Day in Pop Report for 07/25/2014
Despite being the former mayor of the town - to paraphrase Hagar's 1984 hit - once she exceeded the speed limit, "a big black and white crushed her groove." She was driving her Toyota Tundra. On the ticket, Palin apparently said, "I wasn't speeding, I was 'qualifying,'" perhaps referencing auto racing, and added that, when she was pulled over, Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55″ was on the radio, which (of course) contributed to her heavy footed driving. Hagar responded by tweeting at her, saying "Dear @SarahPalinUSA heard you were #GoingRogue on the gas pedal! I'll cover your ticket if you promise to do better next time? #ICantDrive55″ What did he mean by doing better next time?
The songs span a wide variety of sounds and moods, including quiet, acoustic ballads, sultry R&B come-ons and summery pop. One sample in particular, however, that's sure to get more scrutiny that the others is a clip that reveals a distinct house music beat not dissimilar to the tracks produced by breakout British dance act, Disclosure. While retro-leaning house music has made a strong surge in the world of EDM, from Disclosure to such acts as Duke Dumont, MK and Hot Since 82, this would be Bieber's first foray into such straightforward dance track territory. Check them and read more here.
How you ask? Well, by stripping down her 2003 hit, "Crazy In Love." As Bey teased earlier this week, gone are the track's booty poppin' beats. Instead, this exclusive version for the film is just a shell of it's former self where she draws out every word, turning it into a sexy lounge number that has Christian Grey (played by Jamie Dornan) making it clear that he's not that into romance. Oh, we know you're not Mr. Grey. Don't believe the hype over the trailer's NSFW nature? Today premiered the clip, but had to play a shorter, censored version for their viewers. But you can watch the full two-minute trailer in all its glory, originally via Today but now on YouTube, here.
In a new interview with Time, The Roots drummer talks openly about some of the bad press Iggy has gotten since her single went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, in particular the claims of racism in regards to the Aussie rapper's seemingly American accent on her record. "I'm caught in between. And I defend it. I see false Instagram posts like, 'She said the N-word! She said the N-word!' I'll call people out - 'Yo, don't troll,'" he said. "I know you're ready to give your 42-page dissertation on theGrio about why this is culture vulture-ism." Recently, Chuck D blasted Iggy Azalea over a photo she took alongside B.o.B., T.I. and Drake with the caption, "Me and My N--'s<3." Unfortunately, the photo was a fake, but that did not stop Chuck D from then calling Iggy out for her verse on "D.R.U.G.S.," in which Azalea rapped, "When the relay starts I'm a runaway slave-master." "You know, we as black people have to come to grips that hip-hop is a contagious culture," Quest continued. "If you love something, you gotta set it free. I will say that 'Fancy,' above any song that I've ever heard or dealt with, is a game-changer in that fact that we're truly going to have to come to grips with the fact that hip-hop has spread its wings." Questlove says he is torn by what he's seen on the Internet, but he's going to "let Iggy be Iggy." More.
How long do you have to wait to get your hands on some of Brit Brit's lingerie? Intimate Britney Spears's website says that it will launch on Sept. 9 in the US and Canada, while Europeans need to wait until Sept. 26. The company has launched Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest accounts. The Facebook page features a quote, attributed to Spears: "Every woman should feel confident and beautiful in everything she puts on." more on this story
Prefacing the big reveal by admitting that "this took a long conversation to get this to work," Diplo played the remix, which features Madonna herself re-singing the song's opening line ("Last night I dreamt of San Pedro") to mention Major Lazer, Diplo's famous EDM dancehall act. Mac demonstrative reaction to the exclusive dub is too fun to miss. "That's why I work with all these big artists," Diplo joked afterward. "Not to even have hits, just to get dub plates, so I can play them once for Annie Mac." In DJ jargon, a dubplate is an exclusive remix (traditionally in the world of reggae and dancehall music) that features a vocalist contributing unique lyrics which generally mention the artist or DJ producing the track. Diplo landing Madonna for a Major Lazer dub of "La Isla Bonita" is a serious power move for the in-demand producer, who recently talked about his experience working with the pop legend on songs for her new album. Watch the clip and read more here.
"We've never allowed our stuff to go digital. When you do it right, you can all succeed," he said at a press conference. "We do digital the best we only know how. Digital will be handled at garthbrooks.com it will be the only place you can get Garth Brooks' music." He still won't make his music available for purchase on iTunes or Amazon, nor will it be streamable on services like Spotify or Rdio (although fans on Pandora can, in theory, run into him there from time to time). His official music videos are also not available to stream on Vevo or YouTube (his latest press conference was conducted via Vimeo). In this regard, he's held out longer than notorious classic rock hold-outs Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. Brooks' reluctancy to go digital all these years comes from his desire to not sell tracks individually, which was the same disagreement the Beatles had with iTunes. That Brooks' music won't be available there indicates that even on his website you will likely have to buy his full albums to get "Friends In Low Places." Taking a page from Radiohead's book, his new-found digital sales presence will launch this year with his new album, his first since 2001. The album is expected in-stores and on Garth Brooks' website for a Black Friday release in November. Fans won't be able to set their own price, but Brooks promises it will be a "stupid" low one. Brooks' strategy puts his own packaging desires ahead of the market's demand and if his fanbase thinks the same way that he does, he could be right on target. The timing is marred a bit by the news in 2013 digital sales have been down from the previous year while music streams (including data from AOL, Cricket, Medianet, Rdio, Rhapsody, Slacker, Spotify, YouTube/Vevo and Zune) were up 32%. Digital track sales were down 8.4% but still in the billions. Digital album sales for the year didn't even meet Brooks' own lifetime total, with only 117.6 million sold. Whether he's gotten the strategy right or is fighting a war against consumer preferences, on thing is clear: Brooks has gotten the message that it is mandatory to be in the digital game. But where is the country music fan in the digital marketplace? Find out here.
As Weird Al Yankovic celebrates his first album to debut No. 1 on the Billboard charts with Mandatory Fun, he can also celebrate another first. As Salon points out, adult film producers are honoring Al by making parodies of his parodies. The funny people over at the adult film and comedy site, WoodRocket have come up with a NSFW parody of Weird Al's 1989 film UHF, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. According to a press release, the film has adult performers Lily Bergman and Jessica Dawn dressing up as the characters from the movie- yes, one of the ladies is rocking Weird Al's Hawaiian shirt and mustache. Check out a safe for work photo of the film's stars here.
Her last one for "Birthday" was a visual feast, literally, with an endless display of sweets. Its followup, the lyric video for "This Is How We Do" might not leave you hungry but its visuals are just as grabbing. Ever the aesthetic chameleon, Perry goes for retro computer graphics. space-y desktop saver designs and '80s cars and fonts that show the song's party-all-night lyrics. While the connection between the video's throwback vibe and the song's premise might not be totally on point - did bottle service even exist in the '80s? - the delivery is pretty spot-on. Fittingly, the song takes place on a Thursday and its lyric video is somewhat of the ultimate #tbt, so A+ job, Ms. Perry. Watch it here.
Bluewater Productions has published a new comic book biography on the life of Amy Winehouse. The book was written by Michael L. Frizell with art by Jayfri Hashim and features seven collectable and exclusive covers by Hashim and artist Brent Sprecher. "I found myself admiring Ms. Winehouse during the course of crafting this book," said Frizell in a press release. "I don't think she was a hero, nor do I think she should be propped up as a role model. "Tragic artists such as Ms. Winehouse are fascinating to us because we see this woman who seems to have it all - fame, fortune, a thriving artistic career - throw it all away chasing her personal demons. "Sadly, we hear of many stories like hers. What sets her story apart is that there's this feeling she'd still be on the charts today if she had been able to conquer those demons." more on this story
Rogers will be honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with his own exhibit, Kenny Rogers: Through the Years, which will open on Aug. 15 and run through next June. In celebration of the exhibit, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will host a weekend of events that range from a songwriter session with Don Schlitz, the writer being Rogers' "The Gambler" as well as "The Greatest" and "You Can't Make Old Friends," to an interview with Rogers. The interview, which will be streamed on the museum's website on Aug. 16, will have Rogers share memories and insight into his career. In an interview with Radio.com last year, the singer talked about his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Read his comments here.
The new song, featuring production from Trauma Tone, finds the rapper rhyming over a mid-tempo beat that features a repeating piano line. Along the way, he claims apathy toward some of his past experiences - "Old n-as they changed on me," he notes, but he "ain't worried." "Can't worry 'bout you, n-a," he repeats, getting that dirt off his shoulder. All of this is presented in Quan's trademark singsong rapping style, fitting snugly somewhere between Nelly and Future. "Ain't Worried" is off the mixtape We Been Had Hitz. Listen here.
But since the Jonas Brothers' 2013 comeback attempt faltered, the younger Jonas is finally trekking out on his own for a solo career - and today, he premieres his new single, "Chains." The song, premiered via Complex, finds Jonas shedding a lot of the pop-rock qualities of the music made with his brothers in favor of a sleeker R&B sheen. With "Chains," Jonas tries to "break the chains, but the chains only break me," he laments. The song was produced by Jason Evigan, whose credits include Jason Derulo's "Talk Dirty" and Demi Lovato's "Heart Attack," marking him a a fairly capable person to helm Jonas' move into more mature territory. Listen.
"Alan Jackson: 25 Years of Keepin' It Country" will launch at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Aug. 29 and will showcase artifacts from his time growing up in Newnan, Georgia as well as his 25-year career in music. According to a press release, the exhibit will include awards, instruments, costumes and momentos that many will recognize from his concerts and music videos. A water ski from the "Chattahoochee" music video and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle from the cover of his A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love) will also be on display as well as handwritten lyrics to "Livin' on Love" and "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)." Items from Jackson's private man cave will also be shown. more on this story
While the married duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson are a long way now from their former heartbreak days, their new single "I Can't Outrun You" brought them back in time. "Everyone's been in that situation, where you've been with somebody for whatever length of time, and it goes south and you try to move away, move across town -and in my case, across five, six states - and you just can't get away from the memory with the person," Keifer told Radio.com. "That's what the song is about. It's a wonderfully written song." "I Can't Outrun You" was written by Kyle Jacobs, Joe Leathers and Ben Glover. Jacobs and Leathers were on Thompson Square's bus one night and asked if they could play the duo the song. "It wasn't really a pitch," Keifer explained. "They played it for us, and we just loved it and got talking about it and if we should get to recording. The label was on board with it and loved it and everybody else, too." The song, which was inspired by a real-life situation for Jacobs, has been one of the most-requested songs at Thompson Square's concerts. Keifer cites it as one of the "Thompson Square moments in the show," while Shawna said the fact that they both can relate to it only helps the song's emotion get across. "It's so real. We knew the story because Kyle told us the back story of the song," Shawna said. more.
On Thursday (July 24th), Grey released a video clip of her recent trip to Mexico City to spin at this year's Electric Colors Festival, where she played alongside the likes of Jayceeoh and Joachim Garraud. The clip follows Grey as she flies down to Mexico City, capturing images of her leaving the hotel and going to the festival grounds, chilling in the backstage area before taking the stage to a packed crowd rocking out to her selections. At one point in the clip, Grey is seen heading down into the crowd to douse fans in the front row with the spray from a champagne bottle. The video is set to the sounds of Fedde Le Grand's remix of Coldplay's "Paradise." Watch it here.
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