Day in Pop Report for 05/14/2015
Written and produced by the Invisible Men (Iggy Azalea, Rita Ora, Jessie J), Spears officially debuted the track earlier this month in a promotion involving Uber in Los Angeles. Fans were able to request a "Bee" branded Uber SUV and preview the song as many times as they wanted before their ride ended, making the singer the first artist to use Uber to release a single. Watch the video here.
"We started working on it a couple of weeks ago, so we're right in the thick of it now," he told CBS News. "Over the next couple of weeks I will be working in the studio a lot, putting a lot of touches on the record." McGraw said he's "really excited" about the new music and hopes to release it before the year closes. "That would be the goal. I would love to get some music out to my fans sometime in the fall. Who knows though? You gotta sort of let the music develop as you go along," he said. Read more here.
Taking to Instagram, Cyrus posted a clip of her debut live performance of the waltzy slowburner. She captioned her post with "New jammmmmmmmmmmm," though it's much more melancholy than that leads on. On the haunting track, Cyrus questions some of her artist peers' motivations, singing, "Why do people only show forgiveness when they wanna sound cool in a song?" Despite the track's left-field pop approach, it should fit perfectly next to similarly spirited songs by Lana Del Rey. Check it out here.
According to USA Today, Bryan's new single "Kick the Dust Up" will be available in full on Tuesday (May 19). "That's how confident we are in the song being pretty awesome," Bryan said. "We figured the socials would start lighting up and people would start learning the words. Once it hits radio, people will catch on real quick." The song is the first glimpse at Bryan's forthcoming album, his followup to 2013's Crash My Party. "We recorded a lot of songs, and that one stood the test of time," he said. "We decided it was worth kicking the album off to. It's a big, anthemic sing-along, so it should be pretty fun." Read more here.
None of the first looks have officially launched, but at least one video preview has leaked. Now fans can get a look at her first print campaign, which leaked on Instagram on Wednesday (May 13). Rihanna's Dior campaign is set to launch in summer 2015, but no specific plans have been revealed by either camp just yet. Dior are currently supporting their cruise collection, with a shift to summer expected to come soon. See the leaked video here.
Wednesday morning the nominees were announced. Standing at the top is Underwood, with five nods for "Something in the Water," "Little Toy Guns" and her collaboration with Miranda Lambert, "Somethin' Bad." Not bad for someone who hasn't released an album aside from a greatest hits compilation. Likewise, Lambert did well nomination-wise, receiving three nods for "Somethin' Bad," "Little Red Wagon." Other artists that received recognition for the CMTs include Kenny Chesney and Lady Antebellum who both scored four nominations, and Jason Aldean who's up for three awards. Check out the full list of nominees here.
"'I Made It' was never intended to be released," the rapper said. "The song was not lyrically what I wanted to say and was not completed. Without my knowledge, there was a studio leak of the recording. "I apologize that it's out; and I have asked my lawyer to pursue a cease and desist on the song immediately. To be clear, I would never condone rape." The song has been scrubbed from audio-sharing websites like Audiomack and elsewhere. See the original lyrics in question here.
Now he's penned a letter from jail, posted by XXL, which thanks his fans for everything they've done for him and looks back over his storied decade-long career. First, he talks about his album Traphouse, which is now 10 years old. "I dropped my 1st album Traphouse 10 years ago May 2005 I remember being proud and angry the day it was released. I was proud of the work I put in and the quality of the project but I was angry that someone had to be killed over a dispute about the rights to some of the contents of the album," he wrote. "10 years later I reflect on how that day impacted my life and my legacy and I am grateful for all the fans that supported me then and still support me now." From there, it's all about the challenges the rapper has faced ever since, including, of course, his jail time. "Every challenge and obstacle in my life has helped me to become who I am today and provided me with the tests to display my resilience," he continued. "I hope my life showed someone somewhere that if you endure the storm you will eventually get your chance to shine. I never give up and I have grown and learned so much and still am eager to learn more. I look forward to showing the world how much I have grown and getting out and helping my community. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a recording artist and help others get their chance to be heard." Read more here.
He rolls up on two guys squaring up to fight in the middle of a packed crowd and forces them to hug. "Stop!" he yells, physically separating the men with his huge frame. "Y'all two motherf-ers hug. Hug! Hug! Hug him, n--!" It's hard to disobey a ripped star with a microphone yelling in your face--the two guys hug, gingerly. "That's what the f- I'm talking about, let's party!" exclaims Flocka jubilantly, as a new song starts and the crowd roars. Read more here.
Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City, the album, features a previously unreleased version of Dylan's "If Not For You" as well as 35 other tracks by everyone from Kris Kristofferson and The Monkees to George Harrison and Ringo Starr. It will be released on June 16. "Bob Dylan surprised many when he came to Nashville and began working with the city's unmatched session musicians the Nashville Cats," said Country Music Hall of Fame historian Michael Gray in a press release. "Around this same time, Johnny Cash was recruiting folk and rock musicians--including Dylan--to appear on his groundbreaking network television show. This album and Spotify playlist, with commentary from Nashville Cat Charlie Daniels, explore this magical time in 'a new Music City.'" Read more here.
FGL member Brian Kelley struggles for a definition, but seems happy enough to wear the label. "There's no label that can hurt our feelings," he says, before adding that he doesn't see it as a negative term at all. Rather then tries to untangle the term, seeing "bro" as a hip-hop connotation, leading him to the age old question: "what is the difference between hip-hop and rap?" After saying there isn't really a difference, FGL member Tyler Hubbard laughs it off, saying, "you are full of great questions tonight." Fortunately, Hubbard gets the conversation back on track, steering "bro-country" back to its misogynistic connotations, which he dismisses. Miraculously, this is only a preview to a longer interview, which will hopefully be just as enlightening. Check out the clip here.
What is surprising is the provocative way that a certain artist is expressing his raised eyebrow at the budding romance. Hanksy, whom Complex reports claims to be the mix between Banksy and Tom Hanks, has placed phony neighborhood watch posters around Calabasas High School with Tyga's face on them, saying that "any suspicious activity will be reported to our local paparazzi." Now, Jenner lives near the school but does not attend it. The reality is that most people around the high school will have no idea who Tyga is, and will just see these neighborhood watch photos in a community with nearly more than 19,000 white people and 375 black people (via 2010 census info). Sure, it is a joke, but one that can easily be misinterpreted. See the image here.
Wearing a three-piece black outfit and featuring tight curly locks, the Lorde statue delivers a straight, serious stare, sure to please fans of the New Zealand native who visit the Los Angeles museum. The outfit is inspired by the Stella McCartney suit Lorde wore at the 2015 Golden Globes. The museum said that the figure was the result of enthusiastic participation on the part of Lorde, Billboard reports. And though the image isn't the perfect paradigm for enthusiasm, the image does bare a striking resemblance, and will surely be an exciting new attraction for the wax statue vanguard. Read more and see it here.
Instead of sitting with host James Corden to apologize once again for everything, he sat behind the drums and just did what he actually does best, play music. The Biebz, showing off his brand new haircut, just kept the beat and didn't make a big deal out of it, letting the show's bandleader Reggie Watts do his own thing, which includes a lot of mouth noises. This time though, Watts wasn't doing it to the beat of his own drummer, it was to the beat of Justin Bieber on the drums. Something his manager Scooter Braun got a good laugh out of it and an even better tweet. "I love @JKCorden new drummer on the @latelateshow @justinbieber lol youtu.be/7c49TRyQjfs- Scooter Braun (@scooterbraun) May 13, 2015
Cornyn began his career at Warner Bros. Records the same year it was founded in 1958. During his Warner years, he rose to Executive VP of Warner Bros. Records; then to Senior VP of the Warner Music Group; and finally Founder and CEO of Warner New Media within Time-Warner. He is widely remembered for his years heading up Warner's prolific and eccentric Creative Services department during the 60's and 70's. Cornyn was a man of words in a business of musical notes. He applied his literary skill, marketing skills and advanced wit to build Warner Bros. Records into a distinct personality among the then faceless record labels in the industry. Cornyn was best known for his creative, humorous and often irreverent approach to promoting Warner Bros. Records and its artists. He built an image of Warner Bros. Records as a rebellious and quirky place that both artists and executives found charming and appealing. He applied his magic to help set new musical artists careers' in motion with equivocal marketing lines such as: "Once You Get Used to It, His Voice Really is Something" for artist, Randy Newman and "Joni Mitchell is 90% Virgin" to promote her record releases. Cornyn also penned the revealing 2002 record business tome about his creative approach in Exploding: The Highs, Hits, Hype, Heroes, and Hustlers of the Warner Music Group. Regarded as a legend by his peers, he leaves behind a legacy of clever advertising, intriguing album covers, and inventive marketing gambits, as well as scholarly liner notes that scored Cornyn two Grammy Awards and multiple nominations. He was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Album Notes in 1966 for Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night and again in 1967 for Sinatra at the Sands. He was nominated again in 1968 and 1969 for his work on Sinatra and Duke Ellington's Francis A. & Edward K. and Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim's Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim recordings. His work gained one additional nomination in 1974 for Sinatra's Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back. Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy issued the following statement on Cornyn's passing: "Stan Cornyn was a quiet giant in our industry. When Warner Bros. Records was establishing its long run as an artist-first label, it was Stan's wit and creativity that helped give the label its personality and attract cutting-edge artists to its roster. His writing talent earned him Best Album Notes Grammys for 1965 and 1966. Our thoughts go out to his family and all those who worked with him and gained from his wisdom." Cornyn was born in Oxnard, Calif., and was a graduate of Monrovia High Schoo, Pomona College, attended Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and received a Masters Degree in Theatre from the UCLA in 1962. Cornyn is survived by his longtime companion, Meg Barbour, and two sons by previous marriages, Christopher Cornyn and Thomas Cornyn, as well as daughter in-law Robyn Cornyn, first cousin Bill Cornyn and two grandchildren, Kate Cornyn and Shay Cornyn.
According to the announcement The Coldplay Timeline features "hundreds of exclusive videos, audio clips, photos, blogs, articles, interviews and handwritten notes." The new timeline also includes the official Coldplay gigography, which details every performance from the band (over 900) and it allows fans to also share their own photos from the shows that they attended. Check it out here.
The new video release comes ahead of Groban's appearance on the daytime CBS network talk show The Talk on May 19th. The new video can be streamed on YouTube here. Groban has also announced that he will be launching a North American tour in support of "Stages" this fall. The trek will be kicking off on September 12th in Atlanta and concluding with a two night stand at The Masonic in San Francisco on November 3rd and 4th. See the tour dates here.
The song, which Sandler says he's been writing since Letterman announced his retirement, was a hilarious and sweet tribute to the funny man that started with Sandler apologizing because he knew he was going to get emotional. With his acoustic guitar, Sandler sang "There is no better man than good ol' David Letterman/ No one gets Julia Roberts face redder than a flirty David Letterman." The song continues with Sandler getting a little choked up as he sings, "If you like gap toothed men in double breasted suits he's No. 1 on your Top Ten lists." According to Sandler, Letterman will use his free time to ignore phone calls and invite Jay Leno out to coffee so he can secretly pee in his cup, which got a good laugh from Letterman at his desk. Letterman, however, was not as keen on the line, "no one gets my mom wetter than good ol' David Letterman." But, hey, now he knows. While Sandler pokes fun at his hairpiece full of gray, it's clear he's going to miss the guy, singing that he paved the way for any late night host, including the two Jimmys, Fallon and Kimmel, who Sandler sings should "get on their knees and blow�him kisses." And, he hopes Letterman gets pulled over for speeding on his final day and dragged back to the Ed Sullivan Theater with his punishment being that he has to host the Late Show for another 30 years. Check it out here.
The trailer reveals that the movie's script recasts Jem from a girl who overcomes her stage fright by using technology into one who shuns the spotlight and becomes an accidental YouTube Star. As for the holograms who made up Jem's original backing band, they've been recast as her sisters. Fans of the original cartoon are not pleased and took to Buzzfeed Entertainment's Facebook page, where the trailer made its debut, to voice their opinions. "Wtf did you do to my favorite childhood show?!? You destroyed everything that made JEM awesome and just made her a whinny teen Nicholas Sparks themed movie!" Mary Kate Imossi wrote. Many more took umbrage with the perceived disempowering of Jem in favor of a Hannah Montana-esque character. "I mean�they scrapped EVERYTHING about Jem: she has no alter ego or superpowers. She sings uninspired pop, not pop/rock. She's no longer a child with adult responsibilities, and instead she's a moody whiner. I don't see the Misfits anywhere. I knew it'd be a failure anyway, but damn," said Brianne Howard. And many were mad that a key Jem cartoon character, Synergy, did not appear to make the film. "What a steaming pile. Where's the Synergy? Where are the damn holograms (not the band members, the actual f***ing holograms lol)? This is Spice Girls 2," wrote Michael D. Harrell. Watch the trailer here.
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