Saying SZA is on a roll is a gross understatement.
The singer/songwriter – who is currently enjoying her first Hot 100 top 10 ever courtesy of the Maroon 5-led ‘What Lovers Do’ – is doing it big by her lonesome thanks to hits ‘The Weekend’ and ‘Love Galore.’
After thrilling NBC viewers with performances of each tune on ‘SNL’ this past weekend (click here if you missed that), the Grammy nominee returned to the network yesterday (December 12) to bless ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ viewers with a taste of what attendees of her critically acclaimed ‘CTRL’ tour have been treated to.
Did you miss any of the action? Look inside to see SZA sizzle with a showing of ‘Supermodel’:
Ava DuVernay wants the world to remember the singer R. Kelly is accused of molesting and ruining the lives of several black girls…including the late singer Aaliyah.
How the brilliant creative is shedding light on the issue in a post Weinstein-gate world?
Are we the only ones who love when awards’ season is in full swing?
With the VMAs and American Music Awards in our rearview, the People’s Choice Awards, Golden Globes, Academy Awards, and Grammy’s ahead are now joined by the NAACP Image Awards.
Unveiling its full list of nods today, the prestigious award honors actors, actresses, singers, authors, and activists of color, in and out of the entertainment industry, via its 49th annual presentation this year live on TV One.
Music royals Mary J. Blige and JAY-Z lead the overall music pack with five nominations a piece.
They are followed by Bruno Mars, Issa Rae, Kendrick Lamar, and SZA with four nominations.
Elsewhere Netflix and OWN lead in the TV categories.
Ahead of finding out who will walk away with the coveted trophies on January 15th, head below to see the full nominations list:
As reported here, Sam Smith lays claim to his first Billboard 200 chart-topper thanks to his sophomore album, ‘The Thrill of It All.’
The critically acclaimed set, which spawned the the hit singles ‘Too Good at Goodbyes’ and ‘Pray,’ saw the singer/songwriter step into new sonic territory by enlisting the help of hitmaking producers Timbaland, Jimmy Napes, and many others. The result? A #1 debut to the tune of 237,000 SPS shifted its first week [his best opening numbers to date].
The project’s riskiness was also found in its lyrical content. Smith says there’s one person to thank for that: fellow chart-topper Rihanna…
Mariah Carey is famed for her vocal prowess and catalogue of classics, but she’s also notable for penning much of her own music.
So, while her plethora of awards no doubt sit pretty on her mantelpiece, her newly announced nomination for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame could well be one of her most pronounced honors yet.
Three years after dominating charts and hearts with his debut album, ‘In the Lonely Hour,’ Grammy-winning crooner Sam Smith finally delivers his long-awaited sophomore album, ‘The Thrill of It All.’
Preceded to battle for the Billboard 200’s top spot by its singles, ‘Pray,’ and the top 5 hit, ‘Too Good at Goodbyes,’ the era’s been surprisingly quiet for such a highly anticipated release. Yet, if critical acclaim is anything to judge by, the set may very well be in store for some of the year’s biggest numbers.
Featuring production contributions from the likes of Jimmy Napes, Timbaland, Malay, Stargate, and more, tuck inside to listen to hear if Smith’s latest offerings were worth the wait:
SZA and Maroon 5 may have scored a hit with their duet ‘What Lovers Do,’ but they’re not resting on their laurels.
Having peaked at an impressive #12 on the Hot 100, the track is still being promoted in earnest – with the latest stop being ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’
Together, the collective delivered a rousing rendition of the track.
Kaya Jones, a former member of the Pussycat Dolls, is refusing to remain silent on what she says was abuse she endured at the hands of the group’s founder Robin Antin.
Kaya made headlines days ago when she claimed that Antin was the mastermind behind an organisation which saw the Dolls use Pop music to market themselves to wealthy men.
What Kaya sells they were really selling? Their bodies.
Robin denied the claim and called her former employee a liar but not even the threat of being silenced by the law has stopped Ms. Jones from spilling never-before-heard stories about the group’s business dealings.
This week, Janet Jackson‘s classic sixth studio album ‘The Velvet Rope’ turned 20 years old. Today, we take you back to 1997 as this week’s From The Vault pick is the LP’s first single ‘Got ‘Til It’s Gone.’
The first taste of Jackson in the 2 years since she wrapped her self-titled era, ‘Gone’ was a departure in style for the singer. Markedly darker, the track was produced by Jackson alongside Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis set the tone for an album that was recorded while the star was going through depression.
Despite critics around the world praising Jackson for collaborating with A Tribe Called Quest alumni Q-Tip and incorporating a sample of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ over a bass-heavy Hip-Hop beat, the single choice still seemed to confuse people who were probably used to a more colorful sound.
The tune wasn’t commercially released in the US, so wasn’t eligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Still it reached the 36th position of the Hot 100 Airplay and the 3rd spit of the Hot Hip-Hop/R&B Airplay tally.
Overseas, the track was welcomed with open arms, charting at #6 in the UK, #11 in France and #10 in Australia.
Mark Romanek was the main man behind the highly-acclaimed visual for the release.
Set in a time that references Apartheid, the melanin-filled video was a celebration of Black culture. It is considered a masterpiece by many and won a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. [Note: The African theme was a very important one for the whole era.]
Like the song, the visual was something different for Janet. Indeed, she didn’t rely on high-octane choreography nor the glamorous shots she was known for at the time. Instead she is seen throughout the clip sporting a natural look. And even then the focus isn’t even on her much. Thus making the message she’s conveying – both with the song and video- even clearer.
‘The Velvet Rope’ is such an important part of music history and we’re glad it’s being celebrated two decades on. We feel it’s important the younger generation understands that it is one of the biggest inspirations behind some of their faves’ best work. From Beyonce, Rihanna, Solange and Kelly Rowland, to Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean among many many others, they all have studied this album that intertwined the music, the visuals and the staging like never before.
A round of applause for this disruptive, genre-defining, trailblazing work of art!
The British star- turned worldwide wonder has officially announced new album ‘The Thrill Of It All,’ which hits stores on November 3rd.
Beyond revealing the title, date, and cover (above), the 25-year-old seized the moment to unveil the set’s tracklist and North American tour dates.
On top of this, he premiered new song ‘Pray’ – which was produced by Timbaland. The hitmaker is joined the likes of Stargate and Jimmy Napes as a contributor on the LP.
So what are you waiting for? A whole lot of Sam Smith awaits after the jump…
