Stevie Wonder

Usher, Not Beyoncé, Is ‘This Generation’s Stevie Wonder,’ According To Samuel L. Jackson’s Daughter

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In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Samuel L. Jackson discussed not only his new Marvel show that begins streaming today (it’s called Secret Invasion and it’s on Disney Plus) but also, fittingly enough for the publication, his taste in music. And while some of his responses are no surprise, others are, and some are just downright illuminating.

In addition to admitting that he likes the music of the late Juice WRLD, he also draws an interesting parallel between Stevie Wonder, Usher, and Beyoncé. Check out his full response below:

There’s some music of my youth that I still listen to. I like rock music — I was sort of a hippie during the Sixties — and in the Seventies, when I was in Atlanta, there was this Black rock band called Mother’s Finest. They played at Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom. I listen to a lot of modern hip-hop also. Sometimes I’ll turn on some spatial DJ on Apple Music to hear whatever’s out there now. I’m pretty open to everything except country. [Laughs] The personal hip-hop music is very interesting to me. Back when Juice WRLD was alive, I listened to that. The kid was having some issues, but the music was still good. I remember asking my daughter and her friends who their Stevie Wonder was, and they said, “Usher.” They didn’t say Beyoncé. They said, Usher.

Stevie Wonder Led A Rollicking Motown Tribute Alongside Chris Stapleton And Smokey Robinson At The 2023 Grammys

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Aside from the handing out of awards, the other major reason to watch the Grammys is for the performances, as the Recording Academy routinely recruits the brightest stars in music to take the stage. They nailed it this year, with performers including Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Kim Petras, Sam Smith, Brandi Carlile, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Chris Stapleton, DJ Khaled, and Luke Combs. There’s also a terrific cross-generational performance that just went down: Stevie Wonder took the stage with a number of guests.

“Thank you, but stop,” Wonder said to start his time on stage as the audience applauded. He then introduced his band and kicked off with a rendition of The Temptations’ “The Way You Do The Things You Do.” Smokey Robinson then joined in for his own “Tears Of A Clown” before Chris Stapleton joined in on “Higher Ground.”

Neither Wonder nor Stapleton are nominated for any Grammys this year, but both artists certainly have a history with the show. Wonder is one of the most decorated winners in Grammy history, in fact: He’s been nominated an amazing 75 times and has won 25 of them, first in 1973 with “Superstition” and “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” winning awards in 1973, and most recently in 2006, when his and Tony Bennett’s “For Once In My Life” won the Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.

Stapleton, meanwhile, has a strong Grammys winning percentage, as he’s won eight of the 17 awards for which he’s been nominated. He won three awards last year, all for material from his 2020 album Starting Over.

Find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees and winners here.

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

Missy Elliott’s Christmas Tree Is A Tribute To Music Icons Like Tupac, Aaliyah, Aretha Franklin, And More

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Missy Elliott has been having fun with the new icons of the hip-hop and pop world, like Cardi B, Lizzo, and Anitta, through exuberant performances. Now, she’s paying her respects to veteran legends in the music world, including Tupac, Aaliyah, Aretha Franklin, Steve Wonder, and more.

On Instagram, Elliott shared her Christmas tree in an Instagram video. “This tree is a different kind of tree,” she said. “This tree has vinyl and CDs on it. You got Aretha Franklin, you got Aaliyah, you got 2Pac. You got a Chaka Khan CD right there. You got Luther Vandross over there. You got Stevie Wonder up there.”

Alongside the big tree are two smaller trees with more tributes to artists such as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Prince, Diana Ross, TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, TLC, and Biggie Smalls.

Missy Elliott’s support for the new generation of icons is consistent. She’s also praised pop star Lizzo. In the “Truth Hurts” singer’s capsule in Entertainment Weekly‘s “2022 Entertainers Of The Year” package, Elliott wrote, “What I really appreciate about Lizzo is that she is so diverse,” later adding, “There are so many levels to her. When she’s in the studio, she knows how to go into these different characters, she knows how to be heard, she knows how to sing, dance, rap, and it’s all amazing.”

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

Lizzo Delivered A Powerful Cover Of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Someday At Christmas’ On ‘Saturday Night Live’

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In her second performance of the night, Lizzo took to the Saturday Night Live stage to deliver a cover of Stevie Wonder‘s “Someday At Christmas.”

Wrapped up in a festive, puffy, silver and gold dress, Lizzo expressed hope for a brighter future and a happy holiday season for all. Joined by a group of equally powerful background singers, the group sang in joyous harmony.

“Someday at Christmas there’ll be no wars / When we have learned what Christmas is for / When we have found what life’s really worth / There’ll be peace on earth,” Lizzo sang.

Lizzo released the studio version of her “Someday At Christmas” cover last month, as part of a series for Amazon Music. Though Wonder’s original version of the song was released over 50 years ago, Lizzo felt the song’s message still rings true today.

“I chose to cover ‘Someday at Christmas’ not just because it’s a classic, but because it’s a reminder to us that almost 60 years later, we are still fighting for peace, compassion, and equality,” said Lizzo in a statement. “A friendly reminder to spread love and kindness this holiday season.”

Check out the performance above.

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

Alicia Keys Brought Big Christmas Energy To ‘The Late Show’ With Gorgeous Covers Of Holiday Classics

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Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys is keeping her holiday spirit going. After performing at the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in November, Keys released her first Christmas album, Santa Baby. The songwriter stopped by The Late Show with host Stephen Colbert to share the news of the project with a live performance of the title track.

Sporting a posh white floor-length faux fur and statuesque gold sequined body suit, Keys took the stage to belt out the classic tune. Playing into her signature R&B vocal delivery, Keys still managed to sprinkle in the cabaret stylings of the song’s originator, Eartha Kitt. Keys, a trained pianist, opted out of playing to focus on her vocal performance while house musicians handled the instrumentation.

She also delivered a bonus performance of “Please Come Home For Christmas.”

Before her performance, the musician sat down with Colbert to discuss why she dedicated to the record the album, to which she replied, “It was time.”

The pair also discussed her past collaboration with singer Brandi Carlile. Carlisle recently covered folk icon Joni Mitchell’s Blue album as a tribute to the singer. When asked if there’s an artist’s album she would love to cover, Keys answered, “I feel like if I were to pick one, it would probably have to be Songs In The Key Of Life.”

Keys has, on numerous occasions, expressed her admiration for revered musician Stevie Wonder. Keys continued, “I tell you what, it wouldn’t be easy though. It would not be easy. That would be hard because there’s nobody who can play like Stevie Wonder. Period. End of story. You can try as hard as you can, but you’re not going to get that cord exactly right. But that would be amazing.”

Watch Keys’ performances above and her interview below.

Santa Baby is out now via Alicia Keys Records. Get it here.

Neiked, Anne-Marie, And Latto Flip A Stevie Wonder Classic On ‘I Just Called’

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Anne-Marie and Latto are kissing off their exes on a dancy new break-up track produced by Swedish duo, Neiked. On “I Just Called,” Anne-Marie makes it more than clear that she is over a heartbreak. After taking “a few shots,” Anne-Marie sings on the chorus, “I just called to say I hate you / I just called to say that I’ve moved on / I just called to say this is the last you’ll be hearing from me.”

The chorus interpolates Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” on which, Wonder sings, “I just called to say I love you / I just called to say how much I care.” Following Anne-Marie’s chorus, Latto comes through with a fiery verse, reminding her ex, she’s “hot options like my closet / but I’m off it / I don’t double back /Might wear it once, then I’m done with it.”

Both Anne-Marie and Latto ride the electronic beat with ease, displaying confidence in their craft as frontrunners in their respective genres. The two maintain solid musical chemistry throughout, especially with Latto riding the high of having quickly brought her brazen craft into the realm of pop with her recent hit, “Big Energy.”

Check out “I Just Called” above.

Anne-Marie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

PJ Morton, Stevie Wonder, And Nas Connect For The Evocative ‘Be Like Water’

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There’s a lot of star power on one song and then there’s this. 4-time Grammy-winning R&B maestro PJ Morton has a new album coming out on April 29th, entitled Watch The Sun and he’s just enlisted two unquestionable legends for his latest single. On “Be Like Water,” both Nas and Stevie Wonder connect with Morton on a song that’s about going with the flow of life’s curveballs and remain adaptable.

It’s a joy to hear Morton and Wonder harmonizing as they sing, “Be like water, let it flow. Be like water, just let go,” over cinematic strings. Then Nas drops in for a verse on a song that shifts from R&B to hip-hop with orchestral instrumentation and, yes, Wonder on the harmonica.

“‘Be Like Water’ was definitely a phrase I had heard before,” Morton said in a statement. “Bruce Lee made it famous of course, but it didn’t fully connect with me until we were all shut down and I had to pivot in my life like we all had to. After I finished writing it I could only hear Nas’ voice on it. For him to actually get on it blew my mind. Then when Stevie Wonder agreed to be on it and to learn that Nas had always wanted to work with Stevie, it was beyond my wildest dreams!”

Listen to “Be Like Water” above.

PJ Morton’s Watch The Sun is out 4/29 via Morton Records.

The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, and More Participating in Ukraine Social Media Rally That Aims to Raise Billions in Aid

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Cordae Lied To Stevie Wonder About Being In The Studio When He Was Really In Bed

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Among the many impressive collaborators that Cordae was able to secure for his upcoming album From A Bird’s Eye View, there’s one that stands out among the rest. Sure, he reunites with Eminem after their “Killer” remix, as well as Freddie Gibbs and Nas for a redux of their chemistry on Nas’ “Life Is Like A Dice Game.” However, the truly mind-blowing connection is the 24-year-old rapper’s pairing with the musical legend Stevie Wonder, who was making hits when the rest were all still in diapers.

And while Stevie’s appearance on FABEV is another reunion for Cordae after he appeared on Wonder’s 2020 track “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate,” there’s apparently still a lot of pressure inherent to working with the man who made Innervisions — as evidenced by a hilarious story Cordae told The Breakfast Club during his appearance on the New York radio show to promote the new album. Not wanting to let Stevie down during a midnight FaceTime call, he fudged the truth when relaying his whereabouts to the soul icon.

“We linked up, we was working on records for four or five days in a row, and one time I’m in my room asleep and I’m laying down and he FaceTimes me,” Cordae says. “I one-eye answer, ’cause I saved his number as like Stevland Morris [because] that’s what he told me to save his number as.“I’m like, ‘Who the f*ck is this?’ Then he called back again, I’m like, ‘Stevland Morris…oh! That’s Stevie.’ … It’s midnight, and he called me. I’m laying down in bed, I got my tank top on…and he was like, ‘What you doin?’ And it’s midnight, and I knew he was going to tell me to pull up to the studio, but I didn’t wanna tell him I’m laying in bed.”

And so, knowing there was little likelihood of being caught in this particular white lie for … ahem… obvious reasons, Cordae told Stevie Wonder he was actually at the studio rather than getting some sleep. “I’m looking at this man, dead in his face, talking ’bout some… I’m laying down like, ‘Yeah, I’m in the studio.’”

Of course, there’s clearly no concern now about Stevie finding out, which he’d probably find pretty funny anyway. And the results of their work together will speak for themselves this Friday, January 14, when From A Bird’s Eye View via on Atlantic.

Check out Cordae’s full Breakfast Club interview above.