Latest news with #SoundsRight
Sunday World
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Hozier credits being from Ireland as the key to keeping his feet on the ground
Ten years on from Take Me To Church making him a star, Hozier is re-releasing his hit self-titled album on vinyl. Irish pop superstar Hozier is marking the 10th anniversary of his hit self-titled album that featured Take Me To Church and put him on the world around the world with a new vinyl release. It comes after a spectacular year that saw Wicklow man Hozier top charts across the globe, including America, with his Too Sweet single. Alongside the vinyl release comes a brand new remix of his song, Like Real People Do featuring NATURE. Hozier's track is part of the Sounds Right project, a collaboration with the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live, which aims to showcase nature itself as an artist. Sounds Right is a global music initiative to recognise the value of nature and inspire millions of fans to take environmental action. By streaming or listening to the song, listeners will be contributing 50 per cent of the royalties to frontline conservation in the world's most precious and precarious ecosystems. Hozier's track is part of the Sounds Right project. Since NATURE was launched as an official artist last year, millions have listened and directed real funding to communities protecting the planet's most vital ecosystems. The nature sounds that add an element of magic to the new version of Like Real People Do were recorded in Hozier's native Co Wicklow. 'It features bird song, cricket song, rain fall and thunder of my beloved home of Wicklow,' Hozier says. By infusing the hauntingly beautiful folk tones with the ethereal sounds of nature, the collaboration creates a stunning version of the Hozier fan favourite. Talking about the vinyl release of his debut album, Hozier, who will play this year's Electric Picnic on Friday, August 29, says: 'It's an album that very much changed my life and it's the reason that we're still playing around the world to this day. Looking back on the success of Take Me To Church, Hozier admits he never expected it to become such a global phenomenon. 'I was always proud of Take Me To Church and excited about it because I managed to get all these ideas into the song,' Hozier says. 'But I certainly didn't see it as a Top 10 hit. I thought maybe people would like it or appreciate it and that's what you hope for.' Hozier, who wrote Take Me To Church in the attic of his family home in Greystones, ended up getting a Grammy nomination for the track. 'All of a sudden, your name is next to somebody like Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran,' he says. 'Initially, that is as surreal as anyone could think because they are such distant, intangible icons.' When asked by Magazine+ how he felt about the term Superstar now in front of his name, Hozier laughed: 'It's a bit of an odd term. There's a great myth about stardom or fame because you don't feel any different, you're just very, very busy. 'I didn't buy into it. I didn't internalise it, and I think that's really the trick. I think there's a real mistake you can make beliveing your own hype and your own bullsh*t. You have to keep a distance between yourself and the smoke that people are tyring to blow up your ass.' Coming from a normal Irish background has helped him to keep his feet on the ground, he says. Hozier told me: 'I think, if nothing else, what the Irish are good at is maintaining normality and keeping our heads. 'You are not allowed to get carried away with the whole thing, especially if you have close Irish friends around you. 'Everyone tears lumps out of each other. We slag each other off and have a great laugh. I think that disrespect for everything is a healthy Irish trait.' He's got a great sense of humour and when asked about the fact that he's had the odd bra thrown up on stage during his live performances, Hozier quipped: 'I'd rather a bra than a brick.'
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Earth Day 2025: Music stars Armaan Malik, Raveena joins over 30 global artists to release new music featuring sounds of nature to support conservation
BATHINDA: In celebration of Earth Day, over 30 acclaimed artists from across the globe have released new music infused with the sounds of nature - from birdsong and crashing waves to glaciers, moths, antelopes and rainforest wildlife. This unique collection of songs is released as part of Sounds Right, an initiative that made history by launching Nature as an official artist on streaming platforms for the first time last year, highlighting its beauty to millions while generating significant royalties for global conservation. The new tracks feature an eclectic mix of artists, with leading Indian singing sensation and songwriter Armaan Malik and Indian American singer-songwriter Raveena fronting a stellar lineup that includes Grammy winners and rising stars across multiple genres. French composer Yann Tiersen , electronic powerhouse Steve Angello (Swedish House Mafia), and Seattle indie-rocker SYML, are among the key contributors. They are joined by artists such as Rozzi, George The Poet, Rosa Walton , Penguin Cafe , Madame Gandhi, Franc Moody, and many more. Representing countries including India, the UK, US, Japan, Colombia, Russia, Hong Kong, Denmark, and Argentina, these artists span a diverse range of musical styles - from Indian pop (Armaan Malik) and classical (Evgeny Grinko) to hip-hop (KAM-BU) and techno (Amelie Lens). They follow in the footsteps of the likes of Brian Eno, Ellie Goulding, and Lykke Li, who have collaborated with Nature previously. Each artist has taken a unique approach to incorporating nature into their work, using sounds recorded in forests, oceans, and urban green spaces. Some tracks feature field recordings from celebrated sound recordist Martyn Stewart and The Listening Planet, while others integrate the artists' own environmental recordings, making each piece a deeply personal tribute to the natural world. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Seoul-teukbyeolsi: AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Aroun... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Armaan Malik contributes 'What in the World', a soaring anthem blending pop with environmental urgency. Originally debuted during a Billboard Live At-Home performance at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the song captured the spirit of reflection and global reset. Reflecting on the track's message and its collaboration with Nature, Malik shared: "Nature is speaking - we just have to listen. 'What In The World' is a call to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the world around us. That's why the Sounds Right initiative is so important. Music has the power to inspire change, and together, we can make a difference." Raveena offers ' Morning Prayer ', a meditative track weaving together nature, healing, and ancestral memory. Known for her ethereal vocals and genre-blending sound, Raveena draws from her Sikh Punjabi roots and deep spiritual connection with the Earth. The track fuses ambient textures, instrumentation, and the serene sounds of the natural world to evoke reflection, stillness, and joy. On the inspiration behind the track, Raveena shared: 'Jenn and I wrote 'Morning Prayer' born out of a very magical moment in nature. We were on a trip together deep in the forest and I was doing my morning meditation for 30 minutes in the rain outside. Jenn said that at the peak of my meditation, there was this moment where the light was pouring in through the rain drops and she was so inspired that she took a voice recording of the rainfall and some photographs of me meditating. Other artists have drawn inspiration from personal stories, environmental crises, and endangered species to create tracks that reflect their unique connections with the natural world. As a passionate birdwatcher, I Jordan chose to spotlight birds from the UK's ' Red List ,' including the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker , Rosa Walton focussed on the evocative, soft sounds of moths, inspired by her father - a moth specialist who has witnessed the decline of moth populations over decades due to climate change. Alice Boyd's 'All We Are' weaves together two field recordings from Birmingham's Bluebell Wood. Yann Tiersen said: 'I'm grateful to be part of the Sounds Right campaign. We live in a time where the human narrative has been placed at the center of everything. It's time to rewrite that story. The Earth isn't a backdrop to our ambitions — it's a living, breathing force we are entangled with.' SYML said: Nature surrounds us all, but I particularly love nature from my part of the world. I chose some lovely sounds from the Olympic mountain range and Puget Sound region in Washington State. The mountains and waterways are a big part of how I was raised, and now I'm pleased to bring up my own children in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. No matter where we find ourselves, it's up to all of us to take care of what was here before, leaving it only better.' Gabriel Smales, Global Programme Director for Sounds Right at UN Live, said: 'We asked a question: what if nature could speak - and be credited - through music? A year later, the answer is clear. Millions are listening and directing real funding to communities protecting the planet's most vital ecosystems. Further, by collaborating with Nature, artists from around the world are reminding us that music can do more than move us emotionally; it can enable us to protect what matters most. If music can make nature a collaborator, imagine what could happen if other industries followed suit.' Beyond its global impact, Sounds Right is also driving local initiatives to increase music fans' connection with nature. In Denmark, nature immersion trips have been organized, with leading artists and biologists supporting young people to listen to and monitor biodiversity levels. In Bogotá, workshops on deep nature listening, meditation, and field recording are being introduced in public schools, aiming to connect hundreds of young people with the sounds of their environment. Led by the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live, Sounds Right is the culmination of a unique collaboration between global artists, nature sound libraries, renowned producers, creatives, and environmental groups who want to put music at the heart of a global conversation about nature's conservation and restoration. Partners include EarthPercent, AKQA, and the Hempel Foundation.
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Global Artists Come Together To Put Nature On The Stage Through Music
We're living in a world where the sounds of nature are often drowned out by city life and digital noise. But what if, instead of fading into the background, those sounds became the main act? That's exactly what the Sounds Right movement is doing—inviting nature to step into the spotlight as a bona fide music artist, and in the process, helping protect the very ecosystems that inspired the tracks. Working with global artists, they're putting Nature on the main stage at events such as Coachella and Glastonbury – hoping to attracting a younger audience through pop culture. This Earth Day, over 30 acclaimed artists from across the globe have released new music infused with the sounds of nature: from birdsong and crashing waves to glaciers, moths, antelopes and rainforest wildlife. This unique collection of songs is released as part of Sounds Right, an initiative by the Museum for United Nations – UN Live, that made history last year by launching 'Nature' as an official artist on streaming platforms for the first time. Over 100 million people tuned in to listen – and more than 10 million people just on Spotify. This year's new tracks feature an eclectic mix of artists, including Grammy winners and rising stars: Breton musician and multi-instrumentalist Yann Tiersen, Indian pop sensation Armaan Malik, electronic powerhouse Steve Angello (Swedish House Mafia), Seattle indie-rocker SYML, and Indian-American singer-songwriter Raveena are among the key contributors. They are joined by artists such as Maejor, Rozzi, George The Poet, Rosa Walton, Penguin Cafe, Madame Gandhi, Franc Moody, and many more. The musicians and artists come from countries all over the world: UK, US, India, Japan, Colombia, Russia, Denmark, and Argentina. Plus, they're not from one genre: classical (Evgeny Grinko) to Indian pop (Armaan Malik) to hip-hop (KAM-BU) and techno (Amelie Lens) are included. From Bogotá's Biodiversity to the Global Stage The story of Sounds Right started in Bogotá, Colombia, where a series of workshops in 2019 brought together creatives, musicians, and acoustic ecologists. The goal? To reconnect youth with the biodiversity around them, in a country that sits at the heart of the world's most diverse ecosystem, the Andes. 'We created music featuring nature sounds, and it ended up doing pretty well—even making its way into the Colombian clubbing scene,' says Gabriel Smales, Global Programme Director for Sounds Right. 'That's when we asked: if money's being generated from nature sound, shouldn't nature be credited?' That question sparked a movement. Working with Spotify and creative agency AKQA, the team set out to give nature an official artist profile—complete with album art, streaming royalties, and a place on the world's biggest music platforms. 'AKQA did an amazing job to bring the moment to the public that nature is now officially an artist, and to borrow terminology and visual language from music culture in order to make the concept loud,' Smales says. Plus it fit the UN's mandate for the Museum for the United Nations UN Live as well, which is an independent non-profit that should use the power of popular culture to engage everyday people on the missions and values of the UN. A Debut Year That Resonated Sounds Right officially launched on April 18 last year at the United Nations, and the response was immediate, Smales says. The campaign was picked up by 460 media outlets, reaching a potential audience of 3.6 billion people. 'We had big traction in India, Colombia, and Indonesia, partly because of the artists that were involved, but also I think people were ready for a positive news story and also an action that anyone could take to get involved in this biodiversity crisis.' Spotify got behind the launch with billboards in New York, Miami, Bogotá, Jakarta, and London. Other streaming giants like Apple Music and Amazon also showed interest. What could have been a controversial move—crediting nature as an artist—was met instead with widespread support. 'It's been less controversial than we thought it might be. I think, as I said, a lot of people got behind what most felt was a positive news story in a pretty difficult news environment,' Smales says. Letting Artists—and Nature—Lead the Way What sets Sounds Right apart is its creative freedom. There's no prescribed formula for how artists should use nature in their music. Some tracks use birdsong or rainfall as a gentle backdrop; others highlight environmental crises with soundscapes of forest fires – an issue that came to light this January in Los Angeles with the wildfires, for example. 'Nature's been inspiring music since music began. We allow the artists complete creative discretion on how they'd like to feature nature in their music,' Smales explains. This approach has attracted a diverse array of artists, from pop stars to rappers to classical musicians. And the movement is growing: this year, more than 80% of the tracks are brand new, and the share of female artists has jumped from 40% to 50%. Plus, this music is getting the spotlight at major music festivals. Norwegian singer Aurora played her nature track at the Roskilde Festival on the biggest stage at the festival, the orange stage, in front of 60,000 people. Similarly British artists Cosmo Sheldrake played his track with nature at Glastonbury in the UK last year. From Streams to Conservation But Sounds Right isn't just about making music—it's about making an impact. Ninety percent of the royalties generated from streaming go directly to conservation projects, with a focus on Indigenous and community-led initiatives in biodiversity hotspots. 'We've already committed $225,000 alongside the Biodiversity COP16 in Colombia last year, and we're primed to commit over $350,000 in 2025, focusing on the Amazon and Congo basins,' Smales says. The remaining 10% of royalties help cover program costs, though most operational expenses are funded through philanthropy, he clarifies. The initiative has already helped fund projects on the ground, and the hope is that as more people listen, more support will flow to where it's needed most. Changing the Tune on Environmental Action Sounds Right is about more than just streaming numbers. It's about helping people rediscover their connection to the natural world—whether that's through listening, recording their own nature sounds, or learning to become 'acoustic ecologists.' And just like the best music, the movement is meant to be shared. 'We should be meeting people where they are, doing something they already love. Yes, it's a relatively small contribution, but it's at no extra cost to themselves. And hopefully, we can build a sense of agency to then inspire those fans to do more,' he adds. As Sounds Right heads into its second year, it's clear that nature isn't just background noise. It's an artist in its own right—and with every listen, it's helping tackle conservation through a new perspective and medium.
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Armaan Malik: 'What In The World' is a call to pause, reflect, reconnect with the world
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) As the world celebrates Earth Day on Tuesday, over 30 acclaimed artists from across the globe have released new music infused with the sounds of nature, which includes Indian singer and songwriter Armaan Malik , who said his track contributes " What In The World ," is a call to pause and reconnect with the world. The sounds of nature blend birdsong, crashing waves, glaciers, moths, antelopes and rainforest wildlife. This unique collection of songs is released as part of Sounds Right , an initiative that made history by launching 'Nature' as an official artist on streaming platforms. The new tracks feature an artist including Armaan and Indian American singer-songwriter Raveena fronting a stellar lineup that includes Grammy winners and rising stars across multiple genres. French composer Yann Tiersen, electronic powerhouse Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia,and Seattle indie-rocker SYML, are among the key contributors. They are joined by artists such as Rozzi, George The Poet, Rosa Walton, Penguin Cafe, Madame Gandhi, Franc Moody, and many more. Representing countries including India, the UK, US, Japan, Colombia, Russia, Hong Kong, Denmark, and Argentina, these artists span a diverse range of musical styles - from Indian pop. Reflecting on the track's message and its collaboration with Nature, Malik shared: "Nature is speaking - we just have to listen. 'What In The World' is a call to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the world around us. That's why the Sounds Right initiative is so important. Music has the power to inspire change, and together, we can make a difference." Describing the track, Armaan added: "What In The World' starts as a gentle reflection and builds into a powerful pop-rock anthem, echoing the growing urgency of its message." "It explores waking up to the chaos around us, questioning our impact on each other, our environment, and the planet as a whole - while holding onto the hope that change is still possible." Raveena offers "Morning Prayer" (feat. Nature), a meditative track weaving together nature, healing, and ancestral memory. Known for her ethereal vocals and genre-blending sound, Raveena draws from her Sikh Punjabi roots and deep spiritual connection with the Earth. The track fuses textures, instrumentation, and the sounds of the natural world to evoke reflection, stillness, and joy. Raveena shared: "Jenn and I wrote "Morning Prayer" born out of a very magical moment in nature. We were on a trip together deep in the forest and I was doing my morning meditation for 30 minutes in the rain outside. Jenn said that at the peak of my meditation, there was this moment where the light was pouring in through the rain drops and she was so inspired that she took a voice recording of the rainfall and some photographs of me meditating. "She sent me an instrumental she made with the nature recordings from our vacation day, two weeks later. I was so inspired and wrote "Morning Prayer" song on the spot, recalling a photographic memory of the earlier experience. This song truly felt like the perfect song for NATURE's Earth Day series." Yann Tiersen said: "I'm grateful to be part of the Sounds Right campaign. We live in a time where the human narrative has been placed at the center of everything. It's time to rewrite that story. The Earth isn't a backdrop to our ambitions - it's a living, breathing force we are entangled with." SYML added: "I chose some lovely sounds from the Olympic mountain range and Puget Sound region in Washington State. The mountains and waterways are a big part of how I was raised, and now I'm pleased to bring up my own children in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. No matter where we find ourselves, it's up to all of us to take care of what was here before, leaving it only better." All the tracks can be enjoyed on the "NATURE's Collaborations" playlist on Spotify. Gabriel Smales, Global Programme Director for Sounds Right at UN Live, said: "We asked a question: what if nature could speak - and be credited - through music? A year later, the answer is clear. Millions are listening, and directing real funding to communities protecting the planet's most vital ecosystems." "Further, by collaborating with NATURE, artists from around the world are reminding us that music can do more than move us emotionally; it can enable us to protect what matters most. If music can make nature a collaborator, imagine what could happen if other industries followed suit." Led by the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live, Sounds Right is the culmination of a unique collaboration between global artists, nature sound libraries, renowned producers, creatives, and environmental groups who want to put music at the heart of a global conversation about nature's conservation and restoration. Partners include EarthPercent, AKQA, and the Hempel Foundation, among others.
