There are plenty of music awards out there but perhaps the most prestigious is a work being selected for preservation in the Library Of Congress’ National Recording Registry; Recordings are selected after being deemed “worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.” It’s a major achievement, as only 600 recordings have ever been honored.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden says, “The National Recording Registry reflects the diverse music and voices that have shaped our nation’s history and culture through recorded sound. The national library is proud to help preserve these recordings, and we welcome the public’s input. We received about 1,000 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry.”
Keys also noted, “I’m so honored and grateful that Songs In A Minor, the entire album, gets to be recognized as such a powerful body of work that is just going to be timeless.
Find the full list of 2022 selections below and read more about them here.
1. “Harlem Strut” — James P. Johnson (1921)
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Complete Presidential Speeches (1933-1945)
3. “Walking The Floor Over You” — Ernest Tubb (1941) (single)
4. “On A Note Of Triumph” (May 8, 1945)
5. “Jesus Gave Me Water” — The Soul Stirrers (1950) (single)
6. Ellington At Newport — Duke Ellington (1956) (album)
7. We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite — Max Roach (1960) (album)
8. “The Christmas Song” — Nat King Cole (1961) (single)
9. Tonight’s The Night — The Shirelles (1961) (album)
10. “Moon River” — Andy Williams (1962) (single)
11. In C — Terry Riley (1968) (album)
12. “It’s A Small World” — The Disneyland Boys Choir (1964) (single)
13. “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” — The Four Tops (1966) (single)
14. Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974)
15. “Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen (1975) (single)
16. “Don’t Stop Believin’” — Journey (1981) (single)
17. Canciones de Mi Padre — Linda Ronstadt (1987) (album)
18. Nick Of Time — Bonnie Raitt (1989) (album)
19. The Low End Theory — A Tribe Called Quest (1991) (album)
20. Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) — Wu-Tang Clan (1993) (album)
21. Buena Vista Social Club (1997) (album)
22. “Livin’ La Vida Loca” — Ricky Martin (1999) (single)
23. Songs In A Minor — Alicia Keys (2001) (album)
24. WNYC broadcasts for the day of 9/11 (September 11, 2001)
25. WTF With Marc Maron (Guest: Robin Williams) (April 26, 2010)
Idiosyncratic Swedish rapper and Drain Gang associate Yung Lean released his new mixtape Stardust today, following 2020’s critically-acclaimed Starz. It’s full of features from friends like Skrillex, Bladee (who also just unveiled a new record, Crest, recently), Ecco2k, FKA Twigs, Thaiboy Digital, and Ant Wan. The songs stick to his signature synthy sound underneath his deadpan mumble-rap.
“Bliss” is the ecstatic, bass-driven collaboration with Twigs, whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett, and it opens up Stardust as the most upbeat track. Barnett’s high-pitched vocals give it an ethereal hyperpop edge while she sings about hedonism: “I want your bliss on bliss and little company / I only want it when it feels like this.” The track comes with a music video that matches the track’s chaotic vibe; it’s lo-fi and steamy, with Lean and Barnett in the back of an old car, dressed up for a wedding. At one point, Lean is rapping on a couch that’s on top of the car. It vaguely resembles something like an episode of Skins.
Barnett returned with more FKA Twigs material earlier this year with a mixtape titled Caprisongs, a play on her astrological sign, Capricorn. It followed her 2019 opus Magdalene, and proved her progress into a more unique style.
The Walkmen’s 2002 breakthrough debut, Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone, turned 20 a couple of weeks ago. It doesn’t seem like that long ago since the Brooklyn band’s seminal indie rock record was released, but here we are. Feel old yet? Well… maybe you will now when you hear about the most random record exchange that happened to unsuspecting fans of The Walkmen recently.
It seems as though people who were looking to secure a piece of this indie rock nostalgia forever were in for a surprise. According to a post on The Walkmen Instagram page, people who received copies of Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone, were actually getting the right record jacket, but the record inside was a copy of Digital Underground’s 1990 weird rap classic, Sex Packets. Here’s what the statement from The Walkmen on the hilarious mix-up read:
“It’s come to our attention that several of you may have received a copy Digital Underground’s “Sex Packets” when you purchased the new vinyl version of “Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone.” Also, you should probably check if you haven’t opened the record. Like the actual record inside the Walkmen cover is the Digital Underground. Anyways, the problem has been fixed (but it was a pretty great record anyway so enjoy) so you can safely buy the album at our store now!”
Based on this message, it’s hilarious to think of how purchasers probably haven’t even opened their copy of the record to find the delightful surprise waiting for them. One of these The Walkmen/Digital Underground mix-up editions seems to become an instant collector’s item too. Either way, The Walkmen have “fixed the glitch,” but maybe Shock G was playing another wild trick from the beyond?
Doja Cat had what is surely the most famous music urination in recent memory, when she nearly missed the chance to accept her Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance because she was in the bathroom. Fellow Grammy nominee Japanese Breakfast (aka Michelle Zauner) had a unique perspective on that bit of Grammys history as she was actually in the bathroom with Doja during that fateful pee.
Zauner broke down different parts of her 2022 Grammys experience in a new Pitchfork feature and she noted of Doja:
“I went out during a commercial break and I was in the bathroom. Doja Cat came in, and I was like, ‘OMG, it’s Doja Cat! She’s going to pee next to me.’ Then some woman came in and was like, ‘Doja Cat! Doja Cat! Doja Cat!’ And all of sudden she was, like, yanking her by the wrists past me, and her skirt flew up and she flashed her ass to everyone running in to go and accept her award. They close the door and hold them during a commercial break, and once the show starts, they don’t let anyone back in, and so she was running with Doja Cat because she had just won.”
We now have a look at basically every part of that moment, as Zauner’s story comes shortly after video of Doja’s sprint from the bathroom to the stage surfaced.
A few years ago, Jay-Z and Jack White got together to collaborate on some music, which was ultimately not released (at least not by Jay-Z, as White re-worked at least one of the songs as a solo cut). Now, though, White says that music could actually come out at some point.
Speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe recently, when asked about the Jay-Z collaboration, White responded (as NME notes):
“Yeah. That’s true, but it’s not me who doesn’t finish stuff. So it’s, uh… I’m not that guy. No, I’m just teasing. But I’m more the personality, like, I’ll be there tomorrow, you know. So it’s different working styles. So some of that stuff I think will see the light of day when those guys aren’t busy with other projects and stuff.”
He also noted it was fun working with Jay-Z, saying, “Yeah, it was. It’s so different, you know, because when I went into the studio with him, there was just one microphone which is, I kind of was [like] ‘Whoa, what? Where are the other microphones?’ But I was like, ‘Oh, wow, OK. Yeah, I guess why would you need another microphone?’ So yeah, it’s different worlds. And so Jay was learning about the way I did it and I was learning about the way he did it. That’s like seeing anybody use a method. And if you see anyone using any method, it’s really, really interesting.”
White and Jay-Z both have experience crossing over into each other’s music worlds: White collaborated with Beyoncé on the Lemonade cut “Don’t Hurt Yourself” while Jay-Z’s most notable foray into rock is 2004’s Collision Course, his collaborative EP with Linkin Park.
As music fans know by now, longtime Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died last month. After somebody passes away, their work usually receives some renewed attention. Now Billboard reveals this has indeed happened with Foo Fighters on the latest Billboard charts.
The band’s Greatest Hits compilation rose from No. 8 to the very top of the Top Hard Rock Albums chart, its first time at No. 1 since it debuted there in November 2009. It also rose from No. 24 to No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums chart (a new peak) and up from No. 147 all the way to No. 18 on the Billboard 200 chart.
“Everlong,” one of the band’s signature songs, also re-entered the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart at No. 1, topping the chart (which launched in 2020) for the first time. It’s worth noting Hawkins doesn’t actually drum on the album version of the song since he joined the band after it was recorded, although he does appear in the track’s video.
Those chart are all dated April 9 and reflect the tracking week from March 25 to 31, meaning the represent the days following Hawkins’ March 25 death.
This comes shortly after Hawkins won some posthumous Grammys with Foo Fighters, as the band picked up the awards for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance last weekend.
Well, that was quick. Just days after Kanye West pulled out of headlining Coachella — allegedly to get his head on straight after months of juvenile social media antics — the festival has announced his replacement: A double act consisting of EDM supergroup Swedish House Mafia and ’80s pop revivalist The Weeknd.
Funnily enough, The Weeknd actually beat the actual festival in posting the new lineup on Twitter by about five minutes. That said, the fest’s official account quickly corroborated the new information by posting the flyer shortly after.
In the wake of Kanye’s withdrawal from the festival, there was plenty of speculation about who could take his place, with some sources positing everyone from Doja Cat to Justin Bieber. With Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd, Coachella has found a pair of artists who collectively have the clout to fill the void left by West’s departure.
The Weeknd — who recently became the artist with the second-most diamond certifications in history — may use the headlining set as a dry run for his upcoming After Hours Til Dawn Tour with Doja Cat. The Canadian singer had pushed back the tour after finding that arenas were too constraining to do everything he wanted to do with the show, which will now take over stadiums in 18 cities, including his native Toronto.
A big part of being a music fan is keeping up with the music of the moment; There’s a reason popular artists have gotten to where they are, after all. Another equally important aspect of being an informed consumer of music, though, is maintaining an awareness of the up-and-coming artists who are primed to shape the industry in their own ways.
That’s what Uproxx’s new Next Up series is all about.
Over the course of ten feature profiles, you’ll learn about artists currently laying the foundation for some major things to come, things that will both establish themselves as forces and influence those who come after them. Before those features start rolling in, keep reading for a rundown of who we decided needs to be a part of this conversation.
Dove Cameron
Getty Image
The pipeline from Disney Channel star to music icon has been fruitful over the years, as folks like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande have started on the network and gone on to tremendous musical success (also Olivia Rodrigo if you count her High School Musical series on Disney+). Now it’s looking like Dove Cameron, whose lengthy acting resume includes the lead role in the Disney Channel series Liv And Maddie, could very well be next. Her debut EP, Bloodshot / Waste, arrived in 2019 and she just recently had her biggest hit yet in February with the dramatic single “Boyfriend,” which was her first, and likely not last, song to grace the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Saya Gray
Jennifer Cheng
With her recent signing to Dirty Hit, Canadian-Japanese singer-songwriter Saya Gray finds herself in great company: The label’s esteemed artists include The 1975, Beabadoobee, Wolf Alice, and Rina Sawayama. Her first album for the label, 19 Masters, is on the way in June and based on songs like the recent single “If There’s No Seat In The Sky (Will You Forgive Me???),” it’s easy to see why Dirty Hit brought the innovative young artist on board, who’s adept at switching genres not just between songs, but sometimes right in the middle of them.
PinkPantheress
Getty Image / Brent McKeever
TikTok has become a real proving ground for up-and-coming artists as the young generation gets exposed to a lot of new music on the platform. PinkPantheress managed to stand out above all the noise and earn herself a record deal with Parlophone. Her music definitely embraces the fast-paced nature of TikTok: Most of the songs on her 2021 debut mixtape To Hell With It are shorter than two minutes. That didn’t stop the multi-genre project from performing particularly well, as it landed in the top 20 of the charts in PinkPantheress’ native UK.
Kali
YouTube
Speaking of TikTok, Atlanta rapper Kali also found success on the platform and now she’s breaking new ground beyond it. As Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes, she’s moving into a space traditionally dominated by male rappers, one that is “marked by passive aggression, avoidant attachment, and audio gaslighting, with rappers and singers delighting in keeping their significant others guessing in the narratives of their songs.” Kali parlayed her breakout single “Mmm Mmm” into a debut EP, Toxic Chocolate. The Yung Bleu-featuring “UonU” is a highlight, on which she turns the tables and asserts dominance, rapping, “It’s a two-way street, we in the same lane / Play you ‘fore you play me, that’s just my mind-frame / But you still mine, babe.”
Tobi Lou
Empire
Odds are you’ve already heard Tobi Lou working with one of your favorites, as the Chicago-via-Nigeria rapper has collaborated with some of his biggest hometown peers, like Chance The Rapper, Dreezy, and Saba. He was on the ballot for the 2020 XXL Freshmen list and while he didn’t make the cut, he’s on to bigger and better things, like his recently released new album Non-Perishable, which mostly features Lou shining on his own but also alongside guests like T-Pain and Chika. All the name-drops are to illustrate that Lou has support from folks in high places, co-signs that show Lou is worth consideration.
Omah Lay
Uproxx
A lot of things have been going right for the 24-year-old Nigerian afrobeats star lately. Since landing a record deal a couple years ago, Omah Lay’s ascent has been quick, as he had a social media hit with “Bad Influence,” dropped some EPs that landed on Apple Music’s charts in Nigeria, and caught the attention of Justin Bieber, with whom he recently released the collaborative single “Attention.” Furthermore, Lay’s status as an afrobeats favorite was cemented with the launch of Billboard’s new US Afrobeats Songs chart in March. On the inaugural ranks, he had two songs in the top 30, including “Attention,” which graced the top five. Basically, Lay’s on an upward trend, so if you haven’t been paying attention so far, now’s a good time to start.
Bakar
Epic
Like many artists before him, Bakar got his start uploading songs on SoundCloud. That’s really one of the few ways the experimental UK indie rocker is like other artists, though. He gradually worked on his craft, forged a distinct aesthetic identity, and had himself a bit of a hit in 2019 with “Hell N Back,” which popped up on multiple rock and alternative Billboard charts, including a No. 1 placement on Adult Alternative Airplay. Things have only gotten better since then, as he had a feature on one of 2020’s most esteemed indie/pop albums in Benee’s Hey U X and released his debut album, Nobody’s Home, in February. He got some hometown love for that one, as it was a top-40 album in the UK. Now it feels like just a matter of time before the rest of the world catches up.
Horsegirl
Cheryl Dunn
Chicago trio Horsegirl formed in 2019, when its members were all teens. While many teenage endeavors are best left forgotten, Horsegirl has built on their start in a major way. They’ve since signed to Matador Records and so far released two singles for the label: 2021’s “Billy” and this year’s “Anti-Glory.” As for the sound, the group falls somewhere between post-punk and shoegaze, a zone that has clearly worked for them given the aforementioned examples of their success. It’s the kind of music that begs to be heard live, so there’s good news there, as one of the year’s buzziest bands has a slew of tour dates set for this summer.
Caracara
Maria Daniela Lynn
The 2019 EP Better was big for Caracara, as the rocking effort landed them on many people’s radars. That includes renowned producer Will Yip, who has worked with everybody from Lauryn Hill to Keane to The Wonder Years. He also linked up with Caracara on their recently released album New Preoccupations (As The Gods Descend), which is highlighted by the single “Colorglut,” which features Circa Survive’s Anthony Green. The company a band keeps can say a lot about them, and so far, a lot of top-tier folks have found their way to Caracara’s corner. Now that the new album is out and music fans have something fresh to sink their teeth into, the Caracara corner is about to get even more crowded.
Zack Fox
YouTube
As social media has become a primary method of fan interaction for celebrities, a lot of musicians have emerged as legitimately hilarious social media personalities. Then there’s Zack Fox, who’s approaching things from the opposite direction: He was a comedian first, but in recent years, he’s found some solid footing in hip-hop: His debut album, Shut The F*ck Up Talking To Me, came out last year and he’s touring with Freddie Gibbs this year. On top of all that, he’s still acting and has a recurring role in one of the most acclaimed comedies of the moment, Abbott Elementary. He’s even an accomplished visual artist, as he illustrated the album sleeve of Thundercat’s Drunk. Basically, Fox has done something you’d probably enjoy in just about every artistic medium, which is something very few people can say.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Luckily for Eilish and other attendees who did not win any trophies, the good news is that they get a gift bag full of items with a total value of $49,000, according to Nexstar (via KTLA). The contents aren’t picked out for them, though; the celebrities check out the gift lounge and choose what they want from a table.
This year’s options are not what you’d expect, ranging from Botox to a Fauci book: a voucher for liposuction on your arm; popcorn that’s described as “flavor wrapped”; skincare products made from figs and tofu; $10,000 worth of Botox, fillers, and chemical peels; CBD sleep aids; an electric toothbrush; a trucker hat from a genderless fashion line; a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon wine and three bottles of Grey Goose vodka; three-course tasting meal for two at Kokomo Restaurant in New York; perfume made by Mastercard; kit to make whipped coffee; and a book about Dr. Anthony Fauci. A lot to unpack there!
