Today, Spotify held their Spotify Stream On conference, which found them announcing a ton of upcoming changes to the app — some of which might surprise users.
“This marks the biggest change Spotify has undergone since we introduced mobile 10 years ago,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “This evolution is really about bringing Spotify to life.”
Chlöe Bailey, who appeared at the press event, revealed the new “Spotify Clips” service, which allows musicians to add 30-second videos to their profiles. “You can talk about an unreleased song, promote a new album, share the stories behind a song, or really anything you can come up with,” she said.
The streaming service has announced that they will now be adding autoplay for podcasts, which means that another episode will start playing automatically after the current one ends. The recommendations will also fit the user’s personalized interests. This continues a push for their podcasting and video section, as they are allowing those around the world to apply to use Spotify Labs for recording episodes and use Patreon as a payment partnership.
Spotify will also bring out “Previews,” which gives users audio and visual previews when they scroll down.
Some other new changes include the ability to use hashtags to search for music, a few of which reportedly are “#pop, #R&B, and #confident.” Users can view touring schedules for artists on the app under a new “Live Events” section.
Finally, they’re rolling out a new AI DJ that “will deliver a curated lineup of music alongside commentary around the tracks and artists we think you’ll like in a stunningly realistic voice,” according to the company’s website.
At this past weekend’s Okeechobee music festival (which was held between March 2 and 5), one attendee died, festival organizers confirmed in a statement shared today (March 8).
The festivalgoer was 26-year-old Baton Rouge, Louisiana native Steven Nguyen, Baton Rouge’s WBRZ reports. The death was an apparent drowning and the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed with WBRZ that investigators are currently looking into the matter.
In Okeechobee’s statement, organizers expressed sadness and explained, “Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy, we have refrained from commenting prematurely. We will continue to provide our full support to the authorities, who are determining the cause.”
Artists who performed at this weekend’s festival included Lil Yachty; Big Boi; Jpegmafia; Baby Keem; Turnstile; Earth, Wind & Fire; and others.
Find Okeechobee’s full statement below.
“We are saddened by the passing of one OMF attendee this past weekend. We send our deepest condolences to this individual’s loved ones, friends, and all of those who have been impacted by this tragic loss. Out of respect to those affected by this tragedy, we have refrained from commenting prematurely. We will continue to provide our full support to the authorities, who are determining the cause.
During this emotional time, we encourage the festival community to come together in memory of this beautiful individual. As we continue to make sense of this heartbreaking incident, we encourage you to support and take good care of one another.”
Artists selling all, or even a portion, of their catalogs and publishing rights has become a recent occurrence, as several large-scale performers and bands have made massive deals.
The most recent, Metro Boomin, reportedly sold part of his for $70 million to Shamrock Capital — although not much is known about the deal’s specifics yet.
Below, find a list of artists who have sold away the rights to their songs, according to research from A Journal Of Musical Things. Click the link in the performer’s name to find out the full details of their deal.
1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. Stevie Nicks
4. Imagine Dragons
5. Whitney Houston
6. Chris Issak
7. Prince’s estate
8. Christine McVie
9. Trevor Rabin
10. The O’Jays
11. Tina Turner
12. The Weeknd
13. Drake
14. Justin Bieber
15. Bing Crosby
16. Gerry Goffin
17. Luther Vandross
18. Mike Scott of The Waterboys
19. Jeff Porcaro
20. Motley Crue
21. Jim Peterik
22. James Brown
23. Bruce Springsteen
24. ZZ Top
25. David Bowie
26. John Legend
27. Matt Redman
28. Nancy Wilson of Heart
29. Paul Rodgers
30. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America
31. Kenny Chesney
32. Travis Tritt
33. Luis Fonsi
34. Murda Beatz
35. Def Leppard
36. Robbie Robertson of The Band
37. The estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr of Alice In Chains
38. Alice in Chains’ music
39. David Crosby
40. Disturbed
41. The Killers
42. Lindsey Buckingham
43. Barry Manilow
44. Richie Sambora
45. Dave Stewart
46. Blondie
47. Chrissie Hynde
48. Air Supply
49. Culture Club
50. Devo
51. Jim Vallance
52. Ryan Tedder
53. Shakira
54. KT Tunstall
55. Mick Fleetwood
56. Ed Roland
57. Bob Rock
58. Sun Records
59. Massive Attack
60. Silverchair
61. Beach Boys
62. David Crosby
63. Glenn Tipton
64. Carole Bayer Sager
65. Linda Ronstadt
66. Paul Simon
67. Patrick Leonard
68. Red Hot Chili Peppers
69. Andrew Watt
70. David Guetta
71. Beyoncé
72. Timbaland
73. Justin Timberlake
74. Olivia Newton-John
75. Nicky Chinn
76. Leo Sayer
77. Alee Willis
78. Bob Ezrin
79. Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues
80. Dave Navarro
81. Tom Cochrane
82. Boston
83. Styx
84. Rihanna
85. Ariana Grande
86. Kendrick Lamar
87. Pat Benatar
88. Otis Redding
89. Jack Antonoff
90. Jimmy Iovine
91. Journey
92. Steve Winwood
93. Tom DeLonge
94. The Chainsmokers
95. Brendan O’Brien
96. Bernard Edwards
97. B-52s
98. Kaiser Chiefs
99. Mark Ronson
101. Nikki Sixx
102. Skrillex
103. Rick James
104. Korn
105. James Newton Howard
106. Sting
107. John Lee Hooker
108. Jason Aldean
109. Neil Diamond
110. Lionel Hampton
111. Thelonious Monk
112. Leonard Cohen
113. Martina McBride
114. The estate of Nat King Cole
115. Swedish House Mafia
116. Bob Dylan’s share of the Traveling Wilburys catalog
117. Julian Casablancas
118. Tom Whitlock
119. Frank Zappa
120. Simple Minds
121. Jean-Michel Jarre
122. Matt Sorum
123. Brad Paisley
124. Lady A
125. Deryck Whibley
126. Chuck D of Public Enemy
127. Future
128. Avicii
129. Genesis’ Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford
130. Blake Shelton
131. Joey Ramone
132. Louis Prima
133. Huey Lewis and the News
134. Ashley Gorley
135. Harry Nilsson
136. Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill of Boy Meets Girl
137. Iggy Azalea
138. Peter Frampton
139. Keith Urban
140. Steve Lillywhite
141. Dr. Dre
142. Robbie Krieger and the estate of Ray Manzarek of The Doors
143. Yes
144. Dion
145. TMS
146. Stevie Van Zandt
147. Tobias Jesso Jr
148. Christopher Cross
149. Warren Cuccurullo
150. Metro Boomin
151. Juice WRLD
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
One of the biggest festivals of the year is HARD, a long-running festival that began in 2007 to highlight alternative and electronic acts and has been running ever since. This year, though, it’s making some big changes, moving to a new venue in Los Angeles and continuing to expand its horizons, adding hip-hop acts such as 21 Savage and Kid Cudi as special guests after bringing in Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Uzi Vert last year.
HARD Summer 2023 returns to Los Angeles, the festival’s birthplace, for the first time in 10 years on August 5 and 6, leaving behind the San Bernardino NOS Event Center for the Exposition Park area near downtown, which includes both the Coliseum and BMO Stadium (formerly the Banc Of California Stadium).
And although there are some other rap names on this year’s lineup, including Fat Joe and Ludacris, HARD’s keeping things mostly the same, with headliners Kaskade and Skrillex joining a lineup that includes standouts such as Four Tet, Diplo, Black Coffee, Dillon Francis, Oliver Tree, and more. There also appear to be some surprise artists on the bill who will presumably be announced as the festival nears. And don’t discount the possibility that Drake, who collaborated with Black Coffee on last year’s Honestly, Nevermind, might show up too. Never forget who started EDM in the first place.
HARD Summer
Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 10 at 10 am. You can get more info on the official website.
Outside Lands festival is set to return for its 15th iteration this August at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. For this special anniversary, the lineup is promising.
With acts this exciting, tickets are bound to sell out quickly.
When do Outside Lands 2023 tickets go on sale?
Fans can begin to buy tickets as early as Wednesday, March 8, at 10 PST. Festivalgoers will be able to purchase three-day general admission tickets, GA+ tickets, and VIP tickets.
Three-day GA tickets ($499) will allow fans entry into Golden Gate Park for the festival, as well as access to food and beverage vendors.
GA+ ticketholders ($674) will be able to enter the festival expedited, and have access to flushable bathrooms, refillable water stations, and complimentary soft drinks. They will also be able to purchase alcoholic beverages at a full-service bar.
Those with VIP tickets ($1,029) will be able to enter the park through special entrances and have access to viewing areas at the Lands End, Sutro, and Twin Peaks stages. They will also be able to rent special VIP lockers during the festival days, and they will receive a special commemorative poster.
Outside Lands is also allowing fans to set up payment plans to pay for their tickets and passes. Tickets will be available for purchase here.
You can view the full Outside Lands 2023 lineup below.
Outside Lands
Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary or Warner Music Group.
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park will once again play host to the Outside Lands festival this year, from August 11 to 13. Ahead of then, the lineup was unveiled today (March 7), and it’s led by Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Odesza, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Megan Thee Stallion, Zedd, Janelle Monáe, Maggie Rogers, and Fisher.
There are plenty of highlights beyond that, too, including Lil Yachty, JID, Interpol, Willow, Father John Misty, Tobe Nwigwe, Orville Peck, Aespa, Beabadoobee, Alvvays, Alex G, Soccer Mommy, Diesel (aka Shaquille O’Neal), Raveena, Inhaler, Ethel Cain, Samia, The Jungle Giants, and Wednesday.
ranger dave is pleased to announce the outside lands 2023 lineup! don’t miss @kendricklamar, @foofighters, @odesza, lana del rey, & more as we celebrate 15 years, august 11-13
Earlier today (March 3), the headliners for this year’s Glastonbury festival was revealed, and leading the iconic UK event are Elton John, Arctic Monkeys, and Guns N’ Roses. After the reveal, Glastonbury co-organizer Emily Eavis spoke about this year’s all-male headliners (although female musician Melissa Reese joined Guns N’ Roses in 2016).
She described the situation as a “pipeline” issue, saying to The Guardian, “We’re trying our best so the pipeline needs to be developed. This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like but we need to get everyone on board.” She added, “It’s top of our agenda, and it probably makes it a bit harder because we’ve decided to make that important to us. To be honest, sometimes it’s easier to keep your head down.”
Here is the first Glastonbury Festival 2023 line-up poster, which includes our final two Pyramid Stage headliners: @ArcticMonkeys (Friday) and @gunsnroses (Saturday).
On the female headliner front, things are expected to look better next year: Eavis says they’re anticipating having two female headliners, with one confirmed and one nearly confirmed.
The full lineup is not yet here, but as The Guardian notes, there is diversity among the 54 acts listed on today’s poster: 52 percent of them are male and 46 percent are non-white or feature non-white members. Eavis noted she’s “entirely focused on balancing our bill,” adding, “It’s not just about gender, it’s about every aspect of diversity. […] We’re probably one of the only big shows that’s really focused on this.”
Find more info about this year’s Glastonbury festival here.
The famous jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter passed away at age 89. The news was confirmed to Rolling Stone by his team, noting that it happened earlier this morning (March 2), and there was no cause of death provided.
“Visionary composer, saxophonist, visual artist, devout Buddhist, devoted husband, father, and grandfather Wayne Shorter has passed away at age 89, departing the earth as we know it and embarking on a new journey as part of his extraordinary life. Shorter was surrounded by his loving family in Los Angeles at the time of his transition,” Shorter’s record label, Blue Note, added in a statement.
Some of Shorter’s fellow famous collaborators, close friends, and those who were influenced by his work have also shared touching tributes in the late musician’s honor.
“Wayne Shorter, my best friend, left us with courage in his heart, love and compassion for all, and a seeking spirit for the eternal future. He was ready for his rebirth. As it is with every human being, he is irreplaceable,” Herbie Hancock wrote.
Wayne Shorter, my best friend, left us with courage in his heart, love and compassion for all, and a seeking spirit for the eternal future. He was ready for his rebirth. As it is with every human being, he is irreplaceable . . . pic.twitter.com/MRVfXhaz8T
“Rest in peace to longtime Joni friend and collaborator Wayne Shorter. A visionary musician and composer, his contributions to the world of music will always be remembered,” Joni Mitchell’s team shared.
Rest in peace to longtime Joni friend and collaborator Wayne Shorter. A visionary musician and composer, his contributions to the world of music will always be remembered.
“I love Wayne Shorter with every fiber of my being. Saw him play 20 times, listened to him in every context I could. A spiritual, intellectual and viscerally transcendent giant. My hero forever. I aspire to be a fraction of the musician and human he was. Love for ever,” Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, posted.
I love Wayne Shorter with every fiber of my being. Saw him play 20 times, listened to him in every context I could. A spiritual, intellectual and viscerally transcendent giant. My hero forever. I aspire to be a fraction of the musician and human he was. Love for ever.
It has been a deeply sad morning to learn that my brother and fellow explorer of the Inner and Outer Universe @Wayne_Shorter has left town. The Maestro was a visionary, a great composer, and a friend with whom I shared a love for the Eternal Now. Barche Lamsel pic.twitter.com/cjxB6OSnJR
It’s time to shake off the snow because spring is here (at least for our purposes, for which we’re considering spring to be from March 1 to May 31). Our purposes? To look at what albums set to drop this season we’re looking forward to most.
Indeed, there are a lot of albums to anticipate this March, April, and May. The No. 1 single “Flowers” has made Miley Cyrus’Endless Summer Vacation an especially major release, the Boygenius reunion is in full swing, and Lana Del Rey and Yves Tumor are coming through with album titles that feature so many words.
Instead of giving everything away in the intro, let’s get into the list below. Here are the most anticipated albums of spring 2023.
Kali Uchis — Red Moon In Venus
Geffen
Release Date: March 3
Uchis apparently has two albums planned for 2023, but for now, the one that’s been officially announced is Red Moon In Venus. She launched the project in January with a revealing “I Wish You Roses” video, and joining her elsewhere are Omar Apollo, Don Toliver, and Summer Walker, who are making guest appearances on the album.
Lana Del Rey — Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Polydor/Interscope
Release Date: March 10
Lana Del Rey’s dad Rob Grant has his debut LP coming out this summer, but the spring is all about Lana. There’s a lot going on with Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (which somehow almost had an even longer title): Father John Misty, Bleachers, and Jon Batiste are among the features on the project, and it includes songs with names like “Taco Truck X VB” and “Grandfather Please Stand On The Shoulders Of My Father While He’s Deep-Sea Fishing.”
Miley Cyrus — Endless Summer Vacation
Columbia Records
Release Date: March 10
Cyrus is in the midst of a career high as “Flowers” is her second No. 1 single, following “Wrecking Ball” back in 2013. Amping up the anticipation for Endless Summer Vacation even more is the fact that “Flowers” is so far the only song from the album that we’ve actually heard, so who knows what else is going on here. It’ll be interesting, too, to hear how Cyrus works with her batch of collaborators this time around: Brandi Carlile and Sia are the only features on the album, but there are also songwriting contributions from folks like James Blake and inaugural Songwriter Of The Year Grammy winner Tobias Jesso Jr.
100 Gecs — 10,000 Gecs
Dog Show/Atlantic
Release Date: March 17
Before the enigmatic 100 Gecs head out on tour in April, they’re gonna drop 10,000 Gecs, the duo’s second album that arrives nearly four years after 2019’s 1000 Gecs. Gecs can embody completely different genres in different songs. On “Hollywood Baby,” for example, they go in a pop-punk-leaning direction, but they could do just about anything else on the rest of the album.
Yves Tumor — Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
Warp
Release Date: March 17
Lana Del Rey nearly had the long album title throne for spring before Yves Tumor came through. Tumor, of course, has been one of the most fascinating musical innovators for years now because, like they do on recent single “Heaven Surrounds Us Like A Hood,” they don’t let the need for stylistic experimentation get in the way of just plain old good songcraft.
6lack — Since I Have A Lover
Getty Image
Release Date: March 24
6lack had a breakout moment with his second album, East Atlanta Love Letter, which managed a No. 3 peak on the Billboard 200 and spawned the J. Cole collaboration “Pretty Little Fears.” That was back in 2018, though, and fans have been waiting for new material from him (save for the number of collabs he’s done in recent years). Just days ago, though, he revealed that Since I Have A Lover is dropping later this month.
Fall Out Boy — So Much (For) Stardust
Fueled By Ramen/DCD2
Release Date: March 24
We’ve had Fall Out Boy in our lives for over two decades at this point, and in case you haven’t been paying attention, they haven’t stopped pumping out No. 1 albums. Their past three LPs have all topped the charts and it’s clear Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, and company are still having a lot of fun doing it, like with their Easter-egg-packed “Love From The Other Side” video.
Boygenius — The Record
Interscope
Release Date: March 31
Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker are three of the most respected artists in their field, so it’s naturally always exciting when they find time to revive their collaborative project, Boygenius. Reviving it they are: Their 2018 self-titled EP caused a frenzy, so their upcoming full-length record is sure to draw even more enthusiastic support.
Chlöe — In Pieces
Jack Bridgland
Release Date: March 31
Since forging her own path outside of Chloe x Halle, Chlöe has turned herself into a genuine star, and it’s all set to culminate with her debut album. There’s still an aura of mystery surrounding the project, though, as we don’t even have a proper album cover or tracklist yet. What we can say, though, is that based on the singles and collaborations Chlöe has dropped over the past couple years, it’ll be worth paying attention to learn more about what’s going on with In Pieces.
Daniel Caesar — Never Enough
Republic
Release Date: April 7
When it comes to Caesar’s upcoming third album, he’s stayed mostly mum on it, save for a mysterious teaser he dropped in February. He did say in a previous interview, though, that some people he’s been working with have breathed new life into his music: “As far as other artists, there’s no one I would leak right now, but I have met a few people who have made me excited about making things again.”
Wednesday — Rat Saw God
Dead Oceans
Release Date: April 7
Wednesday made a major move last year by signing with Dead Oceans after earning acclaim with the first four albums. The group hasn’t given themselves much time to rest — Rat Saw God will be their fourth album since 2020 — but they don’t sound tired on songs like the shoegaze-y recent single “Bath County.”
Metallica — 72 Seasons
Blackened
Release Date: April 14
A fortuitous Stranger Things placement has helped put the long-running metal group back in the pop culture spotlight, and now they’re ready to capitalize on it with a new album. On lead single “Lux Æterna,” James Hetfield and company proved that despite how long they’ve been in the game, they’re far from ready to start phoning it in and just collecting paychecks with pedestrian material.
The Smashing Pumpkins — Atum: A Rock Opera In Three Acts
Martha
Release Date: April 21
Speaking of tenured groups, Smashing Pumpkins is another one that hasn’t stopped adventuring. Atum will be their twelfth album and its release is actually already in progress: The first act dropped in November 2022, the second arrived in January, and the project-completing third will be here in April. Bands less seasoned than Smashing Pumpkins lose their creativity all the time, so power to Billy Corgan and company for keeping their imaginations alive.
Indigo De Souza — All Of This Will End
Saddle Creek
Release Date: April 28
De Souza’s Saddle Creek debut Any Shape You Takewas an Uproxx favorite in 2021, and while it’s a tough act to follow, it appears All Of This Will End is up to the task. “Younger & Dumber” was certainly a prime choice for a lead single, as the evocative song is a lovely and thoughtful reflection on youth that sets the table for more greatness to come.
The National — First Two Pages Of Frankenstein
4AD
Release Date: April 28
Aaron Dessner apparently devoted a pocket of time to take a break from becoming one of pop’s newest go-to collaborators: The National have a new album ready to go. First Two Pages Of Frankenstein will be the band’s first since 2019 and Dessner’s connections actually helped here, too, as Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers (and Sufjan Stevens) make appearances.
Ed Sheeran — – (Subtract)
Atlantic Records
Release Date: May 5
This one’s a late addition to the list, as Sheeran just announced it yesterday (March 1). – (aka Subtract) will round out Sheeran’s series of mathematically named albums and while we have no clue what the LP sounds like yet, we do know that the vulnerable projects stems from Sheeran’s difficult early 2022, which featured “a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art.”
Arlo Parks — My Soft Machine
Transgressive Records
Release Date: May 26
In 2021, Collapsed In Sunbeams made Arlo Parks a star in her native UK and a Grammy-nominated critical favorite in the US. Part of Parks’ appeal is her vulnerability and it appears there’s plenty of that on the new LP: She previously described the project as confronting “the mid-20s anxiety, the substance abuse of friends around me, the viscera of being in love for the first time, navigating PTSD and grief and self-sabotage and joy, moving through worlds with wonder and sensitivity.”
The Kid LAROI — The First Time
Getty Image
Release Date: TBD
The Australian teenager has a major moment in front of him: His debut proper album. (F*ck Love and its various expanded editions were technically mixtapes.) It remains to be seen if The First Time will yield a single as globally popular as the Justin Bieber-featuring “Stay,” but either way, songs like “Kids Are Growing Up (Part 1)” show LAROI progressing through life and continuing to discover a more mature side of himself.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Lizzo, continuing her European tour with stops in Germany, has leaned heavily into the country’s biggest heavy metal hits — particularly Rammstein’s 1997 song, “Du Hast.” A surprise choice, she performed an a capella version of the track during her Hamburg show last month. However, her Berlin rendition of the rock track, raised the stakes to another level.
“You better sing that sh*t,” Lizzo announced. “Y’all ready to go f*king crazy?”
As the instrumental drops, Lizzo and her backup dancers truly let loose. The singer took off her hat to headbang before also stomping and twerking to the hyped-up beat.
“One last time,” she adds, repeating the German lyrics. “Sing it at me.”
In the video, the crowd clearly knew the words too, as they can be audibly heard singing along at her request. By the time her cover finished, Lizzo looks truly pleased to just be up onstage and having a blast. “ICH LIEBE DICH BERLIN,” she captioned, which translates to, “I love you Berlin.”
Fans are loving Lizzo’s energy too, even if they weren’t in Berlin. “I didnt know I needed this, but I absolutely did,” one person commented on her Instagram post.
She also made it onto the viral “Crazy Ass Moments In Nu Metal History” Twitter account. “This proving that we as a society need to shake ass to metal more,” another fan added.
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