From the beginning of her career, Nicki Minaj has taken the moments as they’ve come. When her debut album Pink Friday arrived in 2010, she was navigating somewhat unpaved terrain. Breaking through the barriers of hip-hop’s boy’s club meant defending her craft to people who perceived her femininity as a …
Read More »He Was the 'Secret Weapon' of 'We Are the World.' 39 Years Later, Here's His Story
From singing backup at Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback TV special to writing Michael Jackson‘s “She’s Out of My Life” to arranging the vocals on Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man, longtime Quincy Jones collaborator Tom Bahler has had an improbably jam-packed music career. But as he sees it, the peak of …
Read More »Billy Joel Is Ending One of the Longest Droughts in Music. Who's Next?
Billy Joel sent shockwaves through his fan community earlier this month by announcing plans to release a new single, “Turn the Lights Back On,” on Feb. 1. He hasn’t put out new material of any sort since 2007’s “Christmas in Fallujah,” and River of Dreams was his last album of …
Read More »Afropop 2024 Preview: 7 Burning Questions
It’s a fascinating and complicated time to be an Afropop lover, with so many people outside of Africa joining the ranks. Consider Afrobeats, a broad subgenre under the even broader umbrella of African pop, which earned 2.5 billion streams by the midpoint of 2023, per Luminate, an entertainment analytics company. …
Read More »Melinda Wilson, Wife of Brian Wilson and Architect of His Comeback, Dead at 77
Melinda Wilson, wife of Beach Boys‘ Brian Wilson, mother of his five youngest children, and the key architect of his comeback, died Tuesday of unknown causes. She was 77. “My heart is broken,” Brian Wilson wrote in a statement. “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are …
Read More »'Am I Dreaming?': Tanya Tucker, Wynonna Judd Headline an All-Women Country Music Festival
When the Key Western Fest kicks off Tuesday in Key West —the third music festival in as many weeks centered around the town’s Coffee Butler Amphitheater —it’ll feature a lineup that is unique among its country music peers. The bill is an all-women showcase of predominantly Nineties country stars. “I’m …
Read More »Sheila E.: 'We Are the World' Producers Used Me To Try To Get Prince
The sessions started at Hollywood, California’s A&M Studios the night of Jan. 28, 1985, and didn’t end until well after sunrise the morning of Jan. 29. By that point, it was clear that nothing quite like “We Are the World” could ever happen again.The Greatest Night in Pop, a new …
Read More »Art Garfunkel Jr. Is Keeping Simon and Garfunkel Music Alive — By Singing It in German
Art Garfunkel Jr.’s first memory of singing onstage with his father is pretty hazy, but he knows it took place in Japan sometime before his third birthday. “I believe I was pushed out in a wheelbarrow, wearing a traditional Japanese kimono,” he tells Rolling Stone. “My parents picked me up …
Read More »Jam Master Jay's Murder Trial: Everything We Know
Jam Master Jay, the trailblazing DJ who propelled Run-DMC to become hip-hop’s first superstar group, was shot dead at a recording studio in Queens, New York more than two decades ago. Now three men will stand trial for the death of the DJ, whose real name was Jason Mizell. Prosecutors …
Read More »Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice, Justin Timberlake and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week
Welcome to our weekly rundownof the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more.This week, Megan thee Stallion sets the record straight, Ice Spice delivers a cheeky shot at her competitors, and Lil Nas X drops the antics and gets reflective. Plus, new …
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