Beyoncé Reveals ‘Renaissance’ Cover Art, Shares ‘Intention’ Behind New Album
Month: June 2022
Jim Jones Sends Love to Lil Tjay Following Shooting, Doubles Down on Opinion That Rappers Have ‘Most Dangerous Job’
Kanye West Sued for Copyright Infringement Over Sample on ‘Donda 2’ Song “Flowers”
The Weeknd Announces Lineup of Openers to Replace Doja Cat on Stadium Tour
Usher’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Enough Said.
Easily the best watch of this day.
Capella Grey Shares Visual For “OT,” With Ty Dolla $ign
This is a whole groove.
The Weeknd Announces New Openers To Replace Doja Cat On His ‘After Hours ‘Til Dawn’ Tour
Just days before his hotly anticipated “After Hours ‘Til Dawn” tour is set to kick off, The Weeknd has announced new openers who will support him throughout the trek. Joining The Weeknd for the 19-date North America leg are Mike Dean, Snoh Aalegra, and Kaytranada, as reported by Variety.
Rapper and singer Doja Cat was originally set to open for The Weeknd on the tour. However, she is currently recovering from a tonsil surgery she underwent last month. The tour kicks off Friday, July 8 in Toronto, where Dean and Kaytranada will open. Dean will appear on all 19 dates of the North American leg. Aalegra’s will join them beginning August 11 at Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta.
“Unfortunately I have to have surgery on my tonsils ASAP. The surgery is routine but the recovery is going to take awhile due to swelling,” Doja said in a since-deleted Instagram post. “That means I have to cancel my festival run this summer as well as The Weeknd tour. I feel horrible about this but can’t wait for this to heal and get back to making music and create an experience for y’all.”
“The entire show is conceptual,” said The Weeknd’s creative director La Mar Taylor to Variety. “There is a linear story between After Hours and Dawn FM, and I think the audience will walk away with different interpretations of the show. To us, that’s the whole point.”
The Best Vinyl Releases Of June 2022
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of June below.
Bartees Strange — Farm To Table
After generating a ton of buzz with his 2020 debut album Live Forever, Bartees Strange returned just earlier this month with Farm To Table, a genre-spanning album that’s full of compelling moments. As for the vinyl, there’s a cool-looking striped version (the one above) or a classic black LP. Regardless of what edition you get, the vinyl release of the album has a song, “Daily News,” that’s only available on this physical pressing. Order it now for an October ship.
Get it here.
Elton John — Madman Across The Water (50th Anniversary Reissue)
Elton John had a huge 1971, as he dropped a live album with 17-11-70, a soundtrack for the movie Friends, and later in the year, a proper studio album, Madman Across The Water. Now we have a 50th-anniversary edition of it and it’s a big one, as the 4-LP box set includes a 40-page booklet with introductions by John and Bernie Taupin, photos and essays, a reproduction 1971 reproduction poster, and more.
Get it here.
Diiv — Oshin (10th Anniversary Reissue)
Diiv was one of the most critically respected indie groups of the 2010s and it all started with Oshin. That album turns 10 this year, which the group is celebrating with an expanded 2-LP edition. The first LP contains the regular album as we know it, while the other one has original Oshin demos and two live songs, including the previously unreleased “Yuk.”
Get it here.
Angel Olsen — Big Time
“Out with the bangs, in with the twangs,” a clever ad for Angel Olsen’s new album reads. The country-leaning LP is one of the finer albums of the year so far and now it can be one of the finest albums in your vinyl collection, too. Unfortunately, the clear green edition pictured above is sold out as of this post, but the still-available black vinyl never goes out of style.
Get it here.
Los Angeles Philharmonic — Hollywood Bowl: The First 100 Years
We’ve had the Hollywood Bowl for a hundred years now and now the Los Angeles Philharmonic has unveiled a massive 7-LP box set of performances from the storied venue, a healthy 55-recording mix that features performances from Death Cab For Cutie, The Doors, James Brown, the Philharmonic conducted by John Williams, and a bunch of others that convey how important this iconic space has been and remains. (Also, you even get a free tote bag!)
Get it here.
The Walkmen — You & Me (Sun Studio Edition)
The Walkmen, sadly, are no more, but we’ll always have the music. 2008’s You & Me, one of their most beloved albums, has now gotten a deluxe new vinyl version, dubbed the Sun Studio Edition, which is fully remastered and comes with a fourth side of unreleased tracks from the time, recorded at Sun Studio for PBS.
Get it here.
Beach Boys — Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys
Artists are competing for the unofficial “song of the summer” title for 2022 right now, but if we’re talking all-time, it’s hard to beat the Beach Boys. Well, the group, which celebrates 60 years this year, so they’ve reissued their 2003 Sounds Of Summer compilation, which collects 80 songs from 1962 to 1989, making this a great catch-all option to fill a Beach Boys-sized hole in your vinyl library.
Get it here.
Beastie Boys — Check Your Head (30th Anniversary Reissue)
It’s been 30 years since Beastie Boys dropped the classic Check Your Head, so what better way to celebrate than with a new deluxe 4-LP edition? This limited reissue was originally released in 2009 and has been out of print for a good while, and goodies like remixes, live versions, and B-sides make it an especially desirable release.
Get it here.
The Kills — No Wow (17th Anniversary Reissue)
17th anniversaries aren’t a common one to make a big deal about, but for The Kills’ second album No Wow, it’s worth it. They’ve shared a limited deluxe reissue of the 2005 album that presents two distinct versions of the album: the original and a new mix by Grammy winner Tchad Blake. Furthermore, the deluxe edition has a gold foil gatefold LP jacket, black-and-gold smoke vinyl LP, an exclusive 5×7 print, and a four-page booklet.
Get it here.
Bright Eyes — I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (Vinyl Me, Please Reissue)
One of Vinyl Me, Please’s latest records of the month is the Bright Eyes classic I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. The LP was widely considered one of 2005’s best and this may be the best vinyl release of it, as the marbled red vinyl is gorgeous and it comes with a listening notes booklet.
Get it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Usher Makes A Musical Gumbo With An Instant Classic Tiny Desk Concert
Usher had literally decades of hits to pull from for his NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, so it had to be stressful to whittle the options down to an under-30-minute set. Fortunately, that time in the limelight has taught Mr. Raymond a few things about being an entertainer — namely, to play the hits. That’s just what he did, opening the set with his 1997 breakout single, “You Make Me Wanna…,” the lead single from his second album My Way — the project that set him on the road to becoming the superstar that he is today.
Then, inspired by the viral challenge based on his 2004 Confessions smash, he launched into a stunning falsetto rendition of “Superstar.” Even better, he brought along the singer who helped kick off the challenge, Eric Bellinger, who sang backup alongside Vedo (both are stars in their own rights, highlighting just how big Usher really is). Then, bringing out yet another hit, Usher went even further back to 8701 single “U Don’t Have To Call.” With the horns backing the arrangement, the futuristic Neptunes production becomes a funky, jazzy slider.
And speaking of viral moments, there’s a new challenge in which Zoomers ask each other what Usher was doing at 7 o’clock — a clear reference to his My Way single “Nice And Slow” that embarrassingly few young people have gleaned. However, the audience at NPR’s office knew exactly what was going down, turning the song into a full-on singalong, from the first verse to the double-time rapped bridge. Of course, he performs the obligatory “Confessions, Part 2” and then closes out by celebrating the 25th anniversary of the title song from My Way, playing a full-force presentation of Usher’s second top-five hit.
You can watch Usher’s Tiny Desk Concert above.
Beyonce Shares The Regal, Near-Nude ‘Renaissance’ Cover
Even though Beyonce has announced her comeback album, Renaissance, and released its house-influenced first single “Break My Soul,” there were probably at least a few fans who still thought she might be trolling. But no, it’s definitely real. Beyonce herself shared the latest evidence via her little-used social media profiles, dropping the striking cover for the album, which features a near-nude Beyonce sitting astride a crystalline horse glowing with electricity.
act i RENAISSANCE 7.29 https://t.co/6sfw3sBWnz pic.twitter.com/FPPhEW1OTK
— BEYONCÉ (@Beyonce) June 30, 2022
The rollout for Renaissance has been a roller coaster of emotions for members of the Beyhive, who got their first inkling of a potential new project early this month when Beyonce wiped her social media. Then, when she updated her official site with a placeholder image for the album, fans wondered whether she was just plotting on another Ivy Park drop, refusing to fully invest lest she dash their hopes with a new collection of sweatpants or something.
But then, she actually announced the album — which appears to be a multi-parter heavy on both dance and country vibes — leading to excitement and relief as the long wait since Lemonade finally appears to be coming to an end. Meanwhile, “Break My Soul” has generated a wave of good vibes, drawing emotional responses from the song’s inspiration Robin S., sampled artist Big Freedia, and writer The-Dream.
It’s just too bad Azealia Banks isn’t too enthused about the mashups with her music the song has inspired. Aside from Banks’ sour grapes, though, the anticipation has been a lot of fun and July 29 can’t get here soon enough. Check out that art above.