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Day in Pop Report for 02/23/2015


Big Sean Admits 'There's Not a Lot of Good Rap Music'
(Radio.com) Big Sean aims to make a statement with his forthcoming album, Dark Sky Paradise, and one track in particular, "One Man Can Change the World," is his own legend-building moment.

When Sean dropped by Radio.com, we asked if the track was inspired by his mission to make good rap music. His answer was a little extra. "I feel like all of the music I do is a manifestation of making good rap music because there's not a lot of good rap music," he says with a laugh. "Just to keep it 100, there isn't."

That would surely earn him a 100 sticker from The Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore, but after a beat Sean clarifies his position. He's sticking firm to there not being a lot of good rap, but with the caveat that there are some good rappers out there.

"No, let me take that back. There's not a lot of good rap music, but there is good rap music," he says. "And there are great rappers, obviously: Jay Z, Kanye West, Eminem, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake. A lot of great artists. I bring my own style to the game. I try and stay different from the rest. I want to leave my mark." Read more here.

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Imagine Dragons Reveals That They Were Robbed
(Radio.com) For their latest album, Smoke + Mirrors, Imagine Dragons found a house on the outskirts of their hometown of Las Vegas and built their own studio and they recently revealed that they were robbed while recording the album.

There were a lot of good parts about choosing to record off the beaten path: they were by the airport and were only five or 10 minutes away from the Vegas strip. But, one not so great thing about the neighborhood they chose were� the neighbors.

'They were nice enough," guitarist, Wayne Sermon told Radio.com earlier this week at the famed New York City studio, Electric Lady right before hitting the stage for an up close and personal concert hosted by local radio station Fresh 102.7 (a CBS station). But frontman Dan Reynolds was quick to interject, "They're drug dealers."

Turns out, the area they chose to record in was kind of shady. Actually, very shady. "They only stole from us one time" bassist Ben McKee says. "That we know of. And they gave our mic stand back."

Reynolds thinks that they were actually robbed two times: "They broke into my car�They stole my phone." "Someone stole your phone," McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman shrugged in unison, giving their neighbors the benefit of the doubt.

Either way, the dad of the perpetrator, Reynolds says, eventually came to their door, mic stand in hand, to apologize for his son. 'The dad knocked on the door and said, 'Listen, my son stole this mic stand from your guys' place,'" Reynolds says, mock handing the invisible stand over. ''We're not those kind of people.'"

Though, as Sermon remembers, they still technically owe them--'It was a whole stand and they brought back half the stand." What gets stolen in Vegas sometimes stays in Vegas. Read more here.

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Amber Rose Responds to Kanye West Insults
(Radio.com) Kanye West's ex-girlfriend Amber Rose posted a series of messages on the social media site Twitter late last week where she responding to negative comments that West recently made about her.

West recently went on record saying some not-so-nice things about Rose, claiming that, "If Kim had dated me when I wanted, there would be no Amber Rose." He also joked that Kardashian made him take 30 showers because of Rose.

Well, as would be expected, Amber Rose is not very happy about these comments. She responded in a series of tweets, saying, "This is my moment to let the world know who u really are and the things you've done to me."

But, Amber Rose is taking the high road, saying, "after all these years I never snitched on u and I don't plan on starting now. We once loved each other so I won't do u like that."

Check out the string of tweets here.

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Madonna Reacts to Drake's Tribute Song
(Radio.com) Drake's If You're Reading This It's Too Late includes a song that pays homage to Madonna. The song named after the pop star is a downtempo jam with lyrics referencing her and he also shouts her in the liner notes.

Madonna must get a lot of fanmail, but she's taken the time to acknowledge at least this one drooling fanboy. She jumped on her Instagram page and delivered the response that every artist in history has hoped for after showing love to an idol: an invitation to a date.

"I love your new song about me!," she wrote in the caption. "It's my favorite! I'm still waiting for you to pick me up��.. Ask D for my address! I knew you were a�#rebelheart !" Read more here.

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Afroman Loses Tour Dates After Punching Female Fan
(Radio.com) Earlier this month Afroman was briefly arrested after punching a female fan who had climbed on stage and was dancing behind him at a show in Biloxi, Miss. Now he's lost a few upcoming tour dates after video of the event circulated online.

While Afroman originally had seven dates scheduled over the next few weeks, two of those have been canceled. The Park Street Saloon in Columbus, Ohio, immediately canceled its March 13 show after seeing the video.

Another venue, Ziggy's By The Sea in Wilmington, N.C., canceled after claiming that its Christian audience wouldn't stand for what he'd done, reports XXL. Read more here.

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Zedd Releases New Song With Selena Gomez 'I Want You to Know'
(Radio.com) Zedd broke out in a big way with 2012's Clarity, scoring major hits with the title track and the Hayley Williams-featuring "Stay the Night." Now he's back again with his next try for the top of the charts, and this time he's brought along Selena Gomez.

"I Want You to Know," the duo's brand new collaboration, was released early Monday (Feb. 23) on iTunes, the first single from the EDM producer since his track from 2014's Divergent.

And as with his past hits, "I Want You to Know" features towering dance production from Zedd, along with a strong vocal from Gomez, fresh off the release of her first greatest hits compilation, "For You."

"I want you to know that I'm all yours/ You and me run the same course," Gomez sings before Zedd launches into a monstrous, pulsating drop. Listen to the song here.

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Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe Talk 'Lonely Tonight' Duet
(Radio.com) We recently explored 10 of the most romantic country duets ever just in time for Valentine's Day, but in doing so we realized that love is not always so easy. And Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe's current radio single "Lonely Tonight" brings this idea to the forefront.

Sometimes nights together are unexpected--there isn't a lot of planning or romantic build-up involved. In this duet's case, Shelton and Monroe each play characters who are alone yet toying with the idea of a hook up for "one last one more time."

"That taste, that touch, the fire I miss/ Those kiss me eyes, your red wine lips on mine," Shelton sings. Monroe provides her side of the story as well, adding to Shelton's sentiments when she joins in on the chorus. "I know we shouldn't, but I don't care," she answers. "Need you, want you, I'm right here."

True, it's a storyline we've heard before, such as on Kenny Chesney's "Come Over," where he begs an ex whom he said he would never call again to "come over, come over, come over, come over, come over." Shelton and Monroe, though, make their own statement on the 'one more time' concept, adding two sides of the story, which also allows for some memorable harmonies.

As a result, "Lonely Tonight" embodies a classic country heartbreak song mixed with some nostalgia. And the video for the song gives it a contemporary urban setting, too. Read more here.

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Drake's 'If You're Reading This' May Count Toward Cash Money Contract
(Radio.com) Earlier, Drake released his new project If You're Reading This Its Too Late out of nowhere. He called it a mixtape, but it was only available for purchase via iTunes. Many fans wondered if this had something to do with a possible split from Cash Money

In a new interview, KP, the VP of mixtape site Datpiff, has revealed that the project was originally meant to be a free Gangsta Grillz mixtape hosted by DJ Drama--but KP made clear that the "mixtape" just may count towards Drake's Cash Money album requirements.

"Originally we [Datpiff] were in talks to release it for free�and have DJ Drama host and even make it an official Gangsta Grillz�however the label was not in favor of that and they struck an agreement to release the project the retail route and it would count towards one of his albums," KP explained to Hip Hop DX. "It was a mutual decision since he wanted to give it away. They [the label] said, 'Hell no,' not in those words, so they 'agreed' to do it this way as a middle ground and it would count towards his Cash Money deal album total. The label had zero input or creative control over If Youre Reading This It's Too Late." Read more here.

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Madeon Releases 'Pay No Mind' Video With Passion Pit
(Radio.com) The future is often unpredictable. French producer Madeon displays this concept all too well in his new music video for "Pay No Mind," which features Passion Pit.

The second installment of a trilogy, "Pay No Mind" follows a young woman called Asteria and a young man named Icarus. Throughout the nearly four-minute clip, the two actors are shown unraveling clues like an Indiana Jones film in search of an uncertain quest.

"Set in a remote city, in an undefined future, Asteria is restless to see more of the outside world," a press release states. "She finds a friend in Icarus, who shares her desire of leaving."

While navigating the city, the two go through books and building floor plans to plan their exit strategy guided by a bright light as the buildings begin to unfold before them.

As the duo come closer to finding paradise, the video leaves the viewer guessing. Once Asteria and Icarus succeed with their exit plan, the video ends abruptly with "to be continued" written on the screen. The answers will hopefully be revealed in the final installment of the trilogy. Read more and watch the video here.

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Shania Twain Releases Video From Las Vegas Residency
(Radio.com) If you didn't have a chance to make it out to Las Vegas for Shania Twain's residency, her new video for "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" shows what a live show from the country singer is really like.

On Friday (Feb. 20), Twain released the video performance for her 1999 hit. At the clip's start, viewers get a glimpse into Twain's live show with a montage of performances which are full of costume changes, sparkles and choreographed moves. Nearly 20 seconds in, the familiar guitar licks from her hit are heard before her memorable opening line to the song: "Let's go, girls!"

Dressed in black from head to toe, with a top hat and black overcoat, Twain soon loses her coverup to reveal knee-high black leather boots and a short sparkly black dress complete with black gloves and a black choker.

This is the first video released from Twain's upcoming 18-track CD and DVD Shania: Still the One Live From Vegas, which will be released on March 3.

'This show has been a labor of love for over three years," Twain said in a press release. 'It has meant so much to me and was such a privilege to live out my visions on that stage, and it is so exciting to now get to share the whole experience with the fans all over the world!" Watch the video here.

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Royal Blood Put New Spin On The Police's 'Roxanne'
(Radio.com) As part of BBC Radio 1's ongoing Live Lounge series, British rock duo Royal Blood covered The Police's 1978 classic "Roxanne" and made it their own.

Like Sting, Royal Blood's Mike Kerr is also a bass-playing singer. But rather than make the foolish attempt to hit the crooner's famous high notes, Kerr kept the vocals in a manageable range yet brought a far more raw feel with his unique and mysterious bass work.

Interviewed by Radio.com earlier this year, Kerr wouldn't disclose just how he's able to sound like two distinct guitar players. What we do know is that he uses multiple amplifiers which results in audience members looking for another guitar player hiding behind the curtains.

And rather than running the risk of being compared to Stewart Copeland, drummer Ben Thatcher took liberties adding a fill and cold ending, rather than fading out as fans remember the original track. Check it out here.

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Dr. Dre Lands Cover Of AARP For His 50th Birthday
(Radio.com) It used to be the cover of the Rolling Stone that you wanted to cover, but for artists 50 and over, it seems to be AARP, The Magazine that you want to get your picture on.

Early Friday morning (Feb. 20), the American Association of Retired Persons revealed a special birthday cover, which features none other than Dr. Dre, who turned 50 on Feb. 18.

"This rap icon may be turning 50 today, but he's still D.R.E.," the tweet cleverly wrote. Now, at his age, Dre can get all the benefits AARP offers for only $16 a year. We think the man worth $620 million, according to Forbes, can afford it.

Check out Dre's cover of AARP, The Magazine here.

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'McFarland USA' Hit Close To Home For Kevin Costner
(Radio.com) Longtime Hollywood star Kevin Costner returns to the big-screen this weekend with McFarland USA, a feel-good film that tells the true story of the primarily Mexican-American 1987 track team from McFarland, Calif. that went on to become genuine contenders and even champions.

Costner, who plays the team's coach, Jim White, rang up Billy Kidd of All Access Pass to talk about the movie and the real-life story that inspired it. "It does center around these kids who work the fields alongside their parents and run themselves right to school that morning. And then when school's out they go back to these fields.' And a man comes in and gives them a sense of direction. He doesn't have one himself.

"These kids, by the way he sees them, have this incredible endurance, and they don't really have a lot of opportunities. Out of this comes this cross-country team that not only starts to run, but they end up winning nine state championships�something magical happened in this town."

Costner went on to explain how he was drawn to the movie through a very real-life connection. A native of Lynwood, Calif. (only 150 miles from McFarland), Costner remembers when the McFarland cross-country team first rose to prominence.

'I actually grew up close to this area, and it's a story that I read about in Sports Illustrated," he explained. "It really moved me and all of a sudden it came to my door. It's like, how weird is that? You know about a story, hear about it, and somebody wants you to be in the movie�it's a movie you can take your family to." Read more here.

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Sesame Street Parody 'Birdman' With 'Big Birdman'
(Radio.com) Is Sesame Street even for kids at all? From the classic "Letter B" bit (parodying the Beatles' "Let It Be") to their more recent riffs on the Old Spice Commercials and Mad Men, the show has always had a knack for doing some pretty spot-on takes on zeitgeist moments. These go over (way over) the heads of most children, but they delight the parents, who are in many cases a captive audience.

Now Sesame Street has done it again. In a new video posted to YouTube by Mashable Watercooler called "Big Birdman: The Unexpected Virtue of Orange Pants," Big Bird haunts Caroll Spinney, who is the voice of the giant Muppet.

"Smells like bird seed!" Big Bird's voice says, over jazz drums, a la Birdman. "I never thought we'd be here this long. We've survived hurricanes, trips to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, China, Japan, ticklish monsters!" He continues, "How many different ways can you learn the alphabet?"

"Maybe we should have done that Raymond Carver play!" he says, a reference to the play (What We Talk About When We Talk About Love) that Michael Keaton's Birdman character directs, produces and stars in ("very ambitious!").

As the camera follows Spinney in a Birdman-style single shot, he leaves his dressing room and then the building to find that Big Bird himself is following him.

"You can fly!" BB tells him. "Well, you can't really fly." Watch it here.

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