Pop

Rosalía Is Hosting A New Station And Schoolboy Q Is Premiering A Track On ‘GTA Online: The Contract’

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When the new game GTA Online: The Contract debuts later this week, it will feature Dr. Dre and Anderson .Paak as characters. But there’s more. Considering that Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto franchise has boasted some of the most profitable media in history, it’s only fitting that they’ve invested heavily in ensuring that the music that accompanies the game play is as fresh and of-the-moment as possible.

When new game bows on December 15th, there will be a new radio station: Rosalía and Arca are behind “Motomami Los Santos,” which not only features new music from Rosalía’s upcoming album, Motomami. It will also has feature tunes from Arca’s Kick series and a brand new track from Bad Gyal. Overall, the station spans the spectrum from Daddy Yankee to Playboy Carti, and Rauw Alejandro to DJ Spinn.

The game’s existing stations are also getting a total refresh, with an incredible amount of new music premieres that would make Zane Lowe jealous. On the Big Boy-hosted “Radio Los Santos,” Schoolboy Q will be premiering the new track “Let’s Get It.” There’s also new and unheard songs from Freddie Gibbs, Mozzy, YG, Tia Corine, Offset, and more. DJ Pooh’s “West Coast Classics” station is also set to feature a career-spanning Dr. Dre playlist. Leimert Park’s Dam-Funk is behind the games overall g-funk-soaked score.

Watch the trailer for GTA Online: The Contract above.

Megan Thee Stallion And Lil Nas X Are TikTok’s Top Artists Of 2021 In Different Ways

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Megan Thee Stallion Lil Nas X 2019 American Music Awards
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Who was the top musical artist of 2021 on TikTok? Well, it depends how you look at it.

Today, the platform shared a bunch of year-end data, which reveals that Megan Thee Stallion was the top artist in the US by “catalogue creations,” meaning in terms of how many times users included her songs in their videos. This is Meg’s second year in a row securing that title. Following her in the top 10 are, in order, Doja Cat, PoppHunna, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, YungManny, Soulja Boy, Drake, Kevin Gates, and Coi Leray.

When it comes to artists actually using TikTok themselves, though, Lil Nas X had the most-viewed music account in the US. After him on the list are Lizzo, iHeartMemphis, Jason Derulo, Oliver Tree, Leray, Selena Gomez, Charlie Puth, Billie Eilish, and Benny Blanco.

The post also includes a list of the year’s top emerging artists and it includes up-and-comer favorites like Baby Tate, Coi Leray, Magdalena Bay, PinkPantheress, and Shygirl. TikTok also compiled a list of the top “comeback tracks” in the US, meaning “trending songs released between 5 and 25 years ago.” Leading that list is Destiny’s Child’s “Bills, Bills, Bills,” and also included are Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘n’ Nite,” Britney Spears’ “Gimme More,” and Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” featuring Timbaland.

TikTok shared a lot more year-end data than was covered here, so check out their post here.

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

Adele Continues To Command The Hot 100 Chart As ‘Easy On Me’ Is No. 1 For A Seventh Week

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We’re firmly in the midst of the holiday season, but this year, December is doubling as Adele season. It was revealed yesterday that 30 is on top of the Billboard 200 chart for the third straight week, and now the album’s hit single “Easy On Me” remains on top, too, as it’s No. 1 on the new Hot 100 chart dated December 18 for a seventh week.

It’s possible the song won’t stay on top for much longer, though. Over the past few weeks, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is Now” has been making its now-annual climb back up the Hot 100. It was No. 3 on last week’s chart, and now it’s up to No. 2. If the song does make it to No. 1 on the chart dated December 25 (the final Hot 100 of 2021), it would have topped the chart in three consecutive years and become the only song to ever go No. 1 in four separate years.

As far as Christmas music, Carey’s hit isn’t alone in the top 10. Returning to the space from last week are Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” at No. 3, Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” at No. 5, and Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” at No. 6. Andy Williams’ “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” is new to the top 10 this week at No. 10, rounding out the five holiday songs in the region this week.

Historical precedent says it wouldn’t be surprising to see next week’s Hot 100 flooded with Christmas music: On the chart dated December 26, 2020, six of the top 10 songs were holiday tunes. The next week, that number jumped up to nine.

Brad Pitt And Damien Quintard Are Reopening A Legendary French Recording Studio, Miraval Studios

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Damien Quintard Brad Pitt Miraval Studios 2021
Hélène Hadjiyianni

Château Miraval is a large villa in Correns, France that is co-owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and it has a rich musical history. French pianist and composer Jacques Loussier used to town the place and while he was there, he built a recording studio, which was known at the time as Studio Miraval. The studio was part of a number of noteworthy releases; Perhaps most notably, Pink Floyd held sessions for The Wall there. Other artists who have made use of the space include AC/DC, The Cure, Sade, and The Cranberries, among others.

Muse’s 2006 album Black Holes And Revelations was one of the last projects recorded in the studio before it was shut down. Now, though, Pitt and French producer Damien Quintard are bringing the facility back as Miraval Studios, which is set to reopen in the summer of 2022. Press materials note, “Pitt and Quintard will reopen the completely redesigned and updated Miraval Studios for the future, honoring the past while pushing forward a new take on recording, amid a breathtaking vista sure to nurture all manner of creative expression.”

The space is also described:

“In addition to the original gear on which so many classic albums were recorded, the studio is built around a desk designed by Pitt and Quintard with hybrid analog/digital capacities, while boasting a fully integrated Dolby Atmos system as well as technology to handle pre-mixing for film and television. With its 25-foot ceilings, Studio One has a 100 square meter control room and 320 square meter live room that conserves what Quintard describes as the ‘heritage of the quirky sound’ of the iconic drum room pioneered by Loussier.

Quintard says, “The combination of Brad’s vision for Miraval and our common passion for taking the time to make simple but beautiful things has resulted in something that is one-of-a-kind. We are so excited for musicians of all types to be a part of what we’ve created.”

Pitt and Jolie signed a long-term lease for Château Miraval in 2008 before buying it in 2012 for an estimated $60 million, as People notes. Pitt and Jolie divorced in 2019, and now, they each own a 50-percent share of the estate (which is now worth a total of about $160 million), per Page Six.

Miraval Studios has launched some social media pages (here’s Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube), so check those out to keep updated on the status of the studio.

Lady Gaga, Alana Haim, Billie Eilish, And Other Music Stars Earned 2022 Golden Globes Nominations

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MGM

The Golden Globes celebrate the best in TV and movies, but the music world usually finds its way into the proceedings, too. The nominees for the 2022 event were announced this morning, and sure enough, some of the biggest names in music are on the list.

Lady Gaga scored a huge nomination thanks to her work on House Of Gucci, as she’s up for Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture, Drama. On the flip side, Alana Haim got a nomination for Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture, Musical Or Comedy for her breakout starring role in Licorice Pizza.

When it comes to music-specific awards, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood locked up a nomination for Best Original Score for The Power Of The Dog. As for Best Original Song, Motion Picture, the field is packed with familiar names: Beyoncé (for “Be Alive” from King Richard), Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Dos Orugitas” from Encanto), Van Morrison (“Down To Joy” from Belfast), Jennifer Hudson (“Here I Am (Singing My Was Home)” from Respect), and Billie Eilish (“No Time To Die” from No Time To Die).

Meanwhile, a few music-adjacent projects are up for Best Motion Picture, Comedy Or Musical: Cyrano (Aaron and Bryce Dessner composed the film’s score), Don’t Look Up (Kid Cudi and Ariana Grande have roles in the movie), and Licorice Pizza.

Check out the full list of nominees here.

Doja Cat Had To Cancel Some Jingle Ball Performances After Testing Positive For Covid-19

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Looks like Doja Cat will be spending at least some of her holiday in quarantine. Although she was slated to appear for some Jingle Ball performances during the annual iHeartRadio Christmas tour this December, the rapper-pop-star had to disappoint fans when she tested positive for coronavirus. Doja has been performing behind her new album, Planet Her at various award shows this year, like the VMAs, but has yet to announce a full tour. Probably a good thing considering she now has to cancel some slated appearances.

“As most of you probably heard earlier, a few members on my production team tested positive for Covid-19 and I had to cancel a couple of my upcoming performances as a safety precaution,” she wrote on Twitter. “Unfortunately, I’m sad to share that I just tested positive as well and will no longer be able to perform on the rest of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour. While my spirits are down since I can’t be there to celebrate the holiday with my fans in Philly, DC, Atlanta and Miami, I’m doing ok and look forward to recovering and getting back out there as soon as I can! The rest of the tour stops have some really great lineups, wish I could be there. Much love xo.”

Get well soon Doja! And everyone else, please remember to wear masks and social distance, we’re not out of the woods yet.

Billie Eilish Leads A Twerk-Filled Update To The Story Of Jesus’ Birth In A ‘SNL’ Sketch

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Last night, for the second time in her career, Billie Eilish brought her talents to Saturday Night Live. The last time she appeared, back in 2019, she defied gravity with a performance of “Bad Guy.” This time around, the singer signed on as both musical guest and host. In one sketch, the singer and cast member Heidi Gardner joined forces to update the story of Jesus’ birth.

The sketch was entitled “Hip-Hop Nativity,” and it found the two recruiting a group of actors to play many of the characters from the biblical story. They taught them how to twerk, strut, and pole dance. The actors initially raises issues over the biblical update, but they eventually went along with it. The closing bit also jokingly revealed that Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will direct a full-length film version of Billie and Gardner’s updated nativity story.

In addition to the “Hip-Hop Nativity” skit, Billie also performed “Happier Than Ever” and “Male Fantasy” on SNL. The former made for an epic performance while the latter was a bit darker and relaxed.

In non-Eilish SNL news, the episode also featured Kate McKinnon returning as Dr. Fauci while Weekend Update skewered Jussie Smollett and the torching of the Fox News Christmas tree.

You can watch Billie’s Hip-Hop Nativity sketch in the video above.

Ariana Grande And Kid Cudi Give A Grand Performance Of ‘Just Look Up’ In ‘Don’t Look Up’

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The latest Netflix movie, the Jennifer Lawrence- and Leonardi DiCaprio-starring Don’t Look Up, is out today, and music fans have surely heard by now that Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi have roles, playing music power couple Riley Bina and DJ Chello, respectively. They shared “Just Look Up,” the song they made for the film, last week, and now that the movie is out, they’ve shared the scene from the film in which they perform it live.

The scene shows Grande’s character performing the song with a grand stage set-up that doesn’t look dissimilar to something she’d present on one of her tours. Grande wears a white outfit with feather-like protrusions sticking out of her torso, and Cudi’s character later joins her on stage with a complementary white jacket. All the while, Lawrence and DiCaprio’s characters are watching from the side of the stage, as one brief shot shows.

Of all modern music stars, Grande and Cudi are among the ones with the most acting experience. Before music, Grande was best known for playing the character Cat Valentine in two Nickelodeon series, Victorious and Sam & Cat. Meanwhile, Cudi has been in the main cast of shows like How To Make It In America, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and We Are Who We Are.

Watch Cudi and Grande perform “Just Look Up” above.

‘Beat Saber’ Adds Hit Songs Like ‘Alejandro’ And ‘Rain On Me’ In Its New Lady Gaga Pack

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Beat Saber is one of the best games out there. The VR-only game puts the player in a world where they’re given two beams of light and, with the rhythm of a song, have to swing at blocks that appear before them. The game first exploded in popularity because of how fun it was, but it’s also an excellent form of exercise. These days, a lot of people are trying out Beat Saber because their favorite artists’ music is beginning to appear in the game. We’ve already seen Billie Eilish add her music to Beat Saber, for example.

During The Game Awards on Thursday night, we saw another gigantic name add their music to the game. Lady Gaga will add some of her biggest hits to Beat Saber in the Lady Gaga music pack. Songs like “Alejandro,” “Poker Face,” and “Rain On Me” will all be available for the player to jam out. The full list of songs include:

  • Alejandro
  • Bad Romance
  • Born This Way
  • Just Dance (feat. Colby O’Donis)
  • Paparazzi
  • Poker Face
  • Rain On Me (with Ariana Grande)
  • Stupid Love
  • Telephone (feat. Beyoncé)
  • The Edge of Glory

Beat Saber and this music pack are available on both the Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift. The pack itself will cost $12.99 but anyone who wants to get an individual song can do so for $1.99.

Lizzo Is Returning To Her Post As Guest Judge On An Upcoming ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Episode

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RuPaul fans are looking forward to the new year, as the 14th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is set to premiere on January 7, 2022 on VH1. Today, the show unveiled its guest judges and there’s a lot of musical firepower on the roster.

Appearing on the show next season (as TVLine notes) are Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, and Sarah McLachlan, as well as Taraji P. Henson, Andra Day, Loni Love, Christine Chiu, Ava Max, Nicole Byer, Ts Madison, Alec Mapa, Dove Cameron, and Dulce Sloan. Some of them also appear in a new teaser video for the upcoming season.

Fans of both Lizzo and Drag Race know that the artist and the show have a strong preexisting relationship. She was a guest judge on the show in 2018 and told Rolling Stone of the experience, “To work with RuPaul is a dream. It was a bucket list [item]. I’m very fortunate to have been in the same room as RuPaul. You learn so much just by watching the way RuPaul operates. Apparently there are some petitions for me to be a permanent judge [laughs].” In 2019, she also recruited a bunch of drag queens from the show for a new “Juice” video.

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