Summer Walker has been busy with the rollout for her new album Still Over It but now that the project is out and reportedly doing very well, the Atlanta singer has time to address a recent report that accused Love Renaissance (LVRN), her record label and management company, of signing her to a bad deal.
Last week, Rolling Stone published a feature declaring Summer a “star” but remarking that she signed a “brutal” record deal. Citing a copy of the deal the publication had obtained, the feature described Walker as “effectively an indentured servant for a series of albums,” criticizing LVRN and Interscope Records for a deal that was “lopsided.”
(For what it’s worth, the terms that were described in the feature are pretty standard for a brand-new, unknown artist with little following and no negotiation leverage, and have been in the recording industry for a very long time. It’s probably fair to say that record deals, in general, are pretty bad, but it’s also probably unfair to single out LVRN for an industry-wide practice without holding all labels to the same standard).
However, according to Walker, who posted a text response to her Instagram Stories, not only were the terms cited out-of-date but that she’s sticking by LVRN, who she says gives her “full support.”
“I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter online,” she wrote. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted to stay focused on releasing my album. Yow let me clear the air. What that article said is not my current record deal. Over the years my deal has changed many times. I’ve always had my own representation and full support from LVRN. Thank you to my fans for always having my back and for all of the love ya’ll keep showing my new album. Appreciate y’all!!”
As of this week, 19 and counting lawsuits were filed surrounding the Astroworld incident, according to a report from Rolling Stone. One plaintiff is seeking nearly $1 million in damages from the festival and even alleged Drake was partially responsible for helping to “incite the crowd” to an “out of control” level when he took the stage as Scott’s surprise guest. The plaintiff claims they were stationed at the front of the general admission section and were “severely injured” in the “stampede” that happened when Scott took the stage at 9 pm. In a separate lawsuit, another plaintiff claimed they were “trampled, crushed, and lost consciousness” during the crowd surge that night.
Attorney Alex Hilliard is representing several people who are filing lawsuits surrounding the festival, saying he expects to file complaints for over 100 people by the end of this week. “There will be hundreds of plaintiffs by Friday, if not thousands,” Hilliard told Rolling Stone:
“I have one client who gave a stranger CPR for an hour before anybody even got to him. Obviously, by the time medical personnel got there, it was too late. He said, ‘I can heal from a broken arm, but I’ll never heal from this.’ This is such a unique, rare, and unprecedented case. […] We understand at least nine people on site had the ability to shut the concert down and didn’t. This is involuntary corporate manslaughter as far as we’re concerned.”
Following the lawsuits, Drake broke his silence about the tragic event. The rapper said he had been trying to “wrap [his] mind around the “devastating tragedy.” “My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering,” he continued. “I will continue to pray for all of them, and will be of service in any way I can.”
We’ve all been told not to judge a book by its cover, and while the same thought can be applied to album covers, the rule becomes a bit harder to follow in this scenario. An album’s artwork is the first thing that grabs our attention — negatively or positively — before we can press play on it. Oftentimes, the cover art is used to promote a body of work before its official release which then opens the flood gates for fans to judge its appearance and rate how good the album may or may not be.
For better or for worse, there have been a number of memorable album covers in 2021. There’s Drake’s pregnant woman-emoji-laden cover for Certified Lover Boy that was considered a troll until he went out his way to confirm it. Ye kept things simple with a black square for Donda while Lil Nas X’s artwork for Montero finds him nude and suspended in the air. Yung Bleu appears as an astronaut in his Moon Boy cover and Lorde’s own for Solar Power was a bit… cheeky, wouldn’t you say?
With that being said, 2021 also gave us album covers with artists showing off their best looks. It’s always great to receive a quality collection of music that’s wrapped in a well-captured portrait of the artist. Without further ado, here are the ten most stylish album covers of 2021.
Ayra Starr — 19 & Dangerous
Mavin Global Holdings
Afropop singer Ayra Starr dropped off 19 & Dangerous, her sophomore project and second release of the year. The project delivers a tale of growth that arrives as the singer prepares to exit the teenager status for adulthood. For its cover, Starr sits on a blue bag dressed in what appears to be red stain pants and golden elbow-length gloves. She’s also surrounded by deep green walls to complete the truly colorful cover.
CKay — Boyfriend
Warner Music South Africa
Keeping things in the afrobeats world, Ckay delivered another sharp cover art with his Boyfriend EP. He released the project at the top of the year and it’s masked with a purple hue that is complemented by the car Ckay leans on, the night sky and flowers behind him, the scarf and fingernails on the arm of a woman that’s wrapped around him. Altogether, it makes for a sharp cover that captures the Ckay’s sensitive side along with the seven songs that appear on the EP.
Doja Cat — Planet Her
Kemosabe/RCA
There has yet to be a moment too big for Doja Cat to handle. So even when the pressure for her to surpass expectations with her third album Planet Her continued to rise, Doja stepped up to bat and hit a home run. The artwork for the album helped listeners envision the weirdo spectacle that she presented on the project. She lays on what appears to be a glittery body of land which neon shades of glitter covering her body from head to toe. Might I mention that the album is also one of the best releases in 2021? Long story short, Doja came through from top to bottom.
Kirby — Sis. He Wasn’t The One
Kirby
At the beginning of 2020, Memphis singer Kirby arrived with her debut project Sis. Nearly two years later, she returned with its sequel Sis. He Wasn’t The One in what also sports a very underrated cover. Kirby lays beside a man with her light brown hair tied up while wearing a red top that compliments the flowery blanket she lays on and the room she’s in. If you’re looking for a body of work that vents one’s struggles with love while expounding on a man’s failure to be a solid partner, Sis. He Wasn’t The One delivers that with an aesthetically pleasing cover to look at.
Little Simz — Sometimes I Might Be Introverted
Age 101 Music/ AWAL Recordings
Little Simz’sSometimes I Might Be Introverted is truly a beautiful body of work. It’s one of those rare projects where everything from the lyrics, the production, the sequencing, and more fall into the place so exquisitely. Its artwork is another notable point The London rapper sits nervously in a wooden chair while rocking a yellow and black checkered suit as his hair is tied up to a high altitude. The mustard yellow backdrop also pairs well with Little Simz’s look in what comes together as an eye-pleasing cover.
Masego — Studying Abroad: Extended Stay
EQT Recordings/Capitol Records
Masego ended 2020 with Studying Abroad, his first project since his pristine 2018 debut album Lady Lady. Studying Abroad received the deluxe treatment back in May as five more songs were added to the project to accompany highlights like “Mystery Lady” and “Silver Tongue Devil. The deluxe reissue also granted us a new cover that presented the already-stylish Masego in a salmon suit as he posed longing into the camera which captures nature’s beauty behind him.
Serpentwithfeet — Deacon
Secretly Canadian
Serpentwithfeet began the spring season this year with his Deacon project. It’s a release that was filled with music he described as “a lot softer, a lot more gentle than my previous work,” “something that felt very sensuous,” and “something that felt calm and restrained.” This tender approach comes alive on the project’s cover art as it presents Serpentwithfeet in a white button-up top and gold accessories on his fingers, neck, ears, and hair. He also holds another man in his arms who sports a similar white top as they both stand amid a hazy desert.
Symphani Soto — Under The Sun
Bizness Boi Music Group
South Florida’s Symphani Soto earned herself a nice career boost with her June project Under The Sun. Its 11 tracks make for a body of work ideal for an afternoon drive or warm evening at the beach. Soto appears relaxed and free throughout the project and if you need a visual for that, it’s available on the project’s cover art. The singer stands tall and free in a detailed and intricate bright orange dress as the slightly cloudy sky behind her helps to enhance her features and make her stand out.
Umi — Introspection Reimagined
Umi/Keep Cool/RCA
Umi breathed new life into her 2020 album Introspection and re-released it with a new dose of vibrancy and lucidity through eight songs. It also comes with a beautiful cover that sees Umi in an elaborate white gown. Captured from an aerial view, Umi stares closely into a mirror with her arms almost stretched fully apart over a rich red backdrop.
VanJess — Homegrown
Keep Cool/RCA
Nearly three years after their career-solidifying debut album Silk Canvas, VanJess returned with their Homegrown EP. Music aside, the project was presented with a flawless cover that captured the beauty of Ivana and Jess. Seated at a gold table and on golden chairs, VanJess stuns with clothing that ranges from cheetah print, bright red, shimmery gold, and lavish accessories. Oh, and the music on the project and its eventual deluxe edition are great too!
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The fallout from the Astroworld Festival incident over the weekend continues to settle as lawsuits emerge, performers respond, and investigations persist. Now, Live Nation and ScoreMore, the producers of the event, are working to ensure that the people affected will have support. The companies announced the establishment of a health fund to help injured Astroworld attendees with medical costs as they cooperate with authorities to determine the appropriate responses to the aftermath of the event, which left eight dead and 300 injured. The statement reads:
We wanted to provide an update on the steps that ScoreMore, Live Nation, and the Astroworld Fest team have been taking. Throughout the weekend, we have been working to provide local authorities with everything they need from us in order to complete their investigation and get everyone the answers they are looking for.
Our staff has met with local authorities to provide information, and we have also provided them with all footage from our CCTV cameras. Loadout of the site and equipment is currently paused to give investigators the time they requested to walk and document the grounds. Full refunds are being offered for all those who purchased tickets.
And most importantly we are working on ways to support attendees, the families of victims, and staff, from providing mental health counseling to setting up a health fund to help with costs for medical expenses.
Our entire team is mourning alongside the community.
We wanted to provide an update on the steps that Live Nation, Scoremore and the Astroworld Fest team have been taking. https://t.co/BsAHPSQXhK
Meanwhile, Travis Scott and Live Nation are already the subject of multiple lawsuits stemming from the injuries and deaths at the festival, with both pledging assistance to those affected.
Kal Penn revealed recently that he is engaged to a man named Josh, who has been his partner for the past 11 years. This was the first time that the actor publicly declared he is gay. As far as the wedding goes, he may have found himself an officiant in Cardi B. Cardi officiated a same-sex wedding in a recent episode of Cardi Tries, so she’s legally able to get Penn and Josh hitched. Penn and Cardi actually went back and forth on Twitter recently and seemingly made plans for Cardi to officiate Penn’s wedding. While that could have just been chalked up to a fun Twitter interaction of no real consequence, Penn says that he would genuinely like Cardi to conduct his wedding ceremony.
He and Jimmy Kimmel discussed the situation on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, and when Kimmel asked if Cardi is actually going to do the ceremony, Penn replied, “I hope so!”
Penn went on to speak about Indian weddings and how long they can be, lasting for days and days. After Kimmel joked that Penn wasn’t making it easy for Cardi to make that sort of commitment, Penn clarified, “Let me be clear: we need ten minutes of her time.” Penn wrapped up the conversation by noting, “She’s wonderful, I’d be super down.”
Check out the full interview above.
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Kid Cudi is showing us his musical journey in a new documentary to be released on Amazon Prime and Halle Berry is making music history in her new movie. Ahead of the Astroworld festival this weekend, Travis Scott has a treat for his fans and Ice Cube is the latest celebrity to refuse to get […]
After a video went viral showing rapper Saweetie teaching actor Damson Idris how to play the piano, the world wants to see their paths intersect once more, with fans shipping them as a couple all over social media.
Pop culture fanatics have been theorizing about who Saweetie might end up dating next following her split from Quavo this year, and it looks like Damson Idris has declared himself as a potential candidate. Aside from a new video of them hanging out during a late-night piano lesson, there exists no evidence that they may be together romantically, but fans are wishing that they consider a level-up of their friendship.
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
The Snowfall star posted a couple of videos showing Saweetie playing Beethoven’s “Für Elise” on the piano, seemingly giving him lessons before they both cracked up in laughter. Women are reacting to the video by jokingly telling Saweetie to back away from their man, while the men commenting are upset about Saweetie possibly being off the market again.
Recently, Saweetie told fans that she has “baby fever” and comedian Nick Cannon responded, volunteering to give her a child. Read more about that here.
What do you think about the possible coupledom between Saweetie and Damson Idris? Do you think they would make a nice couple?
According to a recent report by People, a crew member working on the set of Alec Baldwin’s Rust, is in danger of losing an arm after being bitten by a poisonous, brown recluse spider.
Rust, which was halted in its tracks after Baldwin accidentally shot and killed filmmaker Halyna Hutchins with a prop gun he believed was “cold” or loaded with blanks, has come under great scrutiny in the last few weeks. After Hutchins’ tragic death, claims of unsafe set conditions (especially concerning guns) arose. Some crew members pushed back against any claims of wrongdoing (with Baldwin’s co-sign), but the facts are that the film’s armorer is under investigation, as it was revealed Baldwin’s prop gun was actually loaded with at least one live round.
Now, with news that Jason Miller, “a pipe rigger and lamp operator on the film’s wrap team,” may lose an arm after being bit by a brown recluse, the Rust set conditions seem even more dangerous.
Sam Wasson/Getty Images
According to a GoFundMe set up by Miller’s family, Miller suffered severe symptoms just days after the initial bite, and has undergone numerous surgeries in an attempt to save his arm.
“In a matter of days he experienced severe symptoms including necrosis of his arm and sepsis. He has been hospitalized and endured multiple surgeries each day as doctors do their best to stop the infection and try to save his arm from amputation,” Miller’s family wrote. “It will be a very long road to recovery for Jason if the medical team at Abq Lovelace is able to save his arm. If under worse circumstances he loses his arm, this is a life-changing and devastating event for Jason and his family.”
People reported that Miller’s GoFundMe campaign has already raised $8,400, $3,400 more than their $5,000 goal, but it is unclear if the financial assistance will be enough to save his arm.
Stay updated on the aftermath of the Rust tragedy here.
Certified Lover Boy Drake released his first statement Monday night on what happened following the deadly horror show during The Astroworld Festival. Eight people died as the crowd surged towards the stage during the performance. Drake Gives Condolences To Lives Lost At Astroworld Drake, who made a guest appearance with Travis Scott at Astroworld 2021 […]
