steve lacy

Summer Walker Recruits J. Cole, Childish Gambino, Solange, And Steve Lacy For Her ‘Clear: Soft Life’ Tracklist

by
summer walker
Getty Image

After Summer Walker announced the release date for her new EP Clear 2: Soft Life at Dreamville Festival last month, she’s followed up today, revealing its tracklist. In a video clip Summer shared on social media, the singer shares a conversation with raunchy rappers Sexyy Red and Sukihana, complete with a ’90s sitcom-style laugh track. At the end of the clip, the tracklist appears, containing nods to guest stars J. Cole — who Summer beat at pop-a-shot basketball — and Childish Gambino. In addition, the final track is produced by Solange and Steve Lacy, which has fans on Twitter sharing their excitement.

https://twitter.com/IAMSUMMERWALKER/status/1658150143336521729 https://twitter.com/mimitheblogger/status/1658157341194297345

Upon finding out that Solange is involved, Summer fans were flourishing. Solange hasn’t put out new music since 2019’s When I Get Home, so it’s understandable. And while she did compose a score for the New York City Ballet, that’s not quite the same as getting new music for public consumption.

In January, Summer celebrated reaching her goal of having “hella kids before 30.” Despite having three kids now with the birth of her twins, the Atlanta singer has still found the time to appear on tracks from Kali Uchis and Daniel Caesar and perform at Dreamville Festival.

Clear 2: Soft Life is out 5/21.

Beyoncé, Doja Cat, And Steve Lacy Are Honored On The ‘Time’ List Of The ‘100 Most Influential People’ For 2023

by
Doja Cat
Getty Image

Today (April 13), Time magazine has shared its annual “100 Most Influential People” list. It’s a prestigious roster, separated into sections of artists, icons, pioneers, leaders, titans, and innovators. It features some revered musicians, including Beyoncé, Doja Cat, and Steve Lacy.

The “Bad Habit” singer who unleashed Gemini Rights last year came up on the section of artists. Chloë wrote Lacy’s blurb, lauding: “What I admire most about Steve Lacy is that he’s always himself — a good person who loves to make music. In a world where everything’s so contrived, he just wants to nerd out and be free, and that makes him a force to be reckoned with.”

DJ Honey Dijon wrote Beyoncé’s excerpt for her spot as a titan: “From R&B to house, gospel to techno, hip-hop to vogue, Beyoncé wove a tapestry of music on Renaissance that celebrated all facets of Black music, including the immense contributions of the Black gay and queer community.”

Doja Cat was dubbed a pioneer. Australian film directer Baz Luhrmann sung Doja Cat’s praised: “Doja is a true child of the internet, creatively plugged into the kind of social connection that I’m generationally incapable of understanding. She is personally connected with her fans, and that allows her to understand and feed back to them. She can’t be boxed in. She’s a rapper, a singer, a performance artist — she’s the canvas on which she expresses a character or an idea. There’s no ‘brand’ to Doja Cat. You never know what she’s going to do next, and that’s exciting.”

Chloë Said Steve Lacy ‘Inspired Me To Be Fearless’ As He’s Named Among ‘Time’s ‘100 Most Influential People’

by
chloe bailey tour
Getty Image

Time magazine unveiled its annual “100 Most Influential People” list today, April 13. The cover stars are Doja Cat, Michael B. Jordan, Jennifer Coolidge, and Bob Iger. But within the artists’ section of nominees is also Steve Lacy.

Chloë wrote Lacy’s entry, as found on Time‘s website:

“What I admire most about Steve Lacy is that he’s always himself — a good person who loves to make music. In a world where everything’s so contrived, he just wants to nerd out and be free, and that makes him a force to be reckoned with.

From his performances onstage to his clothes to his lyrics, he’s open to expressing what’s real. That’s why people gravitate toward him so much, because in a time when everybody’s trying to be what other people want them to be, he’s saying, ‘I’m gonna make music — and if you like it, that’s cool.’ He has inspired me to be fearless, to trust that whoever my music is meant for will find it.

He has the biggest, warmest smile. And he reminds me that you don’t need to have all the bells and whistles to make good music. What you need is yourself, your ideas, and your heart.”

Chlöe has adopted Lacy’s unbothered attitude during the rollout of her debut solo studio album, In Pieces, culminating in her displaying nasty comments people have tweeted about her as part of her set design on the first night of her In Pieces Tour.

Lacy’s 2022 breakout was fueled by “Bad Habit,” his first-ever No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was also nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2023 Grammys, where Lacy won Best Progressive R&B Album with Gemini Rights.

Steve Lacy Made A Joke About The Camera-Throwing Incident In His Nardwuar Interview

by

Steve Lacy had a great 2022 with the release of his prolific LP Gemini Rights, which contained the massive hit “Bad Habit.” The song was so big (especially on TikTok) that it drove many people to his shows, some of whom did not have the best concert etiquette. One fan threw a camera at him on stage, so Lacy smashed it, creating controversy.

He responded at the time with a statement on his Instagram: “i don’t believe i owe anyone an apology. maybe i couldve reacted better? sure. always. i’m a student of life. but i’m a real person with real feelings and real reactions. i’m not a product or a robot.” Now, months later, he’s able to crack jokes about it in a new interview with Nardwuar.

“If somebody’s looking at you on stage, how do they know you’re having a good time?” the eccentric interviewer asked around the 12:20-mark. “Um… if I smile or say something stupid, yeah,” Lacy answered.

“And how do they know if you’re having a bad time?” Nardwuar then asked. Lacy answered before laughing, “I’m probably smashing a camera down on the floor.” He continued, “No, they won’t know. But I’m also very vocal about it. I’ll say some sh*t like, ‘Bear with me, you guys, this is a rough night.’ I don’t hide.”

Nardwuar also asked the singer what he thought of the sped-up version of “Bad Habit.” He said he didn’t “really have any thoughts” while giggling. He said, “Let the streets do what they need to do.”

Watch the full interview above.

Steve Lacy And Thundercat Delivered An Infectious Performance Of ‘Bad Habit’ At The 2023 Grammys

by
STEVE LACY GRAMMYS 2023
Getty Image

Taking the stage for his first-ever Grammys performance tonight was Steve Lacy. During his performance, he sang his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, “Bad Habit.”

On stage, Lacy was joined by Thundercat, who supplemented the poignant love song with a seductive, groovy guitar bridge.

Throughout the performance, several of Lacy’s fellow musicians were seen singing and dancing along to the song, including Machine Gun Kelly, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and the queen herself, Beyoncé.

While this may be his first time performing at The Grammys, Lacy is certainly no novice. Last week, Lacy spoke with CBS Mornings about receiving his first Grammy nomination when he was 17 years old, for his work on The Internet’s Ego Death album.

When asked what the nomination meant to him at the time, Lacy replied “It meant that my mom could get off my ass about going to college.”

Fortunately, this nomination was no flash in the pan for Lacy. In 2020, he was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album for his solo debut album, Apollo XXI.

Earlier in the night, Lacy won the Best Progressive R&B Album Grammy for his 2022 album, Gemini Rights. “Bad Habit” is also up for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance.

In the meantime, you can check out the performance of “Bad Habit” above.

Boygenius, LCD Soundsystem, And Steve Lacy Are Headlining The Special Re:SET Tour

by
boygenius-header-image.jpg

Boygenius, LCD Soundsystem, and Steve Lacy are attempting to fulfill the fan demand for shows this summer by headlining the very unique new Re:SET Tour, created by AEG. The current plan is for the three acts to take turns playing in outdoor venues in three cities each weekend.

The current map is Pasadena, San Diego, and Stanford on June 2-4; in New Orleans, Dallas, and Atlanta on June 9-11; in New York City, Boston, and Washington D.C. on June 16-18; and Chicago, Nashville, and Columbus on June 23-24.

Each headliner has also chosen opening acts that will join them on the tour. Boygenius are bringing Clairo, Dijon, and Bartees Strange. Steve Lacy’s acts are James Blake, Toro Y Moi, and Foushee. And LCD Soundsystem is including Jamie XX; Big Freedia, or L’Rain, “depending on dates,” per Variety. More acts are being announced soon.

“We challenged ourselves to conceive an event that would give both the artists and the fans a different experience,” AEG Presents’ Global Touring President, Gary Gersh, shared. “At the end of the day, they both want the same thing: great locations, incredible sound, fantastic sightlines, and the best local options for food and drinks. Re:SET is a very fairly priced, artist-driven weekend where you can hang with friends and enjoy an evening of amazing music.”

Presale registration is currently open now and available here. There will be both an artist presale on February 7 at 10 a.m. local time and a “local presale” on February 9 at the same time. General tickets for the Re:SET Tour go on sale on February 10.

More information, along with the specific city lineups for the tour, is available through their official website.

Bad Bunny, Lizzo, And Steve Lacy Join The First Round Of 2023 Grammys Performers

by
bad bunny
Getty Image

The first round of performers for the 2023 Grammy Awards has been announced.

The performers for the Sunday, February 5 show will include Bad Bunny, Brandi Carlile, Kim Petras, Lizzo, Luke Combs, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, and Steve Lacy. The show will again be hosted by Trevor Noah.

The full list of Grammys nominees was published in November and includes many of those billed to perform. Bad Bunny is up for three awards, including Best Pop Solo Performance for “Moscow Mule,” Best Música Urbana Album for Un Verano Sin Ti, and the big one, Album Of The Year.

Meanwhile, Lizzo is also up for Album Of The Year for Special, as well as Best Pop Solo Performance for “About Damn Time,” Best Pop Vocal Album, Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year, and Best Remixed Recording for the Purple Disco Machine Remix of “About Damn Time.”

Beyoncé is the most-nominated artist of the year with nine including Record Of The Year, Best R&B Song, Best R&B Performance, Song Of The Year, Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Album Of The Year for Renaissance.

First-time nominees for awards include GloRilla, Kim Petras, Latto, and Tobe Nwigwe.

The Grammys will air live on 2/5 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on CBS, Paramount+, and Grammy.com.

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

What Were All The No. 1 Songs In 2022?

by
Taylor Swift Anti-Hero video
YouTube

The No. 1 slot of the coveted Billboard Hot 100 chart hosted new faces and established forces alike throughout 2022. The final Hot 100 No. 1 of this year is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” a perennial holiday hit that also topped the charts dated December 25, 2021, and January 1, 2022. Carey was the bookend, as she’s been for the past four years, but there were 13 other songs that went No. 1 in between.

By mid-January, Adele’s “Easy On Me” reclaimed the No. 1 crown from Carey. The 30 single debuted at No. 1 in October 2021 and spent 10 non-consecutive weeks there. The chart dated February 5 found “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto making history with its No. 1 bow, and it stayed there before Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves,” an all-time Hot 100 record-holder, made its No. 1 debut.

But once Harry Styles decided to drop “As It Was,” it was virtually game over for everyone else. (Jack Harlow snuck in a No. 1 in April with “First Class,” though.) “As It Was,” the lead single from Harry’s House, became Styles’ second-career No. 1 on the Hot 100 but by far the longest-charting No. 1 at 15 total weeks — a record for a song with no features. Later in the year, Steve Lacy fulfilled his wish of dethroning “As It Was,” as Lacy’s “Bad Habit” hit No. 1 in early October.

Before Lacy, Future interrupted Styles’ historic reign in mid-May with “Wait For U” featuring Drake and Tems, followed by Drake and 21 Savage’s “Jimmy Cooks” and Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” in July. Lizzo was even rewarded with a bouquet of flowers from Styles.

Of course, Beyoncé’s Renaissance return netted a No. 1 with “Break My Soul” in August, her eighth career solo No. 1 and first No. 1 without a featured artist since 2008. “Break My Soul” enjoyed a two-week stint before Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” blew in for a quick one-and-done debut at No. 1 in late August.

All of September featured “As It Was” back on top until Lacy’s upset, and after three weeks of “Bad Habit,” October ended with Sam Smith becoming the first publicly non-binary artist and Kim Petras becoming the first publicly transgender artist to earn a Hot 100 No. 1 with their collaborative single “Unholy.”

Taylor Swift released her 10th studio album, Midnights, on October 21, and by November 5, Swift became the first-ever artist to occupy every top-10 spot on the Hot 100. “Anti-Hero” was No. 1, where it has logged six total weeks.

That brings us back to Carey. The 2022 “All I Want For Christmas” run began with the Hot 100 chart dated December 17 and is holding strong through this week. Which song will dethrone it in January and restart the cycle for 2023?

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

Steve Lacy Isn’t Shy About Sharing His Biggest Musical Influences, Which Include Paramore And ‘Guitar Hero’

by
Steve Lacy Grammy Awards 2020 smile
Getty Image

Recording artist Steve Lacy is living life like a true rockstar, and apparently, that was always written in the stars for him. The Grammy-nominated singer has come a long way since bursting onto the scene as part of the band The Internet. Now, as a chart-topping, sold-out headlining tour solo act, the guitarist has found an artistic lane for himself that blends the sounds fans have come to know him by as well as what made him want to be a musician in the first place. The songwriter sat down with The Guardian to share what musicians inspired his irresistible sound and more.

Beginning his career in alternative R&B, Lacy shifted to an indie rock-influenced sound with his breakout single, “Bad Habit.” When asked by journalist Shaad D’Souza about this genre blending, Lacy replied, “I’ve always loved doing that — if I have a rocky beat, putting a soulful melody on it. Like ‘Dark Red’ and all those types of songs. It’s a way to play and introduce new ideas into things that we know already.”

He later added, “Growing up playing [the video game] Guitar Hero put me on to a lot of rock and guitar music. As I got older, artists such as Paramore raised me. Mac DeMarco, Dirty Projectors, Vampire Weekend. Even Weezer’s ‘Undone’ is one of my favorite songs ever.”

The singer did not hold back from gushing about Paramore’s Hayley Williams, sharing, “Hayley’s voice and melodies are crazy because she takes the rock thing and makes it soulful.”

As for what he loves about Weezer, Lacy said, “With Weezer, I love the wit and humor. The dissonance of the chord progression of ‘Undone’ is truly just weird. For something like that to exist was super important for me in my musical journey, to be, like: ‘Oh, wow, you can make this sound fun and dope.’”

Other muses of Lacy include late musical icons Prince and Jimi Hendrix. “When I make music, I take a small piece of everything that I love – I’ll take certain melodic approaches from Prince, but I’ll play it as if someone else was mimicking Prince, like if Jimi Hendrix tried to be Prince,” he said. “But I like to mix different approaches together. It happens naturally. I’m never doing it all purposely. It’s just inside of me.”

Lacy concluded his inspiration list by shouting out about indie act Faye Webster, calling her “dope.”

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