Posts tagged with "tidal"

BLACKPINK’S BORN PINK DEBUTS NO. 1 ON BILLBOARD

BLACKPINK’s ‘Born Pink’ Debuts No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

Global superstars BLACKPINK unveil their long-awaited second full-length album BORN PINK via YG Entertainment / Interscope Records. Stream HERE. The album is accompanied by a cinematic video for new single “Shut Down.” Watch it HERE. On October 15, the girl group embarks on a world tour that touches down on four continents. BORN PINK is now available at all digital retailers.

BORN PINK was spearheaded by the record-shattering single “Pink Venom,” which topped the Billboard Global 200 and debuted at No.1 on Spotify’s Global Top Songs Chart, amassing 7.9M streams within the first 24 hours. The song’s official music video also conquered YouTube, amassing 90.4M views within the first 24 hours. That ranks as JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ, and LISA’s biggest debut to date, the biggest release by females (group or solo) of this decade, and the third biggest 24-hour debut of all time.

Next up, BLACKPINK will kick off their world tour, which is predicted to be attended by more than 1.5M people, at the KSPO DOME in Seoul Olympic Park on October 15. The group will then visit the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, among others, before landing in New Zealand on June 21, 2023. A full list of dates is linked HERE.

BORN PINK TRACKLIST:

1. Pink Venom

2. Shut Down

3. Typa Girl

4. Yeah Yeah Yeah

5. Hard to Love

6. The Happiest Girl

7. Tally

8. Ready for Love

ABOUT BLACKPINK:

One of the most massively successful K-pop groups in music history, BLACKPINK have redefined the global pop landscape since first bursting onto the scene in 2016. Along with boasting the #1 most-subscribed artist channel on YouTube, the South Korean quartet has achieved such boundary-defying milestones as scoring the highest-charting album by a female group in over a decade and becoming the first K-pop girl group ever to perform at Coachella (the largest music festival in the U.S.). Comprised of JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA—all immensely charismatic vocalists, dancers, and fast-rising fashion icons—BLACKPINK began their meteoric rise with their 2016 debut “SQUARE ONE” and further proved their crossover power with “SQUARE UP” (a 2018 release that quickly cracked the Billboard 200).

Soon after signing with Interscope Records through a global partnership with YG Entertainment, the group made their full-length debut with 2020’s immediately iconic THE ALBUM. THE ALBUM shot to #2 on the Billboard 200 and landed three singles on the Billboard Hot 100: “How You Like That” (the iconic single that shattered several YouTube records, including fastest video to cross 150 million views), “Ice Cream” (a collaboration with Selena Gomez that broke the record for highest-charting female K-pop group on the Hot 100), and “Lovesick Girls” (a track that’s sold over 1.4 million copies worldwide, making BLACKPINK the first K-pop girl group to sell over a million units). Through the years, BLACKPINK have also garnered a number of major awards (including an MTV Video Music Award for Song of the Summer as well as three E! People’s Choice Awards), collaborated with superstars like Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga, performed on “The Tonight Show,” and starred in BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky (a 2020 film hailed by the New York Times as an “endearing documentary that emphasizes each member’s individuality”). With over 6.3 billion career Spotify streams to date, BLACKPINK have unveiled their wildly anticipated sophomore album BORN PINK. In less than a month, the group will hit the road for their 2022/2023 world tour kicking off on October 15 in Seoul, South Korea.

BLACKPINK – ‘BORN PINK’ eAlbum

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Photo: YG Entertainment

TIDAL RELEASES MENTAL HEALTH PLAYLISTS

Whether you’re a student, teacher, or parent, the Back-To-School season can be a stressful time for all involved. It’s important to prioritize your mental wellbeing year-round but especially as summer break comes to a close, and global music streaming service, TIDAL wants to help!

Below, it is included the mental-health playlists that went live on August 15th on TIDAL:

MOVING INTO NEW CHAPTERS:

FINDING YOURSELF AGAIN: This is the perfect soundtrack for picking up the pieces after it’s all over.
THE BEST IS YET TO COME: Embrace the change and keep taking it one day at a time.
YOU’RE GONNA BE ALRIGHT: Let this playlist help you look forward to the brighter days ahead after new changes in your life.

MANAGING CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE:

THE LONG GOODBYE: Grieving is the world’s loneliest feeling. Here’s a soundtrack that may be able to keep you company.
FEELING THE FEELS: Turn on this soundtrack when you just need to let it all out and be in your feelings. This too shall pass.
FINDING THE WORDS: It’s okay to not be okay. Things get better and you will get through this.
FINDING YOURSELF AGAIN: This is the perfect soundtrack for picking up the pieces after it’s all over.

REIGNITING YOUR POSITIVE MINDSET:

FACE THE SUN: There is beauty, hope, and strength in and around you. Keep your face to the sun and take one step at a time.
THE BEST IS YET TO COME: Embrace the change and keep taking it one day at a time.
DEEP FOCUS BEATS: Some songs just get you in the zone. Tune the world out and conSYNTHtrate with these deep-focus beats

Asiahn – Fall Back

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R&B singer/songwriter Asiahn turns up the heat while taking it slow on her sultry new single, Fall Back, out today. Since the 80s / Motown Records. The track, an age-old tale of falling too hard and too fast, comes alongside a wine-soaked video that follows the intimate push-and-pull between two not-yet-official lovers. Watch the video.

As she’s proven before, Asiahn has a keen ability to dissect every emotion and stage of romance with a vulnerability that’s immediately felt. On Fall Back she boldly takes the reins, and sounds more convincing than ever. I just want to drive you crazy,she teases, over sizzling synth, bursts of sax, and glistening harp. But she’s not here to seduceߞnot yet.

Remarkably, Asiahn wrote Fall Back in about 15 minutes alongside producer Dreek Beatz. The story behind the song is, well, true, she laughs. I know we’ve all been in a situation where we’re trying to get to know someone casually. Then, of course, she falls in love anyways. It’s a song telling that person to fall back, you doing too much. Let’s just get to know each other and see if getting serious is even something we want to do. The video shows that conversation in action, from flirty Post-it notes to a playfully tipsy tete-a-tete.

A fan of all things futuristic and tech, Asiahn has teamed up with Verizon, Capitol Music Group (CMG) and Motown Records to give fans a new way to experience a music video. Using the ASIAHN app, fans can extend Asiahn’s “Fall Back” music video into their living rooms with Augmented Reality (AR). As the video plays on their TV or laptop, they can toggle between an ambient AR experience that plays in sync with the video and a volumetric capture (360-degree capture) of Asiahn dancing to her song in their room. The ASIAHN app, available September 29th on the Google Play and Apple ap stores, is the second project in Verizon and Capitol Music Group/Motown’s Emerging Tech and Emerging Artist Series.

Fall Back continues the Los Angeles-based artist’s transition from lovesick songstress to empowered star, as showcased on her Motown debut, The Interlude EP, released earlier this year. The EP debuted on multiple Billboard charts and earned Asiahn Billboard‘s Emerging Artist Spotlight, started at #33 on Apple Music Charts, and received support from fans and critics like Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Keke Palmer, to American Songwriter Essence,Nylon,Refinery29, MarieClaire, and many more.

Asiahn will also be playing the title character in the upcoming Netflix animated series, Karma’s World, created by Ludacris. The show tells the story of a girl finding her voice and using it to change the world. Sounds like the ideal role for this 3x-Grammy-nominated talent who continues her steady rise, which includes being named Pandora’s Artist to Watch 2021, participating in Live Nation’s Black History Month, and Tidal Sessions performances.

ZAHARA × NQABA YAM

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NEW ALBUM ‘NQABA YAM’ IS OUT NOW

There will be light at the end of the tunnel is the recurring theme and text for Zahara’s most honest and personal album yet, Nqaba Yam.

Much like the fiery red dress she dons on the artwork for her anticipated fifth offering, Zahara is the ray of sunshine that many have yearned for in the midst of a global pandemic. Her latest body of work serves as a pick-me-up.

The soothing, healing and soulful melody of the 12-track album, paired with introspective lyrics oozes a newfound confidence in Zahara’s distinct voice. Her aura is effervescent and light as air. She’s letting her masterful guitar skills do all the talking, while taking listeners on a sonic stroll in a botanical garden.

Her new music is fresh, simple and organic like the cornrows she sports on her head. It’s evident in every delicate and soft note that she belts out that the Eastern Cape country girl has found her nirvana. Zahara has also spiritually connected with her faith and found solace in God’s mercy.

This is praise and worship music – given that Zahara va va voom!

With 10 years in the ever evolving music industry, multiple South African Music Awards (Samas), over 400 000 albums sold and 366 000 Instagram followers; Zahara has nothing more to prove.

So she instead welcomes us into her castle and introduces fans to her pillar of strength throughout her trials and tribulations – God.

Penning down every song on the album, Zahara reunites with producer and longtime collaborator Mojalefa “Mjakes” Thebe.

Titular track Nqaba Yam is the perfect album opener and set the tone quite well. Straight off the bet she lets listeners know that this is the gospel of Zahara away from the glitz and glamour. She has given all her trust and hope to the man upstairs. This song is a classic Zahara Afro-pop banger from the instrumental to the piercing vulnerability in her velvety vocals.

With a modern country guitar intro, Sinda Mphefumlo reminds us that Zahara is still unapologetically a country girl at heart. In this journal entry, she is fighting both her internal and external demons – her heart and soul are heavy.

Keeping with the country motif, Ndikhona has written all over it the potential of a Zahara anthem. She creates a mystery and keeps the listener guessing if this is a love letter to a friend or lover. But what’s clear is that Zahara has never sounded this good and felt such tenderness. So much so that she will make all the time in the world for such fondness.

Zahara makes a holy plea to God with emotionally-charged Ndincede. She has been in the trenches, a lot of unpleasant things have been said about her and she needs all the strength in the world to pull through it all. Her voice has never sounded brilliantly exposed and authentic.

Bawo is a first taste of Zahara in full gospel mode as she seems to start connecting with her faith and leaving it all in the Lord Almighty’s capable hands following her prayer request in the previous cut.

Halfway through the album, Zahara switches it up with Systems and our girl shows that she is woke as she fights social injustices. Long story short, Zahara is a freedom fighter. It’s a stripped down acoustic guitar number – exquisitely simple and elegant.

Fresh off making her political statement, Zahara gives a throwback to Sophiatown with Ntak’encinane. The mid-tempo tune displays a more fun and dancey Zahara for the first time on the album. The feel-good song will have you snapping your fingers and kicking up your heels in euphoria.

Senzeni has a maskandi vibe to it and is the most intense song on the album. It’s a female empowerment chant dedicated to victims and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Bring out the tissues!

Nyamezela is a stand-out track and very radio-friendly. This is a song for everyone with a relatable and strong message of resilience and courage. No mountain is too high with God by your side. The beat is electric, making it a road-trip banger with your windows rolled down.

Forgiveness is what Zahara preaches in Izolo, another mid-tempo song. Zahara nudges that holding onto grudges is never good for anyone – forget the pain of yesterday and focus on the promises of today.

Dust off your dancing shoes and get ready to make love to the dance floor. Forever Yours is all the way up-tempo with a throbbing beat that demands that you lose your mind and morals. It says put me on repeat, full blast and sing along.

Zahara bows out with a message of hope for all the dreamers with Iphupho Lam. She was destined to be great, she is royalty and with God by her side she will continue on her trajectory to the top.

GRYFINN × NEW BLOOD

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Today, L.A.-based artist/producer Gryffin releases a brand-new single entitled “New Blood” with buzzing singer and songwriter Boy Matthews [Duke Dumont, Hayden James, Riton, Oliver Heldens]. Released today via Darkroom / Interscope Records, the track seamlessly integrates show-stopping falsetto vocals with unpredictable and undeniable production, fusing dancefloor bliss and pop energy. The track arrives alongside accompanying lyric video, which can be found HERE.

Listen to Gryffin’s “New Blood” with Boy Matthews HERE.

“’New Blood’ is one of my favorite records I’ve ever done” says Gryffin on the creation of the track. “It is about a special someone coming into your life and allowing you to rediscover your inner self and happiness in life again. Boy Matthews is one of the most talented vocalists I’ve ever worked with. His soul and energy gave this song the euphoric vibes I was looking for. I’m so proud of this record and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.”

2021 has shaped up to be a banner year for Gryffin. In just a month, his most recent single “Best Is Yet To Come” with Kyle Reynolds has amassed over 13 million total streams and counting between the Original, Max Styler Remix, Cheyenne Giles Remix, and Acoustic version. Dancing Astronaut praised the latter as “touching” and went on to claim, “Gryffin and Kyle Reynolds smoothly play off each other in the acoustic’s visual and place another layer of charged emotion onto an already faultless merger.”

Currently in the middle of his Las Vegas residency at The Wynn’s Encore Beach Club and XS Nightclub, Gryffin is also performing at major markets across the U.S. See full show dates below, and purchase tickets HERE.

GRYFFIN’S UPCOMING SHOWS:

8/13 Salt Lake City, UT Das Energi Festival

8/14 Las Vegas, NV Encore Beach Club at Night

8/22 Las Vegas, NV XS Nightswim

8/27 Grand Rapids, MI Breakaway Music Festival – Grand Rapids

8/28 San Bernadino, CA Beyond Wonderland

8/29 Water Mill, NY Palm Tree Festival

9/3 Columbus, OH Breakaway Music Festival

9/4 Las Vegas, NV Lost in Dreams

9/5 El Paso, TX Freakazoid Robots

9/10 Surrey BC, Canada FVDED in the Park

9/18 Las Vegas, NV Encore Beach Club at Night

9/19 Atlanta, GA Imagine Festival

10/2 Charlotte, NC Breakaway Music Festival

10/30 San Bernadino, CA Escape Festival

ABOUT GRYFFIN

Born Dan Griffith, Gryffin got his start in music as a classically trained pianist and guitarist and also played in several bands. After receiving an electrical engineering degree from the University of Southern California, he pursued a path in music production, drawing equally from his carefully honed musicality and edgy ingenuity. Gryffin made his breakthrough in 2016 with two singles showcasing his melodic take on dance music: “Heading Home” ft. Josef Salvat (which shot to #1 on Spotify’s US and Global Viral charts) and the Bipolar Sunshine collaboration “Whole Heart.” In addition, his 2017 smash single “Feel Good” — with Illenium and featuring Daya— peaked at #18 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay charts. Gryffin’s major triumphs also include “Tie Me Down” ft. Elley Duhé (which hit #2 on the Spotify US Viral Chart and #9 on the Global Viral Chart), “Remember” ft. Zohara (which garnered 6.5 million streams in its first few weeks and earned support from Tiesto, who featured the track on an Instagram story), and “All You Need to Know” with SLANDER ft. Calle Lehmann (a gold-certified smash that’s now surpassed 100 million streams). Arriving in October 2019, Gryffin’s debut album Gravity quickly climbed to #1 on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

MOLD! × I CAN SEE THE GHOST!

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MOLD! Shares New Single “I CAN SEE THE GHOST!”
The track is the second single off the band’s upcoming album NO SILENCE!

Watch the video on YouTube.

Miami-based psych-rock outfit MOLD! shares“I CAN SEE THE GHOST!, the sophomore single off their debut full-length effort NO SILENCE!, due out in August. The track features fast-paced garage-infused guitars and dreamlike vocals. I CAN SEE THE GHOST! has a lysergic visual counterpart, featuring animations by Peruvian artists Bruna Denegri and Tomàs Del Prado.

Most of the tracks included in NO SILENCE! were written by founding band member Carlo Barbacci and former bassist Bronto Montano. The songs express their emotional conflict about leaving their home in Lima, Peru back in 2017, to embark on their journey to the United States–and the existentialism that arises from leaving everything behind to start anew.

The album was recorded and mixed at The Bull Recording Studio in Miami by sound engineer Ryan Haft (Torche, Wrong, Jacuzzi Boys), and produced in a collaborative effort between Barbacci and Haft. Mastering engineer Dave Cooley, whose credits include DIIV, Tame Impala, Stone Temple Pilots and J Dilla, to name a few, took the reigns for mastering duties, putting the final touches on the powerful and moreish record.

“I CAN SEE THE GHOST! Is a special song because most of the song’s harmony and structure came out naturally during a band jam session. As usual, I worked on structure, melody, and harmony later on using a DAW. Essentially This song follows the mood of the past single. The lyrics are very connected to it, the nostalgia and the anger are still very present. The difference is that this song is a better ’sample’ of what the rest of the album is like. The mood is darker. But this is still not the album! Every single will be more revealing of the band and of what we really are and represent. Hopefully, the listener will feel many different things and catch different meanings/messages listening to it! The song has all these textures and interesting sounds that really mean to hypnotize the listener. Step into this new portal away from mundane life just for a couple of minutes!” – Shares Carlo Barbacci

About MOLD!

MOLD! is a psych-rock collective based in Miami, Florida. The band was incepted in 2019, after founding member Carlo Barbacci moved from Lima, Peru to Miami. Since their formation, the outfit’s following has proliferated, allowing for them to become a staple on local bills, alongside some of the best underground bands the Magic City has to offer. To date, MOLD! has made there way across countless South Floridian stages, including the legendary venues Las Rosas and Churchill’s Pub.

With the release of their debut self-titled three-song EP in November, 2019, the
band embarked on a statewide tour, and performed alongside CLONE (members of DIIV, Habibi and Dead Leaf Echo) for their live-streamed release party at The center For Subtropical Affairs during Art Basel Week. Today the band gears up to release their first LP titled NO SILENCE!

TRIPPIE REDD × HOLY SMOKES VIDEO

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WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “HOLY SMOKES” HERE

LISTEN TO “HOLY SMOKES” FT. LIL UZI VERT

Following the surprise release of “Holy Smokes” ft. Lil Uzi Vert, Trippie Redd has dropped an accompanying music video for the new single. Directed by Mooch, produced by Nolan Riddle and featuring cameos from David Mazouz (Gotham) and Aiden Ross, check out the video HERE. “Holy Smokes”, released on Friday, had the #9 Global Song Debut, and the #2 US Song Debut on Spotify. This is the second single to be released from Trippie’s forthcoming album, Trip At Knight, following “Miss The Rage” ft. Playboi Carti, released in May.

The single comes on the heels of Trippie announcing his upcoming headlining North American tour, Tripp At Knight, produced by Live Nation and presented by Rolling Loud. Joined by fellow 10K Projects artist iann dior, and fast rising Atlanta artist SoFayGo, Trippie’s 25-stop tour will kick off on August 25th at The Armory in Minneapolis, MN and wrap up on October 6th at the Performance Venue at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles. Purchase tickets HERE. Full tour dates below.

Trippie’s latest single “Miss The Rage” with Playboi Carti, released in May, debuted at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (the highest chart debut for either artist) and its music video surpassed 1M views in four hours. Trippie kicked off the year with his first-ever rock album NEON SHARK, produced by close friend and collaborator Travis Barker. NEON SHARK features appearances by Machine Gun Kelly, Chino Moreno (of Deftones), blackbear and more, and acts as the deluxe edition of Trippie’s October 2020 album, Pegasus, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart.

U-ROY × SOLID GOLD U-ROY

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SOLID GOLD U-ROY OUT TODAY

GROUNDBREAKING DEEJAY AND MUSICAL PIONEER JOINED ON NEW COLLECTION BY SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDING ZIGGY MARLEY, SHAGGY, SANTIGOLD, MICK JONES, SCIENTIST, SLY & ROBBIE, RYGIN KING, BIG YOUTH, AND MANY MORE

U-ROY & ZIGGY MARLEY’S “TRENCHTOWN ROCK” OFFICIAL VISUALIZER PREMIERES TODAY – WATCH

Trojan Jamaica/BMG is proud to celebrate the life and legacy of the late, great U-Roy with today’s release of U-Roy’s final album, SOLID GOLD U-ROY. The eagerly awaited album – which features guest appearances from such icons as Ziggy Marley, Shaggy, Mick Jones of The Clash, Santigold, Sly & Robbie, David Hinds of Steel Pulse, Big Youth, Tarrus Riley, Rygin King, Jesse Royal, Richie Spice, and Scientist – is available now at all DSPs, streaming services and limited-edition colored vinyl.

Produced by label co-founders Zak Starkey and Sshh Liguz, with Youth, and mixed by David Sardy (Toots & The Maytals, Oasis, The Who), SOLID GOLD U-ROY boasts a stellar band of superstars comprised of Zak on guitar, New Orleans legend Cyril Neville on percussion, as well as reggae royalty, including drummer Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare on bass and backing vocals, Tony Chin on guitar and backing vocals, Robbie Lyn on keyboards, trumpet player Stingwray and saxophonist/horn arranger/backing vocalist Dean Fraser.

Originally scheduled for release in 2020, SOLID GOLD U-ROY now serves as a musical memorial to the one and only U-Roy, who sadly passed away on February 17 of this year. One of the most profoundly influential reggae stars of his generation, U-Roy left behind an unmatched legacy as an originator of the chatty rhythmic vocal style known as toasting – a key foundational element in the development of rap and hip hop in the 1970s. Today’s release is marked by the premiere of an official visualizer for album highlight and Bob Marley classic, “Trenchtown Rock,” with U-Roy and Ziggy Marley.

WATCH U-ROY AND ZIGGY MARLEY’S “TRENCHTOWN ROCK”

DOWNLOAD/STREAM SOLID GOLD U-ROY

SOLID GOLD U-ROY was previously heralded by such tracks as U-Roy and Rygin King’s “Stop That Train” and U-Roy and Santigold’s “Man Next Door,” both of which are joined by official music videos directed by Nick Franco/1185 Films in collaboration with Zak and Sshh and streaming now at the official Trojan Jamaica YouTube channel.

LISTEN TO U-ROY AND RYGIN KING “STOP THAT TRAIN”

WATCH U-ROY AND RYGIN KING “STOP THAT TRAIN”

LISTEN TO U-ROY AND SANTIGOLD “MAN NEXT DOOR”

WATCH U-ROY AND SANTIGOLD “MAN NEXT DOOR”

Last year saw SOLID GOLD U-ROY first announced alongside a new release of U-Roy’s iconic “Wake The Town.” Originally released in 1970, the track proved a #1 Jamaican pop chart phenomenon and immediately established U-Roy as an international star. Last year’s release of “Wake The Town” coincided with a tour of Brazil by an all-star band featuring U-Roy, Zak, and Sshh that performed to over 150,000 fans in early 2020.

LISTEN TO “WAKE THE TOWN”

U-Roy, also known as The Originator, The Teacher, The Godfather or just simply Daddy, wasn’t the first Jamaican deejay but he was undoubtedly the most influential. Born Ewart Beckford on September 21, 1942 in Jones Town, West Kingston, U-Roy holds an exalted place in the trajectory of Jamaican music. By adapting his melodic, jazz-inflected scatted rhymes to “versioned” records – that is, alternative cuts of recordings with the original vocals stripped down or completely removed – U-Roy elevated the uniquely Jamaican vocal style known as toasting into a hit-making artform.

For three months in 1970, U-Roy’s “Wear You To The Ball,” “Wake The Town,” and “Rule The Nation” indeed ruled the nation, occupying the top three slots on Jamaica’s radio station charts. U-Roy’s many successes – which also included 1973’s VERSION GALORE, the inaugural deejay album – led to an explosion in recordings which forever altered the course of Jamaican music, especially its dancehall strain. Subsequent generations of superstar Jamaican deejays including Shabba Ranks, Shaggy and Sean Paul have each said they owe their careers to the trail blazed by U-Roy.

U-Roy’s impact further extended far beyond Jamaica’s shores. In 1973, Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc strung up his sound system in the Bronx to play at a back-to-school fundraiser. Before the set, he told his emcee, Coke La Rock, to chat over the breaks in songs like U-Roy and the other deejays he heard growing up in Kingston – thus, the foundation for rap and hip-hop culture was born.

Throughout his illustrious career U-Roy was the recipient of countless international awards; in 2007 he received the Order of Distinction from the Jamaican government for his contribution to music. In 2018 U-Roy was introduced to Trojan Jamaica co-founders Zak Starkey and “Sshh” Liguz and a friendship quickly developed. Three weeks after their initial meeting, U-Roy went into the Trojan Jamaica Sound Studios in Ocho Rios and revisited several of his classic tunes, backed by a stellar cast of musicians: Sly Dunbar (drums), Robbie Shakespeare (bass), Robbie Lyn (keyboards), and Tony Chin and Zak Starkey on guitars.

The resultant album, SOLID GOLD U-ROY, was originally scheduled to arrive in 2020 along with a worldwide tour but of course, the global pandemic derailed those plans. Sadly, U-Roy passed on February 17, 2021, prompting tributes from artists, DJs, sound systems, and media outlets spanning the New York Times, BBC, Variety, The FADER, Rolling Stone, and NME, among many others, all of which affirmed the infinite ripple that U-Roy set forth to the universe. Already praised by BlackBook as “the grandest of grand finale statements,” SOLID GOLD U-ROY now stands as The Originator’s ultimate recording and a heartfelt celebration of his extraordinary legacy, which resonates within every Jamaican deejay and dancehall track that has followed.

“We had always loved U-Roy because of the power of his voice, and his lyrics, with their humor and seriousness,” says Sshh. “We made SOLID GOLD U-ROY because we wanted everyone to know that U-Roy helped invent rap.”

“It’s heartbreaking that he didn’t live to see the release of this record,” adds Zak. “The outpouring of love and respect that happened after he passed was beautiful, but bittersweet, knowing this reimagining was in the wings. It’s an honor to be able to spread his musical legacy.”

HEARTLESS BASTARDS × PHOTOGRAPH

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HEARTLESS BASTARDS SHARE NEW SONG “PHOTOGRAPH” – LISTEN

ACCLAIMED ROCK ‘N’ ROLL BAND HERALD FIRST ALBUM IN MORE THAN FIVE YEARS WITH EMPATHETIC NEW SINGLE

A BEAUTIFUL LIFE ARRIVES VIA SWEET UNKNOWN RECORDS/THIRTY TIGERS ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

Acclaimed rock ‘n’ roll band Heartless Bastards have announced today’s premiere of “Photograph,” the latest single from their eagerly awaited new album, A Beautiful Life. On the new track, Heartless Bastards frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom says:

“Photograph” is about building bridges. We have to approach each other with love and give each other some room to grow. When we went into the studio the song was conceptual in form, and with its complicated structure, I wasn’t even sure it was going to work. I put trust in my instincts and had faith it was all going to translate. There weren’t a lot of rehearsals leading up to it. It was fresh and exciting to dive right in. There can be a lot of magic in those moments where you’re vulnerably finding your way through a new song and the recording light is on. Having the brilliant musicianship of Jesse Ebaugh, Greg Clifford, and Lauren Gurgiolo was monumental. Lauren and I trading leads over a psychedelic landscape might be one of my favorite musical moments to date. It was everything I hoped it would be and then some. I really feel the stars aligned and we created something really special.”

Heartless Bastards’ sixth studio album and first new music in more than half a decade, A Beautiful Life arrives via Sweet Unknown Records/Thirty Tigers on Friday, September 10; pre-orders are available now, including a limited edition hand-poured double LP and special merchandise available exclusively from the Sweet Unknown Records Official Store.

PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

LIMITED EDITION VINYL AND EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE ARE AVAILABLE HERE

A Beautiful Life was heralded last month with the soulful new single, “How Low,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services; an official music video – directed by documentary filmmakers Sam Wainwright Douglas and David Hartstein – is streaming via YouTube. “How LowÉd; was met by instant acclaim, with Rolling Stone declaring it to be “a satisfying summer song with a deeper message in its lyrics,” further noting how the song’s companion video “juxtaposes the vacuous Instagram life with images of poverty, natural disaster, and ultimately acts of kindness.”

LISTEN TO “HOW LOW”

WATCH “HOW LOW”

A Beautiful Life once again sees Heartless Bastards founder Erika Wennerstrom alchemizing her idealism into viscerally potent rock ‘n’ roll. Co-produced by Wennerstrom and Kevin Ratterman (Strand Of Oaks, Jim James, White Reaper), the album – which follows 2015’s Restless Ones –finds the Austin, TX-based singer-songwriter backed by a powerhouse lineup comprising guitarist Lauren Gurgiolo (Okkervil River), drummer Greggory Clifford (White Denim), multi-instrumentalist Jesse Chandler (Mercury Rev, Midlake), keyboardist Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket), guitarist David Pulkingham (Patty Griffin), and longtime Heartless Bastards bassist Jesse Ebaugh.

Though Wennerstrom first considered releasing A Beautiful Life under her own name as the follow-up to her widely praised 2018 solo debut, Sweet Unknown, she ultimately came to view the new album as a continuation of the journey begun on Heartless Bastards’ milestone 2005 debut, Stairs and Elevators. Indeed, with its coalescence of so many eclectic touchstones – from French pop and Celtic folk to space rock, Disney scores, and post-punk – A Beautiful Life stands tall as Heartless Bastards’ most elaborately realized work to date. Songs such as the sprawling, psychedelic epic, “Photograph” and the rambling folk of “The River” (the latter featuring contributions from such singular musicians as Andrew Bird and Persian sitar virtuoso Fared Shafinury) channel Wennerstrom’s nuanced observations into glorious music that incites contemplation, catharsis, and a joyful sense of defiance.

“For me music is a gift,” says Wennerstrom. “I do it because I love it, and because it helps me feel more connected to the world. I think we all long for a deep connection, and I hope this record adds to the conversation on how we as a species can stop seeing ourselves as separate. I hope it helps everyone to think about how we can look out for each other, take care of each other, and lift each other up.”

A Beautiful Life also includes Heartless Bastards’ 2020 single, “Revolution,” available now on all digital platforms. An official music video – also directed by Sam Wainwright Douglas and David Hartstein – is streaming now at YouTube HERE.

The passionate energy and undeniable musical chemistry of A Beautiful Life inspired Wennerstrom to invite Gurgiolo and Clifford into the Heartless Bastards lineup for their upcoming live schedule, set to get underway September 16 at Stickyz in Little Rock, AR and then travel through late November. Due to demand in sales, Heartless Bastards at The State Room in Salt Lake City is being moved to The Commonwealth Room.The band recently made its live debut with a sold out two-night-stand at Austinߣs beloved Mohawk Austin, hailed by the Austin Chronicle as “front-loaded with fresh, interesting material. If you didn’t know better, you’d think the improbably tight unit had been playing together for five years.”

Building upon the amazing night they had at the Mohawk, Heartless Bastards have now announced a weekly residency in Austin for the month of August. “It’s been a rough year and a half for venues and we thought supporting some of our local spots would be a great way to warm up for tour,” says Wennerstrom. “We’ll be playing every Friday at C-Boys, and every Saturday at The Continental accompanied by some of our dear friends. With preparing to release the bands sixth record we have no shortage of material to make each night unique, and it’s been just as much fun to revisit the old material as it will be to share with you the new record. After 2020 it’s been hard to even put into words the gratitude we all have for the opportunity to perform music again, and it’s something we don’t want to ever take for granted.” For updates and ticket availability, please visit www.theheartlessbastards.com/tour.

Butch Dawson Partners with Tidal for Hummer Performance

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Butch Dawson Partners with Tidal for Intimate Rendition of Hummer

WATCH LIVE PERFORMANCE HERE

WATCH OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO HERE

Upcoming Project Stardust to Be Released in August via Asylum Records

Butch Dawson has long been at the forefront of Baltimore’s eclectic DIY rap scene – DJ Booth

Maintains his inner punk side, continuing with his experimental energy, relishes in a more jazz-focused approach to raw hip-hop – HYPEBEAST

Rapper, producer, songwriter and a leading voice in Baltimore’s evolving music scene (Baltimore Sun), Butch Dawson puts a new spin on his latest single Hummer with a captivating live performance of the track. WATCH HIS TIDAL SESSION HERE.

Dawson’s wide variety in production and approach that sets him apart from other rappers is on full display with Hummer, which also marks his major label debut on Asylum Records. Self-produced and written by Butch, Hummer showcases his dexterous flow effortlessly amplified by a menacing and bass-heavy instrumental.

In the black and white visual, co-directed with ThugM0m, Butch buoyantly raps Drop top/ I might fuck up the summer/ Big body/ Ass look like a hummer yeah, offing a glimpse inside the inventive mind behind a clever lyricist. Raw and textured production making for an invigorating listen, his braggadocious bars and experimental perspective culminate to a genre-fluid rollercoaster.

Read More on Why Butch Dawson is a Rapper You Should Know Right Now

Hummer serves as the lead track from a forthcoming EP Stardust, out later this summer. More info to follow.

ABOUT BUTCH DAWSON

Butch Dawson’s artistic journey is a testament to what can happen when someone doesn’t place any parameters around their creativity. The West Baltimore native has been a pivotal figure in his hometown’s hip-hop scene for a decade, starting as a battle rapper while still in high school. In the years following those embryonic stages, Butch’s artistry began to blossom as he developed his skills in constructing songs, producing for himself and others, while also finding innovative ways to promote what he and his peers were making. In the early half of the 2010ߣs, his music reflected the shit-talking, bounciness that rappers trying to get crowds to jump and down to their songs reflected at the time. But towards the middle of the decade, with songs like Red Leather Chair, his sound started to trend more towards a jazzy, melancholy direction where he was able to peel back his emotional layers in a way that he hadn’t before. As time progressed, Butch’s music has become a down-the-middle split between making you want to punch a hole through the wall and inspiring you to sit back and gather your thoughts about life, past, present and future.

And while his career evolved over this span of time, Butch was simultaneously helping usher in an alternative route for rappers trying to break out of Baltimore. He hails from the Pennsylvania Avenue section of West Baltimore, an area steeped in musical history. Clubs like the former Royal Theater regularly hosted Black musical icons like Billie Holiday and visiting artists as they hit the Chitlin’ Circuit. But during Butch’s lifetime, though still an essential part of Black Baltimore culture, Pennsylvania Avenue regressed into a shell of its former self, with the majority of nightlife destinations vanishing, while crime and dilapidation rose considerably. This pushed a young creative Butch who was hungry for inspiration to start looking past his neighborhood and other familiar parts of the city. What he found was Central Baltimore’s transplant-heavy alternative DIY scene, and it opened his mind to a new way to approach his work.

Getting into that scene helped me evolve artistically because, you know, I was more open to different shit, he says. Living in the hood and shit all day, you can be close-minded a little bit if you don’t go out and just see the world for yourself. So for me, just going out there and just seeing people soak all this music up, it allowed me to just open my mind creatively, and it made me become more experimental with my music.

As he was making his way in the alternative scene, tirelessly releasing collaborative projects with others in that orbit, establishing the Basement Rap collective with like-minded friends, and getting coverage from national music platforms, Butch was inspiring other kids from inner city Baltimore to spread their wings. It also made Baltimore a much more enticing destination for artists from elsewhere, like standout rapper and producer JPEGMAFIA who moved to the city in 2014 and began collaborating with Butch almost instantly. For this, Butch Dawson is already a pioneer, which makes his recent accomplishments all the more special.

In 2018, he released his breakout project Swamp Boy, an eight-track album that is the most complete representation of what makes him exceptional. It features songs like Division St. Blues, a somber ode to the street he grew up on and how it’s changed over the years. Around the same time, he began to model for and collaborate with fashion designer Telfar Clemens. In 2019, he followed Swamp Boy with Ollieworld, a more high octane project that felt like it was made with performing live in mind (he toured with JPEGMAFIA across North America that year). The majority of this was accomplished from Butch’s home studio in Baltimore. And now as he’s newly signed to Asylum Records, it feels like the rest of the world will finally be hip to the gifts that he’s been sharing for over ten years now.

Connect with Butch Dawson via Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Soundcloud.