careful what you wish for.”
In March, $kinny dropped his first two singles from the album, “Saudi Most Wanted” and “TAMAM” feat. Fat Money. The songs were released with music videos, which instantly trended at #1 and #3 respectively on YouTube in Saudi Arabia upon release. On Have A Nice Trip, he blends cultures and brings people together like never before. Additional collaborations on the album include Belly and King Bach. It follows $kinny’s 2020 single “My Blocka” and breakout projects, 2017’s Late Night Blvd EP and 2019’s Thank You For Nothing.
Stay tuned for more to come from the buzzing artist this year.
HAVE A NICE TRIP TRACKLIST
“Saudi Most Wanted”
“TAMAM” feat. Fat Money
“Gas”
“Salam” with Swizz Beatz & French Montana
“You Feel Nothing”
“Mind Your Business”
“Blicky” feat. Belly
“Never Leave Me Lonely”
“Higher Than The Moon”
“Cartier”
“Everyday Ballin” feat. King Bach
“My Blocka”
“Wallahi”
ABOUT $KINNY Music delivered solace for $kinny, and he consistently reciprocates now. The Saudi-Arabian artist grew up in Los Angeles as the child of an American mom and Saudi-Arabian dad. As such, he experienced life in between philosophies, traditions, and cultures. In the midst of this ebb and flow, he embraced music wholeheartedly. Since emerging in 2015, he has generated tens of millions of streams and incited tastemaker applause from the likes of The FADER, Vice, XXL Magazine, HotNewHipHop, and more. 2017’s Late Night Blvd EP saw him go bar for bar with titans such as Freddie Gibbs and Ice T. However, Thank You For Nothing established him as an international force to be reckoned with. It clinched #1 on Apple Music Middle East as the banger “Never Snitch (Alhumdulilah)” vaulted to #1 on Apple Music Middle East and took over YouTube as #1 on Trending. As a producer, his influence can be felt across Belly’s See You Next Wednesday as he cooked up “Die For It” feat. The Weeknd & Nas and “Money Table” feat. Benny the Butcher. Signing to Universal Arabic Music, he ignites his biggest and boldest chapter yet in 2022 with his new album Have A Nice Trip, featuring his latest single “Salam” with Swizz Beatz & French Montana.
On March 11, a full-length documentary film directed by Amy Scott, entitled Sheryl, about the singer-songwriter’s life and career will premiere at SXSW, ahead of the May 6 premiere on SHOWTIME. An intimate story of song and sacrifice, Sheryl navigates an iconic yet arduous musical career while the artist battles sexism, ageism, depression, cancer, and the price of fame, before harnessing the power of her gift.
“I am excited for the premiere of my documentary,” said Crow. “I hope people will find strength and courage through my story. It was a journey through years and years of incredible memories, and I am proud of the beautiful documentary that Amy Scott made about my life.”
About Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow is a nine-time GRAMMY award recipient and an American music icon. Her first nine studio albums have sold 35 million copies worldwide; seven charted in the Top 10, and five were certified for multi-platinum sales. Crow has been feted by a new generation of singer-songwriters who have covered her songs and talked about her influence, including Phoebe Bridgers, H.E.R, Haim, Maren Morris, Lorde, Sasami, Best Coast, and Brandi Carlile.
Daddy Yankee‘s critically acclaimed chart-topping magnum opus and final album, LEGENDADDY, has already eclipsed 600 million global streams and counting in less than a month! Speaking to the excitement around the last chapter of his genre-defining career, his farewell tour, “LA ÚLTIMA VUELTA” (The Last Round), has already sold out in advance of its launch this summer. He also recently shared the music video for “X ÚLTIMA VEZ” with Bad Bunny. It has generated 40 million-plus views thus far.
Upon release, LEGENDADDY landed as the #1 Latin Album in the World! It bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums Chart, arriving as his fifth consecutive #1 debut on the respective chart. Additionally, it catapulted into the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 at #8, marking his highest position on the chart to date and the first Top 10 in 15 years since 2007’s El Cartel: The Big Boss. Additionally, it soared to #1 on the Spotify Weekly Top Albums Chart.
LEGENDADDY incited widespread critical applause. Variety proclaimed, “Spanning over three decades of music, the 19-track collection captures the essence of reggaeton, salsa, dancehall, rap, trap, bachata, EDM, and Caribbean influencers,” and The New York Times noted, “The most dynamic moments come when Yankee reaches for the magic of the past—whether indulging in boastful hubris or summoning listeners into dance floor reverie.” Rolling Stone awarded the record “4-out-of-5 stars” and raved, “He’s going out in a blaze of glory.
Right out of the gate, LEGENDADDY took over Spotify worldwide, ascending to #1 on the Global Album Chart, achieving the biggest streaming day of his career on Spotify with a staggering 35.7 million streams—almost double his prior career best. The album reached #1 in 19 markets, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Spain and more on Apple Music‘s all-genres list. Additionally, five of the album’s music videos have vaulted into the Top 10 on YouTube. He has bested his own personal records with the album—and it has only just begun to catch fire too.
However, his goodbye is hardly an occasion for tears. Instead, LEGENDADDY might just be the biggest part of the century as he invites a variety of A-list friends to celebrate over three decades of music on this 19-track opus. To herald the record’s arrival, he accompanied the release with nine exhilarating and high-energy music videos for “AGUA,” “LA OLA,” “ZONA DEL PERREO,” “HOT,” “BOMBÓN,” “EL ABUSADOR DEL ABUSADOR,” “IMPARES,” and for his single: “REMIX.” The single’s head-nodding beat and reggaeton production underscore hard-hitting verses and a rafter-reaching refrain. It pops off as a banger on par with his most applauded output. The accompanying visual proves equally scorching, stylish, and sexy.
From the epic Michael Buffer-led opener “LEGENDADDY” through the emotional finale “BLOKE,” LEGENDADDY traverses a myriad of styles and sounds made famous by Daddy Yankee throughout his iconic run thus far. Other highlights on the album include “CAMPEÓN,” which tackles his career and what it took for him to be a champion in the industry as well as his staple signature tropical fusion sound that he melds together so well with the Luny (Luny Tunes)-produced “RUMBATÓN.”
LEGENDADDY stands out as his first album in ten years and his boldest, brightest, and biggest musical statement ever.
For one last time, he will canvas the world on his sold-out “LA ÚLTIMA VUELTA” (The Last Round) tour. Promoted byCardenas Marketing Networkand Raphy Pina, MR Sold Out, the five-month trek includes some of the rapper/songwriters’ biggest headline shows in North America and Latin America to date.
On his retirement, Daddy Yankee said, “Today, I’m announcing my retirement from music by giving you my best production and concert tour. I will say goodbye celebrating these 32 years of experience with this new collector’s item, my album LEGENDADDY. I’m going to give you all the styles that have defined me in one single album.”
That album is LEGENDADDY, and it is here forever.
About Daddy Yankee
As a culture creator, game-changer, agent of change, and groundbreaker, Daddy Yankee has consistently inspired, impacted, and influenced generations of creators. An indisputable icon, he remains one of the most influential artists of all time, bringing reggaeton worldwide for the first time. Latin music and culture would not look, sound or feel the same without him. It’s hard to even imagine the genre itself without “Gasolina,” “Despacito” [with Luis Fonsi] or “Con Calma” [with Snow], and more.
Omaha, Nebraska-born, LA-based artist SK8 has risen to acclaim with an insatiable desire for his craft. Beginning music in his early teens, the now 27-year-old recording artist has opened for the likes of Lil Wayne, Rae Sremmurd while also working with Wiz Khalifa.
SK8’s devotion to his music has been evident through the course of his career, earning him widespread success – which he doesn’t plan on ceasing anytime soon. 360 Magazine’s Vaughn Lowery had the opportunity to speak with SK8 regarding his rise to critical notoriety, where his creativity stems from and his star-studded new album Last Day on Earth.
To truly understand the talent that is SK8, it’s important to appreciate his start in the music game. Nathan Maloley, also known as SK8, has had a passion for music his entire life. He began making his own music and downloading his tracks onto CD’s when he was in his early teen years.
Even taking choir for a few years in school, SK8 remembers his early beginnings writing music. While growing up, he found “that [music] was almost my escape. I would always go home […] and look up YouTube beats and [begin] writing.”
Back in 2013 and 2014, artists were constantly being found online via social media. SK8 recalls searching for new artists to listen to, “I really wanted to find a new artist, like, who was the up-and-coming artist?” Little did he know, his time was swiftly coming.
Stuck in the middle between a potential basketball or music career, SK8 juggled his two loves throughout high school leading into college. The Omaha community knew about his dreams to become a rapper, and this led to further connections with the people around him.
SK8 attended Hastings College in Nebraska, a performing arts school which allowed him to also play basketball. During his freshman year, artists would frequently come perform at the school, which led to SK8’s early performance gigs. SK8 would open for the artists coming to the school, gaining him even more recognition within the music industry.
His freshman year, SK8, too, decided that he was going to go after his dream of chasing a professional music career, dropping out of college, and giving up basketball. Moving back home with his mother, SK8 dove into music, which took off quickly after.
His debut break into the scene came from his collaboration with Jack and Jack, popular Viners back in the mid 2010’s. The Viners went to SK8’s high school and decided to link up and work on music together. They came together to create “Like That,” a track that ended up going certified gold independently.
This collaboration ultimately kicked off his career, and SK8 joined Jack and Jack on their tour. Taking full advantage of his time on the road, SK8 made it his mission to connect with a new fanbase. “I was the guy that was opening up, like, yo ‘Imma get as many fans as I can.’” He remembers bonding with fans after the shows, gaining more of a following on social media after the tour closed.
Joining Jack and Jack on their tour opened even more opportunities than SK8 could have ever foreseen. Through the widescale exposure that he gained on tour, this allowed SK8 to connect and open for popular rap artists Rae Sremmurd and Lil Wayne.
Well on his way with a whole new set of fans, SK8 embarked on his first solo tour in 2016 celebrating his Skaterade project. The tour was a great time for SK8 to travel and meet his fanbase. He recollects the thrill, stating, “It was a really, really cool tour to see where my fans were at, and just [to] independently be on the road, it was a really good time.”
Soon after the tour wrapped up, SK8 began contemplating what his next steps were going to be. After accomplishing so much in the early stages of his career, what would come next? He had a longstanding dream of opening his own label, to which he began to pursue while connecting industry professional James McMillan.
McMillan and SK8 joined forces to start the imprint known as Alignment Records. The two began pitching their record label and found partnership with Atlanta Records swiftly after opening up Alignment.
Continuing further with the process, SK8 questioned who would help oversee the project, “Sh**, I got the label, but who’s gonna manage this sh**?”
And then, it seemingly all fell into place.
Having met Wiz Khalifa in Los Angeles a few times prior, SK8 recalled one late night in the studio where the two artists began their first collaboration track together. At 4 AM, Wiz happened to be at the same studio as SK8, where SK8 showed Wiz some of his new tracks. The pair started going back and forth in the studio, knocking out a hook and verse, completing their first joint track.
After this night, they kept in touch via Wiz’s manager Will Dzomback. Dzomback was very interested in SK8, inviting him to sign with Taylor Gang Management. Platforming SK8’s talents to a whole new level, this collaboration set his career to new altitudes.
Previously more immersed in the rap/hip-hop genre, SK8 showcases a newfound rock/pop punk era on his new album Last Day on Earth. He accredits his longstanding love for rock music back to his adolescence.
“My dad listened to Bob Marley, that was his favorite artist, […] I grew up listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and also my hip hop inspirations too, I’ve always listened to a bunch of sh** like Nirvana and Kurt Cobain.”
The start of SK8’s transition to the rock/pop punk sound arrived after working with Machine Gun Kelly’s drummer, Rook, in the studio. Rook and SK8 met in LA a few years back and have stayed friends for quite some time.
Bouncing off of each other in the studio, they began recreating and mixing old rock classics. Popular tracks from artists like SK8’s beloved Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana became completely transformed; SK8 had found his new sound.
“[Rook] started just playing some live instruments, […] he started playing some sh**, I think it was the ‘Pages melody, and that was kinda the first song that we were like ‘this is gonna be tight,’” said SK8. “I listen to a lot of old school stuff, […] I wanted to just strip the music, and not just go on beats. We really took the time, went in there with guitar riffs.”
Tracks like “Girl Next Door” came out of this genre blend experimental phase that SK8 boarded on. “It was really cool bringing Wiz into that feel, too,” he says about combining hip-hop with rock influences, “I’ll have my whole album finished, and you know, I’ll have verses open just in case, […] he came to me and was like ‘Nah, that one right there, ‘Girl next door.’”
The addition of live instrumental pieces took the album to whole heights. SK8 accredits this while speaking about the vision for Last Day on Earth, stating, “The motivation really was like, yo, I wanna create something that’s authentic to me but still I wanted to, like, have live elements, […] I didn’t want to just rap and do melodies over just beats. I wanted to create something that had all live elements.”
In the works since the start of the pandemic, Last Day on Earth has been a long time coming. Taking over two years to perfectly craft and complete the body of work allowed SK8 to fully enjoy the experience of making the project.
“I really enjoyed making this project,” he begins, “I had a really, really good team around me that helped me bring this album to them, so I have to give props to them, for real.”
Considering what’s next for SK8, the sky seems to be the limit. At the forefront of his priorities is to stay consistent and continue pushing out new music that he believes in.
The two-year hiatus between his previous drops allowed SK8 to have “a good period of time to actually really find the sound that I wanted to find, and now that I found it, I’m really dialing in.” He remarks, “I wanted to tap into the real me, I didn’t want to tell a story that wasn’t me, I didn’t want to do nothing that wasn’t me.”
For those with aspirations of starting a career in music, SK8 has some great advice. “It may sound cliché, but never give up. If it’s something that you really, really enjoy and really love doing, just don’t give up, there’s been a lot of ups, there’s been a lot of downs […] don’t give up, your time is gonna come, you’re gonna get your break.
“You don’t have to be mainstream, you don’t gotta to be the biggest artist in the world, you can still make music and make money at the same time. That’s what I, like, wake up and am always grateful and blessed to wake up and do music, that’s what I love.”
Role Model (a.k.a. Tucker Pillsbury) released his debut album, Rx. He also unveiled the music video for the title track. The album comes fresh off the heels of Role Model‘s latest single, “neverletyougo.” Its video racked up over 1.7M views (Click HERE.) His previous single “if jesus saves, she’s my type” amassed over 1.5M streams in its first week (Click HERE). Rx is an extremely dynamic body of work. Within it exists an underlying message about the power of a woman. Elements of religion, sex and love layer throughout. Find Role Model’s debut album at all digital retail providers via Interscope Records.
Role Model says about the album, “In the simplest terms, the album is about the power of a woman and how it healed me the past couple years. As much as it’s telling a story, it also shows the crazy shift in my life. A woman saved me and brought me out of a hole. Lyrically, I wanted to put her on a pedestal, like a higher power.”
The Music Video
The music video for “rx” presents an emotional, performance-based visual. It takes place during a long, lonely drive with a vulnerable Tucker at the wheel. As Tucker drives, the song builds as do his emotions, becoming especially triggered with each chorus. Towards the end of the song, the video cuts to a new frame revealing a girl has been sitting next to him in the car the entire time.
Role Model says about the music video, “I wrote the video to be as simple as it possibly could be. The focus should be on the lyrics and the emotion involved. I think the two frames sum it up perfectly.” In addition, Role Model announced his first-ever “TOURx 2022” World Tour. This is the artist’s most massive tour to date, as he will be performing at larger venues across the U.S., and he will be taking his incredible show overseas to the U.K. and Europe for the first time.
Touring
Previously announced shows in the U.K. and Europe have been upgraded to larger venues for which tickets initially purchased will be valid for the new venues. Several new U.K. and European dates have been announced as well. Role Model‘s “TOURx 2022” World Tour will also include festivals such as Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Hangout Music Fest, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and more. Tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased HERE.
El Alfa, the most representative Urban artist from the Dominican Republic releases his 4th studio album titled “Sabiduría” (Wisdom). A comprehensive production of 14 songs with “explosive” collaborations that transports the artist closer to the Anglo market, proving a musical maturity that the interpreter defines as “the best I have done in my artistic career to date.”
The album’s title “Sabiduría” hails from the mere meaning of the word; ‘wisdom’ being the definitive feature of El Alfa’s artistic career; foresight, prudence, insight and experience are contributing factors that have allowed him to make the best decisions over time to climb the steps of musical success.
“Each of my albums has been the clear representation of my artistic career. From the man who understood that discipline would be his livelihood, to the man today who has the wisdom to make his dreams come true. I hope you enjoy it,” El Alfa said.
The album encompasses contributions from musicians and artists from different walks of the world including Chael Produciendo, the genius behind the worldwide success of “La mamá, la mamá,” Dominican artist/producer La Nota, as well as Cubans Mauro and Lenier who poured their indisputable “flow” into the production of “Sabiduría.”
“Sabiduría” releases simultaneously along with the music video “Máquina de dinero” a collaboration with American rapper French Montana and introducing young Dominicans Braulio Fogón and Kaly, Ocho, the new generation of urban artists from this musical hit producing Caribbean country.
Additionally, “Sabiduría” contains musical collaborations with Lil Pump, Lenier, T.Y.S, Valentino, Farina and El Mayor Clásico, with the latter, El Alfa premiered the first single off the album titled “Galapin.”
“Wisdom” is available for streaming on all digital music platforms.
