Love took to Twitter to let her fans know that some angry protestors against the Uber app were attacking her car. Not too hard to believe, being that many in the city have expressed concerns that the company puts the livelihood of licensed taxi drivers at risk, French taxi drivers have even blocked roads to Paris airports in protest, with the BBC reporting that riot police have been using tear gas in retaliation.
Love, unfortunately, got caught in the crossfire, even heeding a warning to Kanye West, who was also in Paris, probably not getting any damn croissants, but getting stuck in some damn traffic.
"Dude @kanyewest we may turn back to the airport and hide out with u.picketers just attacked our car #ParisUberStrike" she wrote, along with a photo of her car's window with egg all over it.
She goes on to say "they've ambushed our car and are holding our driver hostage. they're beating the cars with metal bats. this is France?? I'm safer in Baghdad � François Hollande where are the f-ing police??? is it legal for your people to attack visitors? Get your ass to the airport. Wtf???"
But all in all, she was able to escape the protests, writing that she "paid some guys on motorcycles to sneak us out, got chased by a mob of taxi drivers who threw rocks, passed two police and they did nothing."
She later posted a photo once things calmed down, thanking the motorcyclists who helped her, and throwing some shade at France's government. Read more including the posts and photo here.
But, Grohl does think those who tried to petition to have him taken off the bill--the creator of the petition said him being at the fest was an "outrage"--are just wasting their time.
"I don't know that much about Kanye's music but right now Kanye vs. Glastonbury is about as close to that old school [clashing] vibe as you're going to get," he said, comparing Kanye to Public Enemy. "I don't know who the dude is that started the petition but I think every one of those votes is only fueling Kanye's f-ing fire and it could be the greatest show of all time."
Grohl then added, "It could be a f-ing disaster. It could be Altamont. And that s-t doesn't happen very often. It's exciting man." In even more interesting Foo Fighters/Kanye news, drummer Taylor Hawkins says he is Yeezy's neighbor and actually used to terrorize him with his bike.
"Before he bought a house [in the neighborhood] he was apparently looking at it and this estate agent told me that he was showing him the house and he looks round and says, 'Is this place secure? Can anybody get in or out?' And then right at that time I came flying down the hill [on my bike] into the neighborhood."
Don't worry, Hawkins says Kanye took back all complaints when he found out who he was. Read more here.
Despite getting dragged through the mud a bit for a few days there, chalk up a win for Apple: having 1989 available for streaming puts it ahead of both TIDAL, which has the rest of the Swift discography, and Spotify, which has been left out in the cold entirely when it comes to the country-turned-pop star's material.
"After the events of this week, I've decided to put 1989 on Apple Music' and happily so," Swift tweeted.That wasn't all. She added in two additional tweets that it was not "some exclusive deal like you've seen Apple do with other artists." Instead, the deal with Apple Music was merely "the first time it's felt right in my gut to stream my album. Thank you, Apple, for your change of heart." Read more including the full tweets here.
Cole agreed, but gave one stipulation--he would only come if she got into a four-year university. Cole was definitely not playing around, but neither was this fan, who tweeted at Cole last year to see if he approved of her grades. To which he responded, "Very much. Keep going."
She did and now she's a high school graduate on her way to a 4-year college. And guess who was there to watch her get that diploma? Why yes, Cole showed up and there are pictures to prove it.
Taking a page from Taylor Swift's book, Cole also plans to help this fan pay for part of her tuition. That is definitely the best graduation gift ever. Later, Cole's friend, Ibrahim Hamad, tweeted congratulations and revealed that Cole had scheduled his tour around her big day. See the posts here.
In a new behind-the-scenes clip, which dropped weeks before the cast's upcoming panel at Comic Con in San Diego (July 9-12), the actors give a taste of what we're all in store for in season 6--set to premiere Sunday, Oct. 10 on AMC.
While there are no real spoilers, here are three things we can take away from the teaser. 1) The Wolves aren't done yet.: Those dangerous, creepy humans who call themselves the 'Wolves" were introduced in the finale when they nearly ended Morgan's journey and trapped Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Aaron (Ross Marquand) in one of their Walker traps.
'We ended on a really compelling note, so I'm excited to get going," Sonequa Martin-Green, who plays Sasha, says. 'I hope we find out a lot more about these Wolves."
We sure hope so too. Read more and watch the clip here.
"There's not much of a story," Hunt told WYCD's Jack Shell. "We were hanging and there were a couple lovely ladies backstage hanging and I just said hello and started talking. We chatted for a little bit and then went our separate ways. Found out a couple days later we hooked up and are dating. I don't know what exactly the story was. It was very much fabricated."
Hunt added that it's not fun to be in the tabloids and it is something that is very new to him. "I didn't realize you could make up stories like that but I guess you can when you're in the public eye enough," he said. Read more here.
Last week we brought you coverage from the video shoot, where Drake and The Game shut down an entire city block; now that the song is out in the world, expect the video soon.
"100" is produced by Cardo and Johnny Juliano. It's somewhat measured, with the kind of hook-y nonchalance that made "0-100″ a hit. Game hasn't had a major charting hit in an album cycle or two, so this could be his ticket back to rap dominance.
For Drake's part, he spits a verse that he's recently been performing live a capella about all the friends he's lost and the fakers epidemic in the industry. Read more and check out the song here.
When Mendes hits the chorus--"I'll be needing stitches," he sings--he's being dragged across a parking lot floor, slapped around and thrown through a wall. What exactly is beating him up? Metaphorical love.
It's another dry humor take on one of his songs, like the sarcastic video for "Life of a Party," where it turns out that the girl he's singing about is anything but.
Mendes' album Handwritten is out now on Island Records. It's the 16-year-old's debut studio album and features other singles in "Life of the Party" (No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Something Big (No. 80). Watch the video here.
The report states that Shmurda rejected a plea deal that would have seen him serve eight years in prison, while associate Rowdy Rebel rejected a similar deal for seven years behind bars.
Beyond this trial date, an August 19 hearing has also been scheduled to determine if Shmurda will receive his own trial or if he will be tried as part of the greater GS9 case. On his own, Shmurda is charged with numerous conspiracy counts, reckless endangerment, criminally using drug paraphernalia and two instances of criminal weapon possession. Read more here.
No word on if "Liquor" is a single from the album. While we don't have a specific release date for Brown's seventh full-length LP, this fall is being named as the time period that we can expect it.
Fans of Brown can also check him out on tour this summer when he embarks on the 25-date One Hell of a Nite tour, which will also feature Fetty Wap and Kid Ink. Read more here.
As has been known for a while, Zane Lowe has become an Apple employee and will be one of the hosts for an online radio network, along with Ebro Darden and Julie Adenuga. And in a new interview with the New York Times, Lowe has let it be known what some of the other programming on "Beats 1″ will look like.
Beats 1 will use a number of celebrity music figures and allow them to host their own show. And the docket is not too shabby, with Elton John presenting his own show, "Elton John's Rocket Hour," while Pharrell Williams, Drake, Jaden Smith, Disclosure, and Dr. Dre have all been revealed as hosts of their own programs. Read more here.
"After making one record that people really like, some bands reject the things that everyone liked about them and make some really deep, thoughtful, dark record--but I wanted to avoid making a 'mature' album," Martin Doherty, who adds synths and samples to the band, told Pitchfork.
"That said, it's not like we're making saccharine s-. There's important lyrical content, and we're still pushing the same emotional boundaries, but also trying to make it as accessible as possible.
'It's pretty emosh," added lead singer Lauren Mayberry. Read more here.
It also happens to be the name of the most honest song he wrote on the album, one inspired by his late brother, who died in a car accident while driving a Ford Bronco.
'That Bronco has stuck with me my whole life," Smith tells Radio.com. His voice is soft as he speaks of the song, the truck�and the memory of his brother. 'That picture, that image of him driving a Bronco, that's the central theme in my album."
For good reason, then, the song "Bronco" became the title track of Smith's debut album, which was released earlier this week (June 23). In "Bronco," Smith sings of the hurdles his family went through after his brother's death, especially his sister. "Leah has a hard time thinkin' she's older than you," he sings. He admits it was tough to write, but at the same time he says it's important to write the songs that hurt, and then to share those emotions with listeners.
'The best songs are the vulnerable songs, the ones that come from a place of experience and truth," he explains. 'I can't share an honest picture of who I am with the world without including my brother in that story."
After hearing Smith sing the song at a show, Luke Bryan, who also lost his brother, shared his condolences with Smith. 'Luke Bryan came up to me and said, 'I hate that we are members of the same club, but I love that song and I think that it's important that you did it.' And I agree with him. I hate that me and millions of people out there are members of the same club."
Smith adds that he hopes those hearing the song and struggling through similar loss find 'a little bit of hope and peace knowing that they're not alone."
The 'Love You Like That" singer, though, is quick to explain that "Bronco" is not just sad. It also reminds him of the free spirit his brother had, and it's that free spirit that often inspires him to say yes to everything and be a renegade himself.
'A wild bronco has that exact mentality," he says. "They're kind of stubborn and they're ready to run wherever they want to run and see where the road goes, and that's what I want to do with my music, too."
'Right after I wrote 'Bronco,' that next week I went and got a tattoo of a bronco on my arm because I had a feeling that that song would be sticking around and really be a part of my story," he explains, lifting the left sleeve of his white T-shirt to show the tattoo. 'I didn't know it would be the title cut of the album. This is just a reminder that that story will always be with me. Even when this album cycle is over and we're onto the next album, 'Bronco' is why I do what I do and it's my source of strength and inspiration. Every day and every night this is a reminder." Read more here.
According to a report from Newser, it will amount to .2 cents per stream. This puts it on par with other streaming services, and cements it as not a significant source of income for most artists.
Essentially, if you listen to five songs by your favorite artist, they will get a penny, and 500 songs will get them a dollar. For them to make $1,000, they will need to be streamed 500,000 times. Read more here.
Looking back over the decades of playing music there's so many memories that are deeply embedded and have helped shape not only the musician I am today, but the person as well. Each and every song that I've penned has a serious meaning to me, some memories more serious than others. Some have hit home very hard! Release Me is about my battle with cancer. Another Sun is about a very difficult relationship. And yet other songs are about life scenarios that friends and family have experienced.
As a songwriter I like to pull from just about any scenario that can help drive a song. While I've written some of these songs years ago, my collaboration with Betsy and her amazing ability to create or improve lyrics, in addition to her incredible power and passion in her vocals, have helped make them what they are today�so very powerful to me.
Enter 'ALIGNED".
The initial chord structure to "Aligned" was written just a few weeks prior to us deciding to include it on our EP. I started messing with a little guitar pattern (which is now what's played during the verses) at my house and knew I immediately wanted to do something with it. Eventually I added a chorus and bridge and brought the structure to practice one Saturday morning as we sat around a coffee table at Roger's place. No lyrics, just the progressions, and Roger, Sacia, Betsy and I started piecing our parts together. Between Roger's 16th notes and Sacia's brilliant cello, it fell together very quickly and we started discussing what this song could be about.
We knew immediately that this was a deeply emotional song simply listening to Sacia's cello pads. The line, "I am aligned for this has been granted. Circles in time no longer slanted" (recorded ending changed a bit) immediately stuck. We thought perhaps this is a great opportunity for us to write about how we came together as a band, which is a cool story in itself. However, to me, the music had this deep connection with my adoption and the challenges I had after finding my birth mother. I didn't say anything. We captured a rough recording of it sitting around the coffee table and much of what we did musically in the quick hour or so is exactly as it stands today (minus the sweet bass groove that John added later and the additional instrumentation). So we finished practice that day and left it as such with the need to piece together lyrics and keep the momentum growing.
Driving home I immediately started to think of lyrics. As stated, the song (to me) is about my adoption, but more specifically the story around the search for my birth mother. It's not only about the initial connection with her, the failures that followed over something foolish, and the ultimate acceptance that things "are what they are".
Most of us have felt abandonment in our life, some more than others, and many adopted kids have deep-rooted, life-long issues with this. It took me many years to find a place where I was accepting of the fact that my birth Mother and I simply were NOT going to have a relationship. At least not now. The lyrics as originally penned talked a bit about the mental struggles and blaming myself for what happened, as I often questioned my adoption in general growing up. Throughout the song, however, it keeps referring back to being 'aligned' and being ok with all this. Waking up each day listening to the birds outside seemingly going about their world without a care, despite all that's going on in my life. They seem happy. Content. Aligned.
When asked what a song is about I love to share the details of what drove me to write a song, but I often follow that up by referencing a statement that Rob Thomas made in his live solo video performance playing 3AM (see video here). Mind-blowingly good musician and his performance in this video is incredible. I believe the statement he makes aligns with everyone that loves music�whether you're a songwriter or a fan trying to decipher the meaning. He says about 3AM, "It's one of those songs that�you can use it for whatever it is you want to use it for. You can use it for relationships if that makes you feel better." He goes on to explain the true story behind 3AM and his mother's battle with cancer. He follows that up with (roughly quoted) "�and nobody ever picked up on it, which is like I say just as good because then it would lose something universal about a song that makes it kind of special to everybody. You're supposed to be able to take it into your own and use it for whatever you want."
Betsy was in the studio recording the vocals, and I was watching on in amazement (as I always do). During a pause in recording we were strategizing about a specific lyric in the song. I can't remember which specific lyric as we often have those 'ad hoc strategizing sessions'. I was explaining to her what those lyrics meant to me, perhaps helping to piece together an idea or melody, or to confirm something she's thinking. She stated that this song also hits home to her too and that the lyrics for her relates perfectly to a situation in her life. WHAM�HELLO JOE! Remember what Rob said? Her timing was absolutely perfect. Truly an amazing moment for me as I was thinking all about the impact on me and not about what she might be feeling. That exchange will go down as one of those brilliant moments that helped shape me as a musician and a person�that Rob was right, songs can bring out an entirely different scenario for someone on the other end. "Use it for whatever you want", Rob says. What a great moment, great feeling, and another scenario where this song's title proves true.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself, and find out how to get a free download of the song right here!
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