Music

Justin Bieber Joins Jimmy Fallon And The Roots For A Classroom Instruments Version Of ‘Peaches’

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In March, Justin Bieber earned his seventh No. 1 single when the Justice single “Peaches” debuted on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track is still doing quite well, as it is No. 3 on the Hot 100 that was revealed yesterday. Now he has put a new spin on the song by joining Jimmy Fallon and The Roots for their longstanding Tonight Show series of “classroom instruments” performances.

Bieber starts out by playing the track on a toy piano, which actually adds a charming element to the track. From there, he is joined by Fallon and The Roots, who sport instruments like shakers, bongos, xylophones, buckets, paper bags (to tear), and other things of that ilk. Giveon and Daniel Caesar, who feature on the original track, were not involved with this performance.

Justice isn’t Bieber’s latest release, as on Easter, he dropped a surprise EP, Freedom, which features collaborations with Pink Sweats, Tori Kelly, Judah Smith, Beam, Brandon Love, Chandler Moore, and Lauren Walters. He’s also fresh off appearing in Earth Day! The Musical, a Bill Nye-hosted event that also featured Jack Harlow, Maluma, Ben Platt, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Cody Simpson, Steve Aoki, Tori Kelly, Zac Efron, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, and Nick Kroll.

Watch Bieber, The Roots, and Fallon perform “Peaches” above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Weeknd Hints At New Music: ‘Made So Much Magic In The Small Quarantined Room’

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The Weeknd isn’t quite done with the After Hours era yet, considering he just released a new remix with Ariana Grande. He does seem to be thinking about what’s next, though, as last night, he took to Twitter to seemingly tease new material.

He began by tweeting last night, “it’s the night-time that matters…,” followed hours later by a GIF of Bugs Bunny laying in bed, unable to sleep. He then added, “what is real?” After that, he got to teasing, writing in a trio of tweets, “made so much magic in the small quarantined room,” “nothing’s ever random,” and “now just piecing it all together… it’s so beautiful.”

Those tweets seem to suggest that something new is in the works, and a fresh album from The Weeknd in the not-so-distant future wouldn’t be a surprise, given that he discussed the possibility months ago. A Rolling Stone profile from September revealed that The Weeknd has spent time working on new music in a makeshift studio in his condo, with The Weeknd himself saying, “I might have another album ready to go by the time this quarantine is over.” He continued, “I’m guilty of wanting to outdo my last album, but it’s never like, ‘I’ve got to do the same type of song.’ I’m so happy I’m not like that. My palette is so wide. […] I’m trying to find a perfect balance with the film and the music, and so far it’s going really well. I think I might have cracked the code.”

The Team Behind ‘Framing Britney Spears’ Is Tackling The Janet Jackson Super Bowl Incident

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When the documentary series Framing Britney Spears bowed on HBO back in February, it caused an avalanche of support to come the singer’s way. Long a target of condescending press coverage — not to mention still legally under the control of her domineering father — Spears found the public finally rallying to her side, hoping to correct years of unfair coverage. Now the team behind the doc look to be trying to do for Janet Jackson what they did for Britney.

According to US Weekly, Left/Right TV, who produced the Spears doc, are at work on a movie about the infamous halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII, in 2004. That’s the one where a performance by Jackson and Justin Timberlake resulted in a “wardrobe malfunction,” in which the latter ripped off part of her costume, exposing one of her breasts for half a second. The incident led to a massive fallout. The FCC tried, and failed, to fine CBS for over half a billion dollars, while some accused the two of staging it, with Jackson receiving more vitriol than Timberlake.

Neither Jackson nor Timberlake are involved in the movie, though the former is working on a documentary about her own career to coincide with the forthcoming 40th anniversary of her debut album, Janet Jackson. Timberlake, meanwhile, has come under fire over the last couple years, as the public has begun viewing his treatment of both Jackson and Spears, who he once dated, with a more critical eye. Indeed, after Framing Britney Spears debuted, he issued a formal apology to both parties.

“I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “Because of my ignorance, I didn’t recognize it for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down again.”

(Via US Weekly)

Polo G Enjoys A Second Straight Week At No. 1 On The Hot 100 Chart With ‘Rapstar’

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Polo G made history last week when his hit single “Rapstar” became just the 52nd song to ever debut in the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Now his run of prosperity continues: On the Hot 100 chart dated May 1, “Rapstar” stays at No. 1 for a second consecutive week. Of all the songs to ever debut at No. 1, “Rapstar” is just the 22nd of them to spend its second week on top.

After “Rapstar” debuted at No. 1 last week, Polo G shared his excitement, writing on Instagram, “It’s Crazy I really Manifested this sh*t. I got a long list of goals imma b scratchin off just this year alone…Only 52 ppl ever debuted @ #1 on the billboard hot 100 & I’m part of that group U can’t tell me I ain’t chosen I done really beat the odds fr From A Place where n****s like me b the 1st to die who woulda thought I’ll go #1….thank y’all Mann. I can’t stress that enough Ik I work hard asf & y’all work just as hard supporting me We gone keep goin up fr REAL #rapstar Album comin sooooonnnnnnn.” He also added on Twitter, “#1 song On the billboard Charts. Thank u God & Everybody Supportin me This sh*t don’t even Feel real. Naw like gang I really just went #1 wtf [crying emoji].”

Other noteworthy activity from this week’s chart is Dua Lipa and DaBaby’s “Levitating” revisiting its peak position of No. 5 and Silk Sonic’s “Leave The Door Open” jumping back up to No. 2.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Eminem Explains Why He Paid Over $500 For A Copy Of Nas’ ‘Illmatic’

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How much would you spend for a copy of a hip-hop classic? For Eminem, the going rate is somewhere between $500 and $600, as he revealed during a discussion on the popular voice chat app, Clubhouse. While the burgeoning community on Clubhouse has been known for causing controversy in the past, this past weekend, fans of the Detroit rapper held a celebratory “Shady Con” in his honor, with guests including his manager Paul Rosenberg and DJ Whoo Kid. Em himself stopped by to share some stories as well, telling fans about the time he just had to spend a little extra on his hero Nas’ seminal debut Illmatic to feed his collection habit.

As Em explained, I’ve been collecting since I was a kid, everything from comic books to baseball cards to toys, as well as every rap album on cassette I could get my hands on. Not much has changed for me as an adult.” When he found an unsealed cassette copy of Nas’ game-changing classic, his mind was blown. “I think it’s backstock from what records stores had in the back storage,” he said. “The tapes that never sold and they just kept them. That’s the only thing I can think of. Cause nobody’s going to have a f*cking Illmatic tape and not open it.” He also good-naturedly compared the value of his own debut The Slim Shady LP — which was a culture shifter in the vein of Illmatic, for sure — under similar conditions, saying it’d draw a tidy sum of “twelve cents.”

For what it’s worth, it’s not the worst way to spend money — which Em has more than enough of. An unsealed copy of a classic album on a discontinued format is exactly the sort of ultra-rare find that has wannabe collectors including Eminem going NFT crazy these days — and it also sort of shows the difference between a physical piece of owned art and the idea of owning a certificate of a jpeg or whatever.

Listen to Eminem’s amusing anecdote above.

Young Thug And Gunna Paid Bail For 30 Fulton County Jail Inmates

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While riding high on the streaming success of their recently released compilation album Slime Language 2 and collaborative single “Ski,” Young Stoner Life Records rappers Gunna and Young Thug performed a little community service over the weekend, paying bond for 30 inmates of the Fulton County Jail according to Atlanta local news. The two Atlanta natives shared a video of former inmates being reunited with family members as they were released; most were being held on minor charges but didn’t have enough to post bond.

As Thug explained, “This is where we are from. We just woke up and went to the jail with the lawyer and DA’s and the prosecutors, the bonding companies, and just got as many people as we can out.” Gunna echoed, “You never know what somebody been through. There was people sitting out three or four years and couldn’t get out on a bond. If they did the crime, then they can do the time, then it’s all right. But it’s like you’re giving them a bond higher than what they stole.”

According to WSBTV, the jail was 400 inmates over its 2,500 inmate capacity just two months ago — during a global pandemic(!) — and a city councilman described the conditions as the worst he’d ever seen. And although the rappers didn’t know how much money they spent on this photo opportunity — yes, the scenes will be part of an upcoming music video — they also promise it’s not going to be a one-time event, encouraging their peers to follow their lead.

Other music videos from the compilation — which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week — include Thug and Unfoonk’s “Real.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Shelley Debuts A New Song In His Return To NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts

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In his return to Tiny Desk Concerts, the newly rechristened and slimmed-down Shelley invites viewers into a softly-lit study for a simmering performance of songs from his upcoming album, Shelley FKA DRAM. Thanks to Tiny Desk’s “(At-Home)” designation, the Virginia native gets extra comfy, donning a set of food-patterned PJs that works just as well as an eye-popping suit, packing his band into the smaller confines, and delivering soulful renditions of songs like “Exposure,” “The Lay Down,” “Cooking With Grease,” and the debut of “Rich & Famous.”

The last time Shelley played Tiny Desk — way back in 2017 — he was promoting the lighthearted, melodic hip-hop debut album Big Baby DRAM. He makes note of the change during his return performance, reintroducing himself as Shelley — his government name — and calls the moment “a new beginning. Full circle.”

Shelley first showed glimpses of the shift in 2018 with his That’s A Girl’s Name EP, shifting to groovy but still swaggering R&B. Then, in 2019, he shared “The Lay Down” with HER (who’s now an Oscar and Grammy winner), presaging the new, grown-and-sexy direction he’s adopted for his next project, which releases April 29 in honor of his mom’s birthday.

Watch Shelley’s smooth NPR Tiny Desk return performance above.

Shelley is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Now That HER Has An Oscar To Go With Her Grammys, She’s Going After The EGOT

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HER is only 23 years old, but she’s already racked up four Grammy Awards and picked up an Oscar last night, as she got the Best Original Song win for her Judas And The Black Messiah track “Fight For You.” This puts her halfway towards an EGOT (winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award), on which she has now set her sights.

Speaking with ET after her win, HER said, “Oh, there’s absolutely going to be an EGOT in my future, hopefully. But yeah, I’m also super passionate about acting as well, so you may see me up here as an actress also. And I love musicals, me and Brandy have been talking about it a lot. She’s inspired me since she did a musical [Cinderalla]. Honestly, I cannot believe that we’re here. […] I’m still speechless, I feel like the Oscars are happening tomorrow and I’m dreaming right now. I’m still pinching myself, so I have no words.”

Only 16 artists have ever achieved EGOT status, although four of those artists finalized the feat in just the past few years. In 2018, John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Tim Rice simultaneously EGOT’ed after collectively winning an Emmy for producing Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert. Alan Menken also got his EGOT by picking up an Emmy last year.

If HER pursues an EGOT in earnest, she has a shot at becoming the youngest person to ever do it. The current record-holder is Robert Lopez, who is known for his work on projects like Frozen and The Book Of Mormon and was 39 years old when he completed his EGOT. Legend is a close second, as he was 39 years and 8 months old when he got the EGOT.

Find the full list of this year’s Oscar winners here.

The Harlem Cultural Festival Is Celebrated In A Teaser For Questlove’s ‘Summer Of Soul’ Documentary

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Back towards the end of 2019, it was revealed that Questlove was working on what is now titled Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a documentary about The Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week festival that took place right around the same time as Woodstock. Now, the first teaser for the film, which is set to premiere in theaters and on Hulu on July 2, has been shared.

An official statement describes the film:

“In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary — part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture, and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen and largely forgotten — until now. Summer Of Soul shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Baretto, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach, and more.”

Back when the project was announced, Questlove said in a statement, “I am truly excited to help bring the passion, the story and the music of the Harlem Cultural Festival to audiences around the world. The performances are extraordinary. I was stunned when I saw the lost footage for the first time. It’s incredible to look at 50 years of history that’s never been told, and I’m eager and humbled to tell that story.”

He also told Variety in an interview earlier this year, “”Woodstock happens in two weeks after this and it defines a lifestyle, it defines a generation. Woodstock, the city name alone, just defines a whole movement. And I kept wondering what would have went down if this were allowed to happen for [Black people]. If this were allowed to unfurl and and spread across the world as Woodstock did, how much of a difference could that have made in my life as a music lover and as a music collector? So, then I just felt this the sense of purpose that I have to tell the story.”

Watch the Summer Of Soul teaser above.

HER, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, And Jon Batiste Got Big Wins At The 2021 Oscars

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The Academy Awards were last night, so the best in film from the past year was properly honored. Per usual, some of the awards were devoted to music as well, and picking up big wins in those categories were HER, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste.

HER got the Best Original Song win for her Judas And The Black Messiah track “Fight For You” over “Husavik” from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga (sung by Will Ferrell and Molly Sandén, the latter of whom Rachel McAdams lip-synced for the film), Celeste’s “Hear My Voice” from The Trial Of The Chicago 7, Leslie Odom Jr.’s “Speak Now” from One Night In Miami, and Lauren Pausini’s “Io Sì (Seen)” from The Life Ahead.

Reznor, Ross, and Batiste’s Soul score also picked up a win, in the Best Original Score category, winning over the former two’s score for Mank, as well as Da 5 Bloods, Minari, and News Of The World.

As Billboard notes, these wins were superlative. Reznor, Ross, and Batiste are the first three-member composing team to win Best Original Score in 33 years, following Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, and Cong Su’s 1987 win for The Last Emperor. Batiste is also just the third Black composer to win in a scoring category, following Prince’s 1984 win for Best Musical Song Score with Purple Rain and Herbie Hancock’s 1986 victory for Best Original Score with ‘Round Midnight.

HER’s victory was also historically significant: For the first time in 35 years, a songwriter or songwriting team won an Oscar in the same awards season that they won a Grammy for Song Of The Year for a different song, as HER’s “I Can’t Breathe” just picked up the Grammy win a few weeks ago.

Find the full list of this year’s Oscar winners here.