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Tag: Music videos

  • Tinashe Struts Through the Supermarket in a String Bikini For Her “Needs” Video

    Tinashe Struts Through the Supermarket in a String Bikini For Her “Needs” Video

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    Tinashe is keeping cool in the freezer section this summer. On Aug. 18, the singer released the music video for her song “Needs,” in which she confidently hits the supermarket aisles in a green string bikini. Unlike the sweats most of us wear to pick up our groceries, Tinashe’s figure-hugging ensemble was a sartorial ode to summer.

    The plunging halter top featured dramatic side cutouts held together by three rows of string ties along her back. The singer continued the monochrome look with a matching pair of string bikini bottoms layered underneath a fuzzy green micro-skirt. She completed the outfit, styled by Yasi Guilani, with a pair of stiletto boots in avocado green and white.

    “Thank you so much for everyone who made this one happen !!” Tinashe captioned a clip of the video on Instagram. As she twerked, skipped, and rode through the supermarket aisles in a shopping cart, Tinashe gave a glimpse at her swimsuit from all angles. From the front, the crop top boasted a ruched neckline. From the side, the bikini revealed lengthy string ties adorned with gold hardware. Guilani completed Tinashe’s outfit with layered gold necklaces, hoop earrings, a gold body chain, and a green-and-white baseball cap.

    In a surprising twist, Tinashe had an outfit change à la Lady Gaga at the 2010 MTV VMAs less than halfway through the video. Keeping with the supermarket theme, she spread herself out in the deli meat section while wearing a bikini made entirely of sliced ham and turkey cutlets. While it’s unclear whether she could actually sit up or walk around in the unconventional design, the wardrobe department certainly kept style and creativity in mind when creating the swimsuit. Each slice of meat was layered artfully to create the illusion of ruffles.

    In February, the singer gave a sneak peek at her summer wardrobe in a pair of neon bikini bottoms for her 30th birthday celebration. Though most celebrities have made 2023 the year of the bikini regardless of the season, Tinashe was certainly one of the first to proclaim her love for the vacation-ready style.

    Ahead, see close-ups of Tinashe’s bikinis in the new “Needs” music video.

    Tinashe’s Green String Bikini in the “Needs” Music Video

    Tinashe’s Deli Meat Bikini in the “Needs” Music Video

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    Chanel Vargas

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  • Smoov Kapiushon Drops the Title Song & Music Video for the Upcoming Horror Movie “Young & Cursed”

    Smoov Kapiushon Drops the Title Song & Music Video for the Upcoming Horror Movie “Young & Cursed”

    Multi-talented artist & actor Smoov Kapiushon (aka Stevarion Allen) releases chilling title song & music video for the upcoming horror film “Young & Cursed.”

    LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, August 17, 2023 — The captivating and multi-talented musician and actor, Smoov Kapiushon, recently released his latest song and music video for the highly anticipated horror movie “Young & Cursed.” Smoov Kapiushon collaborated with the visionary production force behind “Young & Cursed,” Chiaramonte Films, Inc. The up-and-coming artist, also known for “Hood Luv” and “Mood Swings” raises the curtain on a chilling saga that promises to grip audiences’ hearts.

    Renowned both as a musical virtuoso and accomplished actor, Smoov Kapiushon, also known as Stevarion Allen, has not only penned and performed the film’s titular anthem but also commands the screen as Jason, a character ensnared in the clutches of his own very real inner demon.

    According to the director Andrew Chiaramonte, “After auditioning, rehearsing and the start of filming, Stevarion had an idea, an inspiration if you will, and he wrote the single, the title tune for the film which you see him performing here in the guise of his alter ego, the off-the-charts singer songwriter, Smoov Kapiushon. It was important that the production of the music video take advantage of the actual location where the horror of the story takes place and that the other young actors of ‘Young & Cursed’ be included in the filming. Give it a look and defend yourself against the terror.”

    Eliot Gurrin, co-producer / post-production supervisor, stated “Having the cast included in the music video on location during the actual film production gives it a surrealistic look and feel.”

    Behind the scenes, the creative minds responsible for the acclaimed films “Adam’s Package” and “Twogether,” including the accomplished director and producer Andrew Chiaramonte, and industry stalwart producer Emmett Alston, have orchestrated their latest cinematic opus, “Young & Cursed,” slated for an early 2024 debut. The narrative unfurls in the enigmatic embrace of a remote and arcane landscape, where five young souls find themselves entrapped within the mesmerizing web woven by an ancient malevolent entity.

    As the inexorable hands of time tick away, and the suspense intensifies, the characters’ destinies intersect with an ominous fusion of dread and age-old curses, their fates tantalizingly poised on a knife’s edge.

    The eagerly anticipated music video is already available to satiate fans’ thirst for the uncanny, offering an alluring glimpse into the forthcoming sensation that is “Young & Cursed.” Horror enthusiasts, however, will have to bide their time until the dawn of 2024 to experience the full cinematic immersion in this spine-tingling odyssey.

    For more information, media inquiries, and updates, please visit www.youngandcursed.com

  • Taylor Swift and SZA lead 2023 MTV Video Music Award nominations

    Taylor Swift and SZA lead 2023 MTV Video Music Award nominations

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    Taylor Swift may soon become the most awarded artist in MTV Video Music Awards history

    ByMARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer

    FILE – Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour,” Friday, May 5, 2023, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Swift may soon become the most awarded artist in MTV Video Music Awards history. She leads the 2023 nominations with eight — seven for her “Anti-Hero” music video and the Artist of the Year category MTV announced on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

    The Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taylor Swift may soon become the most awarded artist in MTV Video Music Awards history.

    She leads the 2023 nominations with eight — seven for her “Anti-Hero” music video and a nod in the artist of the year category — followed by SZA, who has six, MTV announced on Tuesday.

    Swift currently has 14 VMAs to her name, placing her just behind Madonna, who has 20 awards, and Beyoncé, who has 16.

    Beyoncé is also nominated for Artist of the Year.

    Doja Cat, Kim Petras, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Olivia Rodrigo and Sam Smith are tied at five nominations, and BLACKPINK, Diddy and Shakira each received four.

    The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, scheduled for Sept. 12, will have a record-breaking 35 first-time nominees including Petras, and Metro Boomin’ and Rema, who boast three each.

    Aespa, Burna Boy, Davido, Eslabon Armado, FIFTY FIFTY, PinkPantheress, Saucy Santana, Stephen Sanchez and Toosii are also nominated for the first time.

    The VMAs will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Fan voting begins Tuesday across 15 gender-neutral categories at vote.mtv.com, including the new best Afrobeats category, and ends Friday, Sept. 1.

    Voting in the best new artist category will remain active throughout the show.

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  • Cardi B Brings Back the Polarizing Butt-Graphic Jeans For “Jealousy” Video

    Cardi B Brings Back the Polarizing Butt-Graphic Jeans For “Jealousy” Video

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    Leave it to Cardi B to nail the latest in sultry trends. The New York-born rapper is no stranger to rocking figure-flattering silhouettes, and her most recent look is no exception. For her new collaborative single “Jealousy” with husband Offset, the 30-year-old artist wore outfits that showed off her curves, toned abs, and, of course, impressive tattoo collection.

    Cardi B is first seen in two alluring ensembles — a nude satin robe that quickly transitions to a metallic thong bodysuit featuring a plunging neckline and lace-up hardware, completely showing off her butt tattoos. She then switches things up with a Barbiecore-inspired look while rapping in front of a vintage car. The outfit was featured in an Instagram teaser post just days before the song’s release. The ensemble in question includes a pink cutout top that bares her cleavage, pink clear platform shoes to match, and the most attention-grabbing detail of all: blue high-waisted jeans with the word “jealousy” bedazzled across the back pockets. Accessorized with an array of silver jewelry, a lengthy pink manicure, and her hair done in a ’90s-inspired half-up, half-down style, the look is iconic.

    The “WAP” rapper has developed quite the reputation for rocking catsuits and thongs. Earlier this month, she debuted a velvet bodysuit in the “Point Me 2” video with FendiDa Rappa, and she left little to the imagination in a brown thongkini bottom while promoting the song on her Instagram page. She’s produced other style moments that showcase her affinity for dramatic pieces, including her sartorial takeover at Paris Haute Couture Week that included a feathered black Schiaparelli coat and dress combination, an oversize men’s blazer repurposed as a two-piece skirt suit by Thom Browne, and a massive white tulle coat for the Balenciaga show.

    Keep scrolling for stills of Cardi B’s looks in the “Jealousy” video.

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    Naomi Parris

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  • Ranking Our Favorite Jennifer Lopez Music Videos

    Ranking Our Favorite Jennifer Lopez Music Videos

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    In this fun music video, Lopez plays several different characters, including a DJ, a dancer, and a bartender. “This is a very ambitious video because of all the different things I have to do in the video,” Lopez told Making the Video while on set. “I think people are going to enjoy it.” The video, released in 2005, was nominated for several MTV Music Video Awards and Teen Choice awards.

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  • Coi Leray Flashes Her Chest Tattoos in a Chainmail Thongkini and Strappy Platform Boots

    Coi Leray Flashes Her Chest Tattoos in a Chainmail Thongkini and Strappy Platform Boots

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    Coi Leray is giving fans a sneak peek at her upcoming music video look. On July 24, the rapper posed in silver chainmail bikini and wild platform boots while working on a new project with fellow hip-hop star Busta Rhymes. “On set for @bustarhymes new video !! This shit is a MOVVVVVVIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE i alway wanted to be in a Busta video,” she wrote on Instagram. Leray also shared an Instagram Reels video of herself dancing in the metallic two-piece to the tune of Sexyy Red’s “Hellcats SRTs.”

    Leray’s barely-there swimsuit top featured a prominent chest cutout showcasing her sternum tattoos — a cross above the phrase “Not all those who wander are lost” in cursive font. Two long metal strings dangled down to the bottoms, which had a revealing thongkini-style fit. She also wore leather Vetements platform boots with straps that reached all the way up to her thighs. “let me borrow this fit for renaissance,” one follower commented on Leray’s Instagram, referencing how the getup would be ideal for Beyoncé’s current world tour, where fans are wearing similar sparkly costumes.

    Leray is no stranger to making bold fashion statements on social media, the red carpet, and beyond. The singer recently performed at Rolling Loud Miami in a tiny bra top resembling a leather belt, completed with lace-up, chain-adorned hot shorts. Earlier this year, she wore a custom outfit honoring iconic female rappers for her Busta Rhymes tribute performance at the 2023 BET Awards. The 26-year-old star has also become a Fashion Month regular, attending runway shows for popular labels like Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, and Moschino in various attention-grabbing looks.

    Take a glimpse at Leray’s chainmail bikini ahead before Busta Rhymes’s new music video drops.

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    Victoria Messina

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  • Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ rockets to No. 2 on charts after music video controversy

    Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town’ rockets to No. 2 on charts after music video controversy

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    LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jason Aldean ‘s “Try That in a Small Town” is experiencing exponential growth following controversy over its music video.

    “Try That in a Small Town,” which was released in May, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week just behind BTS’s Jung Kook solo single “Seven,” featuring Latto. The track experienced the biggest sales week for a country song in over 10 years.

    According to Luminate, the song hit 11.7 million on-demand audio and video streams between July 14 and 20, marking a 1,000% increase from the previous week. Prior to the music video release on July 14, the track accounted for 987,000 streams in the U.S.

    Digital song sales increased from 1,000 to 228,000, in those same weeks, respectively.

    The music video for the song lasted just one weekend on Country Music Television before the network pulled it in response to an outcry over its setting and lyrics. When the network removed the video from its rotation, it had 350,000 views on YouTube. Now that number is now over 16 million, and it is the No. 1 trending video under the “music” category.

    In the visual, Aldean — who has been awarded country music artist of the decade by the Academy of Country Music — performs in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. It is the site of the 1946 Columbia race riot and the 1927 mob lynching of an 18-year-old Black teenager named Henry Choate.

    Aldean’s video received fervent criticism online, with some claiming the visual is a “dog whistle” and others labeling it “pro-lynching.”

    “There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage -and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far,” Aldean wrote in a tweet posted Tuesday.

    “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough,” Aldean sings on the track, written by Neil Thrasher, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, and Kelley Lovelace. “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that (expletive) might fly in the city, good luck / Try that in a small town.”

    On Friday, July 21, while performing at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center, Aldean addressed the audience with “Cancel culture is a thing… which means try and ruin your life, ruin everything. One thing I saw this week was a bunch of country music fans that could see through a lot of the bulls—, all right?”, according to “The Columbus Dispatch.”

    For those wondering if he would play the song live, he said, “The answer is simple. The people have spoken and you guys spoke very, very loudly,” he said, before launching into the song.

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  • Springsteen has mortality on his mind but celebration in his songs at London show

    Springsteen has mortality on his mind but celebration in his songs at London show

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    LONDON — Bruce Springsteen was not going to let concert promoters pull the plug on him like the last time he played Hyde Park 11 years ago.

    “F— ’em is right,” Springsteen growled in delight as he feigned concern that a looming curfew would bring down the lights on his sold-out show Thursday before 65,000 faithful.

    Blowing the deadline was never a real threat as Springsteen, still going strong at 73, got an earlier start and powered through a three-hour set Thursday in rapid-fire succession. He only broke stride a few times to reflect on the passing of time and the passing of friends.

    The 28-song set included anthemic classics like “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Prove it all Night” and “Born to Run,” along with several newer tunes and one cover in a show that leaned heavy on a message of mortality but felt more like a celebration of life as an enthusiastic audience sang along on a beautiful summer evening.

    “London is there anyone alive out there tonight?” he boomed in an intro to “Mary’s Place,” one of several tunes that showcased the E Street Band’s crisp horn section, dueling keyboards and impressive group of backup singers supported, of course, by tens of thousands of amateurs. “If you’re alive, then I’m alive. And that’s what we came here for.”

    The tour, Springsteen’s first in seven years, kicked off in Tampa in February and has included almost the same set list every night, which is unusual for a performer who has often played requests fans post on handwritten signs.

    Springsteen followed the members of the E Street Band onto stage just after 7 p.m. to a roar of “Bruuuuuce” that can sound like boos to the uninitiated. His short-cropped silvery hair slicked back, Springsteen wore a black button-snap shirt with short sleeves rolled up to show his still-taut pipes, dark jeans cuffed at the ankle and oxblood Doc Martens boots.

    After the requisite “Hello London,” he promptly counted out “one, two, three, four” for the chest-thumping drum intro to “No Surrender” that set fans roaring and band charging forward like a hard-rocking freight train.

    Even that opener about friendship and the power of music with its memorable line about learning “more from a three-minute record … than we ever learned in school” captured the theme of the evening.

    “Young faces grow sad and old,” he sang in a stanza that gives way to “I’m ready to grow young again” before the eventual chorus vow of “no retreat … no surrender.”

    He followed with “Ghosts,” a soaring tribute to bandmates he had lost that concludes with “I’m alive and I’m out here on my own/I’m alive and I’m comin’ home.”

    But Springsteen was not alone. He had 17 supporting members of the E Street Band that has been rocking for 50 years in an evolving cast of talented musicians, that included some of the longest-serving members: guitarists Little Steven Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, drummer Max Weinberg, bassist Garry Tallent and keyboardist Roy Bittan.

    Saxophonist Jake Clemons, the nephew of Springsteen’s longtime sax player and friend, Clarence Clemons, who died in 2011, had his arm around Springsteen’s shoulder as they sang a seemingly countless string of la-la-la’s at the end of the song. Then, as he did throughout the night, Clemons took center stage and wailed on his sax that glimmered in the setting sun.

    Despite a few cancellations on the tour due to unspecified illness, Springsteen remains a formidable performer though he moved a little more stiffly as he hustled along the stage or walked down several steps to slap palms and pose for selfies with ecstatic front-row audience.

    On a rousing “Out in the Street,” in which he sings “I walk the way I want to walk,” he stumbled climbing stairs back to the stage. It was not as awkward as a fall on stage at an Amsterdam show in May. He sat on the stairs to finish the song and Clemons sat next to him.

    He conducted the E Street Band like a symphony, waving his arms, swinging his hand to indicate a downbeat or counting out time with his right hand. He joked that he practices the motions in the mirror at night.

    After a jazzy jam of more than 10 minutes on “Kitty’s Back” that had Springsteen open the tune by running his fingers along the fretboard of his Fender electric guitar to produce a screeching wail of feedback and growled like Tom Waits, the band eased into “Night Shift” a Commodores tribute to R&B singers Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. The song recorded on his latest record, “Only the Strong Survive,” of soul covers featured beautiful backing vocals by Curtis King whose impressive ability to hit high notes put a smile on Springsteen’s face.

    Halfway through the show, the band took a break and Springsteen approached the mic alone with acoustic guitar. The audience was silent as he told how he “embarked on the greatest adventure of my young life” in 1965 by joining his first band, The Castiles. A half-century later, he was at the deathbed of the friend who founded the band, George Theiss, and realized he’d soon be the lone survivor of that group of guys.

    “Death is like you’re standing on the railroad tracks with an oncoming train bearing down upon you,” he said. “It brings a certain clarity of thought and of purpose and of meaning. … Death’s final and lasting gift to all of us is an expanded vision of this life. Of how important it is to seize the day whenever you can.”

    “At 15, it’s all hellos and later on there’s a lot more hard goodbyes,” he said. “So be good to yourself and those that you love.”

    He then sang the song inspired by Theiss’ death, “Last Man Standing,” from his from his most recent album of original material, “Letter to You,” from 2020.

    The band then tore through Springsteen staples including “Because the Night,” “Badlands,” “Thunder Road,” “Glory Days” and “Dancing in the Dark.” Even with the crowd singing full-throttle, they couldn’t drown out Bruce’s powerful voice or the sound system amplifying it.

    During a rocking “Tenth Avenue Freezeout,” which includes a reference to Clarence Clemons joining the band, a video montage of the larger-than-life figure nicknamed “The Big Man,” and former organ player and accordionist Danny Federici, who died in 2008, played behind the band.

    For an encore, Springsteen emerged alone with acoustic guitar and harmonica and joked he was just getting warmed up.

    He then sang “I’ll see you in my Dreams,” a lullaby-like comment on mortality inspired by yet another friend’s death.

    “For death is not the end,” he sang, “’cause I’ll see you in my dreams.”

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  • Songwriter Cynthia Weil, who had hits with husband Barry Mann, honored at California memorial

    Songwriter Cynthia Weil, who had hits with husband Barry Mann, honored at California memorial

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    BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — As guests filed into Sunday’s music-filled memorial for Cynthia Weil, they smiled in recognition and sang along to a string of hit songs she co-wrote that were played on speakers in a lush courtyard of the Beverly Hills Hotel.

    Weil, the Grammy-winning lyricist who enjoyed a decades-long partnership with husband Barry Mann and helped compose “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “On Broadway,” “Walking in the Rain” and dozens of other timeless tunes, died last week at age 82.

    Singer Tony Orlando, who hosted the private event from a small stage with a grand piano, admonished attendees that despite the cloudy skies the day was not to be mournful, but a sunny celebration.

    “I want the applause to be loud!” he said. Orlando performed “Bless You,” the 1961 ballad that gave Weil and Mann their first top 20 hit. They were married within months of the song’s release.

    White-coated waiters distributed trays of bright green apple martinis, Weil’s favorite cocktail, to her friends, family members and show business contemporaries. Among those raising their glasses were Mann, record producer Lou Adler, singer Carol Bayer Sager and songwriters Carole King, Jeff Barry, Mike Stoller and Diane Warren.

    Weil and Mann were one of popular music’s most successful teams, part of a crew of young songwriters based in Manhattan’s Brill Building neighborhood, near Times Square. With such hit-making duos as King and Gerry Goffin and Barry and Ellie Greenwich, the Brill Building hit factory turned out many of the biggest singles of the ’60s and beyond.

    The couple was collaborators with producer Phil Spector on songs for the Ronettes (“Walking in the Rain”), the Crystals (“He’s Sure the Boy I Love”) and other singers, and also provided hits for everyone from Lionel Richie to Leo Sayer.

    Their most famous collaboration, a song that would become historic, was “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” a soulful anthem produced by Spector with epic strings and sung with desperate intensity by the Righteous Brothers, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” topped the charts in 1965 and was covered by numerous other artists.

    Appearing at the memorial via a recorded video, Bill Medley said Weil and Mann didn’t just write the Righteous Brothers a hit, “They wrote us a career!” According to Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), no other song was played more on radio and television in the 20th century.

    Dolly Parton, who also appeared on video, recalled her career being sent “out into space” when the country star scored a crossover pop hit in 1977 with “Here You Come Again,” written by Weil and Mann.

    “She left a great body of work,” Parton said.

    Weil and Mann were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. They were supporting characters in the hit Broadway musical about King, “Beautiful,” which opened in 2013 and documented the intense friendship and rivalry between the two married couples. Mann and Weil’s musical “They Wrote That?” had a brief run in 2004.

    On Sunday, with Paul Shaffer on piano, King performed “Somewhere Out There,” a song Weil wrote with James Horner for the soundtrack of “An American Tail.” It won Grammys in 1987 for best song and best song for a movie or television, and was nominated for an Academy Award and Golden Globe.

    Weil’s daughter, Dr. Jenn Mann, said the songwriter died last Thursday at her home in Beverly Hills, California. She remembered her mother Sunday as a loving wife to Mann, a devoted grandmother to her two girls, a lover of animals, and a soft-hearted romantic who could surprise people with her no-nonsense business sense.

    While many of Weil’s peers struggled once the Beatles caught on in the mid-1960s, she continued to make hits, sometimes with Mann, or with other partners. Weil helped write the Peabo Bryson ballad “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again”; James Ingram’s “Just Once”; and the Pointer Sisters’ “He’s So Shy.” In 1997, she was in the top 10 again with Hanson’s “I Will Come to You.”

    And her talents extended beyond love ballads. She and Mann wrote one of rock’s first anti-drug songs, “Kicks,” a hit for Paul Revere and the Raiders in 1966. The Animals had a hit with her tale of working class frustration, “We’ve Got to Get Out of This Place.” The Crystals’ “Uptown” was a 1961 hit that touched upon race and class in ways not often heard in rock’s early years.

    Appearing on video, rocker Paul Stanley of KISS recalled being a fledgling songwriter as a teenager in New York and scouring the credits on his favorite records.

    “Invariably, songs that I loved, I would see her name on it,” Stanley said.

    ___ Associated Press writer in Hillel Italie in New York contributed.

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  • Missy, Willie and George Michael among Rock Hall inductees

    Missy, Willie and George Michael among Rock Hall inductees

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    NEW YORK — Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius and the late George Michael have all been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Kate Bush also finally reaching the top of that hill.

    The Cleveland-based institution announced Wednesday the artists and groups entering the hall as the class of 2023, a list that includes The Spinners, Rage Against the Machine, DJ Kool Herc, Link Wray, Al Kooper and Elton John’s longtime co-songwriter Bernie Taupin.

    “When you can go from Link Wray, who was one of the early influencers, to Missy Elliott and Kate Bush and The Spinners and Rage Against the Machine and Willie Nelson, you have a very diverse body of work. What we are always trying to show is that rock ‘n’ roll is a big tent and a lot of people belong,” said Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation ahead of the unveiling.

    Elliott, the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an MTV Video Vanguard Award recipient and a four-time Grammy Award winner, now becomes the first female hip-hop artist in the rock hall, which called her “a true pathbreaker in a male-dominated genre.”

    Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction. Eight out of 14 nominees were on the ballot for the first time, including Crow, Elliott, Michael and Nelson. This is the first year of eligibility for Elliott.

    Bush was a nominee last year but didn’t make the final cut then. She got in this year due to a new wave in popularity after the show “Stranger Things” featured her song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God).” The hall hailed her for “using lush soundscapes, radical experimentation, literary themes, sampling, and theatricality to captivate audiences and inspire countless musicians.”

    Michael, first as a member of Wham! and then as a solo artist, was cited for “paving the way for a generation of proud LGBTQIA+ artists, from Sam Smith to Lil Nas X to Troye Sivan” and the 90-year-old Nelson was simply described as “an American institution.”

    The hall called DJ Kool Herc “a founding father of hip-hop music” who “helped create the blueprint for hip-hop.” And Chaka Khan was described as “one of the mightiest and most influential voices in music” a “streetwise but sensual hip-hop-soul diva,” who paved the way for women like Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu and Janelle Monáe.

    The Spinners became a hit-making machine with four No. 1 R&B hits in less than 18 months, including “I’ll Be Around” and “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love.” Rock guitarist Wray was said to be ahead of his time, influencing Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen.

    Taupin, who made it into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and has a Golden Globe and an Oscar for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from the biopic “Rocketman,” makes it into the rock hall 29 years after his writing partner, John.

    Cornelius was celebrated for creating a nationally televised platform for African American music and culture. He “became a visionary entrepreneur who opened the door — and held it open — for many others to follow him through.”

    “Does a Willie Nelson fan know anything about Missy Elliott? Probably not, and vice versa,” said Peresman. “But this is an opportunity for someone who is into one of these artists to take a look at it and say, ‘Gee, I love Missy Elliott’ or ‘I love Rage Against the Machine. But The Spinners, who were they? Let me check that out.’ If that can open some minds and open some attitudes, then we’ve done our job.”

    Nominees Iron Maiden, Cyndi Lauper, A Tribe Called Quest, The White Stripes, Warren Zevon, Joy Division/New Order and Soundgarden didn’t earn a spot in the hall this time. While the late Zevon has been eligible since 1994, Billy Joel led a push in vain for his entry, writing to the nominating committee urging them to consider Zevon.

    Nominees were voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals. Fans could vote online or in person at the museum, with the top five artists picked by the public making up a “fans’ ballot” that was tallied with the other professional ballots.

    ___

    Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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  • Morgan Wallen cancels Ole Miss show after losing his voice

    Morgan Wallen cancels Ole Miss show after losing his voice

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    Thousands of country music fans were awaiting singer Morgan Wallen when he suddenly canceled his performance Sunday night at Vaught Hemingway Stadium

    OXFORD, Miss. — Thousands of country music fans were awaiting singer Morgan Wallen when he suddenly canceled his performance Sunday night at Vaught Hemingway Stadium.

    WTVA-TV reported video boards inside the Ole Miss stadium showed a message saying the “Thought You Should Know” singer had lost his voice and was unable to perform, adding that people would be refunded their money where they bought the tickets.

    Some people expressed anger on social media because the announcement of the cancellation came after the opening acts had performed.

    While Wallen is one of country music’s biggest stars, he’s no stranger to controversy. He was caught on camera in 2021 outside a home in Nashville, Tennessee, yelling profanities and a racial slur. He apologized at the time but was suspended indefinitely from his label and his music was pulled by radio stations and streaming services.

    The year before, Wallen was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct after getting kicked out of a downtown Nashville bar.

    The sudden cancellation concluded what was supposed to be two consecutive nights of performances by one of the hottest stars in country music. Saturday night’s show appeared to be a huge success with thousands showing up for the first concert in the stadium’s history.

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  • Mario, Mariah, Madonna added to National Recording Registry

    Mario, Mariah, Madonna added to National Recording Registry

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    WASHINGTON — Mario, Madonna and Mariah have entered the national audio canon.

    Madonna’s star-making 1984 album “Like a Virgin,” Mariah Carey’s 1994 holiday perennial “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and the original 1985 theme from Super Mario Bros. are now in the U.S. National Recording Registry as part of “the defining sounds of the nation’s history and culture,” the Library of Congress announced Wednesday.

    In all, 25 albums, singles and other sound artifacts spanning more than a century are being inducted into the registry, from the first known recording of mariachi music in 1908 and 1909 by Cuarteto Coculense, to 2012’s “Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra” by composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich.

    The Super Mario Bros. music, officially known as the “Ground Theme,” written by young Nintendo composer Koji Kondo, becomes the first music from a video game to enter the registry, which called it in a news release “the most recognizable video game theme in history.” The tune has appeared in countless Mario-related incarnations, including in the new megahit ” Super Mario Bros. Movie.”

    Queen Latifah becomes the first female rapper with a recording in the registry with the inclusion of her 1989 album “All Hail the Queen,” whose songs include the feminist anthem “Ladies First.”

    Other full albums getting recognition include 1970’s “Déjà Vu” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, 1983’s “Synchronicity” by the Police, and 1985’s “Black Codes (From the Underground)” by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

    Other singles making the list include Bobby Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe” (1967), John Lennon’s “Imagine” (1971), Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” (1971), John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (1971), and Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” (1977).

    Those recordings are joined by a pair of 1980s standards: “Flashdance…What a Feeling” by Irene Cara (1983) and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics (1983).

    The inductees include two non-musical entries, astronomer Carl Sagan’s recording of his book about humanity’s place in the universe, “Pale Blue Dot,” and NBC radio reporter Dorothy Thompson’s commentaries and analysis from Europe during the runup to World War II in 1939.

    The Library of Congress selects the titles for preservation for their cultural and historic importance to the American soundscape.

    Artists with recordings added to the registry in recent years include Janet Jackson, Louis Armstrong and Dr. Dre.

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  • Senegal’s Baaba Maal returns after years with new album

    Senegal’s Baaba Maal returns after years with new album

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    Amid a changing, modernizing world with climate change threatening his home, Senegalese singer-songwriter and activist Baaba Maal is releasing his first album in seven years, “Being.”

    The genre-crossing album, released by Marathon Artists last Friday, is explores those themes and showcases traditional African instruments along with futuristic electronic sounds.

    The first single from the record, “Yerimayo Celebration,” is a jubilant, rabble-rousing celebration of Maal’s roots in the small town of Podor in north Senegal, and the fishing community at its heart. Maal was born into a fisherman class and was expected to follow that career path, but he befriended Mansour Seck, a griot — or traveling storyteller and musician — and was welcomed into his family.

    “I never thought I would stay in one place and doing one thing every day in my life. This is why music is a really good opportunity for me to go away, first, like a young person, like going on an adventure,” he said. “And it’s a way to liberate me and the people of my generation of this caste system where you have to stay in this place, do the same thing like your father or grandfather.”

    Maal’s latest single, “Freak Out,” features vocalist Esau Mwamwaya of The Very Best. The video accompanying the track shows scenes from the Blues Du Fleuve festival, which Maal founded in his hometown on the Senegal River, bringing together musicians, artists, singers, activists and more from all over West Africa. Maal calls it “The Glastonbury of Africa.”

    The veteran musician is headlining the Barbican in London for the first time in 20 years on May 30 and the audience can expect a unique experience.

    “Music is a celebration and music is a party and when it comes to an African party, it has to be an African party,” he added.

    As well as being a musician, Maal is also an activist on the topics of climate change and refugees. Since 2003, he has been committed to various development challenges in Africa, working with different United Nations organizations.

    His NANN-K Trust recently opened a solar-powered irrigation project in Senegal to fight desertification, which is one of the main drivers of people leaving on dangerous migration routes. The project will train people to start similar schemes in their own communities and Maal is a particular believer in putting power in the hands of young people and women.

    “We are chanting, we are crying, we are saying loud that we need a green Africa and a green Africa to make people to live really a normal life, to face climate change, desertification — all of that,” he said.

    Maal also contributed to the soundtrack of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and the 69-year-old’s participation in Marvel’s blockbuster franchise has brought him to a new, much younger audience. He believes the franchise can inspire new hope for the African continent.

    The movies are set in the fictional African paradise of Wakanda, a country that is rooted in tradition and yet has the most advanced technology in the world. The visionary musician sees a template for Africa in the “Black Panther” films’ Afrofuturism.

    “I have a feeling … that something great should be coming from this continent again, and something positive for the world,” he said. He characterizes it as “a door which is open for Africa, not just for Baaba Maal.”

    “It’s for the continent,” he said.

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  • Review: Rihanna shines in singular Super Bowl halftime show

    Review: Rihanna shines in singular Super Bowl halftime show

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    Rihanna threw out all the conventions of the typical Super Bowl halftime show and turned entertainment’s largest platform into something all her own.

    And she did it while also revealing that she is pregnant with her second child.

    More an avant garde dance piece than a concert, the Barbadian superstar, dressed in a bright red jumpsuit, plowed through 12 of her hits in 13 minutes surrounded by dozens of androgynous dancers dressed in white who mirrored nearly every move she made on and off the giant stage at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

    In case anyone was confused, this was all about Rihanna. No special guests. No breaks. No momentum shifts. From her start on a platform suspended above the stage, to powerfully belting out the inspirational “Diamonds,” she kept a tight grip on everyone’s attention by performing one smash hit after another, from “Work” to “Umbrella.”

    It was fully her vision — polished, yet playful – and completely self-assured. She didn’t throw in any ballads to show off the power of her voice because she doesn’t need to prove herself to anyone. And she didn’t need to say anything beyond, “Thank you, Arizona” to make her points.

    It was all an unconventional extension of what was an unconventional decision to perform at this particular time.

    While most artists use a Super Bowl halftime appearance to launch a new album, Rihanna has been adamant that her follow-up to 2016’s “Anti-“ is not finished.

    She didn’t even perform “Lift Me Up,” her contribution to the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” soundtrack, which is currently nominated for an Oscar.

    Before the revelation that Rihanna was pregnant, there were rumors of a potential tour, but that seems unlikely now, with a new child to join her son who turns nine months old on Monday.

    She’s not really selling anything.

    You can’t even buy a Savage X Fenty t-shirt that says “RIHANNA CONCERT INTERRUPTED BY A FOOTBALL GAME, WEIRD BUT WHATEVER.” Those sold out before the game even started.

    Of course, slaying on entertainment’s biggest stage, with an anticipated audience of more than 100 million, won’t be bad for business. Something the youngest self-made female billionaire knows all about.

    Rihanna, 34, was clearly doing this for the challenge and because she had something she wanted to say.

    She previously declined to perform in the 2019 halftime show out of solidarity with quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest of racial inequality. But plenty has changed since then, including her friend and mentor Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnering with the NFL on the halftime show.

    And her performance made a powerful point about equality. Because her massive troupe of dancers were completely covered, including their faces, no one could tell what race they were. They would be judged only by their dancing, their abilities to entertain.

    That message shows how much Rihanna has changed since her last solo performance — when she accepted the Video Vanguard award at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. That also featured her performing with no special guests, only a troupe of dancers, but it showcased different sides of her musical personality in four different performances. Whether it was hip-hop, dance pop, reggae or ballads, Rihanna showed how she could bend the genre to her will.

    With her halftime show Sunday, Rihanna simply created her own genre and raised the bar for halftime shows to come.

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  • Multiple wounded near rapper French Montana video shoot

    Multiple wounded near rapper French Montana video shoot

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Gunfire erupted near where rapper French Montana was filming a music video late Thursday, leaving several wounded in a South Florida strip mall parking lot. He was not injured.

    Several witnesses told reporters that the music video involved the 38-year-old rapper, and that he was unhurt. His publicist did not respond to emails seeking comment Friday and police did not confirm he was present.

    It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were shot at around 8 p.m. Thursday, but the Miami Herald cited a law enforcement source saying as many as 10 people were wounded. The shooting took place outside The Licking, a soul food restaurant in a Miami Gardens strip mall.

    Investigators were looking into reports that a music video was being filmed at the restaurant, Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel-Pratt said.

    “We believe it’s an isolated incident,” Noel-Pratt said.

    Miami Gardens police spokesperson Diana Gourgue told reporters that she could not confirm reports that as many as 10 people had been wounded, saying “right now it is just multiple victims that were injured.”

    She said the condition of those hurt was unknown, but there were not any fatalities.

    A large crowd had gathered outside the restaurant at the time of the shooting, she said.

    The police department did not return repeated calls Friday seeking an update. A worker at the restaurant Friday said no one was available to discuss the shooting. A sign on the door reads “No firearms or weapons allowed on this property.”

    Miami rapper CED Mogul told reporters that the shooting happened after someone had their Rolex watch and car keys stolen. He said the video was supposed to be shot at a nearby KFC restaurant, but was moved after an altercation. The city’s police chief told reporters that the video’s producers had not gotten the necessary permits.

    French Montana was shot in the head and seriously wounded in 2003 when two gunmen opened fire outside a New York City recording studio. One of the gunmen accidentally shot the other, killing him.

    French Montana, who was born in Morocco and whose real name is Karim Kharbouch, is best known for his 2017 album “Jungle Rules” and its lead single “Unforgettable,” which made the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.

    The strip mall in Miami Gardens is on a major six-lane highway and is 2 miles south of Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins, six Super Bowls, the Miami Grand Prix Formula 1 race and the Miami Open tennis tournament. The city of 115,000 residents has the worst homicide rate in the state, according to FBI statistics, with one violent death for every 4,400 residents in 2019, the last year available.

    A shop owner in the strip mall said Friday that he was working late Thursday in a back room when he and his business partner heard loud sounds. He thought it was a car backfiring, but his partner thought it might be gunfire. About five minutes later, police and paramedics started arriving and they looked outside and saw the chaos.

    “Most of the shootings around here are personal, not random,” the shop owner said. He asked that his name not be used, fearing retribution. “Most are about greed or money.”

    ___

    Farrington reported from Tallahassee, Florida.

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  • Partial list of nominees for the 65th Grammy Awards

    Partial list of nominees for the 65th Grammy Awards

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    LOS ANGELES — A partial list of nominees in the top categories at the 65th annual Grammy Awards, announced Tuesday by The Recording Academy.

    — Album of the year: “Voyage,” ABBA; “30,” Adele; “Un Verano Sin Ti,” Bad Bunny; “Renaissance,” Beyoncé; “Good Morning Gorgeous” (Deluxe), Mary J. Blige; “In These Silent Days,” Brandi Carlile; “Music of the Spheres,” Coldplay; “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Kendrick Lamar; “Special,” Lizzo; “Harry’s House,” Harry Styles.

    — Record of the year: “Don’t Shut Me Down,” ABBA; “Easy on Me,” Adele; “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé; “Good Morning Gorgeous,” Mary J. Blige; “You and Me on the Rock,” Brandi Carlile featuring Lucius; “Woman,” Doja Cat; “Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy; “The Heart Part 5,” Kendrick Lamar; “About Damn Time,” Lizzo; “As It Was,” Harry Styles.

    Song of the year (songwriter’s award): “abcdefu,” Sara Davis, GAYLE and Dave Pittenger; “About Damn Time,” Melissa “Lizzo” Jefferson, Eric Frederic, Blake Slatkin and Theron Makiel Thomas; “All Too Well (10 Minute Version – The Short Film),” Liz Rose and Taylor Swift; “As It Was,” Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon and Harry Styles; “Bad Habit,” Matthew Castellanos, Brittany Fousheé, Diana Gordon, John Carroll Kirby and Steve Lacy; “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé, S. Carter, Terius “The Dream” Gesteelde-Diamant and Christopher A. Stewart; “Easy on Me,” Adele Adkins and Greg Kurstin; “God Did,” Tarik Azzouz, E. Blackmon, Khaled Khaled, F. LeBlanc, Shawn Carter, John Stephens, Dwayne Carter, William Roberts and Nicholas Warwar; “The Heart Part 5,” Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Lamar and Matt Schaeffer; “Just Like That,” Bonnie Raitt.

    — Best new artist: Best new artist: Anitta; Omar Apollo; DOMi & JD Beck; Muni Long; Samara Joy; Latto; Månekskin; Tobe Nwigwe; Molly Tuttle; Wet Leg.

    — Songwriter of the Year: Amy Allen; Nija Charles; Tobia Jesso Jr.; The-Dream; Laura Veltz

    — Best pop solo performance: “Easy on Me,” Adele; “Moscow Mule,” Bad Bunny; “Woman,” Doja Cat; “Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy; “About Damn Time,” Lizzo; “As It Was,” Harry Styles.

    — Best pop duo/group performance: “Don’t Shut Me Down,” ABBA; “Bam Bam,” Camila Cabello featuring Ed Sheeran; “My Universe,” Coldplay and BTS; “I Like You (A Happier Song),” Post Malone and Doja Cat; “Unholy,” Sam Smith and Kim Petras.

    — Best pop vocal album: “Voyage,” ABBA; “30,” Adele; “Music of the Spheres,” Coldplay; “Special,” Lizzo; “Harry’s House,” Harry Styles.

    — Best traditional pop vocal album: “Higher,” Michael Bublé; “When Christmas Comes Around…,” Kelly Clarkson; “I Dream of Christmas” (Extended), Norah Jones; “Evergreen,” Pentatonix; “Thank You,” Diana Ross.

    — Best dance/electronic album: “Renaissance,” Beyoncé; “Fragments,” Bonobo; “Diplo,” Diplo; “The Last Goodbye,” ODESZA; “Surrender, Rufus Du Sol.

    — Best rock album: “Dropout Boogei,” The Black Keys; “The Boy Named If,” Elvis Costello and the Imposters; “Crawler,” Idles; “Mainstream Sellout,” Machine Gun Kelly; “Patient Number 9,” Ozzy Osbourne; “Lucifer on the Sofa,” Spoon.

    — Best alternative music album: “WE,” Arcade Fire; “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe You,” Big Thief; “Fossora,” Björk; “Wet Leg,” Wet Leg; “Cool It Down,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

    — Best progressive R&B album: “Operation Funk,” Cory Henry; “Gemini Rights,” Steve Lacy”; “Drones,” Terrace Martin; “Starfruit,” Moonchild; “Red Ballon,” Tank and the Bangas.

    — Best R&B album: “Good Morning Gorgeous” (Deluxe, Mary J. Blige; “Breezy” (Deluxe), Chris Brown; “Black Radio III,” Robert Glasper; “Candydrip,” Lucky Daye; “Watch the Sun,” PJ Morton.

    — Best rap album: “God Did,” DJ Khaled; “I Never Liked You,” Future; “Come Home the Kids Miss You,” Jack Harlow; “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Kendrick Lamar; “It’s Almost Dry,” Pusha T.

    — Best country album: “Growing Up,” Luke Combs; “Palomino,” Miranda Lambert; “Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville,” Ashley McBryde; “Humble Quest,” Maren Morris; “A Beautiful Time,” Willie Nelson.

    — Best jazz vocal album: “The Evening: Live at Apparatus,” The Baylor Project; “Linger Awhile,” Samara Joy; “Fade to Black,” Carmen Lundy; “Fifty,” The Manhattan Transfer with the WDR Funkhausorchester; “Ghost Song,” Cécile McLorin Salvant.

    — Best jazz instrumental album: “New Standards Vol. 1,” Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton and Matthew Stevens; “Live in Italy,” Peter Erskine Trio; “LongGone,” Joshua Redman, Brad Mehidau, Christian McBride and Brian Blade; “Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival,” Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese and Esperanza Spalding; “Parallel Motion,” Yellowjackets.

    — Best gospel album: “Die to Live,” Maranda Curtis; “Breakthrough: The Exodus (Live),” Ricky Dillard; “Clarity,” DOE; “Kingdom Book One Deluxe,” Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin; “All things New,” Tye Tribbett

    — Best contemporary Christian music album: “Lion,” Elevation Worship; “Breathe,” Maverick City Music; “Life After Death,” TobyMac; “Always,” Chris Tomlin; “My Jesus,” Anne Wilson.

    — Best Latin pop album: “Aguilera,” Christina Aguilera; “Pasieros,” Rubén Blades and Boca Livre; “De Adentro Pa Afuera,” Camilo; “Viajante,” Fonseca; “Dharma +,” Sebastián Yatra.

    — Best Latin urban album: “Trap Cake, Vol. 2,” Rauw Alejandro; “Un Verano Sin Ti,” Bad Bunny; “Legendaddy,” Daddy Yankee; “La 167,” Farruko; “The Love & Sex Tape,” Maluma.

    — Best Latin rock or alternative album: “El Alimento,” Cimafunk; “Tinta y Tiempo,” Jorge Drexler; “1940 Carmen,” Mon Laferte; “Alegoria,” Gaby Moreno; “Los Años Salvajes,” Fito Paez; “MOTOMAMI,” Rosalía.

    — Best reggae album: “The Kalling,” Kabaka Pyramid; “Gifted,” Koffee; “Scorcha,” Sean Paul; “Third Time’s the Charm,” Protoje; “Come Fly Wid Mi,” Shaggy.

    — Best spoken word poetry album: “Black Men Are Precious,” Ethelbert Miller; “Call Us What We Carry: Poems,” Amanda Gorman; “Hiding in Plain View,” Malcolm-Jamal Warner; “The Poet Who Sat By the Door,” J. Ivy; “You Will be Someone’s Ancestor. Act Accordingly.,” Amir Sulaiman.

    — Best comedy album: “The Closer,” Dave Chappelle; “Comedy Monster,” Jim Gaffigan; “A Little Brains, a Little Talent,” Randy Rainbow; “Sorry,” Louis CK; “We All Scream,” Patton Oswalt.

    — Best compilation soundtrack for visual media: “Elvis”; “Encanto”; “Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 (Vol 2); “Top Gun: Maverick”; West Side Story.”

    — Best song written for visual media: “Be Alive” from “King Richard,” Beyoncé and Darius Scott Dixson; “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” Taylor Swift; “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” Bloodpop and Stefani Germanotta; “Keep Rising” from “The Woman King,” Angelique Kidjo, Jeremy Lutito and Jessy Wilson; “Nobody Like U” from “Turning Red,” Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell; “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from “Encanto,” Lin-Manuel Miranda.

    — Best score soundtrack for visual media: “The Batman,” Michael Giacchino; “Encanto,” Germaine Franco; “No Time to Die,” Hans Zimmer; “The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood; “Succession: Season 3,” Nicholas Britell.

    — Producer of the year, non-classical: Jack Antonoff; Dan Auerbach; Boi-1da; Dahi; Dernst “D’mile” Emile II.

    — Best music video: “Easy on Me,” Adele; “Yet to Come,” BTS; “Woman,” Doja Cat; “The Heart Part 5,” Kendrick Lamar; “As It Was,” Harry Styles; “All Too Well: The Short Film,” Taylor Swift.

    — Best music film: “Adele One Night Only”; “Our World”; “Billie Eilish Live at the O2”; “Motomami (Rosalía Tiktok Live Performance)”; “Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story” “A Band A Brotherhood A Barn.”

    — Best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media: “Aliens: Fireteam Elite,” Austin Wintory; “Assasin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok,” Stephanie Economou; “Call of Duty: Vanguard,” Bear McCreary; “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy,” Richard Jacques; “Old World,” Christopher Tin.

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  • Taylor Swift drops ‘3am’ edition of ‘Midnights,’ music video

    Taylor Swift drops ‘3am’ edition of ‘Midnights,’ music video

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    NEW YORK — Taylor Swift has said “Midnights” was inspired by certain key sleepless nights — something many of her fans undoubtedly experienced as the singer-songwriter dropped seven bonus tracks and a music video just hours after the album’s release Friday.

    “Midnights” was released at, well, midnight Eastern time and had become Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day by 6:15 p.m. With a runtime of around 44 minutes, listeners would have had the opportunity to play the album four times before Swift unleashed “Midnights (3am Edition).”

    “Surprise! I think of Midnights as a complete concept album, with those 13 songs forming a full picture of the intensities of that mystifying, mad hour,” she wrote on Instagram. “However! There were other songs we wrote on our journey to find that magic 13.”

    The bonus tracks fit tonally with the rest of the darkly electric and moody album, beginning with “The Great War,” sweeping across “Paris” and exploring “High Infidelity” before ending with “Dear Reader.” In all, the seven additional songs — added to the end of the original “Midnights” track listing, encompass about 25 additional minutes.

    Swift is the sole credited performer on the bonus tracks — the only person to get a featured credit on any “Midnights” track is Lana Del Rey. The extra songs are primarily written by Swift, Jack Antonoff — her “co pilot” on the album — and Aaron Dessner, a founding member of The National and another frequent Swift collaborator who was otherwise absent from “Midnights.”

    And five hours after “Midnights (3am Edition),” Swift treated fans to a visual feast with a muted but lush music video for “Anti-Hero.”

    Written and directed by Swift herself, reunited with “All Too Well” cinematographer Rina Yang, the video sees the singer be chased by chintzy sheet ghosts and do shots with a glammed-up double who instructs her: “Everyone will betray you.” Dark glitter oozes from the yolks she cuts into at the breakfast table, her wound from an arrow and her mouth after one too many shots.

    “Watch my nightmare scenarios and intrusive thoughts play out in real time,” Swift posted on Instagram.

    The video includes references to Swift’s eating disorder, which she revealed in a documentary, and pokes fun at herself with a cutscene that breaks in midway. It features Mike Birbiglia, John Early and Mary Elizabeth Ellis playing her heirs (Preston, Chad and Kimber) who discover she’s left them only 13 cents in her will (Swift’s favorite number is famously 13).

    “There’s probably a secret encoded message that means something else!” Early exclaims in character, referencing the field of cryptology Swift has created over the years.

    “P.S. There is no secret encoded message that means something else. Love, Taylor,” Birbiglia reads seconds later.

    The “Anti-Hero” video racked up more than 9,700,000 views in the first 13 hours (apt) of its release and spawned the #TSAntiHeroChallenge. Swift is encouraging people to upload to YouTube Shorts a video of themselves sharing the traits that would make them an antihero. According to a blog post on YouTube, the challenge is “all about acknowledging and celebrating the traits that make each of us truly unique and showcasing one’s true self in a FUN way.”

    “An anti-heroic trait could be as simple as always grabbing the last slice of pizza, clapping at the end of movies, always putting your feet on the car dashboard, using the same word to start your daily Wordle, leaving your clean laundry in the basket until the next time you do it, pretending you didn’t already watch the next episode of the series you watch with your pals, or even treating your cat like a human,” the post said. Swift chose that last one for her own submission.

    While the challenge adds levity to the release cycle, Swift is clear on the tone she’s going for with the album and its associated projects.

    “Midnights is a collage of intensity, highs and lows and ebbs and flows,” Swift posted on Instagram when the original album dropped. “Life can be dark, starry, cloudy, terrifying, electrifying, hot, cold, romantic or lonely. Just like Midnights.”

    ———

    Associated Press journalists Sophia Rosenbaum and Christina Paciolla contributed to this report.

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