Day in Pop Report for 01/16/2015
The performances will be televised live on NBC prior to kickoff. Menzel will make her Super Bowl debut and is among many great performers who have been honored with singing the Super Bowl National Anthem including: Ren�e Fleming, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Harry Connick, Jr., Garth Brooks, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Williams, Luther Vandross, Cher, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey, Dixie Chicks, Beyonc� Knowles, Christina Aguilera and many more. (See below for a complete list of National Anthem performers from past Super Bowls.) Legend joins Vicki Carr (Super Bowl XI), Ray CharleS (Super Bowl XXXV), Mary J. Blige & Marc Anthony (Super Bowl XXXVI), Alicia Keys (Super Bowl XXXIX), Faith Hill (Super Bowl XLIII), and Queen Latifah (Super Bowl XLIV & XLVIII) (Super Bowl XLVI) in singing "America The Beautiful" at Super Bowl. In 2013, JENNIFER HUDSON along with 26 children from the Newton, CT community sang the song in advance of Super Bowl XLVII.
Case in point: #BieberWienerGate, the tempest in a teapot (or is it a crockpot?) surrounding the exact logistical specifications of Justin Bieber's little helper. After Bieber appeared in a Calvin Klein ad rocking what appeared to be a shockingly large bulge, photos emerged which appeared to indicate the subtle (well, not particularly) use of Photoshop. However, after the threat of legal action from Bieber's team, the claims were withdrawn. After three days and nights of fevered speculation, we finally have a statement from on high. Bieber just posted an Instagram that appears to be his attempted refutation of the controversial claims. Check it out here.
Those taking in the game were quick to note the couple's exchange on Twitter, as SB Nation points out. One tweet reported, "Iggy Azalea and Nick Young are going at it on the Kiss Cam! Iggy licked Swaggy's cheek rather aggressively. More exciting than the game.#USC- Neon Tommy Sports (@Neon_Sports) January 15, 2015" Another tweet said, "They put iggy and nick young on the kiss cam and she straight up licked his face ��������- Atorina (@AtorinaSamuel) January 15, 2015" and then "Iggy Azelea just licked Nick Young's face on the kiss cam at Galen Center. Most exciting moment of the game honestly...- Jacob Freedman (@Jacob_Freedman) January 15, 2015", followed by "Iggy just licked Nick Young on the Kiss Cam. Got the biggest reaction of the game thus far.- Devin Ugland (@Devin_Ugland) January 15, 2015" There's even photo evidence. Check it out here.
Beast Mode sees the Atlanta native teaming with producer Zaytoven over nine songs. Of the collection, two are previously released, 'Just Like Bruddas" and 'Real Sisters." The set also sees appearances from Juvenile and Young Scooter. Funny enough, Beast Mode is also the title of a Juvenile album, making his appearance a clever nod. Read more here.
"Coming with You" is the lead single off of Ne-Yo's forthcoming album Non-Fiction. The song is an infectious R&B earworm with a chunky breakbeat, an appealing oddity in today's pop stratosphere (see also: Destiny's Child's comeback single "Nuclear"). The video is splashed with tropical colors: models wearing pink and yellow hues twirl on green and blue pillars, while Ne-Yo matches his pink blazer with a pink rose in his fedora. Ne-Yo's always been a talented dancer and he doesn't skimp on the moves: he peppers his dips and steps with Michael Jackson-esque hand flourishes. The entire video uses old-fashioned methods--breakbeats, Baywatch references, Miami Vice color scheme--but manages to feel undeniably timeless. Check it out here.
The film, one of the major box office successes of 2014, was beat by Big Hero 6, The Boxtrolls, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Song of the Sea, and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya for the nominations at the Academy Awards in 2015. The snub surprised a great deal of people; not only has it grossed close to $470 million globally, it also scored a 96 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, notoriously a tough site to gain even a rating in the 90s. But even though the omission stung for everyone involved, one of the film's writers and directors, Philip Lord, took it in stride, coming up a very awesome response on Twitter. He tweeted, "It's okay. Made my own! http://t.co/kgyu1GRHGR- philip lord (@philiplord) January 15, 2015" Jokes aside, Lord also wanted everyone to know he wasn't taking it too personally. He then thanked everyone who helped make the movie "a classic." "This is not a tragedy. Congrats to incredible crew and cast of The Lego Movie, who made a classic.- philip lord (@philiplord) January 15, 2015" Read more here.
With the controversial pop star posting nearly naked photos to his Instagram account in a not-so-subtle effort to put any physical discrepancies to rest, Complex reports that the Biebs has been publicly approached by adult entertainment site Men.com to make a gay porn clip to the tune of $2 million. "It'll be easy, I'll do most of the work, you come in for a few hours, then you're outta here with $2 million," explains adult film star Johnny Rapid in the video proposal. Read more here.
Gallagher wasn't pleased that Sheeran was able to book three gigs at Wembley Stadium and said, "I don't think I can live in a world where that's even possible. When you hear that kind of polished pop and then there's a ginger guy with a f-ing guitar it seems subversive, but it's f-ing not." Just as he did at the end of 2013, Gallagher went on to offer his synopsis of what's wrong with the current music scene. "It's a strange time, and it seems like the whole thing is embedded for good now, for f-ing forever," he said. "It's not all over, but it'll go back to the way it was in the early '80s where indie bands are the alternative thing, the lower level. In the early '80s everyone at indie labels, even major labels, were trying to push this music to the fore because everything else was s-, and maybe it'll happen again, but I don't see it for the next decade." Well, Sheeran fans weren't happy with Gallagher's comments and called him out on Twitter, even going as far as threatening his life. Read more here.
Now, the first guest performers for the show have been announced. Chris Martin of Coldplay, Janelle Monae, Willie Nelson, Ed Sheeran and Usher have all signed on to perform at the event. Wonder has recently been on the road, playing his classic 1976 double album Songs in the Key of Life in its entirety, so expect that much (or all) of that album will be performed at the show. Read more here.
Not a bad turn of events for Lambert. The original split occurred when Lambert refused to do a covers album, which, after going on tour with Queen and doing covers every night, is understandable. Lambert is still fresh enough in the music world that he has the opportunity to put his own stamp on it, and not merely rehash others' successes. Billboard is reporting that Lambert reached out to Swedish songwriter-producers Max Martin and Shellback to work on his new album, which is expected this summer. The team previously worked together on Lambert's hits "Whataya Want From Me" and "If I Had You" four years ago. "So I scheduled a meeting with Max Martin and Shellback. We started talking about life, politics, fashion, everything under the sun," Lambert said to Billboard, noting that the WB deal came just 24 hours after his RCA split. "They said, 'You seem different, Adam,' and I said, 'I feel a little different.' And I just asked them for their help." Read more here.
"I'm going to do my first ever residency in Vegas at Caesars. This is a special event for me," she said, appearing on the show in a low-cut blue dress. "And again, I have to hope that the fans will enjoy this, 'cause I'm gonna be performing, which was kind of inspired by my album Number 1's, and this is now the updated version with 18 of them. Hopefully other people will enjoy this. I've never done this before." During the Ellen show, Carey surprises her fans dressed as a maid at a Vegas hotel to announce her residency. She then gives tickets to those very surprised fans and audience members. Read more here.
This year's nominees for Best Original Song include John Legend and Common for the song "Glory" from Selma; "Everything is Awesome" written by Shawn Patterson from The Lego Movie, where it's performed by the Lonely Island and Tegan and Sara; "Grateful" written by Diane Warren from Beyond the Lights where it's performed by Rita Ora; "I'm Not Going To Miss You" by Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond from the documentary Glen Campbell�I'll Be Me; and "Lost Stars" by Gregg Alexander-the singer from the New Radicals-and Danielle Brisebois from the film Begin Again starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo (both of whom earned acting nominations as well). Regarding the Best Original Song category, note that it's the songwriters who are nominated for the award, not the performer. John Legend and Common took home the award for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes this past Sunday. But that doesn't mean they have the edge when it comes to winning Oscar gold. The 2015 nominees for Best Original Score include Alexandre Desplat for The Imitation Game and The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gary Yershon for Mr. Turner, Hans Zimmer for Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and J�hann J�hannsson for the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything. He just took home the prize for Best Original Score at the Golden Globes. Read more here.
In reality, that's just the magic of makeup. For the campaign Underwood is not wearing her usual eye makeup. The change is a switch to brown lids, a lighter mascara, natural lashes and less eyeliner than we're used to seeing from Underwood on the stage. Paired with a more neutral lip, the look is more everyday--in step with Almay's campaign to "celebrate American beauty," in this case branded as a very natural look. See it here.
Styles strolls up and instantly you can see Swift tense up and look down at her phone. Two of the Haims switch positions, to stand between Swift and her ex. But, according to Twitter, not all was cold between Swift and Styles. All were allegedly later seen having dinner together, which is probably true, or would be a pretty weird coincidence if it were made up. Check out the TMZ footage here.
"With this tour, it's our first worldwide tour," Brian Kelley previously told Radio.com. "It's our first full year of headlining. We're bringing our buddies Thomas Rhett and Frankie Ballard along with us to join the party. It's a bigger scale. Bigger venues, more people, more lights, more smoke. Maybe some pyro. Maybe some lasers. You never know. "We're still planning. We're trying to make it big and fun and try to create the best moments that we can. That's what our shows are all about, moments that you're never going to forget. Feel the music is what we're going after for our fans." Additionally, Florida Georgia Line are performing at The Night Before in Phoenix, which is presented in part by CBS Radio. Check out the updated tour dates here.
The tour will stop in Connecticut, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin before closing in Hawaii."Lee and I had a blast last year when we were out with Brad (Paisley) and so we thought it would be great to join up for a co-headlining tour for our fans this winter," Young said in a press release. "I can't wait to kick things off in Syracuse later this month and head west all the way to Hawaii!" Brice agreed: "Chris and I have been talking about touring together again for a while. We have a lot of fun together!" Check out the complete dates for the tour here.
In the message, Bjork also included the titles of the nine songs featured on the album: "Stonemilker," "Lionsong," "History of Touches," "Black Lake," "Family," "Notget," "Atom Dance," "Mouth Mantra" and "Quicksand." Not to mention it ended with the delightful sign-off of "warmthness." Though she has not released any songs yet, it is already known that she's worked with the Venezuelan producer Arca, who has worked with Kanye West and FKA Twigs, along with British producer Haxan Cloak, who reportedly helped with production and mixed some--if not all--of the album. Vulnicura will be the follow-up to Bjork's 2011 "app album" Biophilia, which was the first of its kind. Bjork already has a busy summer planned, playing both Coachella and Governors Ball in New York City. Check out her handwritten tweet announcement here.
The festival will feature headliners like GRAMMY Album of the Year nominee Beck, Pixies, My Morning Jacket, St. Vincent, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals and TV on The Radio. The lineup also Run the Jewels, Tame Impala, Gerard Way, Jason Isbell, The Lone Bellow, Sharon Van Etten. Not to mention a few of Radio.com's New Music to Know picks like Vance Joy and Tove Lo. Check out the full lineup for the fest here.
If you missed him last time around you'll have a chance to get a little Stevie in your life at one of the 10 new additional spring dates. Stevie will be playing in Denver, Dallas, Houston, Louisville, Austin, Nashville, Baltimore and more. Each date will feature a full performance of Songs In The Key Of Life and other songs from Wonder's repertoire. The tour continuation will come a month removed from a GRAMMY tribute to Wonder, to be broadcast Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. Check out his full schedule here.
Regarding dating men older than her, Nicks sassily asked, "What if I fall in love with somebody and they die?" Having ruled out the old dudes, she took on men her own age. "They wanna go out with somebody that's 25," she said. "That has been going on since the Bible, and I haven't even read the Bible, but I know that. So what am I gonna do, compete with that? I'm not a competitor. So I don't even wanna be in that situation." Read more here.
According to CMT, the "Little Red Wagon" singer played 30 songs over the course of her two-hour show. The set list included hits such as 'White Liar," 'Mama's Broken Heart," 'Automatic" and "Little Red Wagon" as well as a few covers like Dixie Chicks' 'Cowboy Take Me Away" with RaeLynn and Gwen Sebastian and Little Big Town's 'Girl Crush." And while her concert no doubt impressed, it was Lambert's new hairdo that had many fans talking. Lambert took the stage in a short brunette bob, ditching her famous platinum style that she had been sporting since the release of her latest album, fittingly titled Platinum. The new look has us wondering, is life more fun for Lambert as a brunette or blonde? See it here.
"I know I look totally artificial, but I'd like to think I'm real where it really counts," she said while discussing why it can be damaging to only go off first impressions. "It's how people treat one another and what they do and the way they do it--that's what should matter." The singer's positive nature comes across in the entire interview, where she shares on everything from growing up without electricity to her grandfather calling her a jezebel--seriously. 'When I was a girl growing up in the 1950s in the Smoky Mountains, there were plenty of people who didn't know what to make of me," she recalled. "I had 11 brothers and sisters and no electricity in my home, yet I knew I was gonna be a star. I had a big, outgoing personality and even then I dressed a little bit trashy--my grandfather, who was a Pentecostal preacher, told me I looked like Jezebel!" Read more here.
Not an easy sell for the woman who is always asking, "But, what about the children?!" But, 2 Chainz--wearing a very professional looking cardigan, white button down and only one chain (a cross)--came prepared with an argument that states legalizing marijuana could help reduce overcrowding in prisons and help keep small time pot enthusiasts from getting criminal records that make it hard for them to get a job. He also brought up the fact that legalizing marijuana would allow it to be taxed, which would help the economy. "We're in a deficit. We've got to find ways of getting out," he said (watch in the video above). "If we got half of the states legalizing pot, if the rest of the community legalizes pot that frees up taxpayers money, that'll allow us to do something with this extra with these funds from fixing potholes in the street to building stadiums. I'm down with it." Grace was not as down with it, calling out stories of little kids who were able to get their hands on drugs. But 2 Chainz had a calm, reasonable response to that. "Anybody that loves their kid definitely knows not to put them in harm's way, I don't agree with that at all," he said. "[The mother] might have mental issues. It may be something deeper than a joint." Read more and watch here.
When you mention offhand that MSG holds over 18,000 people, Ezra just laughs a giddy, childlike laugh and says, "It's mental isn't it? It's just crazy. I'm flying my mom out, so my mom will be there." What may be even crazier is that the little gig from a few years back--the one in London--had him playing alongside Sam Smith. You know, the guy who sings everyone's crying anthem "Stay With Me" and earned himself six GRAMMYs with his 2014 debut, In The Lonely Hour, tying Beyonce for the most nominations this year. Smith is also the guy who offered Ezra the chance to play New York City's iconic arena. "I think Sam's amazing, he's huge, isn't he? Well deserved. He just politely asked me to come along with him," Ezra tells Radio.com of how he earned an opening slot on Smith's current North American tour. "And it's kind of the best gig you can be on this year, isn't it? He's huge." The English singer, who is already a household name overseas, is gearing up to have a Sam Smith-like year of his own, thanks to an impressive touring schedule--he's opening for Hozier this spring, while also playing a few gigs on his own, including Coachella--and a catchy single inspired by a Hungarian city that at the time he'd never even been to. The song "Budapest" came straight from a line Ezra had written in a diary he had taken on a trip across Europe: "I didn't make it to Budapest." "That's how it started," Ezra says. "It stuck out." It also sticks out for inspiring the first love song Ezra ever wrote. "It's a kind of tongue-in-cheek way of doing it about what I don't have," he says about the track that has him singing in his gruff but somehow also pretty, Tom Waits-like voice about giving up his "house in Budapest, hidden treasure chest, golden grand piano" for that special girl. "I think it's that willingness to stop what you're doing for somebody. Where you find yourself in a situation where all of a sudden you don't put yourself first. That's what happens when you're in love," Ezra says. Read more here.
Last year did, however, wind down with a big No. 1 radio hit for Maddie & Tae and two high-profile GRAMMY nominations for Clark, so we take that as a good sign for things to come. And with additional new female artists continuing to gather attention for their songs, we can already tell that 2015 is setting up to be strong year for women in country music. Below we've picked out some new female country artists that we feel have both the talent and the potential to break out this year and provide fans with new songs and a fresh point of view. Listen to their music below, then if you like what you hear, put them on your playlist and request their songs at your local radio stations. Here's hoping that 2015 will be the year the ladies take back the radio from the bros. 1. Kelleigh Bannen: Kelleigh Bannen's latest single "Smoke When I Drink" hits the listener at full force from the very first guitar lick. When her smooth vocals enter, the song picks up steam as she sings of taking a shot to calm her nerves just in case she runs into her ex at the bar. "Baby you're a cigarette straight to my head/ I'm high as a kite while I'm saying I only smoke when I drink," she sings as her former flame walks on over. Bannen's growl on the chorus further compliments the edginess of the song. "It's really fun to get to share music in a way that lets us connect with the fan and that's what we hope to do with 'Smoke When I Drink,'" she said in a behind-the-scenes video. "Just give them something until the EP comes out, until the album comes out, one more thing for them to connect with us over." The gritty track turns the boys on their heads because, hey, girls smoke and drink, too. The way Bannen delivers is catchy, and if you doubt us, try to listen to the song and not have the chorus stuck in your head. If you're hooked, check out her previous singles "Sorry On the Rocks" and "Famous." 2. Caitlyn Smith: Caitlyn Smith cut her teeth writing songs for everyone from Garth Brooks and Kenny Rogers to Lady Antebellum and Jason Aldean. Now, it's her time for the spotlight. And rightfully so. Her latest EP, Everything To You, showcases her vivid storytelling and powerhouse singing. Whether it's the nostalgic "Dream Away," edgy "Grown Woman" or her own rendition of "Wasting All These Tears"--the platinum hit she wrote for Cassadee Pope--Smith is a radio sensation waiting to happen. "There is always a song in something, somewhere," Smith recently told Radio.com. "You just have to open your eyes a little bit." 3. Michaela Anne: Michaela Anne is well-known in the Brooklyn alt-country music scene and has opened up for acts like Brandy Clark, Steel Magnolias and country-punk powerhouse Lydia Loveless. On top of that, her excellent 2014 release Ease My Mind separates her from the pack. Whispered vocals are sung over wavering banjo, harmonica and pedal steel, making for the most traditional-sounding country record we've heard in a while. Tracks like the yearning "Black and Gray" strike an emotional chord, while title track "Ease My Mind" showcases her fun side. See who else made the list here.
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