FEATURE: Ready to Go: Celebrating the Great Cat Burns

FEATURE:

 

 

Ready to Go

PHOTO CREDIT: Melanie Lehmann 

Celebrating the Great Cat Burns

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I have featured Cat Burns…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Adama Jalloh

a couple of times on my blog before. I put her in the Spotlight feature last year, and I recently include her among other great artists as part of the BRITs’ award shortlists. I am compelled to feature her again, as I think that she is going to define this year. Burns has already been placed fourth on Radio 1’s Sound of 2023 poll. She is also set to perform at the BRITs next month. I am going to come onto a couple of other interviews. First, I want to look back to earlier this month, when the BBC spoke with Burns about her career and the success of her best-known song, go:

“From busking on the streets of London, to becoming a platinum-selling songwriter and supporting Ed Sheeran on his stadium tour, Cat Burns had a pretty incredible 2022.

It was all thanks to Go, a defiant break-up song she first released three years ago, but which found a second life on TikTok,

A slow-burning smash, it entered the chart at number 57 last January, gradually moving upwards until it peaked at number two in June.

By that point, Sam Smith had added a guest verse to the song and whisked 22-year-old Burns over to the US to play the song on James Corden's The Late Late Show.

She ended the year with a nomination for the Brits Critics' Choice award; and now she's come fourth in BBC Radio 1's Sound Of 2023 - which tips acts for even bigger success next year.

"I always thought Go would be the song that introduced me to people, but not in the magnitude that it has," says the singer, who's still coming to terms with the success.

Family and music have always been intertwined. Burns grew up on her mum's record collection - falling in love with the gospel songs of Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell and Kirk Franklin, alongside the classic soul sounds of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

Her mum sang in choirs, and encouraged her daughter to join up, too. She remembers after-school clubs and summer camps in Wales where she'd holler the songs from Disney's High School Musical at the top of her voice.

Music wasn't her only talent. Burns was a promising basketball player, whose coach told her she had the potential to play professionally.

"And that was what made me realise I didn't want to do it," she laughs. "Because if you want to pursue it, it becomes your whole life... although I guess to an extent that happens with music, too."

By that point, she'd started writing her own songs, orchestrating everything in her head, as she hadn't yet learned to play an instrument.

"They were rubbish," she laughs, but Burns had enough raw talent to win a place at the Brit School, passing her audition with a rendition of Jimi Hendrix's All Along The Watchtower.

Many graduates are reluctant to discuss their time at the academy, fearful that its "fame academy" image undermines any semblance of cool or credibility - but Burns has no such concerns.

"The Brit School gave me the confidence to know that I can pursue a career in the arts and achieve it," she enthuses”.

Having risen to prominence and featured on shows like Later… with Jools Holland, and Graham Norton’s chat show, here is an artist primed for incredible things. Make sure that you follow Burns on Twitter and Instagram. I would suggest people check out Burns’ 2022 E.P., emotionally unavailable. It is a supreme work from one of the best artists in the country. The London-based Pop/R&B artist is going to keep rising through this year. I want to bring in sections from a Music Week interview from earlier this month. Burns talked about the success of go, TikTok, and navigating the music industry:

“We saw that it was growing on TikTok, so I want to say that I posted loads more TikToks but in reality I didn’t. I highlighted on my posts that it was growing within the algorithm and that helped push it even more. We kept talking about it on other platforms as well. TikTok can really do wonders and when the song picks up, the work gets done for you. We did loads of interviews and shoots. We wanted to make sure people knew the face behind the song.

“Luckily, I think this song lent itself to different genres. Goddard did a bootleg version, the drum & bass one. Someone took a screenshot and sent it to me and said, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy’s done a drum & bass version of your song and it sounds really cool.’ I showed my manager and he was like, ‘Wow, we should put this out.’

“There are eight official reworks. Sam Smith, Goddard, Loski and Russ Millions on the drill one, Sam Fischer’s one and then the Lower & Slower and Higher & Faster versions, the Piano Version and the Nervous Freaks house remix.

“The Sam Smith one came about quite randomly. We asked Sam if they wanted to do it then my manager messaged me and said, ‘Hey, Sam’s going to do a version of Go,’ and I was like, ‘What?!’ I finally met Sam and it was a perfect pairing because we genuinely get on and that has shown through when we’ve performed together. There have also been other bootleg versions, I know there’s an Amapiano one. I’m really lucky we were able to do the number we did and people didn’t get sick of it.

“The trick was not really letting the song die and creating different versions of it to live in different places. I’m really happy that the original has the most streams, because that’s just me by myself and it shows that people like the song full stop.

“Luckily, people didn’t really have an image of me as someone who just created a song that blew up on TikTok, because I did a good mix of teasing originals as well as posting covers, so people knew that I sang my own songs, and those went viral too.

“Labels want to create a name for the people behind the songs so that artists don’t keep having just one hit. Go is quite slow for radio, so their steering was more like, ‘Let’s create a version for radio that doesn’t have to live on DSPs.’

“That was nice because my music is acoustic pop and it is slow. There’s some that are a bit faster, but generally the songs I love are acoustic. The label hasn’t steered me anywhere bad because the song that has changed my life is the music that I want to make. So there’s no butting heads or intensity because the song has done well.

“The industry is new for me and I’m not a very trusting person, especially in the business. I always remind myself that I am the product, I have to make people money in order for them to be happy with me. I’m not under any false pretences about getting comfortable in the industry”.

One of my favourite songs from Cat Burns is free. Burns identifies as Queer. In an interview with Gay Times, she stated how she initially struggled to reconcile her sexuality with her ethnicity, stating that, as a Black woman, she wants to be seen and heard. There is a vulnerability that comes with a lot of different and complex emotions. Being Queer adds a layer to that. I want to skip to this Refinery29 interview from last year. Burns discussed authenticity and why it is important that Black Queer people talk about their experiences:

“Your new EP is out and sounding beautiful. Why did you choose ‘emotionally unavailable’ as the title track?

CB: “I came up with the name ‘emotionally unavailable’ back in 2020 because that was where I was at in my life, I was extremely closed off to love of any kind and had so much to work through. I chose it as the title track because I felt like it summed up our generation so well. We’re not just emotionally unavailable for no reason; there’s a lot we go through on a daily basis.”

You’re such a profound writer. Have you always found it easy to be vulnerable through music? When did you start writing?

CB: “Music is the one place I’ve never struggled being vulnerable. I struggle to say how I’m feeling normally and get overwhelmed when trying to express it. Music is a safe space for me to sing what I’ve always wanted to say. I started writing back when I was about twelve. The songs were awful then but I learnt so much about how I wanted to write.”

I read that you want to help “Black queer people tell their stories” — why is this so important to you?

CB: “Because I am a Black queer person and feeling seen, heard and represented means everything to me.”

How important is it to be just as authentic on your social platforms as you are in your music?

CB: “It is extremely important. I’m quite private about personal things but I still want people to feel a part of my journey because they are.”

How would you advise your generation — particularly young, Black, queer people — to show up as their authentic selves in their lives?

CB: “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be anything or do anything. Just take things at your own pace”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Melanie Lehmann

I think we are going to see a lot more from Cat Burns this year. Her new singles,  people pleaser and sleep at night, were released in October. It would be wonderful if there was a debut album this year. So many eyes are on the terrific Cat Burns. I want to finish with an interview from DAZED. In July, they featured an artist who went from busking to becoming one of the most promising artists in the country. Cat Burns’ stunning E.P., emotionally unavailable, is someone who has a huge and bright feature ahead of her:

“Burns’s EP emotionally unavailable has solidified her position as a rising artist who can effortlessly capture our collective, generational struggles with loneliness and finding community. The six-track project grapples with the feelings of living in the modern world, including “anxiety”, “we’re not kids anymore” (which reminisces over the end of a friendship) and “ghosting”. “All the things on emotionally unavailable are taken from personal stories, I’ve definitely felt lonely and anxious,” she says.

Vulnerability is at the heart of everything Burns does. Last year, she released one of her most personal tracks to date “Free”. “There’s no way you can tell me who I’m supposed to be / See now I’m free”, she sings triumphantly on the track which recalls her experience when coming out to her family. She hopes her supporters can benefit from connecting with each other, in the same way connection has helped her. “[Having a chosen family] means a lot. Just having people who chose to be in your life is important and they help you feel less alone, especially if you’re feeling the same kind of things they are.”

Burns wants her legacy to be one that unites people and reconnects people in a time when most of us are disconnected. “There’s lots of pressure that young people have on them,” says Burns, “which makes sense with the society we live in. I think [rates of] depression and anxiety are the highest they’ve ever been and it’s our job as musicians to just help people feel something. Music is therapy. So having a song, or a couple of songs that are out there that make you feel like it's been written for you, is always good. I want people to feel heard and listened to whenever they hear my music. I just want them to feel less alone.”

It’s been a busy year for Burns with a Late Late Show performance under her belt, an upcoming headline show at London’s KOKO and for the summer, Burns is travelling across Europe supporting Ed Sheeran on tour, performing to the largest audiences in her career so far. It’s a far cry from busking and TikTok and Burns is ready for it. “It will be my first time in pretty much all of these places and it feels good. These are the things I’ve wanted to do and I didn’t think it would happen this quickly,” she says. “When I started posting on TikTok, it was genuinely for fun and out of boredom – I wasn’t expecting anything from it. All of this is a bonus... ”.

I wanted to write about Cat Burns, as she is someone who is going from strength to strength. She is performing at the BRITs next month, and I am sure that there will be more music soon. Tipped for success through 2023, I would encourage everyone to follow her. It has been a busy and successful past year for the amazing Cat Burns. I do think that this year will be her most memorable to date. It is going to be richly deserved. That is why I wanted to salute…

A remarkable artist.

FEATURE: Spotlight: EFÉ

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Gunning 

EFÉ

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IN a scene…

where there are a lot of boring artists and those who seem to be constructing songs based on algorithms, EFÉ is a brief of fresh air! The Dublin-born artist has supported JPEGMAFIA and Still Woozy, and her music is getting a lot of acclaim and buzz. Tipped as one of the artists to watch this year, you can see why she is so beloved. Her VITAMIN – C E.P. came out in August, and it showcases her incredible talent. Songs where the beats are at their peak and the vocals are supreme, there is so much care and attention paid to ensuring the sound and production are at the absolute peak. A fabulous artists who is armed and ready to take over the music world, you all need to get involved with the music of the artist born Anita Ikharo. Filled of energy, personality and colour, her music matches her personality. It is so compelling and physically uplifting. It is what everyone needs in their lives! I want to bring in a few interviews from last year where EFÉ is in the spotlight. Apologies if the exerts seem disconnected or there isn’t a flow. These are passages that I like and wanted to highlight. DORK featured EFÉ back in August. They underlined the fact that she has more star power than pretty much everyone else on the block:

“EFÉ is one of those brilliant pop magpies who take sounds, influences and inspirations from all manner of different places, collating them in exciting collages of sound, visuals and creativity. Born Anita Ikharo, EFÉ is 22 and based in Dublin. She’s already released one EP, the dreamy bedroom pop stylings of 2020’s ‘What Should We Do This Summer?’, but this year she’s firmly taking things to the next level and ramping up her boundless creativity with her second EP ‘VITAMIN – C’. Going right back to her childhood and formative musical memories, it was clear that EFÉ was destined to be more than just a singer singing her songs. “I love the idea of music videos,” she says excitedly. “That’s what drove me to want to make music, so I can have my own music video. I was watching 90s and 00s music videos last week, and I was like, woah, the standard back then was insane. I was watching a Black Eyed Peas video, and I was like, oh my gosh. It was ‘Let’s Get It Started’. How is that even possible?”

That’s the level she’s aiming for with her creativity, but naturally, it’s a winding journey to fully realise that for an emerging artist. If you watch the evolution of her music videos on this EP – from the sweet story of falling in love with Coco the bear on the gorgeous single ‘Kiwi’, to the melodrama of the reality-aping talent show caper of ‘Lime’ – it’s clear that we’re dealing with a singular talent with a flair for the unexpected.

“I just want to be seen as a super creative person,” she explains. “Not only having the music to just back me up. The whole vision is what’s important to me. Music and artistry is bigger than just the music for me personally. Fortunately, music allows me to do so many other things and express myself in so many different ways.”

One of her biggest influences is an artist who perhaps best represents blasting out of your own supposed lane and realising your own vision. In typically off-beat EFÉ style, though, it came with a twist. “I feel like my biggest influence was Beyoncé,” she begins before laughing. “I remember there was a time when I was like, Oh my gosh, the Illuminati is real, so I’m not going to listen to Beyoncé. I stopped listening to Beyoncé, and I stopped listening to music.

 I had huge confidence when I was younger that if I made music, I’d be famous, and the Illuminati would come and find me. It was insane. I was so scared.” Fortunately, she’s still here, and the Illuminati are still out there. Wherever they are. Another big influence for her is Tyler, the Creator. He’s someone who has a shared aesthetic for invention. “I love the cultural influence that he’s had in music,” she says. “He’s built an empire that’s so inspiring.”

‘VITAMIN – C’ is a step up and a subtle evolution of the world that she is creating. Everything is linked and woven together, from the music to the super bright and colourful imagery and artwork to the iconic music videos. “Through knowing myself more and having more experiences, I’ve definitely been able to develop my writing,” she says. “’What Should We Do This Summer?’ overall had a theme of nostalgia, but it was kind of spread out in the writing, whereas this EP is more close-knit. What’s also really cool is the producer who.killed.romeo, as well as Adam Kelleher, who directed my videos; we work all together, so we’ve all developed together as we go on to this new project. I’m growing and developing in sound, but so are they, and we elevate each other together”.

EFÉ has played internationally, and I know there will be a lot of demand this year off the back of the VITAMIN – C E.P. In every interview and feature, the effusiveness and energy that comes from the Irish queen is clear. She is someone who cannot be moulded, watered down or directed to fit a Pop market or commercial niche. This free spirit and huge burst of serotonin is what marks her out as a legend of the future. NME were suitably blown away and stunned by her when they sat down in August. Well, they interviewed her by Zoom. Even so, they were still moved and captivated by her remote presence:

“Spend five minutes in the presence of EFÉ, and you’ll see that behind her playful pop, there’s a personality just as vibrant. Even over Zoom, battling to be heard over the background builders, the Dublin-based artist (real name Anita Ikharo) is larger-than-life – full of bubbly Gen Z humour and references, plus an unbelievable amount of hilarious anecdotes; she has energy in droves.

Having just released her second EP, ‘VITAMIN-C,’ the 22-year-old’s journey up until this point has been filled with surprises. For EFÉ though, it’s something that she has known would happen all her life. That being said, the inevitable prospect of that career path for EFÉ was daunting for unexpected reasons. “I was into Beyoncé heavily but then I found out she was in the Illuminati!” gasps EFÉ, jokingly referencing the debunked online conspiracy theory. “I thought, ‘Oh no, if I continue to make music it’s a given that I’ll make it. Then the Illuminati are going to find me and I’m going to have to join!’ There’s always been that confidence from a young age, but it’s something I’ve always wanted.” Thankfully the evil overlords haven’t come calling just yet, so, for now, she’s ours.

Her first self-released EP, ‘What Should We Do This Summer?’ launched her headfirst into the industry back in 2020. And despite arriving in the blustery winds of autumn, the EP combined voice memos of EFÉ’s friends and family with idyllic, wistful vocals and hazy soundscapes; she reeled in a host of listeners much in need of a blast of summer heat.

2022, though, has proved the craziest year of them all. In April, she supported Baltimore rapper JPEGMAFIA, in spite of her concerns about their fit; she then landed two shows at this summer’s Glastonbury Festival. “I was correcting my thesis in the green room before opening for JPEG. I had to go to America the next day and I submitted it at the airport. It was the most stressful thing ever!” EFÉ recalls.

It may have been a chaotic, intense time, but it’s been an opportunity for EFÉ to learn and grow, both personally and artistically. On an EP which often focuses on ideas of codependency – within both relationships or in the music industry – EFÉ took her first steps into the world of production. With ‘Loving Girl’, she makes a statement about an industry that places doubts on young women’s technical capabilities: “I had to make sure that no matter what, I made something that I at least made myself or was heavily involved in”.

This month, The Line of Best Fit wrote about an artist they were seeing on the rise. I am fascinated to imagine what might be in store this year for EFÉ. I think there will be an album at some point. There is definitely going to be touring demand. After a year where she has got into the hearts and minds of so many people, that need to see her in the flesh is worldwide. I am quite new to her music, but it takes only a moment before you are fully invested and want to hear everything she has done. EFÉ shows what incredible talent is coming from Ireland – a nation that is renowned for its phenomenal music:

“She’s recently returned from her tour with California-based artist Still Woozy, something she’d dreamed of after the release of her sunkissed debut EP What Should We Do This Summer in 2020. Now, the Irish-born artist is brimming with plenty of creative endeavors for the future – if she can ever find the time for them.

Using What Should We Do This Summer as an intimate vessel for self-reflection, each chapter of life was gently recorded, carefully packaged, and released into a world outside her own. Nostalgic, crackly clips of children’s voices and bird chirps lull each stormy thought to an end. The children’s stories reverberate within a bubble of acoustic guitar strums and cicadas as they speak of their dreams for the future. Wind chimes and echoing, soulful piano chords provide a nostalgic backdrop for Ikharo to stumble through freshly blooming fields and share her summer wishes.

She’s reaching into the depths of simple, easygoing indie pop to uncover sharp, unwavering proclamations of her newly defined independence. VITAMIN - C, a follow-up to her 2020 release, wraps the journey of codependency and industry success in a warm, sugar-coated glaze. “All I need is my success and my ideas, that’s what it’s about, and a good team!” she explains, noting that it hasn’t always been easy to determine what’s best for her career.

The indie-pop artist is set to headlining Best Fit’s Five-Day Forecast alongside Jessica Winter and Edie Bens, next week. Ikharo racks her brain to remember what day she’ll be performing (it's Monday), counting the days one-by-one in her head. It’s been a busy year for her: “The Still Woozy tour has trained me to just go with it. So, we’ll see how that goes.” Ikharo tells me she’s excited to be able to perform – something she’s had no choice but to get pretty good at”.

I am going to wrap it up there. Many people will feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new music coming through. It can be hard deciphering which to stick with and commit to. EFÉ is someone who I can recommend with conviction. You need to start exploring her incredible music. It is essential and life-enhancing sounds that are rich and satisfying. EFÉ, as a human and artist, is overflowing…

WITH life and love.

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Follow EFÉ

PHOTO CREDIT: Paula Trojner 

Official:

https://efebaby.bigcartel.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kawaii.mom/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/efebabyyy

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2v0XtEw3w12NCC0J20ke6C

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgnABahRO74J-Autwi24KOA

FEATURE: Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World: Hip-Hop at Fifty: A Selection of Groundbreaking New and Classic Cuts

FEATURE:

 

 

Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World

IN THIS PHOTO: Queen Latifah in New York in 1990/PHOTO CREDIT: Janette Beckman/Getty Images

Hip-Hop at Fifty: A Selection of Groundbreaking New and Classic Cuts

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BECAUSE the BBC…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Charlie Ahearn, Grandmaster Flash, Debbie Harry, Fab 5 Freddy, Chris Stein of Blondie and friend in 1981/PHOTO CREDIT: Fotografiska New York

have a documentary series marking fifty years of Hip-Hop, I wanted to talk about it briefly. The actual fiftieth anniversary occurs in August, but you can appreciate there is a build-up and lots of events. From exhibitions in the U.S., to this three-year pledge by Showtime to bring together Hip-Hop films, T.V. shows, documentaries and podcasts, there is a lot of activity this year! Most of it will happen in the U.S. as I guess the nation gave us the movement. From its fashions and sub-genres through to its classic cuts and new artists, Hip-Hop is an empire that has given the world some of the most important music ever. It is great that we can date the birth of Hip-Hop. In this 2021 article, Christie’s looked back at an important date in music history. They spoke with Hip-Hop’s founder, DJ Kool Herc, who discussed musical evolutions and the origin of a billion-dollar business:

“It was 11 August 1973 and Cindy Campbell was throwing a back to school party. She had asked her brother to DJ the event, which would be held in the recreation room of their building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx. Cindy planned to charge admission at the door — a quarter for girls, 50 cents for the boys. She wanted to use the proceeds to buy new clothes for the upcoming school year.

Cindy's brother was known by most as DJ Kool Herc — a name that alluded to the Greek God of strength, Hercules. An up-and-coming DJ looking to make a name for himself, Herc understood that a party lived and died on the dancefloor, and so he found what set it off. As Herc’s hands worked across two parallel turntables, he unknowingly ushered in a new era of musical culture, laying the foundation for what we now call hip-hop.

Introducing a technique he called ‘The Merry-Go-Round,’ Herc pioneered a way to strip down the music by isolating the percussive nature of the ‘breakbeat,’ the instrumental section that is considered a ‘break’ from the main musical pattern. It was during the ‘breaks,’ he noticed, that the crowds would hit the dancefloor. Using two copies of the same record, Herc was able to shift quickly from break to break by allowing a second back-cued record to continue the beat as the first record reached its end.

With ‘The Merry-Go-Round,’ Herc turned a seconds-long moment into prolonged minutes of dancefloor action, allowing the break boys, or ‘b-boys’ as he dubbed them, to take over the floor and battle with their bodies in rhythm to the music.

The technique he introduced that August evening became the cornerstone of hip-hop, cementing Herc as the genre’s universally recognized founder. From 4-18 August, Christie’s will present DJ Kool Herc & The Birth of Hip-Hop, an online auction of his and Cindy’s private collection that charts the early stages and ultimate rise of a now ubiquitous culture.

Beyond his turntable stylings, Herc’s influence on hip-hop was far-reaching. Known for playing music and listening to records that weren’t mainstream, Herc introduced partygoers to artists and songs they had never heard before. His own musical indoctrination began at home with his father, Keith Campbell, an avid record collector. Keith exposed his children to genres that ranged from American jazz to gospel and country. As Herc’s musical tastes evolved, he developed an interest in soul, and artists like James Brown would prove to be major influences on his DJing techniques.

IN THIS PHOTO: DJ Kool Herc/PHOTO CREDIT: Desiree Navarro/Getty Images

In items from DJ Kool Herc & The Birth of Hip-Hop, the depth and breadth of his vinyl collection is clear. Records by Jimmy Castor, Baby Huey and the Jackson Five mingle with those of Joan Baez, Cream and Curtis Mayfield. There are even some, like Rare Earth’s Get Ready or Ohio Players Pleasure, that Herc tagged himself, colouring his name in black marker across the album covers.

Another crucial element of Herc’s influence was his sound system, especially his speakers, ‘The Herculoids.’ Having grown up in Kingston, Jamaica before immigrating to the US in 1967, Herc was inspired by the loud, innovative set-ups he saw there. In the Bronx, he distinguished himself by bringing a Jamaican edge to his DJing style, hooking up microphones to a Space Echo box and making sure his speakers were the loudest around.

Several sound systems — emblems of hip-hop history and in of themselves — are part of the upcoming sale, including the original mixer and speakers used at the legendary 1973 back-to-school party.

At its core, the genesis of hip-hop is simple: it derived from a desire by young people to bring everyone together. Without pretension and open to all, this growing movement of the ‘70s and ‘80s drew crowds of all kinds from across the city’s five boroughs. ‘To me, hip-hop says, “Come as you are,”’ Herc wrote in the introduction to Jeff Chang and Dave Cook’s book, Can't Stop Won't Stop. ‘It’s about you and me, connecting one-to-one. That’s why it has universal appeal.’

Though hip-hop has gone through dramatic changes over the decades, it’s clear through early flyers, event posters and other materials from Herc’s collection that its beginnings were homespun and humble. Herc was not only channelling his creativity into music, but also through hand-drawn advertisements and customised clothing.

In examples of early street style from the collection, including bejewelled belt buckles, sneakers, necklaces and the iconic outfit Herc wore in Beat Street, Herc’s holistic vision is on full display. Completely on his own, Herc was branding himself — and hip-hop — before the idea of a personal brand even existed.

Through these homemade elements and other items from Herc’s collection, the five pillars of hip-hop — DJing, rapping or MCing, graffiti art, breakdancing and fashion — are found. They mark where hip-hop began and how it has evolved into an international, multi-billion-dollar business”.

Nearer to the fiftieth anniversary, I am going to focus on specific areas. I wanted to use this opportunity put together some of the best classic Hip-Hop cuts, together with some modern Hip-Hop, so that we can see how the genre has evolved through the decades. Few would have though that, on 11th August, 1973, we would be looking back at this date as landmark and a seismic shift. I think that, if you have an interest in Hip-Hop, go and invest in a few books. Go and listen to as many podcasts and read as many books as you can. In terms of literature, check out websites such as Waterstones and Amazon, and there will be guidance when it comes to the essential books to read. I have dropped a couple of podcasts in here, but I would urge people to look deeper and find out as much as they can. In August of 1973, something modest but magical happened that would light a fuse. It is a big and multi-layered world to immerse yourself in, but you can start with the new BBC series, as that provides a great grounding, where we hear form some of the pioneers and important artists who have help shape Hip-Hop. A genre that has taken over the world, you know there will be new books and documentaries in the lead-up to August. I will talk about the best Hip-Hop albums ever, the artists who have defined the movement, and how Hip-Hop has evolved through the years. Now, I want to start off with a  playlist of classic Hip-Hop cuts, plus some great songs from the modern time. Even if Hip-Hop has changed since 1973, the genre has remained…

TRULY phenomenal and innovative.

FEATURE: Get it Covered! Adding New Dimensions to Kate Bush Songs

FEATURE:

 

 

Get it Covered!

PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari

Adding New Dimensions to Kate Bush Songs

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I think…

 PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

we all heard enough covers of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) last year. It is no wonder artists wanted to celebrate a song that got back in the charts and reached new fans and younger listeners. As a result, various artists gave their take on the classic Bush single. There were some dreadful attempts (the less said about Rita Ora’s mauling the better!), and some good ones. I don’t think there were that many that strayed too far from the original in terms of the vocal performance. Many gave the song a harder edge or more of a modern Pop sound, but most who were singing it did not really change the pace of the song or the delivery. I have included one below that is actually pretty good! Featuring Sweet Megg on vocals, it is a PostmodernJukebox take on the 1985 song. It has a Jazz feel to it. Maybe like it was being performed at a New York club in the 1950s or 1960s. Something that could be played loud at Ronnie Scott’s in London today. I really like the direction and take! I have been a bit down on the covers of Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) as there were so MANY of them! It seemed cynical for artists to cover the song, in the hope they might get some residual success and popularity. Few really gave it much of a stamp or new personality. I do like the most recent one I have found. They brand it as a Western style. It has that U.S. heart, but I also hear U.K. elements and other genres in there.

I hope we can put Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) to bed! It did its thing in 2022 and it meant Kate Bush has been back in focus and in the ears of people who might not have heard her before. Everyone from Halsey to The Wombats did their take of the Hounds of Love song. It is not the case there has only been one decent Kate Bush cover last year. It is hard to keep on top of all of them, but I have heard some interesting takes. If you look for Kate Bush covers from last year, most do relate to Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). Through the years, there have been some great ones, and my favourite might be a live version of Moments of Pleasure (from The Red Shoes) performed live. A lot of the covers are of the better-known tracks, but there is opportunity to repurpose those and bring them to new fans. Maybe a fresh angle on Never for Ever’s Babooshka? An artist doing something fresh with Wuthering Heights. Even a song from an album as popular as Hounds of Love, The Big Sky, has been relatively untouched. I have said before how no Kate Bush cover surpasses the originals, but that is not to say artists shouldn’t cover and interpret on her songs. I think certain songs have been saturated. Nobody is going to do anything radical with Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) now. There are so many other options and rarer songs.

It is nice to be surprised and find a cover that takes a Kate Bush song in a new direction. As a unique and innovative artist, it is challenging doing something bold with her music! I have mooted the possibility of Kate Bush tribute and cover albums. I do think, especially as there needs to be a new documentary about Bush, having new covers would definitely add to that. I have a list of Kate Bush songs that I would love to see covered. One of my favourites, Them Heavy People (from The Kick Inside) is up there, but there are even tracks from Hounds of Love’s The Ninth Wave that would benefit new interpretation. Lesser-known songs like The Sensual World’s The Fog, and Get Out of My House from The Dreaming are in my thoughts. Artists can definitely bring magic from Kate Bush’s songs that were not there before. What the plethora of Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) covers last year showed is that artists are connecting with Kate Bush. She inspires artists of all ages and across all genres! Every cover brings the original to someone else - so one cannot complain. It also proves how relevant Bush is today. I am keen to see which songs are covered this year and, indeed, whether we get another Stranger Things moment. This could be yet another massive year for Kate Bush and her music. We cross our fingers, but let’s hope all this new love of her work compels Bush to gift us…

WITH some new music.

FEATURE: RENAISSANCE: Should Artists Commit to Not Playing Countries Who Do Not Recognise L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ and Women’s Rights?

FEATURE:

 

 

RENAISSANCE

IN THIS PHOTO: Beyoncé shot for British Vogue in 2022/PHOTO CREDIT: Rafael Pavarotti

Should Artists Commit to Not Playing Countries Who Do Not Recognise L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ and Women’s Rights?

_________

THERE was division and controversy…

 IN THIS PHOTO: West Bay, Doha, Qatar/PHOTO CREDIT: Masarath Alkhaili/Unsplash

last year when the World Cup took place in Qatar. A nation that has abhorrent laws when it comes to same-sex relationships, their idea of morals and decency essentially wipes out and victimised the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. I guess, if we are talking about the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ spectrum and rainbow, then this feature is predominantly aimed at lesbian, gay and bi-sexual people – but the entire community and spectrum does not to be represented. To be fair, I think that anyone who does not identify as heterosexual and remains very prim and proper is subjected to the vilest and most inhumane repercussions. Artists did boycott the World Cup last year. To be fair, so should have the England football team. That is a debate and rant for another day! It can be a tricky issue when musicians are asked to perform in nations that have terrible human rights records. Countries where great sects of their society are imprisoned and sometimes killed for their sexual orientation. I was pretty much black-and-white when it came to Qatar. My feeling was then and always will be that no artist with any shred of decency and respect for the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A+ community should have gone there. The nation also has an abysmal record when it comes to women’s rights. I am, not going to blanket the Middle East as being restrictive, regressive and inhuman. Not all nations here have such repellent and Stone Age attitudes. That said, it is a part of the globe I don’t think any artist needs to perform in. It is a shame for fans there but, as I have discussed when it comes to Israel – artists have cancelled performing here because of the nation’s occupation of Palestine -, going to these places can make things worse. Artists want to please fans but, politically and morally, they need to think about the wider population and their ethics. The World Cup is an occasion where I think no artists should have gone.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Dua Lipa/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Dua Lipa was accused of playing in Qatar but, as she is someone who has these morals and has a lot of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ and female fans, it would have been a hugely controversial and risky thing to do. In a lot of cases, it is labels that put pressure on their artists to go to these places. Look at the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ rights in the U.A.E. Or the lack thereof! It is another nation that, whether too bound by religion or a diseased vision of human decency and what makes someone immoral and prehensive, should be a no-go zone for artists. Does money dictate and direct artists too much? Even if you are represented your country, I feel the best way to honour them is to boycott nations that treat certain people so evilly. Someone who has a legion of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ fans is Beyoncé. Where footballer David Beckham recently received a barrage of criticism for helping the Qatari government advertise and promote the World Cup, Beyoncé has not received the same backlash. At the weekend, she performed in the city of Dubai. Again, this is a part of the world where gay rights are not on the agenda. If you are a westerner who is able to use their economic advantage to form communities out of danger, then things are not as bad. For everyone else, they risk their lives and liberty! The fact that Beyoncé came back to the stage after five years and performed for fans (albeit a select group) is fantastic. She always delivers an incredible set and, even though songs from RENAISSANCE (her latest album) were not played, it sounded like a great performance.

Though nothing can ever match her headlining Coachella back in 2018, I do think that she is one of the greatest artists of her generation. An inspiration to millions, there has been division around Beyoncé’s performance in Dubai. The reason for her performance is explained by the BBC in this article:

“Beyoncé has returned to the stage for her first live performance in five years - but not everyone's excited.

The US megastar headlined the private concert in Dubai to mark the opening of luxury hotel Atlantis The Royal.

Despite a strict no-phones policy at the exclusive, 1,500-seat gig, footage of the show flooded the internet.

Many fans were thrilled to see the return of Queen B, but others weren't happy because Dubai has strict laws against same-sex relationships.

Renaissance, her latest album, has been celebrated for "honouring black queer culture" and taking inspiration from LGBT icons.

It pays tribute to dance music that emerged out of the gay community and also references 1800s drag ballrooms in Harlem, New York.

So it's left some fans uncomfortable that the singer would make her live return in a nation which doesn't recognise LGBT rights.

'One rule for one'

Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Middle Eastern country made up of seven regions that follow strict laws and have rules against homosexuality.

Nearby Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, has similar rules.

It was criticised for its attitude to LGBT people, its human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers.

David Beckham faced backlash - most famously from comedian Joe Lycett - for signing a big-money deal with the Qatari government to advertise the event.

Like Beyoncé, he has been celebrated within the LGBT community and posed on the cover of best-selling gay magazine Attitude in 2002.

But so far the criticism of the singer hasn't been as fierce.

Drag Race UK star Kitty Scott-Claus asked whether there was "one rule for one and one rule for another", referring to the backlash against Beckham.

But not all fans have been critical - some have said the UAE and surrounding countries aren't alone in their stance on LGBT rights and shouldn't be singled out.

And others have pointed out differences, such as Beyoncé being paid by a business for a private event, while Beckham was paid by the government to actively promote the country”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Comedian Joe Lycett was among those who criticised David Beckham’s decision to act as an ambassador in Qatar/PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Parfitt/Channel 4

I have boundless respect for Beyoncé. In this instance, opening a fancy hotel seems like a misguided reason to perform in Dubai. It is hard to see any real reason why it would outweigh the massive downsides of the country when it comes to the nation. It once again raises questions as to why artists – with or without as large L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ fanbase – perform in countries that have such horrendous laws. Beyoncé is not the only artists in recent years who has caused a stir when it comes to appearing in countries with terrible human rights records. It does make me think what the point is. Something as gaudy, crass and ridiculous and needlessly decedent as a luxury hotel. It is hard to see what the angle or motivation was beyond money. Whether Beyoncé decided to do it, or whether her label and management insisted she do, the whole situation seems very weird, random and tone-deaf. It is sad that loving and accepting fans in these countries will miss out, but surely every artist should boycott places like Dubai and Qatar without question?! If you want to protest and show your dismay and anger at their savage and disgusting attitudes and laws, then you can do so from your own country. A big artist like Beyoncé can play a huge show in the U.S. and highlight the injustices in these places! There is no doubt that she is against the stringent laws in Dubai, but she couldn’t well voice that at this corporate and high-profile event where she was very much expected to perform and nothing more.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Teddy O/Unsplash

What motivation is there for any artist to perform in countries and places that have no respect for women or the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community?! I know that Dubai is a lot better when it comes to women’s rights - gender equality is of paramount importance in the UAE -, but there is still the issue around L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ rights. Nobody is forcing them too and, if buckets of cash is the reason you are doing this, then that pretty horrifying! None of these major artists are in any dire needs of financial support, so is greed outweighing moral obligations? I know it more complex than that, but there does need to be change. I can imagine artists performing in the U.A.E. or Qatar or wherever are always conscious about what they say and what they wear. They do not have the freedom and reins to perform as comfortably and confidently as they otherwise would. Do these gigs raise artists’ profiles and send out a positive message? I don’t think so on both fronts. There should be moves towards positivity, inclusiveness and affecting change. Performing in nations dominated by medieval laws and barbarism seems like a massive step back! Unless I am missing something obvious? Sadly, I think we will see a lot more occasions where artists either perform one-off gigs in ‘red zone’ areas, or they include it as a leg of their tours. There are ramifications about deliberately excluding countries. Fans will suffer and lose out. That is unfair, I admit. Artists do not need to go to areas of the world that seemingly have no respect for human life. It baffles me. I hope that the debate and split in opinion following Beyoncé’s Dubai gig focuses attention to an issue that has been ongoing for decades. Why do artists feel the need to make seemingly ill-judged decisions like this?! A blanket refusal by all musicians to play in places like Qatar and across the U.A.E. sends out a message that all good people in music understand. And that is that we will not accept or tolerate any forms of human rights abuse. Whether that is against women or L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ people, there needs to be a united stand and solidarity. That is the only way…

THINGS will ever change.

FEATURE: Revisiting… Ari Lennox - age/sex/location

FEATURE:

 

 

Revisiting…

Ari Lennox - age/sex/location

_________

AN artist that I have…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Gizelle Hernandez

a huge amount of respect and love for, Ari Lennox is a Washington-born R&B/Neo Soul sensational whose 2019 debut album, Shea Butter Baby, is one of the best of the past decade. Even though it gained positive reviews, I wanted to revisit her much-desired follow-up age/sex/location. Released in September, I think that some people might have missed it. Lennox is definitely one of the finest artists in the world, and age/sex/location is an album that should be heard by as many people as possible. Perhaps not as well-known in the U.K. as she is in the U.S., I hope that Ari Lennox’s music gets played more on stations in this country. It is a shame that Lennox has had to encounter some disrespectful interviewers. In January last year, Lennox swore off doing any more interviews following an inappropriate comment and question by a male D.J. The Guardian explain more as they spotlighted her in September:

“In January, the outspoken American R&B singer-songwriter Ari Lennox tweeted that she’d never do another interview after being quizzed disrespectfully about her sex life by a smirking male radio DJ. Lennox’s lyrics about good sex with untrustworthy, broke or otherwise unmoored men feel so unmediated and authentic that some people confuse the Ari in the songs with the real person – born Courtney Shanade Salter in Washington DC in 1991 – who sings them.

It’s still depressingly common, it seems, for women – especially black women – who write honestly about relationships, Tinder traumas and “regretful mornings” to be reduced to sexually voracious caricatures. That demeans Lennox and her work, which drifts unhurriedly across the past four musical decades, infusing neo-soul and progressive R&B with a hip-hop attitude. The intoxicating Shea Butter Baby is her signature song, but recent drops Pressure and Queen Space, a duet with Summer Walker about the power of self-worth, are equally strong.

Before signing to J Cole’s Dreamville label, Lennox spent years working in retail, driving Ubers and posting covers online, even on her dating profile. Like Cole, her songs display a lively sense of humour, a sharp eye for a strong image and an ear for an intriguing beat. Despite the tiresome sexism, she has vowed to “continue to sing about dick when I want”. New album age/sex/location is another enlightening tour around her quirky mind”.

There are quite a few video interviews that I would recommend people check out. I have dropped a couple in here. There is no doubt that Ari Lennox’s second studio album, age/sex/location, is a masterful work that ranks alongside the very best of last year. It is one that might have been missed by some people. Rolling Stone were among those who have huge praise to an album by an artist who everybody should know about and embrace:

“WHEN YOU HEAR the hip-hop-styled piano rhythm of “POF,” the opening cut on Ari Lennox’s second album age/sex/location, the first thing you’ll notice is her voice, flowing full and wry like Erykah Badu circa “On & On.” Yes, this is a real, honest-to-God soul singer: no autotune effects, no flattening croon that approximates laptop software, no double-time rhythm meant to approximate a rapper’s inflections. Lennox isn’t a traditionalist, though, and her music feels utterly modern. Much like Summer Walker, Chlöe Bailey — both of whom guest on age/sex/location — Jazmine Sullivan and others, Lennox represents a thriving R&B community, even as the increasingly tired “R&B Is Dead” meme continues to circulate, no thanks to a recent claim by Sean “Puffy” Combs (which he later amended).

Such comments have less to do with the quality of the music than the sense that rap has permanently eclipsed R&B in popularity, leaving musicians and fans to recalibrate their relationship with a beloved and necessary Black artform. Indeed, a subtext of age/sex/location is that none of the Dreamville rappers, particularly label co-founder J Cole, appear on it. Lennox hasn’t always seemed comfortable being a part of the Dreamville boys’ club in the past, and last year she publicly requested to be released from her contract. But give Cole credit for not pulling a, uh, Puffy, and demanding airtime on her latest project. And with age/sex/location, Lennox has delivered her best work to date, one that mostly leaps past her patchy but inspired Shea Butter Baby debut in quality. “Ari Lennox album phenomenal,” wrote Cole on Twitter.

Kicking off with “POF,” which bemoans a dearth of quality men, Lennox settles into a vibe and refuses to relinquish it. “Hoodie” is all supple bass and conga percussion as she switches to seductress: “Tangled up on your waist/Dreaming about how you taste/Underneath your North Face.” She ladles the end of the track with vocal runs and exhortations. The theme continues with “Waste My Time,” but the backing track is brighter, a full-on thumper with shimmering melodies. Then there’s “Pressure,” a 2021 song that became Lennox’s first Billboard Hot 100 hit. It finds her swinging like the Pointer Sisters over a guitar-inflected track that sounds like skipping jump rope.

Lennox has called age/sex/location her version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir Eat Pray Love, emphasis on the love part. The journey is mostly spiritual – no jaunts to Italy and Southeast Asia – but she imbues her tracks with emotional commitment and raw, frank language. (A few minutes of levity arrive with “Boy Bye,” where she playfully pushes back against Lucky Daye’s flirtations. “Those lines belong in 1995,” she lilts.) Yes, it’s drenched in sex – hey, it’s an R&B album – but the tone is remarkably consistent, and only flags in quality with the uneven track “Outside.” Ironically, it’s a number where she diverts from her babymaker formula for a statement of female pride, delivered over a wonky and insistent bounce rhythm. “Make that money honey however it goes/Working hard paying off them student loans,” she sings.

Time will tell whether age/sex/location wins over a mainstream audience or turns into one of those under-appreciated R&B albums that fans hoard decades later, like Amel Larrieux’s Infinite Possibilities and Adriana Evans. Unless TikTok users decide otherwise, there doesn’t seem to be a viral hit on par with the platinum-certified single “Shea Butter Baby,” even as Lennox builds a case for herself as an enthralling artist. No matter: age/sex/location deserves to be more than an overpriced Discogs collectable. She needs her flowers now”.

I am interested wondering what comes next for Ari Lennox. Maybe we will not get another album so soon after age/sex/location, but there will be singles and live dates. It is thrilling to watch Lennox take those steps. I will end with a review from AllMusic. This is what they had to say regarding the brilliant age/sex/location. If you have not heard the album, then spend some time today checking it out:

“Ari Lennox notched some personal firsts when she and fellow Dreamville affiliate Elite connected with R&B legends Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Johntá Austin, and newcomer Jai'Len Josey, to make the lead single off her second album. The singer and songwriter's most cross-generational collaboration, "Pressure" went Top 20 R&B/hip-hop and Top Ten R&B, topped the Adult R&B chart, and crossed into the Hot 100, all milestones. Appealing as it is, teaching, teasing, and inquiring with acerbic wit and sly audacity, "Pressure" is inessential to the excellence of Age/Sex/Location. That's a testament to the strength of what surrounds the hit in the sequence. ASL begins with "POF," an indication of the creative way Lennox consistently stirs together themes of independence, sexual agency, and bullshit detection. It's Badu-ist philosophy with a lithe, neck-swaying groove to match. (The only cut co-produced by Dreamville operator J. Cole, it's one of few not involving Elite, who was key to the preceding Shea Butter Baby.) The Badu influence on Lennox hasn't been clearer, but the song is also a showcase for some of Lennox's most striking vocals and her strongest, pithiest writing -- singular qualities that remain throughout the album.

Most illuminating are the slow jams that, like a few songs off the debut, either repurpose or evoke mellow R&B and jazz grooves from the late '70s. In "Mean Mug," finished off with a gentle trumpet solo, Lennox is enraptured and vulnerable, observing "There's a magic in your eyes," then isn't above being petty or possessive, advising with "Blockin' you, baby, if I can't have you to myself." The burrowing bassline on "Hoodie" neatly complements the way Lennox seeks permission to get closer to her man, yet she makes it known her guard isn't all the way down, issuing a challenge of her own. "Boy Bye," built on a sample of the Crusaders' classic "A Ballad for Joe (Louis)," brings Lennox and Lucky Daye back together again to spar with even greater chemistry than they displayed on "Access Denied." Duet-wise, it's a very close second to the Summer Walker-assisted "Queen Space," a steady-knocking finale so authoritative that the titular appellation can't be disputed”.

Among the absolute best albums of last year, Ari Lennox’s age/sex/location is not exposed and discussed enough. Definitely this is the case in the U.K. It is a remarkable work that I absolutely love! I guarantee that you will play this album and get so much from it. It shows that Lennox is one of the finest voices of her generation. Going forward, who knows what the future holds. Whatever she does and whatever music she releases, you just know that it is going…

TO be world-class.

FEATURE: High in the Mix: Tracklib’s Growth, and the Importance of Sampling in Music

FEATURE:

 

 

High in the Mix

IN THIS PHOTO: Kadhja Bonet has been sampled by Kendrick Lamar (Die Hard samples Bonet’s Remember the Rain) via the TrackLib platform/PHOTO CREDIT: Nathaniel Wood for Loud and Quiet

Tracklib’s Growth, and the Importance of Sampling in Music

_________

THERE was some news recently…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Florencia Viadana/Unsplash

that excited me and made me think about sampling in music. In decades past, sampling was a much bigger deal. I associate it with classic Hip-Hop and the most inventive albums from that genre. A lot of the songs sampled were not cleared, so there were big legal issues. I have written about this before but, often, artists would either use a sample without permission, or there would be legal battles – where the artist or label would be sued. It has mean that, in years since, artists have sampled less and less. I don’t think it is possible to replicate the sort of kaleidoscopic albums we got in the past from the likes of De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy or any number of groundbreaking and timeless albums. It has made its way into modern classics, but there is always that huge cost of clearing a song. It is a shame that there is not wider access to songs. I think it would revitalise and inspire genres like Pop ad Hip-Hop. As it stands, there is a platform that catalogues pre-approved songs for sampling. News broke recently that Tracklib are building and growing. Music Week report how Tracklib give options to artists and D.J.s when it comes to sampling without legal troubles or high costs:

“Tracklib has made key appointments to build on its growth in the past year.

The platform has a catalogue of pre-cleared music for sampling, which is available for artists, producers and creators to discover, license and use in their work.

According to the announcement, over the past year Tracklib has seen a “significant increase” in the number of music creators curious about sampling as an element in their creative process. Sampling has become a component in nearly 20% of hit songs on the US Hot 100 chart.

Targeting further growth opportunities, Tracklib has recruited new talent to be part of their expanding team.

IN THIS PHOTO: Mary J. Blige is an artist who has  used a sample from Tracklib/PHOTO CREDIT: Bethany Mollenkof for Los Angeles Times

Andreas Liffgarden has joined the Tracklib board as an advisor. Liffgarden is the founder of Soundtrack Your Brand and former global head of telecom business development at Spotify.

Michael Cassidy has been appointed chief product and technology officer. Cassidy is a former chief innovation officer at Fuga and was a consultant on strategy and technology for Downtown Music Holdings.

“Curiosity and innovation drive me,” said Andreas Liffgarden. “Through my past work, I realised the opportunity in building a platform that could support the music industry in scaling and monetising the B2B music space.”

Michael Cassidy said there are opportunities for building and monetising new verticals.

“Tracklib, with its impressive brand, producer network and YouTube following, is the perfect starting point for how original recordings can be used in music,” he said.

“We are delighted that Tracklib has been able to attract Andreas and Michael at a time when we are accelerating [in] many areas,” says Per Aspemar, CEO of Tracklib. “Producers and artists turn to Tracklib for discovery and innovation – this will only grow stronger over the next year and beyond.”

Trackib’s catalogue consists of 100,000 original recordings from over 400 record labels and publishers around the world. It includes music ranging from Isaac Hayes and Mozart to jazz artist Bob James. Samples from Tracklib have been used by artists including Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Nas, Phantogram, Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled and Brockhampton”.

Not that there is going to be a revival and return to the glory days where sampling ruled and was such a pivotal part of huge albums. I do think sampling not only enhances albums and provides new layers. What it also does is introduces people to artists from the past that they may have not otherwise discovered and heard. I have found new loves and fascination by hearing some big albums. The song itself hits me but, as the samples come out, that sends me searching for the artists who created those sounds! It is a great way of uniting listeners with a whole world of music. It is such a pity sampling has diminished and is not as widespread as it used to be. The fact that major artists such as Kendrick Lamar have used Tracklib shows that it is such an important platform! Rather than promote the platform too much, it has given me a chance to think about music more widely. Does this news mean that sampling will become more prevalent? If the Pop market is taking advantage of a library of music to sample, I do wonder whether other genres will follow suit. Not that Hip-Hop and Rap are weak, but I don’t think there is the same innovation and memorability that we associated with the genres. That may be something to do with the quality of artists from the past, but I feel sampling was a big part of the success and legacy of so many artists and albums. By opening doors and allowing access to pre-approved sounds and music, it does give that opportunity to fresh possibilities! As this article from December highlights, 2022 was quite a big year when it came to sampling:

“Sampling, which involves taking a segment of a recording and reusing it in a song, is becoming more common in music that appears on the Billboard Hot 100, according to a report recently released by Tracklib. Tracklib is a Swedish music service that lets music producers clear samples for legal use, according to their website. They released an annual report titled The State of Sampling, which looks at music sampling trends in the Billboard Hot 100 list, says the report.

1 in 5 songs contains samples

17% of Billboard's hits contained samples this year, whereas last year, 14% of Billboard hits contained samples, says the report. According to the report, there has been a 31% increase in sample use compared to the three previous years.

The most sampled decade is the 2000s, says the report. The report attributes this to a younger generation of producers who are starting to gain popularity.

The most sampled genre is R&B, according to the report. Last year, R&B was behind Hip Hop as the most sampled genre.

First sample-based world cup song

2022 also marked the first year that an official World Cup song was sample-based, says the report. The World Is Yours to Take by Lil Baby samples Everybody Wants to Rule the World by the pop band Tears for Fears.

However, the 2010 World Cup anthem Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Shakira and Freshly Ground contains an interpolation of Zamina Mina (Zangalewa) by Golden Sounds. An interpolation is when a portion of a song is used in another song, but instead of directly using the original recording, the portion is re-recorded.

Other hits that also used samples in 2022 include Wait for You by Future, which samples Higher (Live) by Tems. Die Hard by Kendrick Lamar samples Remember the Rain by Kadhja Bonet. Doja by Central Cee also samples Let Me Blow Ya Mind by Eve and Gwen Stefani.

A true art form

"The ever-changing music industry gets more fascinating by the day, and so does the world of sampling. For the last three years, sampling has increasingly become more popular," says the Tracklib report. "Ever since changing the face of genres like hip-hop and house music, the impact of sampling is present in many genres," the report says.

"Sampling has definitely played a very important part in the evolution of music and given birth to many new genres through the years," says Pär Almqvist, co-founder & CCO of Tracklib.

"Taking elements of an existing recording and crafting it into something new is a beautiful art form that needs to be highlighted and celebrated," Almqvist tells News24. "Some believe that sampling is exclusive to hip-hop and used to be much more common in the past. But our report shows that almost a fifth of today's hits contains samples, so it's beyond doubt alive and kicking," Almqvist says.

"...There are definitely some people that still don't take sample-based producers seriously, thinking they are not 'real' musicians and should 'learn how to play an instrument'," Almqvist adds. "Sampling is a true art form, and to claim that musical geniuses such as J. Dilla, Madlib or Daft Punk are not real musicians is nonsensical”.

I am glad that there is this growth in sampling. Once a real foundation for innovation and music discovery, it has been very hard for artists to sample too much, due to legal ramifications and unrealistic clearance costs. Thanks to platforms like Tracklib, there is this access and option that is leading to some awesome mixes. It means that young listeners might hear a song by Kendrick Lamar and then find Kadhja Bonet because of the sample. That then opens up branches to other music and genres. It is this mind and sense-opening thing! Sampling, quite obviously, is so important and…

SUCH a vital source of inspiration.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Lola Brooke

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Felicia Abbam

Lola Brooke

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AN incredible artist…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Braylen Dion

who is one of the greatest Hip-Hop names of the moment, I wanted to highlight the stunningly amazing Lola Brooke. I am a new convert to her music, but I am enjoying reading about her and how she has got to where she is now. An extremely powerful artist, this is someone that everyone needs to be aware of. I am going to source some interviews so that we have some background and useful information about an artist who is going to be among the leading pack this year. NOTION chatted with Lola Brooke in September. Someone who wanted to be a rapper since she was a child, it is so rewarding to see her on the edge of glory and a huge breakthrough:

“Brooklyn-based rapper Lola Brooke has known she wanted to become a rapper since she was a child – and though finding her voice and power has been a journey, it’s one that’s made her the uncompromising artist she is today.

Lola has spent the past few years perfecting her flow and crafting her sound in the city, inspired by the culture around her and rap icons from Missy Elliott to Eve, Busta Rhymes to 50 Cent. With praise from the likes of Foxy Brown and Meek Mill, she’s already taken over her local scene, and is poised to skyrocket in the rap world – and not just in New York.

Following her latest energy charged track “Gator Season” and ahead of her performance at NY festival Rolling Loud this weekend, we caught up with the rapper to chat about her influences and journey so far, as well as what she loves about performing live and what’s next.

Hey Lola! For anyone who doesn’t yet know, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into music?

What’s up y’all. I’m Lola Brooke, your new favorite rapper coming out of Brooklyn, New York! I’ve been making my presence known in music for quite a while. Some may know me from my track “Don’t Play With It,” but a few more of y’all will know me for this takeover that I’m about to make… it’s about time [laughs].

As far as the beginning, I remember knowing at eight years old that I wanted to be a rapper. I remember one summer that I spent in Birmingham [Alabama] at my grandmother’s house, and a music video from the group Kris Kross came on (she had on one of those throwback music channels)— from that point, I told my grandmother I wanted to be a rapper, and the rest is history…

What artists did you listen to growing up and how have they inspired you?

Sheesh, there’s so many people to name… I listened to Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Meek Mill, Eve, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, and DMX. I’m missing a few more, but they all inspired me because they all came into the game unapologetically and dared to be different. That’s how I’m coming, so they all are huge inspirations.

What makes your sound different?

My sound is different and familiar at the same time. I’m from New York, so I still have that Brooklyn-grounded, well-rounded Bed-Stuy aura. Of course I put my own twist on my delivery, but once you hear me speak, nine times out of ten, you’ll pick up on where I’m from.

How has your journey been breaking onto the scene?

Man, it’s been a challenge, and sometimes…honestly—depressing. But overall, the results and the outpour of love I’ve received along the way always overshadow anything I’m going through. It’s all about the process. I wake up every day knowing it’s a reason for everything”.

BROOKLYN spotlighted the amazing Lola Brooke in November. Saluting an aspiring queen of Kings county Rap, her Brooklyn pride and determined ambition comes with rugged flow and savage bars. This is someone whose music is going to cause shockwaves and influence so many others coming into Hip-Hop. She is a startling talent who is all set for icon status. If you are not familiar with her work, I would definitely encourage you to check it out. Brooke is someone whose rapping voice is so commanding and holds this incredible passion, confidence and electricity:

“Your rapping voice is so different from your talking voice. Which one is most like you?

I talk how I rap, but when I rap, I have a little pitch to it — similar to if I’m arguing with somebody. That’s how my rap voice came about. It’s my argumentative tone. So, don’t piss me off! But now, I don’t have to be mad to sound like that; I can just be on tracks and do my thing.

How did “Don’t Play With It” come about?

I was tired of people playing with me, for real. That’s really what it was.

The lyric that everyone loves is the line “I don’t even got me a hundred bands, I’m still gonna make me a hundred Ms with a hundred plans.” Talk about that.

Girl, I’m broke. I’m always going to make it. I still pay my bills, nobody takes care of me. I make sure I get up to cater to whatever I need to cater to pursuing this career.

Did something specific happen that inspired you to make this song?

Nothing ever bothers me, but I do take notice of a lot of things. I was in the house, [producer] Dizzy Banko was playing me some beats over the phone, and I think I was just like “This is the beat! Send that to me right now!” I went straight into it. I was listening to that and I was like “Don’t play with it, don’t play with it, don’t play with it!”

Was it originally a freestyle?

It was a freestyle. I didn’t have a pen, paper, or my phone. I was walking back and forth in the house, and I was like, “Don’t play with it, don’t play with it” and I just kept going. When I finally got to the studio, I probably switched some things up, and that’s how it came about.

Is that how most of your songwriting process goes — pacing around the house, letting the lyrics come to you?

Yeah, I’ll be at home and listen to a beat, get familiar with the beat, and then I go to the studio. I’ve already created the energy, so when I get to the studio, it’s time to go crazy. It’s like a K.O. moment.

What inspires your lyrics?

I just want to be heard, like, “Hello, I’m here! It’s me, Lola!” I’m so small and I feel like I’m in such a big world. I know they can’t see me, but they’re going to hear me at least.

Do you feel seen now?

I kind of do now. It feels good because it’s not the idea of being seen, it’s to be understood.

It sounds metaphorical. Is there any real-life danger reflected in any of your music?

I’ve been through situations where I felt unsafe. But there was something already embedded in me to figure it out and hold it down when you can’t get to people that most likely will always be there for you. I always say that Black women are the least protected and Black men are the least respected. So we have to have each other.

How much of your music comes from lived experience?

I’ve been around domestic violence, I’ve seen crimes, I’ve seen a lot. But the only thing I love about it is what it taught me and it didn’t fully traumatize me to where I feel disabled. It made me stronger, it made me aware of things. So now I’m always on point.

Having gotten popular recently, do you feel more or less vulnerable?

I feel a little more vulnerable because everything is so crazy. I enjoy being alone, I enjoy having my own space. But I have a lot of brothers and they always have my back. There’s some people out here willing to hurt you just because of the success you’re reaching; they want to reach it too. You have to be aware of everything.

When did rap become a passion for you?

When I saw 50 Cent’s “Wanksta” video, that’s when I fell in love with rap. It was so New York. It was the visuals. I was like, “Wow, I want to do that too.”

Do you think you’re starting to get there now?

Yeah, I’m starting to get there. That’s why I have to pay homage to 50 Cent as much as I can. “Gator Season” is a homage to 50 Cent as well. Even if I didn’t want to tap, I just knew I wanted to be a hip-hop dancer or something dealing with hip-hop–just due to him. He made it feel so fun and free”.

There is one more interview that I want to get to before concluding this feature. In a year where so many incredible artists will change and evolve the scene and add their mark, Lola Brooke is going to be right there in the mix. Gaining success on TikTok with Don’t Play With It, HNHH shone a light on a someone who is among the most eclectic and flexible artists. In the sense Broke can switch sounds and persona pretty easily. It is hard to define her music and whether it is Drill, Rap or something else. She is so fresh and versatile. That means her music is always surprising and nuanced. It never gets boring or predictable – as can be an issue with so many other artists:

“You emerged as a fierce rapper with strong lyricism but you’ve shown a more versatile sound with “On My Mind.” Why is it important to showcase your versatility at this point?

It’s important to showcase it because it’s me. I want the people to know who I am, I want them to know me. Not 100%, of course, because it’s impossible for the world to know me 100%. They don’t hang out with me or know the things that I deal with daily by my side. They just get to see what I go through.

But, I do feel that is very important as an artist to get the people to know who you are so that when they out there defending you – ‘cause your fans, they gonna go out there and make sure you get whatever you need. Whatever you deserve. You need to make sure that when they go out there, they know how to represent you.

So that’s why it’s so important for me to just tap into different genres of music because, at the end of the day, this is really how I feel. And I never want my fans to be confused about something because I don’t do it enough and I don’t want them to feel like I’m just trying things. I’m not just trying it. This is actually who I am.

PHOTO CREDIT: Felicia Abbam

What drives you to be that creatively unapologetic and fearless?

I would say my upbringing. My mom was so very solid and strong and she always told me, “if someone was to tell you something, you go research it. You don’t ever believe it.” Or she’d say, “Don’t ever take no for an answer.”

She would send me out to the store and I would be like, “they said they didn’t have anymore,” and she’d be like, “so why you ain’t tell them to go in the back and see if they have some in stock in the back?” I’d be like, “I don’t know” and she’d be like “don’t ever let no one tell you no unless you know for sure.” So now, when I do my music, it’s like, I don’t care what you think or what you say, because at the end of the day, what I’m saying is accurate because my mom always made sure that I went and researched if it was or not. And even if I am wrong, I’m still human and I make mistakes. So I shouldn’t be so apologetic to everything because we’re here to make mistakes. Before you walk, you gotta crawl.

You come from a place that obviously has such a strong hip-hop history, so I wanted to know for yourself, who are the artists in your area that inspired you?

I could say Kim, Foxy, Jay-Z, Biggie. Top four right there. I mean, it sounds biased I know but that’s what it is really.

For sure. You’ve been described as the new face of New York. I wanted to know, what kind of pressure comes with that title?

There’s no pressure at all because I’m so Brooklyn, that It’s just my demeanor. It’s just in my aura. It’s just in me. I don’t know who else to be but Brooklyn. I don’t know. It’s just so in me to the point where I forget that it’s so much in me. People remind me and are like, “yo, you sound like the most average Brooklyn girl that I could have ever in my life imagined, like, you’re so Brooklyn.” And I’m like “for real?” And then I get home and I’m like, “yeah, for real. I’m Brooklyn, for real.” It’s no pressure, just be yourself. Brooklyn raised me so it’s no pressure. Like I said, even if I make mistakes, I know they gonna have my back because they know I’m fighting for them. So they gonna make sure I correct it on the next go around.

As someone from Brooklyn, how would you differentiate Brooklyn drill compared to music coming from other boroughs of New York?

Ok so… the difference really is the tempo. That might be about it. It might just be the tempo. It’s just that – Brooklyn drill is like a New York swag on UK beats. And then you got Chicago drill, and that’s just Chicago drill. Like, that’s their lane. They have their own little beat selection like you know when it’s Chief Keef. You know when it’s a G Herbo beat. You just know. That’s their thing over there. But with Brooklyn, it’s mixed in with UK. It’s a UK beat with Brooklyn swag. That’s it. And then, the Bronx drill is a different tempo. Now, I should say that. The Bronx has the different tempo. No matter how the beat is, it’s how they cadence is on the beat. [Starts mimicking the Bronx drill flow]. It’s just a different cadence.

Outside of rap music what else would you like to do with your career in the future?

I wanna get into acting. I wanna be an actress, for sure. Like, I wanna be on a movie screen for sure.

I think I heard you discuss that you tried to land a role on Power. Am I far off with that?

No, I was telling them, ‘what’s up? Lemme get an audition or something’ [laughs]. Nah, I never applied or did shit for any part of Power but, if I get the chance to – yes, I will be there. I’m just letting them know like, “Hey look, I’m here. If you need me call me”.

Someone who will continue to put out great music and also appear in acting roles (I am pretty sure), it is going to be an exciting year for Lola Brooke. She is such a phenomenal artist, I can confidently recommend to everyone, knowing full well they will love her music and want to follow her going forward. You might not have heard about her until now or know too much about her, but you sure will do…

SOON enough.

____________

Follow Lola Brooke

 Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lola.brooke/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@lolabrooke5

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/lolabrooke718

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Ggj5XNlIb4Lnbqe307FyB

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA7OkZ7g4QQenRfWZQnsDQg

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LolaBrooke718/

FEATURE: Shine a Light, Back to Black… The Upcoming Amy Winehouse Biopic

FEATURE:

 

 

Shine a Light, Back to Black…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Amy Winehouse in 2006/PHOTO CREDIT: Dean Chalkley

The Upcoming Amy Winehouse Biopic

_________

I think that this year…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Marisa Abela will play the late Amy Winehouse in an upcoming biopic, Back to Black/PHOTO CREDIT: Lia Toby/Getty Images

is one where we will get a fair few music biopics. I have already written about the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, and a possible one that might come relating to Fleetwood Mac. There is a Madonna biopic coming and, whilst no date for that has been announced, the fact she has announced as worldwide tour to celebrate forty years of Holiday and her debut album, maybe it will arrive in the summer. There is a definite appetite to learn more about very important artists. They do not come more important and inspiring than Amy Winehouse. It is tragic to realise that, in October, it will be twenty years since she released her magnificent debut album, Frank. We lost Winehouse in July 2011. So tragic that she will not get to celebrate two decades of a stunning debut album. She also would have turned forty in September. Maybe the new biopic about her, Back to Black, may come out around the time of her fortieth birthday, or the twentieth anniversary of Frank. Many know her best for the 2006 work of genius, Back to Black. Her defining work, this was the anticipated follow-up to Frank. Bolder, more R&B-based and bigger in terms of production and songwriting ambition, Back to Black goes down as one of the all-time great albums! Whilst Winehouse toured and recorded after that album, we never got a third studio album. It is one of music’s great losses. Imagine what a follow-up to Back to Black could have been! I think there was an immense pressure on her.

Award-winning and right in the media gaze, how could Amy Winehouse have a normal life, relax and find inspiration for a third album?! It was an impossible task. Sadly, with the press intrusion into her personal life, she was hounded and scandalised for the remainder of her life. As she suffered from addiction issues, this was almost too good for the tabloid press. Rather than allowing Winehouse alone, there was this obsessive and sick bullying and harassment. Also, with her loyal and loving fans wondering whether there would be another album, there was this impossible weight on her shoulders. Supported by her friends and family, it was still a hugely upsetting and hard time. At the age of twenty-seven, one of Britain’s greatest ever artists died. Camden’s proud daughter, we have not seen anyone like Amy Winehouse since she died – and it is clear that we never will! She has inspired so many other artists and, as we mark some big anniversaries this year, we do get to see her story played out through a biopic. Rather than it being about her decline and struggles with addiction, there is more of a focus on the rise to stardom and the path of a promising young woman to this global phenomenon. NME explains more in their recent feature:

“Footage showing Marisa Abela filming for the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic has emerged online – check it out below.

The Industry actor will play the late singer in Back To Black from director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who is best known for directing the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy and Fifty Shades Of Grey.

Filming on the biopic began on Monday (January 16) in London, with footage being shared on social media.

As reported by Deadline, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville have all been added to the cast. O’Connell is set to play Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who she divorced in 2009 two years prior to her death in July 2011.

Marsan will play her father, Mitch Winehouse, while Manville is set to play her maternal grandmother.

Matt Greenhalgh, who previously collaborated with Taylor-Johnson on Nowhere Boy, has written the script for the biopic. Alison Owen, Debra Hayward and Nicky Kentish-Barnes will serve as producers.

The film, which has the approval of the Amy Winehouse estate, will feature songs by the singer. “We are thrilled that Studiocanal, Focus Features and Monumental are making this movie celebrating our daughter Amy’s extraordinary music legacy and showcasing her talent in the way that it deserves,” read a statement from her estate.

According to a press release, Back To Black will “focus on Amy’s extraordinary genius, creativity and honesty that infused everything she did. A journey that took her from the craziness and colour of 90’s Camden High Street to global adoration – and back again, Back To Black crashes through the looking glass of celebrity to watch this journey from behind the mirror, to see what Amy saw, to feel what she felt.”

Abela is best known for playing Yasmin Kara-Hanani in HBO series Industry. She’s also set to star in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming live-action film adaptation of Barbie, opposite Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

Winehouse’s life was the subject of the 2021 BBC documentary Reclaiming Amy, released to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the singer’s death. Her father Mitch appeared in the film, after he was openly critical of 2015 documentary Amy, directed by Asif Kapadia”.

More details are coming to light in terms of cast and locations, but the proof is going to come when we see the teaser and trailer for Back to Black. It is an important project that has been a long time coming. There have been aborted attempts at an Amy Winehouse biopic but, with the backing of Winehouse’s family, this is going to be fantastic. It might be a shame that there will not be more of her troubles and the way the press hounded her. Maybe there will be, but I think the family want a more positive representation of Winehouse. Focusing more on her raw talent and loving personality, rather than the way she was attacked and made the front page so often. I think that is what lingers in people’s mind. This incredible artist who, when you hear interviews, was so grounded and real. That authenticity came through in the music and how she lived her life. The biopic is going to not only give people a chance to celebrate a once-in-a-generation artist. There is going to be this window into her life and career. People will discover her music for the first time. Although there is a lot on the shoulders of Marisa Abela – in terms of portraying Winehouse right and striking the right tone -, she is an exceptional actor who will do Winehouse’s family proud. I also hope that the biopic will bring renewed interest in her work. Even if she released just two studio albums, there is a lot to discover! Back to Black is going to be a chance for us to say goodbye to Amy Winehouse, but also see her come to life. It is a remarkable likeness between Winehouse and Abela. That extraordinary music will be at the heart of things! Amy Winehouse is no longer with us, but her genius and captivating music…

WILL never fade.

FEATURE: We Just Can’t Stop Loving You? Will the Upcoming Biopic Help Rebuild Michael Jackson’s Legacy?

FEATURE:

 

 

We Just Can’t Stop Loving You?

IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Jackson in 1989/PHOTO CREDIT: DMI/The Picture Collection Inc

Will the Upcoming Biopic Help Rebuild Michael Jackson’s Legacy?

_________

I wrote about this recently…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Michael Jackson in 1992/PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Bergen/Redferns

but, as there were rumours last year a Michael Jackson biopic was planned, it has now been realised – which makes me want to revisit it. It seems that, alongside a possible Madonna biopic this year, another Pop legend will be brought to the big screen. Called Michael, the King of Pop is going to be portrayed for cinema-going audiences. The Guardian reports more about a long-awaited project:

“A long-gestating movie about the life of Michael Jackson is set to start production this year.

The film, called Michael, will be directed by Antoine Fuqua, whose credits include Training Day, The Equalizer and, most recently, slavery thriller Emancipation. The screenplay will come from three-time Oscar nominee John Logan, who wrote the scripts for Gladiator and Skyfall.

Michael will also be made in conjunction with the singer’s estate with co-executors John Branca and John McClain producing alongside Graham King, who has previously been involved with bringing Bohemian Rhapsody to the screen.

“The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music are a deep part of who I am,” said Fuqua in a statement. “For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was influenced to make music videos by watching his work – the first Black artist to play in heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible.”

According to the Hollywood Reporter, studio Lionsgate has claimed the film will address “all aspects of Jackson’s life” and Deadline has stated that it will “deal squarely” with more difficult issues. After the release of HBO’s two-part docuseries Leaving Neverland in 2019, which contained allegations of sexual abuse towards children by Jackson, his estate condemned it as “tabloid character assassination” and insisted his innocence.

Michael follows on from Broadway musical MJ which was a box office hit making over $83m but received mixed reviews. The Guardian’s Adrian Horton called it “mesmerising” yet “ultimately discomforting”.

Queen drama Bohemian Rhapsody was a major hit upon release making $910m worldwide and while Elvis made $287m in 2022, Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody recently struggled with less than $50m since release last month. Upcoming music biopics focused on Amy Winehouse and Leonard Bernstein are set for release later this year”.

Given the fact Jackson’s legacy and names has been blackened in recent years by allegations of child abuse, you do wonder whether the biopic will help rebuild his name – or whether many would argue it is still as strong as ever. There is the box office risk but, as this is Michael Jackson, the fanbase is large and loyal enough to see a huge profit. I wonder how critics will react to it. We do not really know what form Michael will take, and what period of Jackson’s life is focused on. I suspect that, in terms of personal revelation, it is not going to dig too deep. Even though it is said the film will address difficult issues, how far will that go?! One of the criticisms aimed at music biopics is that they whitewash over the truth and there is this sense of watering things down. I know they cannot be too revealing and explicit, but you wonder how many biopics actually get to the heart of the artist. I suspect the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic will not linger too much on her substance abuse issues and how she was hounded by the press. Maybe it will. What I suspect is that it will concentrate on her peerless talent and incredible voice. The same might be true when it comes to Michael Jackson. I doubt there will be much on the way the press inserted their way into his life, or anything around allegations of sexual abuse. I guess the estate has a lot of say in regards what is on the screen and how much is said. It will be a shame if things were all rosy and there was no acknowledgement of the more troubled side of Michael Jackson. It does like there will be some effort to show the darker and more controversial sides of a Pop icon.

Whereas the recent Whitney Houston biopic was a chance to set the record straight and focus less on her troubles and more on her talent, there will be those who want to see some form of balance when it comes to Michael Jackson. With such a varied career (from the Jackson 5 to his solo work), there will be a lot to choose from. At the moment, there are national radio stations who do not play Michael Jackson’s music. Perhaps fearful there will be complaints, I don’t think his reputation will ever be what it was early in his career. Similarly, there will be those who attack Michael because it fails to address certain elements of his life. Whilst I do not think Jackson’s legacy is destroyed, it has definitely been damaged. He has been seen in a new (if not unexpected) light. A film might not be able to rectify that, but it will certainly prove what a musical force he was. Someone who was among the greatest artists ever, Jackson has influenced so many other artists. Last year, Thriller turned forty. A superb album where the King of Pop as near his peak, it is works like this that show what a talent he was. It is good a biopic is being made, but it needs to be handled right. There is going to be something of an effort to see Jackson more as a musical innovator and much-loved artist, rather than someone remembered for the wrong reasons. Exciting for fans of Michael Jackson, Michael will be one of the most discussed biopics of recent years. I wonder whether it will help to slightly reconfigure his legacy. There are plenty of people out there who…

CAN’T stop loving him.

FEATURE: This Is How She Moves: The Wonderful Billie Marten, and the Upcoming Drop Cherries

FEATURE:

 

 

This Is How She Moves

The Wonderful Billie Marten, and the Upcoming Drop Cherries

_________

THIS is going to be a feature…

about an artist who is very important to me. I have written many times how Billie Marten’s debut album, Writing of Blues and Yellows, is one of my favourite ever. Definitely my favourite album of the 2010s (it was released in 2016), the Ripon-born, London-based artist is someone whose music transports you somewhere else. One reason why I loved her debut is that it had that intimacy. It was like you were in her house or garden with her as these songs played. Even if it was intimate, there were grand and sweeping moments that take your breath (Emily and Heavy Weather stand out in that regard). 2019’s Feeding Seahorses by Hand and 2021’s Flora Fauna saw her songwriting evolve slightly. Perhaps her debut was more Folk-based, inspired by a lot of her music heroes. Mainly acoustic guitar-based songs with piano and some percussion, listen to songs like Human Replacement (from Flora Fauna) and there is something bigger and leaning a little towards Pop. At the heart of all Marten’s songs is that incredible voice. If Feeding Seahorses by Hand had more political tones and Flora Fauna expanded the sonic palette, the first single from her new album, Drop Cherries, seems to nod back to Writing of Blues and Yellows. It may just be a red herring in that sense but, as Rough Trade write, there is a stripped-back and personal:

“Billie Marten releases her fourth record Drop Cherries via Fiction Records. Recorded entirely on tape in Somerset and Wales late last summer, Drop Cherries marks the very first time that Billie Marten has both written and co-produced (with Dom Monks) one of her records; following critically-lauded 2021 album Flora Fauna, Feeding Seahorses by Hand (2019) and Writing of Blues and Yellows (2016).

The title is taken from a tale she heard from a friend just before she was starting to create songs for the album, and the title track came soon after. It’s a metaphor where the gift of cherries stands for offering someone your love; doing anything you can to make them happy. “Dropping cherries,” she begins, “is such a strong, visceral image that I tried to channel throughout recording in Somerset and Wales, to capture the vibrancy, unpredictability, and occasional chaos one experiences within a relationship”.

I am not sure whether a lot of the album is influenced by her experiences in relationships and what she has learned and lost, but I think this could be Billie Marten’s most affecting and memorable album. Writing of Blues and Yellows will always hold the most special place in my heart, but Drop Cherries is going to be a remarkable album everyone needs to investigate. I can’t include them all in here, but visit Marten’s YouTube page and see her videos. Like her songs, they have a way of drawing you in. I love the fact that she has found a worldwide audience. America holds a lot of affection for one of the finest songwriters of her generation. Sunlight Magazine spoke with Marten last year after she had embarked on her tour of the U.S. Following the worst of the pandemic, it was this moment when Marten could bring her new songs to a wide audience across some very memorable states and cities:

“What’s your favorite part of live shows?

Usually the 'any requests' line brings a lot of happiness, you get to play songs that maybe aren't in your usual set, and some people go way back with your catalogue, so I enjoy re-playing and re-learning obscure songs on the spot. It brings a lot of interest to a potentially repetitive style of job.

How did you approach writing your latest release, Flora Fauna, vs your earlier albums?

This time around I'd been dropped by my previous label, and wasn't in a very good headspace, so I took up the task of learning a completely new instrument - bass, which really flipped writing around for me. I've by no means perfected bass, but it was a relief to know the painter can sometimes pick up a new brush and something good can come out.

Do you think this change impacted your audience and your performances?

There's a general shift in sound, which is bound to happen on your third album, it can almost be a cry out for stability, to let people know you aren't a one-faceted writer I guess, and it felt great live to be able to make a lot of sound vs me and the acoustic. As uncomfortable as I am with that type of performance, it's still within my musical realm, and I'll always revert back to the core of songwriting, so a departure doesn't seem too dramatic. In terms of audience, I hope it didn't put too many fans off, because I'm usually that fan when an artist changes their direction, but as I said it's not too extreme.

What are your favorite things to write about? What’s your writing process like?

It's very much an automatic, spur of the moment process for me, so mostly it's a time of reflection to pinpoint a section of life down in history, or to clear that nook in your brain that maybe needs a little dusting. Sometimes writing comes from boredom, or from listening, being an open ear to society, always a voyeur, never the other side of the camera, which is where I find the most peace.

Do you have any new releases brewing?

I've just released a cover of Roxy Music's More Than This, which was actually the first thing I trial recorded in my studio last year (to begin the process of another album), so you can listen to that for now.

Who are some musicians that inspire your music?

I'm such an enormous fan of music, which sounds silly to say, but I often meet people that work in the industry that have actually stopped listening, or lose interest in finding new and old music. It's my main hobby and I'm always listening, all hours of the day, which brings a lot of inspiration. For now it's a lot of Mark Koselek's stuff, his album Ghosts of The Great Highway is really something. My support artist for a couple of shows on this tour has been Marina Allen, who I think is glorious. Her song 'Original Goodness' blows me away.

What was it like getting so much attention from your music at such a young age?

Luckily it was left field enough to be able to avoid the immediate mainstream lane of music, but there was quite a lot of pressure put on me then. I remember very clearly once finishing a radio session in London, after one of my first headlines, then putting my school uniform back on, getting the train back home and sitting in a physics lesson pretending nothing had happened. It was certainly an emotionally confusing time when all you're trying to do is discover the world and grow up, but in a way I'm thankful that I got to do that so soon, because without music I'd probably be flailing around at life currently, having not figured out that elusive thing”.

This year, I feel, is going to be one of the biggest for Billie Marten. She has an album coming out in April, there are going to be gigs around the world, and there are also going to be a fair few festivals. As she prepares to release her fourth studio album, she can start to look back on a remarkable career. It is almost seven years since she put Writing of Blues and Yellows into the world, and I knew then that she would be a major name. There are so many years ahead of her, and it will be excited to see what comes. If you have never heard of Billie Marten, I would urge you to check her out and buy her music. I can definitely recommend you pre-order Drop Cherries, as it sounds like it will be a phenomenal and beautiful album. Here is an artist who deserves awards and the chance to play the biggest stages. I can also see her music used on T.V. and film. It has that powerful quality where listeners close their eyes and let the song take them. Her three albums so far show variation in terms of sound and lyrics. I can see more evolution as the years go by but, as I said, it does seem like Drop Cherries will share some D.N.A. with Writing of Blues and Yellows. I wanted to draw people towards Billie Marten’s forthcoming album, but I also wanted to show my praise and affection for her music. I have been spellbound and fascinated by her music even before Writing of Blues and Yellows was released. It has helped me through some difficult times and been a source of strength and comfort. It is the very best music from…

SUCH a stunning artist.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Alex Vaughn

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Alex Vaughn

_________

BACK in October…

I came across The Hurtbook and, with it, the incredible Alex Vaughn. I have instantly fallen for her music! That debut project followed the amazing E.P., Voice Notes (recorded using the voice notes app on her phone). Vaughn honed her skills as a background singer for artists such as Goapele, Cece Peniston, and MuMu Fresh. She released her debut E.P., The 4pm Mix, in 2017, followed by the full-length, Shift, in 2018. Even though she has been on the scene for a few years now, Vaughn is being tipped now as one of the emerging faces and voices of R&B. She has this incredible catalogue behind her already. The Los Angeles-based artist, producer and musician surely has a plan up her sleeve for this year. Such a prolific and passionate artist, she follows a hugely accomplished 2022. I do hope that Vaughn is able to tour the U.K. soon, as there are people over here that would love to see her. I am going to get to a couple of recent interviews with her. First, I want to flip it back to 2017. You Know I Got Soul focused on the emergence of a new generation R&B artist. Someone whose music was already connecting and standing on its own:

“YouKnowIGotSoul: What first got you interested in pursuing a career in music?

Alex Vaughn: I’ve always been into music. When I was a child, I would also crawl to my grandmother’s piano, I would hum when I chewed my food, I was involved in choirs from elementary, middle, and high school where I was classically trained. I think when I was going to college, I was on a full scholarship for classical music, it hit me that I couldn’t really be here putting my energy into classic musical. But more so into being an artist and making music off of the vibrations and how I felt. I think that was the ah ha moment for me.

YouKnowIGotSoul: What do you take forward with you from learning classical music that you use when you create music now?

Alex Vaughn: Breathing techniques, even getting into character when performing, learning the origins of songs. It definitely helped a whole lot.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Tell us about your biggest influences.

Alex Vaughn: They vary. My biggest two are Alicia Keys and Kanye West. Also, it depended on whose car I was riding in. If it was in my mom’s car, I would hear India Arie, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige. My dad’s car, it would be Stevie Wonder, The Whispers, and then Biggie. So it’s like I’m a musical mutt when it comes to influences.

YouKnowIGotSoul: You are a true triple threat as a singer, songwriter and performer. Unfortunately these days r&b artists like that don’t always get the attention they deserve. How do you overcome that as you begin to develop your career?

Alex Vaughn: It doesn’t discourage me. This is just what I love to do. I’m just true to the music and I feel like people just like what’s true. They can tell. If it’s true then it will shine through. I love playing the piano and singing. I will never not be a musician. Even if people didn’t like it. That’s just the type of artist I am.

YouKnowIGotSoul: What’s the overall goal for you? Are you looking to get signed to a major label? Would you like to continue as an independent artist?

Alex Vaughn: I think if the right opportunity presents itself I’d like to be signed to a label.

YouKnowIGotSoul: Anything else you’d like to add?

Alex Vaughn: There’s a lot of music coming. I have a project dropping in November, which is also my birthday month. Be sure to check it out. You can also follow me on all social media platforms at @WhoIsAlexVaughn. I’m on all music streaming services”.

New Wave Magazine spoke to Alex Vaughn when she was promoting The Hurtbook. After such a whirlwind last few years, I don’t think she is going to let up. There is this huge amount of love and support behind her. She is going to be a major name very soon, as she has this peerless talent. It does seem that an album is next on her agenda. I think most of her fans would love to hear that:

“If you’re not sure who Alex Vaughn is by now, then I don't know where you’ve been, the R’n’B powerhouse who has lived and breathed music for as long as she can remember is now being recognised as the new face of R’n’B. The last few years for the singer-songwriter have been a whirlwind from working the Grammy award winning producer Dark Child to performing at the BET Soul Train Awards via their infamous Soul Cypher segment.  ‘As a young child I always had dreams of attending and performing at award shows, so actually being in this space is such a beautiful moment’.

‘Due to my Dad being in the military, I had the brief desire to become a train conductor as a kid, however music is something I’ve always been drawn to, my Grandmother had a piano in her house and I remember journeys to school where my parents would play a lot of soul music in the car’. As she further explored her talent as a singer, Alex would often performed her own renditions of the artists that inspired her, following this the songstress was granted a college scholarship in classical music,  ‘Although I was given this amazing opportunity, Classical music was never a genre of music I was truly passionate about, but for the sake of my parents I did complete the scholarship which pushed me further into focussing on R’n’B’.

Alex cites the likes of Indie Arie, Mary J Blidge, Jill Scott and Stevie Wonder as major influences, however the list doesn’t stop there as Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, Kanye West and Missy Elliott also played a huge part in Alex’s life, ‘They always had soul, but with a funk to it. These artists had cool ways to express their pain, via their lyrics and music videos’. From having strong remnants of the artists who have come before her, Alex Vaughn has gone from being inspired by her idols to collaborating with them on her nostalgic R’n’B infused EP ‘The Hurtbook’. The songstress worked alongside infamous producer Dark Child for the project (Destiny’s Child, Brandy, Monica), ‘Working with Darkchild was such a surreal experience, when creating the track I’m leaving, we were trying to figure out the production for it, so we reached out to him and he was instantly feeling it, I just couldn’t believe it because it was actually one of my older tracks. Once we met we connected straight away, we now have so much music we have worked on together’.

Describing her music as 'Feel good, life music' Alex Vaughn's sound resembles an early 2000’s heartbreak anthem, the latest single taken from The Hurtbook is So Be It, which encapsulates the loss of someone in your life whether a friend or lover it can be hard to let go at times, Alex sums that up perfectly. ‘The Hurtbook was very personal for me, all of those songs were based off true stories and experiences, initially the EP was based on one specific person but as time went on during the pandemic I got to explore a variety of emotions and situations’. Alex Vaughn manages to capture love, loss and heartbreak all in just 8 tracks, at first making music was just a form of expression, but now it’s a needed form of selfcare. ‘I’m inspired by so much, from constantly searching for more knowledge, to the love my fans and close ones show, I could literally see a bird and be inspired by it, the possibilities are truly endless’. Whether it’s a personal topic, a conversation or something Alex has seen she is an individual who often sees the beauty in everything and feels the constant need to be creative. ‘Even if it’s just having a conversation with another songwriter, I can’t go a day without creating something that will further inspire me’”.

I am going to finish off by sourcing from Mixtape Madness. They were stunned by The Hurtbook, and the visuals for So Be It. Observing the way Alex Vaughn blends Classic training and background with this raw talent, she has a sound and electricity that is infectious, intoxicating and hugely moving. This is a supernova of an artist that everybody should get into their life:

“A mark of Alex’s heat levels in the scene, legendary super producers are laced across the project – incl. Rodney Jerkins, Camper and GRAMMY-nominated DJ Money. Vaughn opens the project with, “So Be It”, a powerful ballad that breaks down the emotions surrounding a breakup between friends; “I ignore my intuition once again, all for me to say you’re still my friend,” Vaughn sings. She then follows up with the upbeat, feel-good “Keep That Energy (One More Chance)” sampled from the late Notorious B.I.G., capturing the original’s nostalgia whilst adding her unique touch.

An unquenchable thirst for growth is what’s powered the Maryland singer/songwriter with her release of “Mirage” earlier this Feb – her first release since signing with LVRN/Interscope in 2021. The Hurtbook, seamlessly blends her natural musicianship with the raw expression she’s developed as she’s digged deeper. With her parents enrolling her in classical and jazz piano lessons from a young age, Vaughn’s heart was nevertheless always set on R&B: 2017 saw her begin posting covers to Instagram and Twitter, which led to performances at The Kennedy Center and The Fillmore, as well as opening on national tours for the likes of K. Michelle and Eric Bellinger. During the pandemic, Vaughn joined LVRN’s Instagram Live talent show, catching the label’s attention and the following year they formalized their belief in her.

Now, with The Hurtbook, Vaughn is using her platform to show her fans how far self- belief can go: “My fans will always know that I am a human being, so I’m scared just like you are,” she says. “I’m nervous like you are. I’m excited. I feel what you feel. I’m doing the best that I can with what I got”.

I am completely in awe of Alex Vaughn, and I am going to watch her progress closely this year. Such a wonderful artist who is going to be delivering absolutely remarkable music for decades more, I am buckled and braced to see what Vaughn delivers throughout 2023. Even though I only recently discovered her wonderful music, I am now a dedicated fan…

FOR life.

____________

Spotlight Alex Vaughn

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/alexvaughn/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/alexvaughn

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/24S5IyzXICyGscL4vYshdq

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSthmugd_aOZgZMDhxr9KXg

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/whoisalexvaughn/

FEATURE: Borderlines: Ageism and Misogyny Aimed at Madonna: Why Do Women Always Have to Answer to This Kind of Toxicity?!

FEATURE:

 

 

Borderlines

 PHOTO CREDIT: Vanity Fair/Luigi & Iango

Ageism and Misogyny Aimed at Madonna: Why Do Women Always Have to Answer to This Kind of Toxicity?!

_________

I wish I didn’t have to keep writing about this…

 IMAGE CREDIT: Madonna

because there is no valid excuse or rationale that can justify the tweets in this feed. Madonna recently announced that she is going back on tour. She normally tours after releasing albums and, as the last was in 2019 (Madame X), it has been a while since we have seen her on the road. This year is seeing one especially big anniversary. Her eponymous debut album is forty in July. It is an iconic and remarkable debut from an artist who would soon be the Queen of Pop. This 1983 gem is forty soon, so it is a perfect excuse to take her music around the world. Also, one of Madonna’s best single, Holiday, is forty in September. The demand for tickets for this celebratory tour have predictably sold out in record time! No wonder fans around the globe want a chance to see Madonna play. Of course, there are issues around tickets appearing in the hands of touts and facing this incredible mark-up. There are V.I.P. tickets going for a lot, but a lot of regular-priced tickets have been bought and on auction sites and elsewhere for extortionate amounts! By and large, there is this anticipation and excitement around a Pop icon hitting the road. Madonna is excited for people to join the party and celebrate. I think, to clear the decks and focus on posting about the tour, her Instagram feed has been cleared of photos from prior to the announcement.

I can’t put into words what Madonna means to me and so many others! Someone who opened the doors of Pop music and created some of my favourite music ever, you would hope that someone of her importance and stature should receive nothing but love and respect. Sure, she has said some misjudged things in the past. Apart from that, there has not been a lot to judge her for. She is human and, because of that, of course she will make mistakes! Largely, there is someone who is very real and herself. This big world tour announcement should get all positive vibes?! As you can tell from the tweet replies to that BBC article, there is a shocking amount of hatred, misogyny, sexism, ageism and downright toxicity and abuse! Sadly, it is not surprising that I am publishing the second feature in a very short amount of time reacting to the ageism and misogyny aimed at Madonna. Closer to the anniversaries and tour, I am going to go into depth about her material, legacy and importance. In August, the great Madonna celebrates her sixty-fifth birthday. It will be a wonderful reason to salute her and look back on all the years she has given us the greatest Pop music. Maybe it is not my fight to fight, but I am always disgusted that women have to face ageism. Everyone from Piers Morgan to The Times have said similar things. Madonna is merely sixty-four. She is a vibrant, beautiful and phenomenal woman who is not old or in an enfeebled state!

The word ‘embarrass’ come out a lot. Piers Morgan described Madonna as a hot mess. A term for someone that is a bit of state and is out of sorts. This image, perhaps cultivated from her Instagram feed, is of someone who is not growing old gracefully. Two points. For a start, Madonna can do what she wants! This idea that she has to be all prim, proper and age-appropriate (whatever that means!). Yes, she has posted some provocative images. Some have maybe been a little too explicit, but this is someone who does not have to explain herself and is showing that a woman in her sixties can be confident, vibrant, sexy and not have to live to any ideals, expectations from society. As much as anything, why do women like Madonna have to be modest and not show their bodies?! Almost like the Virgin Madonna, why does the Pop icon have to deal with abuse and people attacking her?! Many say she should act her age. Why do women in their sixties need to act a certain way?! Why are only young women allowed to be provacative, bold, inspiring, revealing, brave and sexy?! If she is seen as eccentric at times and a little bit wild, then that is her business! It is disgusting that, if any women of a ‘certain age’ – sorry to use that term, but I mean over forty I guess – is provocative and risqué, then they are seen as embarrassing or tragic. Men do not have to answer this abuse or have these same judgments aimed at them! Also, why do people think that a woman in her sixties is unable to handle an ambitious tour?

This assumption she will fall over, get tired, hurt herself or, as I suspect, people think she will look ridiculous trying to recapture the past. Madonna is not using The Celebration Tour to replicate her Blond Ambition World Tour of 1990 or be who she was. I doubt the tour will see the same sort of sets and costumes as she wore in the 1980s, 1990s and even the early-2000s. I am sure, for certain numbers, there are going to be some provocative and sexy outfits. A lot of the abuse and ageism comes when people imagine Madonna, at sixty-four, on stage in a skimpy outfit or trying to be sexy. She is still sexy, and it is empowering and inspiring if she does do what she was doing in her twenties and thirties in her sixties. I am going to round up in a bit, in the coming days, Madonna will make history by appearing on the cover of three different editions of Vanity Fair. This article gives a preview of what Madonna is talking about.

“Madonna is used to making history, but in a first, the singer adorns the cover of three different editions of Vanity Fair in Italy, Spain and France this month in the kick-off to the new annual “Icon Issue” project celebrating legends who “contribute[s] to shape the modern culture.”

The massive project includes a sprawling portfolio of pictures created by photographers Luigi & Iango that expresses the “values Madonna has defended throughout her artistic path and iconography,” beginning with a provocative cover image of the singer as a weeping Virgin Mary, complete with a sword-pierced heart on the outside of her chest and another in which she plays a Jesus at an all-female Last Supper.

In a preview, the magazine said the two-day shoot for the piece involved more than 80 collaborators, noting that it will also spin off a future exhibition, a short movie and an urban art performance. In keeping with her haute history, Madonna was dressed for the shoot in designs by John Galliano for Maison Margiela, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier and others under the direction of her regular collaborator, Swedish stylist B. Åkerlund.

IMAGE CREDIT: Vanity Fair/Luigi & Iango

In an exclusive interview for the piece, Madonna talks about feminism, sexuality, religion and diversity, with a focus on her career-long battle against the patriarchy and the price she’s had to pay for sticking to her guns over the past four decades in the public eye.

The day after announcing the dates for her upcoming 40th anniversary “Celebration Tour,” the singer discusses her return to the stage and the plans for her long in-the-works biopic. “I’m about to create another show, and I’ve been working for several years on the screenplay about my life,” the singer told the magazine. “This is a good time for me — I’m gathering ideas, getting inspired, hanging out with creative people, watching films, seeing art, listening to music.”

The 35-city Live Nation-produced tour will kick off in North America on July 15 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC and hit Detroit, Chicago, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas and San Francisco before wrapping up in Las Vegas on Oct. 7. The outing will then move on to Europe, starting with a date in London at the O2 Arena on Oct. 14 and winding down in Amsterdam on Dec. 1 at the Ziggo Dome. No release date or title has been announced so far for the biopic”.

Madonna always fights back and stands up to ageism and misogyny. She shouldn’t have to! For years, she has discussed ageist attitudes and being sidelined by some radio stations. It seems, even when she was in her forties, she was not being as played widely. Maybe this expectation that women in music are only vital, relevant and appealing/commercial when they are in their teens, twenties and thirties. Men do not have these problems. Although there is some mocking of bands like The Rolling Stones touring in old age, it is normally around the fact that they keep saying their stop. Maybe some jibe about their frailty. As they have shown, they are still more than capable of bossing the stage! There is never the same sort of vile and disrespectful wave of comments that the likes of Madonna have to face. So many other women have to face ageist remarks. I would recommend people reading this 2015 article, this 2020 read, in addition to this 2021 feature. The latter mentions Madonna, but it also talks about Christina Aguilera, and how she was seen as too old to talk about sex at her age (she wasn’t even thirty when that 2010 album came out). I know there is ageism against younger artists but for women, when they pass forty (or even thirty), they are given fewer opportunities and less respect. Labels still market women sexually, so they have this short shelf life for their artists. It is a disgrace that we shouldn’t have to talk about in 2023!

Artists such as Kylie Minogue and Sheryl Crow have discussed their experiences with ageism and how they are seen as too old. Madonna seems to face an endless barrage of sexist, ageist and misogynistic people and their stupid and insulting opinions. I hope that things change very soon. It is hard for women to get as much acceptance and acclaim as male artists. In terms of opportunities, there are fewer when it comes to labels, festivals and radioplay. Many labels do not know how to market women so, even though it is tough enough breaking through, finding out they will be insulted and seen as irrelevant after a short time is shocking! It will discourage women from coming into music- and it sets a horrible example to the young generation. That idea that an older male musician is cool and can act a bit disgracefully. That seems fashionable and acceptable. If someone like Madonna merely does her job or, God forbid, posts a photo of her in lingerie (or less), then she is subjected to the most abusive and callous things you have heard! She is taking her tour on the road very soon. A celebration of four decades of great music, at least the fans who are there will show her the love and appreciation she deserves! I hope that attitudes change, but I fear this same conversation will keep coming up every year. From Borderline and Material Girl to Holiday, through to Like a Prayer, Vogue, Music and far beyond, the Queen of Pop has changed music and inspired millions. She shouldn’t have to face ageism and misogyny from everyone – even if she is someone who will always strike back. Ageism is a very real and evident discrimination that…

NO woman should face.

FEATURE: Second Spin: Nina Persson – Animal Heart

FEATURE:

 

 

Second Spin

Nina Persson – Animal Heart

_________

THERE are a few reasons…

why I want to feature the brilliant Nina Persson. Aside from her being a legend, she has featured alongside James Yorkston, and The Second Hand Orchestra on the beautiful new album, The Great White Sea Eagle. Her voice is so gorgeous and full of expression and passion. I have never heard Persson sing like this before. Such a rich and soulful vocal, the album is more Folk-based than anything she has done before. Persson has always had an amazing voice, but I think this album brings out layers and textures that were undiscovered until now. I also wanted to feature Persson, because I have been thinking about her band, The Cardigans. The Swedish group were one of my favourites growing up, and one of their best albums, Gran Turismo, was released in 1998. It turns twenty-five in October. 2005’s Super Extra Gravity is their latest album, and I am not sure whether they will record together again. That would be a shame if true, as she is such a captivating lead. What would be more tragic if Nina Persson did not release a second solo album. Her only to date, Animal Heart, was released on 29th January, 2014. Ahead of its ninth anniversary, I wanted to spin it in a new light. I would recommend this interview, where Persson spoke about creating Animal Heart. Not all reviews were positive, and I think it deserves a lot better than it was afforded. With songs written by Eric D. Johnson, Nathan Larson and Nina Persson, Animal Heart has plenty to love about it!

Maybe there was expectation that Persson’s solo album would resemble early Cardigans or something like that. Stepping out on her own, what we have is an often dazzling solo album with many highlights. I will bring in a couple of positive reviews before I wrap things up. I guess there was an inevitability that Nina Persson would record a solo album after such a gap following The Cardigans’ final (?) album. This is what AllMusic observed in their review:

“On Animal Heart, Nina Persson does everything an artist with a career as lengthy and varied as hers could, and should, do on a solo debut album. Arriving five years after the last A Camp album and nine years after the last Cardigans album, these songs blend the countrified reflection of her former project and the sparkling pop of the latter, presenting it all with a much more overtly personal outlook than Persson has ever presented before. That her voice has an endearingly weathered quality here, with a rasp and vibrato that humanize the almost too-perfectly crystalline tone she had in the '90s and 2000s, only adds to Animal Heart's confessional bent and gives much-needed grit to vulnerable yet strong songs like "Catch Me Crying" and "Burning Bridges for Fuel." However, she saves the traditional singer/songwriter piano balladry for last, closing the album with the beautifully intimate "This Is Heavy Metal," where she muses, "Still a little shaken/From pieces that were taken/I wonder if they ever were mine." Instead, she ponders the fine line between domestic bliss and claustrophobia on the deceptively mellow "Dreaming of Houses" and "Clip Your Wings," and delivers emotionally ambivalent electro-pop on the title track and "Food for the Beast," one of the most urgent-sounding songs Persson has recorded with any of her projects. Sometimes the mood threatens to become a little too navel-gazing, but Persson's light touch -- exemplified by the charming meditation on loss "Forgot to Tell You" and "The Grand Destruction Game," a playfully philosophical look at a long list of star-crossed love affairs -- ultimately makes these songs winning. Neither a denial nor a rehash of Persson's past, Animal Heart is a welcome reflection of her changing life and art”.

When it came to mixed reviews, some said the songs are samey and take no risks. Maybe too accessible and predictable. For such a major and clear talent, maybe there was a feeling that more could have come from Animal Heart. Perhaps it is too wistful and slight so that it does not linger in the mind. This is what Pitchfork wrote in their review:

“Even discounting Nina Persson’s scattered covers and one-offs, the Cardigans’ move toward singer-songwriterly maturity on Long Gone Before Daylight was a solo effort in spirit if not in personnel. And Persson’s two albums as A Camp—the first with the late Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse and the second with husband Nathan Larson—were solo in everything but the name. While the Cardigans were never all about Persson, she was the major draw; she got pegged as a heroine of coldhearted warm pop: summery melodies whose sun rays just might skewer anyone who basks. She's won countless devotees, from the wordy-sweet Swedish indie acts for whom the Cardigans are canon to those who knew the band from soft-rock radio and Romeo + Juliet. Entire swaths of music are cut from Persson’s cloth; she is a known quantity.

For better or worse, this lets Persson get away with an album like Animal Heart, one that isn’t much of a statement. She has so many strengths to coast on. Her voice still frays so beguilingly well at the end of a phrase. She still has a way with production filigrees, with letting a bridge dissolve into dreamy guitar licks or tucking a watch-this sparkle beneath a verse and then a cruel barb beneath the line. And she still knows how to write a great chorus. The title track here stands among her best, a gorgeous continuous springtime melt of an indie-pop song with a subtle, urgent energy. It’s the most straightforward pleasure on an album more concerned with Persson’s tricksy songwriting. “Catch Me Crying” is like a torch song illuminated by firefly lights and surprisingly busy: over-keeled melodies, over-anxious percussion and synths, over-ragged vocals, and far too much repetition for “you’ll never catch me crying for you—again” to read as anything but ironic. “Forgot to Tell You” is the same tack from the opposite approach: a Sunday kind of breakup song, pleasant like an afternoon on the porch; everything’s so nice-nice, you hardly notice she’s shrugged the poor guy off with “so I might just forget about you now” then slunk away with a smile”.

I do think that Persson should record another solo album. Maybe more similar to what she has released with James Yorkston, I think she could come back with a triumphant album that is more acclaimed that her first (though, technically, I guess it is not her debut solo album). Many missed the brilliance that does come from Animal Heart. Whilst some songs do sound similar, and there is a bit of an issue with tracks being sequenced in the wrong order, it is a consistent listen that showcased Persson’s very obvious vocal and songwriting strengths. This is what Goldmine said about the brilliant Animal Heart:

“Featuring Persson’s smooth-as-silk vocals front and center at the top of the mix, Animal Heart is a tour de force that concentrates on relationships both good and bad. It’s a very personal album but also highly accessible. It’s not power-pop oriented, like a lot of The Cardigans’ best songs are. Animal Heart is a bit of a grower, and it might take more than one listen for the album to get under your skin. But when it does, it stays there.

Persson wrote the album with her husband Nathan Larson (her partner in the side project A Camp) and Eric D. Johnson of The Shins. (Joan Wasser collaborated on the track “Food For The Beast.”)

Kicking off with the title track, the album gets off to a rousing start. “Animal Heart,” the album’s first single, is a fantastic keyboard-and-bass-driven track that features Persson’s vocals prominently. It is a very visual song that paints a vivid picture of a relationship, of looking for a place where she and her partner can be happy.

All of the tracks on the album seem to be very well thought out. There isn’t one track on the album that can be considered filler. “Burning Bridges For Fuel” is a beautiful, evocative song that seems to float along. “Dreaming Of Houses” features Persson going over the end of a relationship and trying to make sense of where it went wrong. In “Clip Your Wings,” Persson tells her partner “You can go if you want to go” while also saying that she’s not looking to crush his ambition just that she wants more of a say in their future plans. On the terrific “Food For The Beast,” Persson mulls over an on-and-off relationship to a dance beat. “Forgot To Tell You” is an ethereal song about being unhappy in a relationship and deciding to leave. “Catch Me Crying” deals with being let down repeatedly and coming to the realization that your partner is not suited for you. “Silver” is an upbeat song about picking your partner up when they are down.

The album concludes with the stunning track “This Is Heavy Metal,” a spare and beautiful song that features piano and Persson’s perfect vocals.

With Animal Heart, Persson has managed to carve out an identity that is distinct and different from her persona as the lead vocalist of The Cardigans. The album overall is about a journey of self-discovery. And one of the things that the listener discovers along the way is that Persson is a massive talent as a solo act. I look forward to hearing her future solo endeavors”.

I am a massive fan of Nina Persson, and I think that people should spend some quality time with Animal Heart. I think we will hear more music from Persson, but what form that takes is anyone’s guess. Maybe the ship has sailed on The Cardigans, but perhaps there will be anniversary gigs or special releases. What I do know is that there is a demand for more solo material from the Swedish goddess. Let’s hope that this is fulfilled…

THIS year.  

FEATURE: The Digital Mixtape: The Great Nicola Benedetti

FEATURE:

 

 

The Digital Mixtape

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Gotts 

The Great Nicola Benedetti

_________

WHAT I wanted to do…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Craig Gibson for the Evening Standard

for this Digital Mixtape is to compile music featuring the brilliant Nicola Benedetti. I have not featured her on my blog before, and that is an oversight on my part. A Classical innovator and phenomenal violinist, she is someone who is doubtless inspiring other musicians, particularly young women and girls. I think, like artists such as Anna Calvi and Thom Yorke, Benedetti could score a soundtrack to a tense psychological drama or horror. Maybe something more romantic. She would excel leading an orchestra or composing just for violin. It is exciting to see where else she can go in her career. I am going to end with some recordings featuring the huge talent of Nicola Benedetti. Prior to that, AllMusic provide some background for one of the greatest Classical musicians of her generation:

“Violinist Nicola Benedetti followed in a line of British Isles teenagers hailed as revitalizers of classical music. In advance of making any recordings whatsoever, she was signed to a six-album contract by the Universal label in 2005 and assigned to its prestigious Deutsche Grammophon imprint, with a paycheck reportedly in excess of one million pounds.

Born July 20, 1987, in West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland, Benedetti was the daughter of a prosperous manufacturer of plastic cases for first-aid kits. At four, she tagged along with her eight-years-older sister Stephanie to a violin lesson and then took up the instrument herself (Stephanie has been active as an orchestral musician). Nicola attended the Yehudi Menuhin School. She gave performances at several top British concert halls, later moving to London to study with violinist Maciej Rakowski. When Benedetti was 14, she won a Prodigy of the Year contest on England's Carlton Television network. A hint of her potential crossover appeal came when she drew a crowd of 10,000 at the rock-oriented Glastonbury Festival's "Classical Extravaganza" in the summer of 2003. However, she told London's Independent newspaper that "I have not ruled out different types of music, but I was trained as a classical musician. I don't want to compromise what I do and what I love." At another stratum of British journalism, she told the Mirror that "I'm not really into clubbing and I've never smoked or drunk much -- and I won't wear anything tarty".

Benedetti took a big step toward mainstream classical stardom when she won the BBC's Young Musician of the Year award in 2004, performing Szymanowski's virtuoso concerto and becoming the first Scot to take home the prize. The Times of London noted that her youthful passion in performance is balanced offstage by a healthy streak of that quintessential Scottish trait -- prudence." This led her to eventually slow down her performance schedule so that she could further her musical studies. By the following decade, Benedetti’s schedule was as full as ever, taking in a 2010 debut at the BBC Proms, chamber music recitals with her trio (Leonard Elschenbroich, cello; Alexei Grynyuk, piano), chamber and concerto performances in North America and Europe, and visits to schools in the United Kingdom to encourage new talent. Released to coincide with a trio of performances at the 2012 BBC Proms, The Silver Violin -- a collection of music made famous in films -- consolidated Benedetti’s position as one of the most popular British violinists of her generation. She moved to the Decca label in 2011 for the album Italia, in which she ventured into Baroque music, but mostly she has played standard Romantic repertory. Another new facet of her skills was revealed in 2019 when she recorded the Violin Concerto and Fiddle Dance Suite of jazz composer Wynton Marsalis, for which she won a 2020 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

In 2017, Benedetti received the Queen's Medal for Music, becoming the youngest honoree up to that time, and in 2019 she was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire”.

To celebrate and highlight the spectacular talent of Nicola Benedetti, I have selected some recordings for this Digital Mixtape. I would urge people to fully explore her recordings and check out as many interviews as you can. A hugely inspiring musician, she is most certainly one of the pioneers of the Classical world. That becomes apparent when you hear her beautiful, emotional and phenomenally skilled…

PERFORMANCES below.

FEATURE: Spotlight: flowerovlove

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Morgan Eve Russell for METAL 

flowerovlove

_________

THIS sensational artist from London…

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Pentel for DIY 

(with heritage in Côté d'Ivoire) is one of the most impressive I have heard in years! Still in her teens, flowerovlove (Joyce Cisse) is already one of this country’s most promising and fascinating artists. Her E.P., A Mosh Pit in the Clouds, was released in November. It is a phenomenal work that you really do need to listen to. I want to get to some interviews with the amazing flowerovlove. This interview is from 2021. It was published around the time of the release of the E.P., Think Flower. It was fascinating reading when flowerovlove (Cisse) first discovered music:

“AMS: Congratulations on finishing! What’s your earliest memory of making music?

JC: It was probably songwriting, I remember – well I still have it – but there’s this book that I think my aunt gave to me as she has lots of spare notebooks from where she works in an office. I would open it randomly and start writing totally spontaneous thoughts. Oh actually, I remember there was this one song I wrote when I was about 10 and I would practice it in the garden and the chorus was literally me screaming the entire time. These songs were never completed but it was what first drew me into written words.

Ever since I was like six, I've always said the classic “I wouldn't be a popstar” line because at that age it’s still something of a pipe dream. But as I grew up I realised I was serious about that. When it comes to careers, schools only tend to focus on a singular academic route. Yet nothing else comes to my mind that would make me happy and make me continue to be happy apart from making music. I’m really just following my heart.

AMS: If somebody couldn’t hear your songs, how would you describe them?

JC: I would say Flowerovlove-y. It’s just me! The message I want to convey is just to love yourself, that you are powerful and you are the one capable to do that.

AMS: Where did your stage name actually come from?

JC: Well, it's not something that came about as a username, even though I’m known for it on Instagram. Rather, it meant something on a sentimental level for a long time; the idea actually started off as “flower garden” around 2005 but I just decided that, no, it wasn’t hitting for me. As I started to gain friends on social media, mainly around last year, it just felt right to change it back. But it had a more direct meaning this time: flower represents women and growth as people together, and then the love part – that represents giving love to everyone.

AMS: I can tell you have poured this passion into your latest EP Think Flower. Do you have a favourite song on there?

JC: I would say it’s definitely Dancing in the Rain because its whole process, the making of it, was super fun. It actually started from this jokey melody from another track [proceeds to sing] and then I wrote on my phone these lyrics that arose in my head: it’s me and the rain, kiss me in the rain. I thought it was all too high-pitched but my brother told me – no, this is actually FIRE. To the point where it could be another song entirely. So that same night he made me a beat, and then I just redesigned it a little, so it’s not about kissing in the rain anymore, because dancing is way more me.

AMS: From rain to flowers, nature is a running theme through your work. Why do you gravitate towards this?

JC: I'm absolutely obsessed with nature! To me, being outside is so amazing, there’s just something about it that is wonderfully freeing. Outside I can make my own rules to make my day so much better amongst trees and plants and the air. I also meditate and do yoga so that’s where it comes in – I was there before it gained mainstream traction.

AMS: So is the outside world your happy place when writing?

JC: Strangely enough the only song that's been written outside, that’s released, is On My Way. You’ll never have guessed – I was literally on my way to somewhere, it’s as simple as that [laughs] but yeah songwriting is more a bedroom thing for me I’d say. Come to think of it, I journal outside sometimes.

AMS: I’m giving you power to change the world, but you only have a minute to decide. What are you doing?

JC: First and foremost, world peace – in every single place, it’s something I strongly advocate for. And for everyone to feel love; both loving themselves and having someone or something to love. Oh and I’d also cancel winter, it’s so miserable and cold! I would make all trees permanently evergreen too.

AMS: Finally, what’s next for Flowerovlove?

JC: Being a worldwide popstar! Global domination! But I would still like to leave the house by myself. I love my fans, and the fact these people take precious time out of their day to support me, I can’t wait to get on the stage this year”.

Last year, aged sixteen, flowerovlove was interviewed by The Line of Best Fit. The South London-born artist makes music that has the haze and pull of nostalgia. That said, there is this self-belief and personal touch that makes her songs so incredible powerful and enduring. I am relatively fresh to her music, but I have been so engrossed by it and everything about her. I know that this year is going to be a truly massive one for flowerovlove:

“Cisse is drawn to music that evokes nostalgia. She likes to spend time alone, closing her eyes and letting vignettes of years gone by pass before her: water fights, running around fields with her brother; pitching a tent with her friends to camp out in the garden; the particular smell of her mother’s homemade Ivorian dishes that bring back memories of being gathered around the table with her family. “Those moments are so cool because I didn’t have as much as what I have now. Nostalgia is my favourite feeling in the world, and I want to create that feeling for other people,” she tells me.

I raise the idea that nostalgia might seem sweet, at first, but always leaves something bitter to taste. “I hear that,” she nods, “because there’s always something missing. But it’s not that I’m missing it as much as I’m still enjoying it. I do think it’s bittersweet, and can sometimes feel empty, but it’s a good feeling. It’s delicious.

It's a sentiment that Cisse echoes when she contemplates the incredible creative success she has found as an artist and model when all she should’ve been concerned about was sitting her GCSE exams. “Well, it’s like, when you’re not somewhere, you want to be somewhere else,” she shrugs.

She does admit, however, that it’s quite strange, blurring the lines between youth and the lack of responsibility it affords, while already being tethered to the expectations that accompany an already-thriving career. “Imagine walking into school, and people are like, ‘I don’t expect someone like you to be here because you already have your whole life together’”. She quips, “I’m just like, ‘I’m only here because I legally have to.’ But I do enjoy school, as well. It’s a bit of a weird dynamic, because you’re supposed to have this childhood, but then you’re also already doing what you’re supposed to be here learning how to do. You’re meant to learn how to get a job, but I already have that. I’m already doing what I want to do, so it’s almost like I’m in the past and the future, two alternate universes.

Does she feel that she’s growing up too fast, hurtling towards adulthood at an almost whiplash-inducing speed? “Sometimes, I feel like a 30-year-old woman,” Cisse admits. “I need to have everything figured out. But then when I’m around people my own age, I know that’s still a part of me, too, and I can still do whatever I want. I tend to be around people who are way older than me, but I realised no one actually knows what they’re doing in the creative industries. Everyone’s still figuring it out, making it seem like they know what they’re doing. That’s actually how it works, to be honest.”

More than the music, Cisse learned to love herself by simply spending time alone. “When you’re with people, you always feel a certain pressure. When I’m by myself, I only have to worry about whether I’m having a good time. I don’t need to think about anyone else. Through quarantine, I started to realise, ‘Wow, I’m actually so cool’. I loved it, like wow…” she shares. “It takes a while, but you have to fake it ‘til you make it. No one else can make you happy because people don’t make you happy – you make yourself happy. You can’t rely on people for your own enjoyment or your happiness. That’s down to you”.

METAL highlighted an amazing artist who is inspired a lot by older sounds. I think her heart lies in the ‘80s but, when you think of her ideals (nature, spreading love etc.), they might be rooted in the ‘60s. The amazing flowerovlove champions self-love and womanhood through her songs. This is someone that we need to embrace and encourage as much as possible to ensure that she has a very long and productive career. I think that flowerovlove is among the finest young artists the country has produced in many years. International acclaim cannot be too far away you imagine:

“Is it true that you only work with women and have an all women team? It must feel so rewarding to raise up other female creators and producers with similar mindsets to yourself through your work!

To an extent as much as I can I’ll have as many women as possible!

How does it feel to be releasing music at the age of 16?

It feels really good to be able to live my dreams.

Who is the ideal audience for your mellow music that promotes growth and reflection?

Gen- z! My peeps.

 

Your first EP Think Flower was cited as a mix of hazy psychedelic soul, and featured the track Malibu, which was one of your first big successes. This song has more of a lo-fi trap or rap influence than the rest of your music – what inspired this? Is it a reflection of your roots writing music for yourself as a child being rap?

I’ll forever and always have a love for rap. An indescribable one. I grew up in areas of London you’d usually avoid!

While we’re talking about school, I saw you express in a previous interview your views that the academic system only promotes one route to success, and usually this isn’t leaving school to become a full-time musician. You have really seemed to find your passion and your place through music, however! Do you think you’ll continue with schooling or take the leap to music full-time?

I’ll continue with school for a while because I still want a glimpse of childhood.

You released your music video for Will We Ever Get This Right today and it is the perfect sequel to the vibes of I Love This Song, dipping into dream pop, meandering through London. What is this upcoming song about?

Oh well this one is different it’s about being obsessed with a person but just the idea of them so they live in your daydreams”.

I am going to move on to an interview from gal-dem. Among those very eager to know more about this future icon, it is amazing to think that they were speaking with someone who was poised for world domination…though she had to finish school first! I can imagine Joyce Cisse will want to take up some further education, though her music as flowerovlove is taking off so much, it might be a difficult choice! With her fanbase exploding and all this attention coming her way, maybe she will want to concentrate music. I have selected a couple of sections from this interview. One portion relates to online trolls and how she deals with them:

“Like many of her Gen Z peers, she’s active on Instagram and TikTok, but she’s resilient to trolls, “I get hate comments but I find it funny,” she shrugs. “I am really secure in myself to know that it’s not personal.” I point out the love she receives on her platforms far outweighs the hate. “Oh yeah, 100%, that’s why [the hate] doesn’t mean anything.”

She’s not one to dwell on the negatives. Late summer single ‘Get With You’ is about “getting with your higher self”, a two-minute fuzzy, heartwarming ride centred around a simple chorus: hey hi, I think I really like you, hey hi, it would be really nice to get with you. The video follows Cisse travelling from London to LA to pursue her dreams. In a promo statement, she said: “The ‘Get With You’ visual is a metaphor for…chasing after the person you want to be, your dreams and your goals.”

Most of her songs embrace positivity and hope – an energy she brings to her live shows, too. At London’s Kentish Town Forum, she signs love hearts to the audience between songs, hands out posters, brings a teenage fan on stage and gets the crowd to shower them with compliments. It’s a refreshing counterweight to the toxic mess of the world we live in, and I ask her how she manages to stay so upbeat.

“That’s a great question, but I’d say it’s genuinely from making the choice to,” she replies. “I always wanna feel good, so I always make the choice to surround myself with as much love and positivity as possible. If I’m not in the space where I’m getting that I will remove myself.”

flowerovlove will now slow down as Cisse goes back to school, but she confides she will skip class “just for the important days”. She doesn’t know exactly how the rest of the school year will go – “I’ll have to figure it out when I go back.” A new single ‘I Gotta I Gotta’, is coming out this week, and some more tour dates are scheduled throughout autumn. Either way, Cisse’s been repeatedly touted as the next global superstar, and it’s a title she’s ready to assume”.

There is one more interview that I want to come to. DIY. They have their Class of 2023. These are the artists they think will be the ones to watch this year. Unsurprisingly, flowerovlove is among those they have inducted. I think that she is someone that is impossible to dislike or ignore. Her music welcomes everyone in. Such an intoxicating and magnificent sound, there is every reason to suggest she will be making music for decades to come. I feel she was born to have this very long and huge career. The future is looking for very bright for her:

“Her early singles embraced that easy, breezy, summer-ready feeling - emboldened by the flower imagery that she’d adopted in her artist name. By the time debut EP ‘Think Flower’ arrived last year, she’d carved out a path soaked with nostalgia-laced, woozy pop gems, and this year’s follow-up ‘A Mosh Pit In The Clouds’ saw her further build on that vibe, creating a refreshing and warm project that feels both timeless and wonderfully modern. “I just make music for how I feel at the time,” she explains. “As long as it makes sense, your music doesn’t have to sound completely different because I don’t like that, it just feels forced. But it can sound like you in so many ways, and my music sounds like me.”

While many of us likely had no clue who we were at 17, Joyce is certain of her identity and armed with the creative vision to prove it (“I’m not going to change who I am,” she states on recent track ‘All The Same’). Carrying herself with the kind of confidence that many spend years cultivating, her young age has obviously been a talking point for many, but it doesn’t bother her. “I think it does help me remember that I’m young, because I do feel like I’m 30 sometimes,” she explains. “I think I’ve always felt a little bit older mentally. I feel like I’m 20 years more mature than a regular 17 year old.”

Yet, youth still oozes into her music. Adolescent crushes manifest in this year’s pure-pop single ‘Will We Ever Get This Right’, while ‘Out For The Weekend’ is an ode to getting dressed up with your best pals. ‘Hannah Montana’, meanwhile, sees Joyce pay tribute to the titular teen icon. Even outside of her music, she’s hooked into the digital world, filming TikToks of her airdropping tracks to fans or promising people in Trafalgar Square that she’ll give them £10 to pre-save her music.

“When I was younger, I always pictured it like you had to be signed to release music, and if you were signed you were definitely going to be famous,” she says. “Now, it’s actually a lot more work. There’s more stages to it, and a lot of it you do yourself. You have to be on it! If more people are online, YOU have to be online.

It could wind up a tricky situation to navigate, especially for someone still growing up, but Joyce’s 30-year-old inner voice has made sure that she balances her online and private life. “I don’t like people to know too much about me,” she explains. “I have boundaries about what I show people. You catch my personality, but you don’t know anything about me. But, if you want to be a global superstar, people are going to find out stuff, so I’ve just gotta get ready.

“For me, it’s about the people,” she continues. “My goal is always to reach people, and numbers on a screen are always numbers on a screen, but when people recognise you in real life, it feels real”.

I shall wrap up now. The wonderful flowerovlove is a very bright and brilliant artist that has been in the industry for a couple of years or so, but she has made such big strides already! If you need a lift at the moment, I can thoroughly recommend the music of flowerovlove. She is creating sounds that, instantly, lodger themselves…

IN your heart.

____________

Spotlight flowerovlove

PHOTO CREDIT: Morgann Eve Russell for CHECK-OUT 

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/flowerovlove/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/flowerovlove

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1JspXUvEv3D9ddMeLNqYWj

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBc4_7tN6xY4S6Zj9JW0OCg

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/people/Flowerovlove/100083157370956/

FEATURE: In the Month of My Birth… Kate Bush, May 1983

FEATURE:

 

 

In the Month of My Birth…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush shot in 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Griffin 

Kate Bush, May 1983

_________

I have written about Kate Bush…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in the studio, October 1983/PHOTO CREDIT: Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix

quite a bit the last year or so. It is something that drives me - and I am never short of ideas. I am going to revisit a period of her life that I covered last year. The year 1983 is a really interesting one in Bush history. 1982 saw the release of her fourth studio album, The Dreaming. By all measures, it was a recording process that exhausted her! The first time solo producing, maybe she had something to prove to EMI and herself. The extraordinary hours and effort she put into the album shows in the songs. Dense with layers and different sounds, the production is remarkable. It was Bush’s least commercial album to that date – and still might be -, and it came after a few years of intense work. Consider the fact it was only four years previous that she came into the music world with The Kick Inside. From 1978 to 1982, she was putting out an album almost every year. The Tour of Life happened in 1979 and, between albums, there was a tonne of promotion and travelling! Completing recording of The Dreaming in May 1982, just over four years since her debut album came out, Kate Bush’s sound had changed radically! The Dreaming is an album where Bush employed several studios and pushed herself to the limit. Maybe inspired by bands like The Beatles and Steely Dan – both of whom she admired -, there was this vision of creating an album that was very much as she wanted.

Not what was seen as more commercial or led by the label. As such, because The Dreaming came two years after Never for Ever (a gulf of time back then!) and it didn’t perform as well as previous albums, there was a sense of disappointment. It was clear that Bush need to rest, re-evaluate and make a change. The Dreaming is genius, but I don’t think she could have recorded another album like that. When it was released in September 1982, Bush completed promotion, which only added fatigue to her already weary bones! Hounds of Love would arrive in September 1985. I am choosing May 1983 as a particularly important month, as that was when I was born! I love to imagine what Bush was doing the day I was born (9th). I would not be conscious of her for a few more years or more, but May 1983 would have been a transformative month. In June, the Kate Bush E.P. was released. A five-track E.P., it was put out by EMI America in the United States to promote Kate Bush, who was relatively unknown there at that time. Not only was there this campaign to get Bush known in the U.S. but, at home, she was starting to put together Hounds of Love. There was not a big desire to launch Bush in the U.S. previous. She was not concerned with cracking the country, and the idea of travelling there regularly for promotion did not appeal. When she did go there to promote Hounds of Love in 1985, one or two of the interviews were pretty disastrous! The nation not really understanding her or that familiar with her music. I do like the fact there was an E.P. almost ready in May 1983. A point in time when there were desires from EMI to get her music out to America…

One of the biggest things that happened in May 1983 was that her book, Leaving My Tracks, was shelved indefinitely. I think this was a memoir/autobiography that fans would have loved to read! I am not sure why the project was scrapped, but it is a shame that book was not in my family home! In the month I came into the world, Leaving My Tracks could have been on the shelf! In the summer of 1983, she hit a peak. There was this personal and professional change from the start of 1983 through to the summer. After some much-needed rest, Bush was still hard at work, but she was now determined to build her own studio and record at her own pace. Leaving 1982 behind, 1983 was a year of greatest happiness and control. By May, Bush would have had the plan for her home studio figured and was ready to oversee that. Demos and song ideas were coming together and, even though her memoir was shelved, I feel this resolve to concentrate on a new album and do it on her terms was very much at the forefront. Dig! looked at the creation of Hounds of Love and its timeline in a feature from last September:

“In early 1983, Bush moved from London into a 17th-century farmhouse in the Kent countryside. That summer she oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art 48-track studio at her family home in nearby Welling. She explained the benefits of having her own home studio in a 1985 Melody Maker interview: “The pressure of knowing the astronomical amount studio time cost used to make me really nervous about being too creative. You can’t experiment forever, and I work very, very slowly. I feel a lot more relaxed emotionally now that I have my own place to work and a home to go to.”

Inspired by her new surroundings, Bush found that writing came easily, and she was keen for her new songs to reflect her state of mind. “On this album, I wanted to get away from the energy of the last one – at the time I was very unhappy, I felt that mankind was really screwing things up,” she told Hot Press magazine. “Having expressed all that, I wanted this album to be different – a positive album… more about the good things. A lot depends on how you feel at any given time – it all comes out in the music.”

In the summer of 1983, Bush began demoing her new songs with then partner Del Palmer – she’d compose on piano or the Fairlight while Palmer programmed patterns on a LinnDrum machine. Recording proper began in November 1983, as Bush worked with a team of engineers and musicians to flesh out the demos. As hoped for, her own studio meant that she could pursue her artistic vision with no constraints, and she outlined her approach to the Canadian magazine Now. “I feel that ‘art’ is one of those things that should have absolutely no rules at all. In fact, the rules that are already laid down I feel like deliberately breaking, to try what they say you can’t do. I think really the approach is something you continually experiment with – you try and find the best way of expressing something well”.

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush busy in the studio recording Hounds of Love/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush

I think about May 1983. It was obviously my start to life, but I also feel like it was for Kate Bush too. At home by East Wickham Farm with plans for a studio that she could record in and learn dance, she would be looking ahead of the summer (which technically starts in June). After a tough 1982, here was Kate Bush armed with a masterplan! She was constructing the framework for her best songs to date, and there would have been family around her. EMI were working on E.P. to get her name out in the U.S., whilst Bush was more concerned with the comfort of home and ensuring that she could produce an album – ensuring that it did not take the same toll as The Dreaming did. Almost a polar opposite to that 1982 album, Hounds of Love is ambitious and grand, yet its sounds is worlds away from The Dreaming. Bush began 1983 with resolve and a direction…but it was in the late spring and start of summer when things were really happening. Bush was writing and forming these songs in May 1983, ahead of them being demoed. One of the first songs she worked on in her studio was Deal With God (later re-titled Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). With incredible musicians like Del Palmer and Eberhard Weber, there was a lot of positivity and love in the air. In May 1983, Bush would have been in that stage of thinking what could be. With her studio, the songs, and this new album. What the world got in 1985 was one of the finest albums ever released. As she started recording in summer 1983, the final weeks of spring would have been the blueprints and notes being assembled. To me, that is the most important and exciting time in Bush’s career. To think, when I was born, the majestic Kate Bush was almost ready to start recording…

 IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush with Eberhard Weber

HER masterpiece.

FEATURE: Spotlight: Katie Gregson-MacLeod

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

PHOTO CREDIT: Jaime Molina for The New York Times

Katie Gregson-MacLeod

_________

A fiercely independent artist…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Meg Henderson

who is not afraid to hold back sharing what is inside her regarding music, I have a lot of admiration for Inverness artist Katie Gregson-MacLeod. I said recently how I have not featured many Scottish artists in my Spotlight features. There is so much incredible talent coming out of the country. I want to share a couple of recent interviews with the magnificent Gregson-MacLeod. Before that, in 2020, Medium spoke to the then-nineteen-year-old about her music and rise. It was clear, even at a time when the pandemic had shut things down, that she was an artist connecting with a lot of people:

“Katie Gregson-MacLeod is a nineteen year-old singer-songwriter from Inverness, Scotland. Although she would say her roots are acoustic pop-folk, she has branched out into a more indie-pop sound in the music she’s been releasing. Currently, she’s making music that she feels you can cry and dance to at the same time. By day she is also a history student at Edinburgh University.

Q. “When did music become an important part of your life? How did you know it was something more than just a hobby?”

A. “Music has always been one of the most important things in my life, I think. I’ve been singing and writing wee songs for as long as I can remember and started playing the piano and guitar at a young age too. I think I knew from childhood that I wanted a creative career, whether that be in music, film, or theatre but it wasn’t until early 2019 that I started to actively play gigs and immerse myself in the local music scene and beyond.”

Q. “What age did you start performing? Did you have stage fright? If so, how did you overcome that? If not, what was the scariest part about entering the music industry?”

A. “I’ve performed in choirs and musical theatre since I was really wee and it’s always been second nature for me. I don’t remember ever really having stage fright when performing and actually find that I’ve become more prone to getting nervous now that I’m older and it feels more serious. Last year, for instance, I played a Sofar show, which is super intimate, and the crowd was dead silent. I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous. In cases like that, I just try to tell myself that nothing is too big a deal and that all I can do is try to have fun with it. To be honest, the scariest part about entering the music industry for me is the idea that no one will like my writing or want to listen to my work, which has already been proven irrational I guess.”

Q. What are your next steps as an artist?

A. “I am exploring a range of sounds right now and working on an EP to release next year, which will have my debut single on it. The songs I’ve chosen to put on the EP were all written this year and I’m really excited to share them as a collective. They’re also quite pop-esque, and I’m really an acoustic artist at heart, so once I’ve finished the first EP, I’d like to release some really stripped back folky stuff”.

2021 was a busy year for Katie Gregson-MacLeod. She released the Games I Play EP, and there was a lot of attention around her. I think, with the pandemic still restricting things, it was hard for her to strike and take full flight when it came to gigs and getting her music out there. Last year, she released the sensational E.P., songs written for piano. It features a song that has really blown up. The beautiful complex has sort of taken on a life of its own. The Line of Best Fit spoke with Gregson-MacLeod late last year. I have selected the segments where we discover her background and how she got into music:

“It's that appreciation and desire for storytelling that pushed Gregson-MacLeod into music—and it’s the part of Scotland that she’s taken with her now that her career is pulling her elsewhere.

First entering the Scottish scene at 16 in Inverness, she felt “disconnected” from other Scottish musicians in bigger cities. Eventually, she “weaseled her way” into a mentorship program for young Scottish artists and from there was exposed to the country’s broader music industry network as well as opportunities for paid gigs at pubs, festivals, and in support slots. “I was independent completely, like no label no manager and no one around me. So, it really was a case of like just try emailing people to get any gigs I can,” she remembers. Such is the game of being an independent musician in the era of DIY artists. Before signing, most have to act as their own managers, marketers, content creators, and, sometimes, producers. Gregson-MacLeod’s first single “Still a Sad Song”, which she released at 18, was self-produced and later featured on national radio. She went on to release her first body of work in mid-2021 with the “Games I Play” EP, a collection of indie-pop offerings. Though there are sonic differences in that first EP from Gregson-MacLeod’s latest offerings, the beginnings of a great writer and musician are clear even in those early works.

Eventually, Gregson-MacLeod made the move out of Inverness and into Edinburgh for university, where she studied history. “I think that just moving somewhere bigger and moving to a city was something I was always going to have to do,” she admits. “The moving to Edinburgh was very transformative … I was able to get different gigs and to really capitalize on being somewhere with stuff going on. I met the people that would become my band—not at uni but just around the scene—and also lots of music pals.” And while her degree might not have been in music, the studying still helped her process. She laughs as she remembers that her most productive writing sessions were always in the weeks when she had an essay deadline.

Now, she’s all but packed up once again, getting ready to make the move to London full-time and join the burgeoning new generation of artists and songwriters living there. Indeed, the friends she’s staying with as she calls me are musicians themselves, and after our call she’s going out with them to a Matt Maltese gig, someone she says she’s come to know well in recent months. Her friends, she says, have anchored her in this otherwise head spinning experience: “they’ve just been laughing with me the whole time.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Caity Krone

Still, moving away has its challenges. “I feel like I’ve sold my soul to England,” she tells me. “Like you go back and they’re all like: ‘Oh, you’ve come to grace us with your presence.’” Nonetheless, any chance Gregson-MacLeod gets to visit the highlands again, she does: “Just feeling that home turf again is really nice.” But for all the jokes, everyone she grew up with has done nothing less than cheer her on. Her home friends even joke that she goes back to visit too much. “They’re telling me to, like, ‘go live that life.’”

As she settles into London, Gregson-MacLeod has got her eye on the ball, determined not just to get swallowed and spit out in the wave of internet fame but to properly build on it instead. She’s already making the right moves. In support of “complex,” she’s released a music video that takes the form of an Edinburgh remake of the one Vanessa Carlton put out for “A Thousand Miles”.

I am going to wrap up soon. I think it is harder for artists like Katie Gregson-Macleod to gain as much traction as other artists. What I mean is that her music has this elegance and beauty that is not as bombastic as a lot of modern Pop. A lot of TikTok stars and Pop artists are getting big kudos, but the sheer depth and nuance of Gregson-Macleod’s music marks her out for long-term success. NME chatted with her about the song written for piano E.P. It is amazing to think that, as NME write, the young artist was going to go back to university before a certain song changed things:

“Few artists on Earth know how Katie Gregson-Macleod is feeling right now. In early August, the 21-year-old vocalist and pianist was working part-time at a coffee shop and preparing to return to university to study History. But, by the end of that month, she had blanketed TikTok with an early demo of her breakthrough track ‘Complex’, a candid and arresting piano-driven power ballad steeped in romantic malaise, where it went on to become one of the buzziest songs on the planet overnight.

The song has taken on a new life in the months that have followed, with Gregson-Macleod’s songwriting continuing to help her fans emotionally purge. Dialling in from her family home in Inverness, she tells NME about how she’s only now beginning to come back down to Earth following a recent whirlwind promo tour across the US. “I’m feeling emotional today, because someone tagged me in a post where their Spotify Wrapped data explained how they’ve listened to my song 2660 times,” she says, visibly tearing up through the camera lens. “I only released the song in late August! [‘Complex’] was only supposed to be a demo, so I can’t even fathom how it’s managed to go this far…”

NME: A handful of the songs on your new EP were written when you were a teenager. Why is now the right time to release them?

“I think these are songs that I’ve always been very personally attached to. I often dismiss my earlier music as being ‘young’ or ‘immature’, as I think that I’ve grown so much since then. But I think there’s something special about the perspective that you have at a younger age, or at least wanting to honour your outlook at different moments in your life. When you’re a teenager, there’s this kind of complete certainty that you have in your own worldview. Pretending I was always incredibly wise, or that I had all the knowledge that I have now, is something I’m trying to shed. I try not to change any lyrics to my songs because they are all unique to the time and place that they were written in – and I can’t ever replicate that.”

How do you strike the right balance in your music between nostalgia and looking towards the future?

“I have a tendency to delve into things from my past, and I’m not afraid to share whatever needs to come out of me. I’m currently working on writing more about the present moment, even if it’s so much harder to do. Maybe I need to start being more of an optimist and write about what I could be feeling in the future – it’s all a process. But it all goes back to everything that happened around ‘Complex’: that time sparked a level of complete uncertainty as to what’s happening in my life. It was such a positive thing to happen to me, but it was shocking to the point where I felt like the ground beneath me was always moving. I wrote quite a few songs around that time and they were all about looking for answers, including ‘White Lies’, which I wrote in that period. ‘Complex’ was all statements, and now I just write questions.”

How do you imagine the success of ‘Complex’ will shape the music you’ll write in the future?

“I’m really excited to see where this goes. I made music for a few years on the small budget I had, but now the world has opened up so much for me. I want to maintain what makes my music unique to me, but also take advantage of all the new doors being opened – it’s about finding that important balance. I’ve been growing a lot and that will come with changes as a musician, too. Maybe I’ll come out with a fucking hyperpop record! But seriously, I’m excited to just work on the songs that I wrote ages ago but never got the chance to make”.

If you have not discovered the wonderful music of Katie Gregson-MacLeod, then go and spend some time with it. An artist that is going to be among the most exciting and promising of this year, I hope that her music continues to grow and her success follows. She is an artist that, once heard, is hard to forget! I am fairly new to her music, but I have been compelled to explore it in depth and read interviews. She is a fascinating artist who will be making big moves…

THROUGH this year.

___________

Follow Katie Gregson-MacLeod

PHOTO CREDIT: Caity Krone

Official:

https://katiegregsonmacleod.weebly.com/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@katiegregsonmacleod

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/katiegregsonmacleod/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/katiegregsonmac

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7d90CycB-I03jCaFK7rZog

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xCYQunn7ZXK6qOwXWPvcF

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/katiegregsonmacleodmusic

FEATURE: Spotlight: Brooke Combe

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Brooke Combe

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I have not featured many Scottish artists…

for my Spotlight features. It is to my shame I do not spend enough time in that wonderful country. The music scene there is so fertile and extraordinary! One artist who is doing Scotland proud is the sensational and unforgettable Brooke Combe. I found her music last year, and I have been a fan ever since. With a string of impressive and unique single under her belt, I wonder whether there is an E.P. coming from Combe in 2023. I am going to get to a couple of interviews with Combe soon. First, here is some background to the stunning Brooke Combe:

“Brooke Combe discovered a love for music aged just 5 years old, after getting her first toy drum kit. Eventually she added playing saxophone, trombone, guitar, bass and piano to her repertoire while at secondary school and began to find her own uniquely powerful voice along the way. Combe, influenced by the ‘90s R&B played in her mum and dad's house, as well as the Motown her grandparents would play her, developed a love of great songwriting and vocalists and lyricists with their own idiosyncrasies - such as Amy Winehouse and Fleetwood Mac - before beginning to work on her own material.

Now, with her stunning first statement ‘Are You With Me?’ finally out in the world, Brooke Combe has announced herself as a genuine artist to watch in 2021 and beyond.

Brooke Combe discovered a love for music aged just 5 years old, after getting her first toy drum kit. Eventually she added playing saxophone, trombone, guitar, bass and piano to her repertoire while at secondary school and began to find her own uniquely powerful voice along the way. Combe, influenced by the ‘90s R&B played in her mum and dad's house, as well as the Motown her grandparents would play her, developed a love of great songwriting and vocalists and lyricists with their own idiosyncrasies - such as Amy Winehouse and Fleetwood Mac - before beginning to work on her own material”.

Coming into the collective consciousness in 2021, it must have been a tough year to get any sort of ground and traction. That said, Combe’s remarkable voice and incredible music definitely resonated. I think that this year is one where she can really stretch her touring legs. It has been a tough last couple of years for most artists. The wonderful SNACK chatted with Combe back in June. An award-winning artist, it is clear there is so much affection for her – and a lot of belief that she is going to be this huge musician very soon:

“Brooke Combe, voted Best Female Breakthrough Artist at the Scottish Music Awards 2021,  is  a  singer-songwriter  on the rise. She grew up on the outskirts of Edinburgh, listening to Motown, soul and R&B and playing instruments from a tender age. She discovered rock influences at 17 and was encouraged by her school music teacher to develop her vocals and to study music at university.

Savvy with social media, Combe’s early cover songs found mass appeal, particularly her rendition of Baccara’s ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, the Scotland international football team’s anthem in summer 2021. Since signing to Island Records, football crossovers continue, with song excerpts recently featured  on BBC and Sky Sports football highlights on primetime television. ‘Miss Me Now’ is her latest single, driven by a punchy bassline and aligned with catchy lyrics, rhythmic and melodic hooks in three minutes of disco-pop perfection.

Tell us about your latest single, ‘Miss Me Now’.

I came up with the little bassline that the song is introduced with when I had got home from a night out. The song came together as a studio recording, then went back and forth with producer Mark Ralph, who added some lovely sparkly bits that sort of elevated the tune. I love it: it’s nothing like I’ve ever done before, so it felt like it was a bit of a gamble for me to release, but everybody loved it. It’s quite a light-hearted tune – it’s fun, it’s summer.

How do you approach your original songs?

I feel like I’m in a position at the moment where I’m able to be a bit freer with my tunes and just play around. I’m still trying to find the Brooke Combe sound. I think the running theme, however, throughout all my singles, is that they’ve all got the same soul. That’s the most important thing to me, being a soul singer: making sure there’s still depth to all these tunes even if they are quite light-hearted.

What would you say is your proudest musical achievement so far?

Signing to Island Records – it’s something any singer dreams about, especially coming into this industry. It’s all been a whirlwind, and it’s been really fast. So being able to sign, and have all the opportunities that have come with that, has been just remarkable and I probably never could have imagined it. I was only 21 at the time and it’s an amazing, surreal thing to say you have done at that age, so I’m really proud of that.

What would you like to achieve in the next five years?

I’d like to have released an album by then: a nice body of work that I’m proud of. Really mastering my live shows is becoming one of the biggest things for me. I love performing live, and I love being on stage and connecting with the audience”.

There is another interview that I want to get to before I wrap this up. The Skinny shone a spotlight on an artist who sold out King Tut's (Glasgow) and signed to Island Records during a global pandemic. Combe had a busy summer of festivals last year. Rich reward for an artist whose music is among the finest around. I have no doubt she is going to continue to grow and play ever bigger venues and festivals:

“With an impressive array of successes gathered in such a short period of time, from selling out King Tut's and signing to Island Records to winning Best Female Breakthrough artists at the 2021 Scottish Music Awards, it's mad to think that Combe's journey is only really just beginning. With all that in mind, we shine a spotlight on Brooke Combe to get to know her a little better before she becomes a household name.

You’ve been playing music in some form or another since you were five years old – who would you cite as your main musical influences and what inspires your music writing?

There are a lot of artists and bands that inspire me musically, but I’d say some of the main ones growing up were Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Amy Winehouse... the list is endless. However, the main theme throughout them all is soul. I’ve got a really soulful voice and it's important to me because that’s what moves me the most when listening to tunes. I’d say lyrically my biggest inspiration is Arctic Monkeys. I love the endless use of metaphors throughout their tunes. It just always gets me thinking about ways I can incorporate metaphors in my tunes. It’s quite a difficult thing to do.

It must’ve been quite weird for you coming into prominence with your music amid a global pandemic – what have the last couple of years been like for you?

The last couple of years have been sort of crazy, but in a good way. A lot of people saw the pandemic as a hindrance to my development which is somewhat true in terms of performing. I wasn’t able to get out and gig for a long time, which is something I was probably most nervous about considering I’d never really gigged before. However, it also gave me a lot of time to focus on writing tunes and lyrics and bettering myself as a songwriter. I’ve grown a lot over the last two years and being a fairly shy person, I’m excited to push my limits and see how far I can go with everything.

What festivals are you most excited about playing this summer?

I am so buzzed to be playing some of the big UK festivals this year – I've just announced Reading and Leeds which is madness to me and the response has been great. As well as Neighbourhood festival, a big one for me is TRNSMT in Glasgow. Playing at home in Scotland alongside some unbelievable company is definitely going to be a highlight of the summer. I can't wait to be back on the stage and doing what I love and I'd love to see as many people as possible there enjoying it with me.

What does the rest of the year hold for you?

I have just released my first single of the year Miss Me Now, which feels insane; I tried something a little different and I’m super proud of this one. We had such a laugh filming the video and the outfits were amazing; I’ve been so excited for everyone to see what I’ve been working on. Throughout the rest of the year I’ll be releasing more tunes and hopefully getting myself out on the road doing my own little headline tour around the UK. It’s going to be an exciting year and opportunities keep coming up, I can’t wait to steal everyone's hearts…That’s the main goal”.

Spend a little time getting to know the superb Brooke Combe. One of the absolute best young talents in the U.K., I know so many people are singling her out for greatness. It is clear she is going to help make this year one of the best for music. I love what she is doing, and it makes me want to explore Scottish music more and more. Go and follow the Brooke Combe, for she really is…

A staggering artist.

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Follow Brooke Combe

 TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@brooklyncombe

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/brookecombe/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/brookecombe

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0JXwYf8x27ZfMO2gGuh6HO

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEBlrVTKRZlK-tuIjmK3hLw

Facebook:

https://en-gb.facebook.com/brookecombe99/

FEATURE: Spotlight: Shaé Universe

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

Shaé Universe

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WHETHER you class her music…

as R&B or R&Drill, there is no denying Shaé Universe is an artist who will be very busy through this year. An immense talent who put out the Unorthodox E.P. in April, I am fascinated and hooked already. I think Shaé Universe will have a very long future in the music industry. She is someone who has already established and cemented her sound, and she has a legion of fans behind her. Before I get to some interviews from last year, The Blues Project provided some background and biography in 2021. It gives you a bit of detail as to where the Nigerian-born artist started out and how she has evolved:

“Singer and songwriter Shaé Universe welcomes listeners into her own make-shift universe. A world equipped with lyrical dexterity and sonic riffs, the fuel of one’s flames being a love for authentic R&B. Having grown up in the church, Shaé, who is of Nigerian heritage, but grew up just outside of London, contextualises this into her sound. The result being her own neo-R&B sound; of which she holds the torch in the UK R&B sector. Having caught the eye of US rapper Boogie, Shaé’s feature on the rapper’s album ignited the sonic movements towards her tracks You Lose, No Stallin and 111.  It also led to her opening on tour for Eminem!

Shaé has already caught the eye of the global music stage, and is a definite must watch in the coming years. After returning to London from Grammy week (late Jan 2020), British R&B upriser Shaé Universe said she felt that LA had left her with a new sense of “motivation, versatility, and drive”. She immediately got working on the music video masterpiece presented as ‘No Stallin’. Shaé’s single ‘No stallin’ was originally released in 2018, where its bouncy yet silky-smooth sound spread very quickly amongst the UK music scene, accumulating over 1.5 million streams independently, featuring in several verified playlists and gaining major radio coverage on global stations such as BBC 1Xtra, Capital Xtra, Beats1 and more.

Since then, she’s evolved her sonic palette even more. Revealing a blend of R&B and Drill in single You Lose, collaborating with Kojey Radical on Royalty, a track that’s simply laced in luxuriousness. As Shaé gears up for the release of her debut EP, fans are eagerly anticipating the release from an artist that has established herself as one of UK R&B’s most consistent emerging acts”.

I want to bring in a few interviews. There was a lot of excitement and curiosity around the Unorthodox E.P. Lots of people wanted to know more about the wonderful Shaé Universe. I discovered her music fairly recently, but I listened back to her releases from 2020 and 2021. What you notice that, through time, her confidence has grown and the music has got stronger. She was always exceptional, but Shaé Universe released her finest work with Unorthodox. Wonderland. featured Shaé Universe in April. I was interested learning how she finds inspiration and motivation when struggling:

“And what advice would you give to someone who might be like struggling to find that creativity and that inspiration in their life right now?

The advice that I would give to somebody who’s trying to you find reativity within themselves is to unplug and actually take a step back from social media and all these fast-paced influences. That can actually do a lot and can help you to hear your own internal voice a bit louder. I would advise unplugging, taking a step back from socials and just living in the real world. You know, go for a walk, look around, see what you have around in your area, things like that.

So many people seek out inspiration, so I think it’s great that you step back instead. So when you yourself are struggling, do you go to a particular place or person when you need that inspiration and motivation?

Again, I’m quite a spiritual person. So if I’m really down bad, I will go to God first and foremost, and just spend some time with God meditating. And I usually feel significantly better after that. But I’m generally outside of like prayer and stuff. I think when I’m looking for inspiration, I also do tend to unplug, it’s usually one or the other. It’s either like I don’t talk and will just completely disconnect myself or I do a deep dive into some of my oldest albums that I used to love but haven’t listened to in a long time. Sometimes going back to things that inspired you originally can help you to respond to something, for sure.

And despite your wanting to relax, your energy still comes across, it’s undeniable. Would you say there is pressure there to play up to that facade all the time?

That is such a good question. You know what, I would say I don’t feel pressure to live up to an image, but what I will say is all of my supporters or people that listen to my music is to just know who I am as an artist and what I represent. They all see me as somebody that represents light and positivity and always at the good things. I think sometimes having people look at me or look up to me in that way definitely makes it a bit more difficult for me to share my down days or days when I don’t necessarily feel so great because I feel like people expect that of me. So I don’t know if that’s necessarily playing up to an image but I definitely feel like when I am going through or having worst days I tend to withdraw as opposed to sharing that also with them. So that’s something I’m working on”.

A staggering artist who is among the finest U.K. R&B artists of the past decade, Shaé Universe is on her way to conquering the world. GRM Daily published a particularly deep and compelling interview in September. Shaé Universe discussed Unorthodox, R&Drill, and how she has got to where she is. A fiercely independent artist who commands so much respect from her peers, it has been a determined and hard-working career where this passion has remained strong and true. It is an inspiration to other artists, and a testament to believing in your talent and purpose:

“So talk to us about your musical beginnings. We know that you studied theatre and come from a performance background. When did you realise music specifically was your calling?

“I started singing when I was really young in the church because my mum was actually a gospel singer, the leader of the choir. From as young as I can remember in our home church, we don’t go there anymore, but for a very long time, we did. That’s where I started singing. I was just singing in the choir helping to support my mum and stuff. I was probably 11 or 12 when I started to actually branch out and listen to other music and discover artists for myself. Pop was big then as well as, I don’t want to say generic but all the pop stars that were reigning at the time, Britney, Beyonce,  Rihanna etc all the mainstream people.

“Then I started to branch out and listen to artists that were more in line with my personal tastes, people like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. I listened to Brandy a lot as well. That helped me form my own sound. But weirdly enough I actually started out in poetry. I was really into poetry, I have always loved words, English, learning new words and the meaning of words that also fed my love for songwriting, singing just grew organically from that.”

Who are your musical influences?

“I would say, I have a lot of influences. But at the root Brandy is up there, Lauryn Hill is up there, Erykah Badu. Also say Alex Isley is up there too. I love the way that she arranges her harmonies. I haven’t necessarily sat and studied any artists, they’ve just seeped into me naturally. You know, when you listen to a person enough you can kind of hear where the different influences come from. For the most part, I’ve just been vibing when it comes to the music. Oh, and Jasmine Sullivan I can’t forget her.”

Now, you’ve been an independent artist and throughout your journey, we’ve seen various levels of growth from you. You can really see your creativity and business mind in your various projects. How has this path shaped who you are as an artist?

“Wow, that’s a loaded question. First of all, it definitely made me a lot more thorough with myself, anything I do and anything I involve myself in. I wouldn’t necessarily advise anyone to manage themselves for as long as I have because it definitely gets very stressful. I’m at a stage now where I’m ready for help. But one thing it has done is it’s made me very thorough with myself. I definitely have a high standard for anything that has my name attached to it because I’ve had to learn everything in depth.

“There are a lot of things that my musical colleagues don’t know about because they have managers that have been doing it for them. They’ve never really had to learn about them. Things like registering your music on PRS, things as small as that. So it’s definitely made me very thorough. I think also now I’m starting to experience the respect that comes from that too. When you’re first doing it, it’s like anything; you have to do it first for a lot of people to really be like ah, she actually did this and she did it independently and she stuck to her morals and principles and all that kind of stuff.

“So I think now that people are seeing that my strategies or my methods have worked for me they’re giving kudos. So there’s that too. It takes a little while. And obviously, you will go through stages where you kind of doubt am I ever going to get the respect that I deserve because people are kind of side-eyeing the way that I’m doing things when it’s not being done in the traditional way, but it pays off.”

And now that we are hearing a little bit more of that sound coming from other places, do you see that and feel like you’re pioneering something right now?

“Yo, honestly, again, it took me a while to really realise what we have created here. Because I’m humble by nature, you know, but also God has given me a gift that allows me to be that way. I don’t need to shout in your face because when I stand on the stage and I open my mouth, it does everything that it needs to do. I’ve always been accustomed to just being myself. I walk into a room I don’t have to say much. With that in mind, I have seen other people doing things and it’s just like, wow, I didn’t really realise until the R&D playlist came out on Spotify and it became a whole genre.

“The first time it’s coming out, I’m the face of it and pretty much my whole R’n’D catalogue is in there. That’s when I realised it’s real, okay, people are really actually paying attention. And this is actually starting something. Now for me personally, that is huge. Because, man, as a black woman in this UK scene, a dark-skinned black woman, for me to just kind of start something in a playful way, then I become the person that’s been spearheading something. I’ve created something from nothing, people are now paying attention to and following suit…That’s a huge deal. That’s a huge deal for me in an industry that is hard to even breakthrough as an R&B singer to start with. It’s a big deal and I’m grateful. You know, when I see other people doing their R’n’Drill stuff, I’ll be real with you, I haven’t seen anyone doing it like me, but I’m grateful. I’m appreciative”.

 PHOTO CREDIT: Karis Beaumont

I will finish off by, in a way, going back to the start. RAYDAR featured R&B royalty Shaé Universe in August. With a brilliant E.P. under her belt and a new phase of her career underway, many were curious about her musical beginnings and what her start was like. Before rounding things off, I would urge everyone to go and follow Shaé Universe and listen to her music. An artist who is among the most promising this year, she is someone I particularly admire. No wonder the U.K.-raised artist is courting a lot of interest from the U.S. It seems like her music easily translates around the world and has touched so many people. This year is one where she will build on her current army of fans and recruit a whole lot more:

“Were your parent rather supportive of your decision to pursue music over a traditional career?

I’m Nigerian and I came to the UK when I was four. Usually, in traditional African households, they don’t really deem creative subjects as a worthy path to go down. I understand it because with music careers, the music doesn’t coming flying in. You have to work your way up, build your following, and when that song blows, the money comes. It’s a process that takes a lot of patience, however, my parents have been very very supportive from the jump. One, because they saw its something I had a general love for. Two, because they saw hat I was actually good at it.

This past year, so many Black women in the UK have taken over R&B and Hip-Hop—how does it feel to be at the forefront of it?

I’m humbled because though I do work very hard, it started as a dream in my heard. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming because its like wow, this is my life. It feels good, I’m not halfway where I tend to go with my music. However, being a Black women in the music industry comes with its challenges. It comes with a lot of people trying to exploit you with your gift, but not give you what you’re worth. I’ve been through a whole bat of shit, but because of my character, I’m still humble.

Where do you see yourself in the next five or ten years?

In ten years, I’m definitely going to be a legend. One thousand percent. In five years, I would love to be a globally respected music artist. I want to be remembered for creating timeless music and empowering, inspiring visuals. I want to be remembered for being myself unapologetically and also being a multifaceted woman accepted for being that way. Obviously, one thing we hear about often is women talking about how women feel like they’re boxed in the music industry. People tend to have an idea of what a Black female artist is supposed to be, however, I’m a diverse Black woman and I just want to make it to a point where it’s acceptable to be that way”.

I will round up here. It has been a pleasure getting to know Shaé Universe better. I am not sure what her next step is, but I suspect there will be an E.P. or album at some point this year. Such an original artist who you can already tell is going to be in music for so many years to come, you need to follow her closely. Last year was a successful and busy one, and I feel like this year will be even more so. When it comes to this R&B/R&Drill queen, there is absolutely…

NO stopping her!

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