Over the weekend, teasers made it seem like Tama Impala and Diana Ross were perhaps making an album together. It turns out that’s only sort-of-but-not-really true: They are appearing on an album together, yes, but that album is the soundtrack to the upcoming Minions: The Rise Of Gru movie, the full tracklist of which has now been revealed.
Their contribution is a collaborative new song called “Turn Up The Sunshine.” The 19-track album mostly consists of covers, but other originals include “Cool” from Verdine White (of Earth, Wind & Fire), RZA’s “Kung Fu Suite,” and Heitor Pereira’s “Minions: The Rise Of Gru Score Suite.”
As for the covers, they’re all of songs from the ’70s, coinciding with the movie’s setting. Selections include St. Vincent doing Lipps, Inc’s “Funkytown”; Thundercat doing Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like An Eagle”; Phoebe Bridgers doing The Carpenters’ “Goodbye To Love”; and Brockhampton doing Kool & The Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging.”
Check out the Minions: The Rise Of Gru (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) art and tracklist below.
Decca
1. Diana Ross — “Turn Up The Sunshine” Feat. Tame Impala
2. Brittany Howard — “Shining Star” Feat. Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire cover)
3. St. Vincent — “Funkytown” (Lipps, Inc. cover)
4. Brockhampton — “Hollywood Swinging” (Kool & The Gang cover)
5. Kali Uchis — “Desafinado” (Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto cover)
6. Caroline Polachek — “Bang Bang” (Nancy Sinatra cover)
7. Thundercat — “Fly Like An Eagle” (Steve Miller Band cover)
8. Phoebe Bridgers — “Goodbye To Love” (The Carpenters cover)
9. Bleachers — “Instant Karma!” (John Lennon cover)
10. Weyes Blood — “You’re No Good” (Linda Ronstadt cover)
11. Gary Clark Jr. — “Vehicle” (The Ides Of March cover)
12. HER — “Dance To The Music” (Sly & The Family Stone cover)
13. Tierra Whack — “Black Magic Woman” (Santana cover)
14. Verdine White — “Cool”
15. Jackson Wang — “Born To Be Alive” (Patrick Hernandez cover)
16. The Minions — “Cecilia” (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
17. GEM — “Bang Bang” (Nancy Sinatra cover)
18. RZA — “Kung Fu Suite”
19. Heitor Pereira — “Minions: The Rise Of Gru Score Suite”
Minions: The Rise Of Gru (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is out 5/20 via Decca.
A few months ago, it was reported that Tama Impala and Diana Ross (aka one of the best lead singers of all time) were working on a new song together, with a source telling The Sun at the time, “Diana might be 77 but she is determined to push musical boundaries and challenge herself. She loves reinvention and melting genres together. She’s really excited to work with Tame Impala and is ecstatic with the track — she can’t wait for fans to hear it.”
Now it appears the two got along so well that they’ve actually made an entire collaborative album.
NME reports that some posters started showing up in London over the weekend which seem to tease a full-length project from Ross and Tame Impala. The colorful poster teases something that’s “coming soon,” produced by Jack Antonoff, and that features Tierra Whack, HER, Brittany Howard, Jackson Wang, Bleachers, Phoebe Bridgers, GEM, Heitor Pereira, Weyes Blood, Kali Uchis, Verdine White (of Earth, Wind & Fire), Thundercat, Caroline Polachek, RZA, St. Vincent, Gary Clark Jr., and Brockhampton.
This comes after Ross released Thank You, her first album of new original material since 1999’s Every Day Is A New Day, in November 2021. Antonoff and St. Vincent contributed to that project, too.
This morning, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced its class of 2022 inductees, which features Eminem, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, and Carly Simon. As the news has made the rounds, some of the honorees have taken to social media to offer reactions.
Shortly after the news was shared, Ritchie wrote, “Being elected to @rockhall is an incredible honor. I would like to say THANK YOU to all of the voters, to all of my wonderful fans and to everyone at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Congratulations to all of my fellow 2022 inductees! #RockHall2022.” Duran Duran also shared a video filmed shortly after being informed of their induction, in which they express how “honored and thrilled and happy” they are.
Benatar, alongside husband and longtime musical partner Neil Giraldo, also offered a statement, writing, “We are thrilled and humbled to become part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame family. Thank you to everyone who voted especially the fans and congratulations to all the other inductees.” Annie Lennox of Eurythmics has yet to offer a reaction of her own but she did retweet some, including a message from an apparently official (but not Twitter-verified) Eurythmics account.
Being elected to @rockhall is an incredible honor. I would like to say THANK YOU to all of the voters, to all of my wonderful fans and to everyone at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Congratulations to all of my fellow 2022 inductees! #RockHall2022pic.twitter.com/prfvKOiXEN
We are thrilled and humbled to become part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame family. Thank you to everyone who voted especially the fans and congratulations to all the other inductees. – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo pic.twitter.com/I1pElg83UR
— Benatar and Giraldo (@benatargiraldo) May 4, 2022
We are beyond delighted to announce that Eurythmics have been inducted into the legendary @rockhall
Parton has yet to offer a reaction, but a few days ago, after previously rejecting her nomination, she did note what she’d do if she did get inducted, saying, “Well, I’ll accept gracefully. I would just say thanks and I would accept it because the fans vote. But when I said that, it was always my belief that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was for the people in rock music. I have found out lately that it’s not necessarily that, but if they can’t go there to be recognized, where do they go? So I just felt like I would be taking away from someone that maybe deserved it, certainly more than me, since I never considered myself a rock artist. But obviously, there’s more to it than that.”
The induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles before airing on HBO and streaming on HBO Max at a later date.
The list of 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees was revealed back in February. Since then, the voting process has started and finished, and now, the 2022 induction class has been finalized, the Hall announced this morning that set to be inducted are Eminem, Dolly Parton, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, and Carly Simon.
Festival season is in full swing, and so far in 2022, the music world has been graced with strong showcases that display some of the best talents from different corners of the music world. Coachella is a couple of weeks removed from its two weekends of performances and it joins other festivals like Sol Blume, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Dreamville Fest, and more that have put on shows this year. Others are just weeks or months away from their own showcases, and it includes the HARD Summer Music Festival which just announced the lineup for its 2022 edition.
This year’s HARD Summer Music Festival, which will take over the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino during the weekend of July 29-31, will be headlined by Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, and Porter Robinson. The announcement comes after Megan Thee Stallion shined brightly at last month’s Coachella Festival while Lil Uzi Vert and Porter Robinson are gearing up for additional festival appearances of their own, those being Something In The Water and Osheaga.
In addition to Megan, Lil Uzi, and Porter, the 2022 HARD Summer Music Festival will also feature performances from Joji, Gunna, 100 Gecs, Amine, Koffee, Masego, Denzel Curry, Ski Mask The Slump God, Three 6 Mafia, Duckwrth, and more.
You can view the full lineup for the 2022 HARD Summer Music Festival in the flyer above. Tickets for the festival will be on sale Friday 5/6 at 10 am PST here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
This month’s slate of Artists To Watch is especially eclectic and positively fire. Follow along as we jump from dynamic British afrobeats and the next rapper about to take over, to an indie band on repeat, real Brazilian sh*t, and more. These are the artists to watch for in May. And this is On The Up.
Obongjayar
The Nigerian-born, London rapper came firmly into focus last year on Little Simz’s track “Point And Kill.” But it was on the first single from his upcoming album, “Message In A Hammer,” (with one of the best videos of last year) where we get to witness the menacing, raspy-tongued rapper establishing his piercing singular vision. A dynamic MC, he fuses British rap and afrobeats with a silky vocal delivery that touches newfound forms of R&B. On “Try,” the whole range of his voice — from a fine-grain sandpaper flow to his sweet coo over atmospheric production — is on full display. His debut, Some Nights I Dream of Doors, is due out on May 13th.
Momma
While Momma’s third LP (and first since signing with Polyvinyl Records), Household Name, isn’t out until July 1st, the singles that the Brooklyn alt-indie band has released leading up to it oughta be living on repeat in your speakers. Led by Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, Momma has heavy vibes of The Breeders, with the vocalist pair complementing each other a la Kim and Kelley Deal. They supported Wet Leg on their sold-out tour earlier this year and will be joining Snail Mail for theirs in August. But we can’t say enough about how sticky Momma’s first three singles are. They channel ’90s nostalgia in a decidedly of-the-moment package, like on “Speeding 72” when they sing, “You can catch us around, Listening to “Gold Soundz”. Keep me in your car,” before a harmonic guitar riff takes the melody into space.
Domi & JD Beck
The future is here. Domi & JD Beck are two jazz prodigies signed to Anderson .Paak’s Apeshit label, who are starting to build some serious buzz. They backed Thundercat and Ariana Grande’s version of “Them Changes” at the 2020 Adult Swim Festival, sat in with the legendary Herbie Hancock at the Hollywood Bowl last year, co-wrote Silk Sonic’s “Skate,” and their debut album is due out later this year on Apeshit and Blue Note Records. The 21-year-old Domi plays keys, is French, and sports blonde pigtails that flap in unison with her hypnotic fingers tickling the ivories. At 18, the shaggy-haired JD Beck plays drums like he’s possessed by Gregory Coleman, and puts down some of the most dizzying snare work you’ve ever heard. They just dropped their debut single, “Smile,” which features .Paak, Thundercat, and Mac DeMarco in the hilarious video. The visual is a prime example of how they infuse child-like fun into complete and utter mastery of their instruments and it’s them who will surely continue to spread the gospel of real next-level jazz music to future generations.
Sessa
In 2019, Brazilian singer and multi-instrumentalist emerged as a unique talent in the shape of the bossanova and tropicalia greats like Caetano Veloso, João Gilberto, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. His debut album, Grandeza, presented gorgeously-woven poetic expressions of love that only Brazilians are capable of articulating. Now he’s signed to Mexican Summer for the June 24th release of Estrela Acessa and the lead single, ”Gostar Do Mundo,” is a globally-minded declaration of otherworldly desire. Alongside a gentle guitar, Brazilian percussion, and female backing singers, he swoons, “Chega mais pra cá, moço lindo desse lugar. Vem me namorar, sabe o mundo vai acabar”. (translation: “Come closer, good looking man from this place. Come nestle up against me, because the world is ending you know.”) This is the stuff right here.
Doechii
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) has been notoriously insular in thrusting forward the career of artists from Kendrick Lamar to SZA. But when the venerable hip-hop label announced a new partnership with Capitol Records last month, Doechii was at the center of it. The Tampa rapper is here to usher in the next movement of the TDE roster and she’s come out with a serious bang. The absolutely bonkers (and NSFW) video for “Crazy” feels like it’s floating fiercely over an OG Timbaland beat (it’s actually produced by Kal Banx.) On “Persuasive,” she flashes a silkier side of herself, one that’s indulgent and coyly extravagant. No word yet on an album release, but don’t be sleeping on Doechii.
Doechii is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music.
Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in May. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.
Friday, May 6
!!! — Let It Be Blue (Warp)
Aaron Raitiere — Wide Dreamer (Dinner Time Rec)
Alison Wonderland — Loner (EMI Music Australia)
Alune Wade — Sultan (Enja Records)
The Americans — Stand True (Loose Music)
Anna Calvi — Tommy EP (Domino Recordings)
Arcade Fire — We (Columbia)
Astor Piazzolla — Astor Piazzolla: The American Clavé Recordings (Nonesuch)
Aundrey Guillaume. — Energy EP (Secretly Canadian)
Awolnation — My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers, And Me (Better Noise Music)
Bad Planning — Et Fortes (Jump Start Records)
Belle And Sebastian — A Bit Of Previous (Matador Records)
Bill Fay — Still Some Light: Part 2 (Dead Oceans)
The Black Crowes — 1972 EP (Amazon Music)
Bottler — Journey Work (InFiné)
Brennen Leigh — Obsessed with The West (Signature Sounds)
The Builders And The Butchers — Hell & High Water (Badman)
C Duncan — Alluvium (Bella Union)
Emeli Sandé — Let’s Say For Instance (Chrysalis Records)
The Feeling — Loss. Hope. Love (Island Records)
Flight Mode — Torshov, ’05 EP (Sound as Language)
Francesco Lurgo — Sleep Together Folded Like Origami (Bosco Rec)
The Gorillaz are very well-known at this point for collaborating with some of the best and brightest artists around, so it’s never any surprise when they add another joint track to their already impressive discography. All these frequent collabs also make for a great live show when Gorillaz do perform, because a lot of times, different artists will come out and perform their hits alongside the band. Well, that wasn’t quite the case last night, but fans did get the chance to catch a new track for the first time — this one a collaboration with renowned bassist and R&B star Thundercat.
During a set at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay, the band performed the new song and projected footage of Thundercat playing alongside them. Last night was the kick off for Gorillaz’ new world tour, and they played another new song as well, this one called “Silent Running.” Check out footage of the Thundercat collab both up top and down below, as well as some clips of “Silent Running.”
In other Gorillaz news, Damon Albarn has been a divisive force in pop lately, drawing the ire of Taylor Swift fans for questioning her songwriting in an interview, and praising Billie Eilish in the same breath. The latter led to a Coachella appearance for him, so at least some of those interview comments worked out.
This year’s Rock Hall of Fame ballot has seen quite a lot of drama already — because of Dolly Parton? It’s true! In another act of grandiose, self-aware grace, the country singer tried to decline her nomination to the historical hall because she felt that lots of other more “rock” oriented groups should get in before her. Unfortunately for Dolly, pretty much everyone on the planet disagreed. First of all, she’s a songwriting icon, and second of all, her constant decisions to put the good of other people first is so metal that it supersedes any genre distinction — she’s rock and roll, whether she likes it or not. Luckily, she accepted.
Anyway, voters definitely agreed, because after the Hall made it clear they were keeping Dolly on the ballot for the fan voted sections. She made the top five spots quite easily, following up Duran Duran, Eminem, Pat Benatar, and Eurythmics. Those who finished just outside those top five slots include Judas Priest, Carly Simon and Lionel Richie, so they won’t be nabbing one of the fan selected spots this year. Those votes from fans are taken into final consideration, but don’t necessarily guarantee an artist makes it into the hall: The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a ‘fans’ ballot’ that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2022 inductees,” said the Rock Hall said of these selections.
Congratulations to Duran Duran, Em, Pat, Eurythmics and Dolly for the vote of confidence. The final announcement will come in May, with the induction ceremony coming shortly after.
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 April below.
El-P — Fantastic Damage (20th Anniversary Reissue), I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (15th Anniversary Reissue), Cancer 4 Cure (10th Anniversary Reissue)
While El-P is best known today as half of Run The Jewels alongside Killer Mike, he had previously made a name for himself with his own material. He put out three solo albums between 2002 and 2012, with each one of them celebrating a milestone anniversary here in 2022. So, now, El has made those albums available on vinyl for the first time in years, all getting special colored pressings.
Wet Leg has Dave Grohl’s attention and they should have yours, too. The Isle Of Wight duo is fresh off releasing their beloved self-titled debut album, which went No. 1 in the UK and Australia. The album has a lot going on besides viral hit “Chaise Longue,” all of which are sure to be delightful when experienced on a turntable.
Sixth time was the charm for French group M83, as their sixth album, 2012’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, was their most iconic release and biggest success so far. It’s been a decade since the release of the Grammy-nominated album, which has prompted an anniversary reissue, pressed on vibrant orange vinyl and emblazoned with alternate cover art.
Terror Twilight is a truly classic Pavement release and now it’s being given a reissue so in-depth that it necessitates a new title: Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal. This edition of the album has a ton of extras, most notably 28 previously unreleased tracks, consisting of the remastered original album, B-sides, home demos, rehearsal tapes, live recordings, and even the rough tracks from a scrapped session.
Vile recently told Uproxx of his new album, “Basically, I just want it to be as honest as possible. I want the songs to creep up to me. In the older days, I used to think too much. ‘Oh, why am I not writing? Am I going to write a good song?’ None of that matters, because now I like when I’m not writing. I like to be present in whatever I’m doing and then the music comes through inspiration. If you just go about your day, inspiration’s going to strike. I’m not too worried about anything really. I feel like I’ve proved a lot on this album, to be honest. But at the same time, I have nothing to prove.”
Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On (50th Anniversary Reissue)
Motown/UMe
What’s Going On has been at or near the top of so many “best albums of all time” lists that it truly justifies the cliche of needing no introduction. The album is 50 years old now and a new reissue in honor of that milestone is full of treats. Included here are four rare cuts making their vinyl debut, including a previously unreleased “stripped” version of the title track.
Queen is of course Brian May’s biggest claim to fame, but he also had a handful of solo albums following Freddie Mercury’s death. Now, 1998’s Another World has been given new life via a fresh reissue, which, among other goodies, includes Another Disc, a collection of alternative versions, B-sides, and live recordings.
Jack White, perhaps the music industry’s biggest supporter of vinyl, has a new album out, so it’s only natural to pick it up in LP form. Furthermore, Target has an exclusive “moon glow white” pressing of it, which pairs gorgeously with the cover art.
A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory (Vinyl Me, Please reissue)
Vinyl Me, Please
Speaking of prominent figures in the vinyl community, Vinyl Me, Please has been up to a lot lately: Aside from announcing a new pressing plant in Denver, one of the latest albums of the month is a reissue of A Tribe Called Quest’s classic album The Low End Theory, a 2-LP release that is pressed on aesthetically simple and perfect red and green vinyl.
VMP’s monthly album selections are their main attraction, but they have other sorts of exclusive pressings available, too. For example, they’re currently offering an edition of Toro y Moi’s new album Mahal, pressed on “blue jay and white” vinyl. To even further connect this specific pressing with the aesthetics of the album cover, VMP references the bus on the cover by offering a bumper sticker, the sort of clever nod that helps make VMP the best at what they do.
