Latest news with #Lorde
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blood Orange Previews First Album in Six Years ‘Essex Honey' With Two New Singles
Last month, Dev Hynes returned as Blood Orange for the first time in three years with 'The Field,' a Caroline Polachek-assisted single about grief and escapism. As it turns out, the musician has been thinking a lot about these themes in the six years since his most recent studio album. The grief that comes with living, but also growing up, leaving home, and turning to music to make sense of it all works as the foundation of Essex Honey, the new album from Blood Orange, out August 29. Hynes leaned on an expansive list of collaborators across Essex Honey, including Polachek who also appears on the newly-released single 'Mind Loaded' alongside Lorde and Mustafa. Hynes recently produced tracks for Lorde's new album Virgin. He also contributed vocals on Turnstile's 'Seein' Stars,' and the band's frontman Brendan Yates will repay the favor on Essex Honey. More from Rolling Stone Justin Bieber Finally Had '100% Creative Freedom' on 'Swag' After Scooter Braun Split: Source Kid Cudi Drops New Song 'Grave' From Upcoming Album 'Free' Deftones Announce First Album in Five Years, Drop New Song 'Mind Loaded' arrives alongside 'Somewhere in Between,' a solo entry from Hynes that repeats the mournful and pleading refrain, 'Light was just for hope and it's keeps flickering/I just want to see again.' The album artwork for Essex Honey calls back to the musician's upbringing just outside of London. The image captures a young boy walking in his school uniform, striped tie blowing in the wind, while holding a basketball in one hand and a CD in another. 'Essex Honey is an album tinted with grief and loss, working towards acceptance and resolution, at a time when the culture is collectively feeling grief and loss, collectively trying to work towards resolution and acceptance,' a release about the album reads. The voice of the collective expands on the album with appearances from Daniel Caesar, Tariq Al-Sabir, the Durutti Column, and author Zadie Smith, marking the first time she has lent her singing voice to an album. Ian Isiah, Tirzah, Eva Tolkin, Wet's Kelly Zutrau, actors Naomi Scott and Amandala Stenberg, and Liam Benzvi also appear on Essex Honey. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Big names are skipping Vancouver on concert tours. Why?
Oliver Quezada attends upwards of 20 concerts a year. "I absolutely love listening to music live," he said. "Going to these concerts is just such a crazy experience because you grow with an album, you grow with an artist. And seeing it live is like, wow." But he's noticed a shift in the types of shows coming to B.C. Bigger artists, people who would play bigger arena shows, are skipping Vancouver. Lorde, Kendrick Lamar, Charli XCX, Lady Gaga, Burna Boy — the list goes on — have all overlooked Vancouver on their most recent tours. Even when Taylor Swift first announced Eras tour dates, Vancouver was initially left out. "For me personally, one of the big bummers was Kali Uchis with her 'Sincerely, Tour,'" Quezada said. When there are more than three million people in the Metro Vancouver area, and nearly six million provincewide, would-be concert-goers are left wondering why the city is getting the cold shoulder. Venues While there is growing concern about smaller venues for emerging artists in B.C., as more and more close up shop, it has the right stages for bigger acts. Pacific Coliseum in East Vancouver has more than 15,000 permanent seats and can add 2,000 seats on the floor. Rogers Arena has a capacity of up to 19,000 for concerts, according to Ticketmaster. Meanwhile, B.C. Place can seat up to 54,500 people. B.C. Place manager Chris May said more big concerts were coming to the stadium in recent years, but this year has been slow as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. He said the venue is also mindful of how the tour cycle works. "When demand is high in Europe or Asia (as it is this year), North America often sees a surge the following year. That's already reflected in our 2026 and 2027 calendars." Expense One of the biggest reasons Vancouver is getting shunned by bigger artists is the cost, according to publicist and industry expert Eric Alper. "When consumers are paying more for groceries or rent, the artists are paying the exact same expenses," he said. That means more money on hotels, dining out, travel and event staffing. Even duty fees for bringing merch to sell in Canada can be pricey, Alper said. "These added costs are absolutely a deal breaker when it comes to artists deciding if they're gonna skip or play Canada." : Not to mention the exchange rate — most artists are looking to be paid in American dollars, which means, when the Canadian dollar is weak, the cost of putting on a show goes up for booking agents. As YVR Concerts founder Angela Vannatter pointed out, it's expensive for people who live there, too. "The cost of living in Vancouver is so high that buying a concert ticket ... is actually potentially even out of the question," she said. But that means it's also difficult to afford hotels and travel to other cities to see shows. Border crossing If the cost of travel is prohibitive for artists, you may be wondering, well, if they're playing in Seattle, it's not that difficult for them to get up to Vancouver for a show the next day. Think again, Alper said. He said there are complex visa requirements for artists every time they cross the border. Getting those visas can be expensive and time-consuming, and not worth it for the artist and their team. "Even though we are and claim to be a very, very friendly neighbour to the U.S., there's a lot of paperwork and there's a lot of added expenses on top of the usual fees of just trying to get over the border," Alper said. Border crossing might be difficult for concert-goers, too, Vannatter said, due to the tensions and uncertainty between Canada and the U.S. right now. "It's really upsetting as a fan." Support local musicians If your favourite international pop star isn't coming to an arena near you, consider seeing some local talent instead. "The one big benefit that I'm hoping [for] when there's a lack of American or U.K. artists coming here is that the Canadian music industry, all of us, will put more emphasis on Canadian artists," Alper said. Vannatter said there are lots of homegrown musicians who sound similar to big names. "Chances are, they're writing about an experience that you can relate to and understand. And having understanding amongst ourselves is the most important thing for community." Even Quezada, who loves a big show, has been trying to check out smaller gigs lately. "I've been having such a fun time, and it's definitely a different perspective on concerts," he said. But he's still feeling slighted by Kali Uchis. "The only thing is that these artists that I really do want to see are popular for a reason."
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Listener's Songs of the Week: New tracks by Blood Orange featuring Lorde, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, and more
Lorde's choirmaster Dev Hynes, aka Blood Orange. Photo / Michael Lavine Reviews Mind Loaded by Blood Orange, featuring Caroline Polachek, Lorde & Mustafa UK producer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Blood Orange (Devonté Hynes) arranges himself quite a choir on this dreamy, airy, melancholy bit of chamber pop, driven by a gently arpeggiating piano before talking a harsh left-turn with a minute to go. It's one of two advance tracks from his first solo album since 2018, Essex Honey. The Lorde vocal cameos follow Hynes' cello, bass, synth, and guitar playing on the Virgin track Favourite Daughter and him being a support act on her forthcoming Ultrasound world tour. – Russell Baillie She Explains Things to Me By David Byrne, Ghost Train Orchestra Byrne's amusing ode to male befuddlement might be partly inspired by Rebecca Solnit's 2014 book Men Explain Things to Me which popularised the phrase 'mansplaining.' But it could also be read as a sweet love song from this spry 73-year-old's coming solo album, one that sounds like it will be fun to put on the gramophone right after Talking Heads' Remain in Light at my next rest home happy hour. – Russell Baillie As Alive as You Need Me to Be by Nine Inch Nails Welcome to a brief sub-section of this week's column devoted to bands you might have once seen at a Big Day Out (younger readers, ask an uncle). Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have had a dignified parallel career as creators of movie soundtracks since the BDO era, while Reznor has occasionally dusted off his old Nine Inch Nails band-brand. Here, under the NIN banner, they unleash the first song off the soundtrack to the new Tron film – Daft Punk did the last one – and the instantly anthemic As Alive as You Need Me to Be should have fans of Reznor's electro-goth-rock beginnings from his Pretty Hate Machine era wondering where the time has gone? – Russell Baillie My Mind is a Mountain by Deftones And now for your daily dose of angst-filled, shouty, head-crunching, decibel-abusing Californian metal from a band which played the BDO a couple of times. Claustrophobic consciousness metal? 'The storm remains and my heart's entrenched. Fate explores me now. Why do we bathe in this psyche?' It's a good, loudly delivered, question. – Graham Reid Desire by Georgia Knight Like a sensual trip-hopped Kate Bush, this steamy single from Melbourne-based expat Knight is a deep and smoky dive into interesting new territory. She tours with Folk Bitch Trio in September, and it'll be interesting to see how something like this slice of nightclub/noir art-pop plays out live. Meantime check it out. If it signals a new album let's hope she gets on with it. – Graham Reid Sundog by Babe Martin Babe Martin (Auckland's Zoe Larsen Cumming) possesses an extraordinary voice which here opens high and lonely then just keeps pushing upward as this confident piece becomes a swelling slice of something beyond folk and moves into evocative art music. If we judge people by the company they keep it's worth noting in her circle is Jazmine Mary, that's good company. Debut EP Not a Bee, but a Wasp coming soon. Definitely one to watch out for. – Graham Reid Give Into My Fears by Jamaica Moana As on previous singles Living Out West and Keep It Real, this Sydney-based, Samoan-Māori, queer artist – with links to the Hokianga and Waikato – keeps the backing stripped right back so her rap messages come through with clarity. It's about creating herself, assertion, the drive towards fame ('I've been doing this for years') and never compromising. She's convincing. Six-song debut EP Bud & Deni (named for her parents) out August 1. -- Graham Reid Death in the Family by The Sophs Who would have thought 'WEEZER-like' would become a thing? But here the LA-based alt-pop Sophs tap into a Weezerness with a song which is droll and disturbing ('I need a death in the family to turn my page') which cleaves a bit too close to Weezer to be totally satisfying. But the message of seeking redemption for past mistakes is interesting. Too soon to send flowers, and this only their second single (their previous Sweat was more convincing) so maybe that Next Big Thing description could go on hold for a while. – Graham Reid Time by Curtis Harding Vocally, American soul man Harding can deliver from the tradition of classic Motown and Stax artists (Temptations, Rufus Thomas, and other raw singers). But on this drum-driven single he initially dispenses with horns and backing vocals which means he immediately catches attention. When those other elements arrive there's tension and a sense of desperation which cleverly winds down into a moody second half. A crafted and quietly compelling notice of a new, as yet unscheduled, album. – Graham Reid Fine by Meg Washington, featuring Paul Kelly Seasoned Brisbane singer-songwriter Meg Washington ropes in wise elder Paul Kelly for a tight-harmony duet that runs a fine line between subdued country folk ballad and uplifting ode to surviving the storm. 'Everything's going to be fine,' they sing on a gentle song that snowballs into something Cohen-esque and hymn-like. Would suit a choir treatment which brings us to … – Russell Baillie Didn't It Rain by the New Zealand Youth Choir, Karen Grylls conductor We've always produced good choirs. It's not surprising – famously, more New Zealanders sing in choirs than play rugby. Our leading choirs, though, are much better than good. They proved it again recently during the NZ Youth Choir's Northern Hemisphere tour, where, under the stewardship of music director David Squire, they've won two major competitions. They took top honours at the Grand Prix of Nations at the European Choir Games in Denmark, and a few days later were named Choir of the World at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales. It's not the first time they've claimed the latter title – they won in 1999, too. It's from that competition that this recording of NZ composer David Hamilton's Didn't It Rain comes. Go Kiwi. – Richard Betts Dig Deep by Fat Freddy's Drop You could spend a long time looking for a track that showed what the late Chris Faiumu brought to Fat Freddy's Drop. This, from 2021's album Wairunga and accompanying concert film (see below) shows him effortlessly busy in the electronic engine room that he built and powered the band with. – Russell Baillie
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'I'm the Problem' tops U.S. album chart for 7th week
July 12 (UPI) -- Country star Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem is the No. 1 album in the United States for a seventh week. Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Saturday is Lorde's Virgin, followed by the soundtrack to KPop Demon Hunters at No. 3, KATSEYE's Beautiful Chaos at No. 4 and Karol G's Tropicoqueta at No. 5. Rounding out the top tier are Wallen's One Thing at a Time at No. 6, SZA's SOS at No. 7, Playboi Carti's Music at No. 8, Sabrina Carpenter's Short n'Sweet at No. 9 and Russ' W!LD at No. 10.
CBC
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Big names are skipping Vancouver on concert tours. Why?
Oliver Quezada attends upwards of 20 concerts a year. "I absolutely love listening to music live," he said. "Going to these concerts is just such a crazy experience because you grow with an album, you grow with an artist. And seeing it live is like, wow." But he's noticed a shift in the types of shows coming to B.C. Bigger artists, people who would play bigger arena shows, are skipping Vancouver. Lorde, Kendrick Lamar, Charlie XCX, Lady Gaga, Burna Boy — the list goes on — have all overlooked Vancouver on their most recent tours. Even when Taylor Swift first announced Eras tour dates, Vancouver was initially left out. "For me personally, one of the big bummers was Kali Uchis with her 'Sincerely, Tour,'" Quezada said. When there are more than three million people in the Metro Vancouver area, and nearly six million provincewide, would-be concert-goers are left wondering why the city is getting the cold shoulder. Venues While there is growing concern about smaller venues for emerging artists in B.C., as more and more close up shop, it has the right stages for bigger acts. Pacific Coliseum in East Vancouver has more than 15,000 permanent seats and can add 2,000 seats on the floor. Rogers Arena has a capacity of up to 19,000 for concerts, according to Ticketmaster. Meanwhile, B.C. Place can seat up to 54,500 people. B.C. Place manager Chris May said more big concerts were coming to the stadium in recent years, but this year has been slow as they prepare for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. He said the venue is also mindful of how the tour cycle works. "When demand is high in Europe or Asia (as it is this year), North America often sees a surge the following year. That's already reflected in our 2026 and 2027 calendars." Expense One of the biggest reasons Vancouver is getting shunned by bigger artists is the cost, according to publicist and industry expert Eric Alper. "When consumers are paying more for groceries or rent, the artists are paying the exact same expenses," he said. That means more money on hotels, dining out, travel and event staffing. Even duty fees for bringing merch to sell in Canada can be pricey, Alper said. "These added costs are absolutely a deal breaker when it comes to artists deciding if they're gonna skip or play Canada." WATCH | Cost, border crossings likely contribute to Vancouver being snubbed: Why some artists are skipping Vancouver on their latest tours 4 days ago Not to mention the exchange rate — most artists are looking to be paid in American dollars, which means, when the Canadian dollar is weak, the cost of putting on a show goes up for booking agents. As YVR Concerts founder Angela Vannatter pointed out, it's expensive for people who live there, too. "The cost of living in Vancouver is so high that buying a concert ticket ... is actually potentially even out of the question," she said. But that means it's also difficult to afford hotels and travel to other cities to see shows. Border crossing If the cost of travel is prohibitive for artists, you may be wondering, well, if they're playing in Seattle, it's not that difficult for them to get up to Vancouver for a show the next day. Think again, Alper said. He said there are complex visa requirements for artists every time they cross the border. Getting those visas can be expensive and time-consuming, and not worth it for the artist and their team. "Even though we are and claim to be a very, very friendly neighbour to the U.S., there's a lot of paperwork and there's a lot of added expenses on top of the usual fees of just trying to get over the border," Alper said. Border crossing might be difficult for concert-goers, too, Vannatter said, due to the tensions and uncertainty between Canada and the U.S. right now. "It's really upsetting as a fan." Support local musicians If your favourite international pop star isn't coming to an arena near you, consider seeing some local talent instead. "The one big benefit that I'm hoping [for] when there's a lack of American or U.K. artists coming here is that the Canadian music industry, all of us, will put more emphasis on Canadian artists," Alper said. Vannatter said there are lots of homegrown musicians who sound similar to big names. "Chances are, they're writing about an experience that you can relate to and understand. And having understanding amongst ourselves is the most important thing for community." Even Quezada, who loves a big show, has been trying to check out smaller gigs lately. "I've been having such a fun time, and it's definitely a different perspective on concerts," he said. But he's still feeling slighted by Kali Uchis.
