ReportWire

Tag: Soul music

  • Dear Beloved, Detroit Loves You Back: GIVĒON’s Soulful Night At The Fox

    [ad_1]

    Detroit didn’t just show up for GIVĒON; it dressed up! By the time doors opened at the Fox Theatre, the lobby looked like a red-carpet extension of heartbreak chic. Silk blouses, monochrome suits, and dress shoes glinted under the chandelier light. If heartbreak had a dress code, this was it, and Detroit understood the assignment!

    And maybe that’s fitting. Detroit is, after all, the birthplace of Motown, a city that practically invented how soul and sorrow can dance in the same rhythm. From the days of Marvin Gaye and The Supremes, Detroit has always carried music with both elegance and ache. So when GIVĒON walked into the Fox with that deep, honey-soaked baritone, it felt like a homecoming. His sound, refined but raw, vulnerable but grounded, felt perfectly tuned to the city’s legacy of timeless emotion.

    The Mood: Soul Meets Style

    The stage matched the tone effortlessly. Layers of ivory drapery hung like clouds behind him, glowing with soft gold and lavender lights. The live band added depth; bass lines you could feel in your chest and piano chords that hit just a little too close to home. GIVĒON didn’t just perform; he lingered in each note, as if each lyric carried an unfinished memory.

    Between songs, he shared small pieces of himself, his upbringing, his lessons, his humor, and suddenly, the grand Fox Theatre felt intimate. He wasn’t talking at the crowd; he was confiding in it. You could tell he cared about the words, not just the applause.

    When The Crowd Became Part Of The Story

    Midway through, the energy shifted. GIVĒON called a fan on stage for a “date night” role-play, and chaos (the good kind) unfolded. The crowd screamed like they were watching a rom-com unfold live; teasing, laughing, cheering. It’s a segment that’s become a staple of his shows, but in Detroit, it hit different. There was an easy warmth to it, the kind that makes you root for strangers you’ll never meet again.

    Then came the inevitable…‘Heartbreak Anniversary.’ The moment those first few notes rang out, the crowd erupted, and you could see every phone light flicker up like little constellations. Couples held hands. Singles swayed. Everyone sang, almost defiantly, as if heartbreak could sound holy if enough people sang it together.

    The Energy: Classy, Chill, And A Little Bit Painful

    There’s a quiet confidence to the way GIVĒON moves through a setlist. No dancers. No distractions. Just him, the mic, and a voice that feels both centuries old and freshly wounded. His pacing mirrored the stages of heartbreak: denial (‘Still Your Best’), resentment (‘Lost Me’), longing (‘For Tonight’), and nostalgia (‘Heartbreak Anniversary’). Each transition was seamless, almost cinematic.

    It’s rare to see an artist this young commit to restraint. The live band added richness without overcomplicating things, giving his baritone room to breathe. Every song was proof that simplicity, when done right, feels luxurious!

    A Night That Felt Like A Letter

    If Dear Beloved is GIVĒON’s letter to the people who broke him (and maybe to the ones he broke too), then Detroit got the signature edition: honest, classy, and painfully beautiful. When the final notes faded, fans didn’t rush to leave. They lingered, taking photos under the glowing Fox marquee, still humming, still holding on to the softness of the night.

    GIVĒON doesn’t just sing about love; he autopsies it, dresses it in satin, and hands it back to you gently. And in Detroit, a city built on soul, that felt exactly right!

    Image Source: Courtesy of Epic Records

    Which city are you stopping by on the DEAR BELOVED tour? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments below or over on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook 🐝

    Want more live exclusives? Look here honey!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GIVĒON:
    INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | X | WEBSITE

    [ad_2]

    Asia M.

    Source link

  • Singer Lizz Wright returns to DC region for 1st headlining show since Kennedy Center takeover – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    As the D.C. area faces a government shutdown, Lizz Wright returns to The Strathmore with a concert shaped by jazz, gospel, and a deep bond with the region.

    MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 30: Lizz Wright performs during the International Jazz Day 2019 All-Star Global Concert at Hamer Hall on April 30, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz)(Getty Images for Herbie Hancock/Graham Denholm)

    To many of her fans, acclaimed vocalist Lizz Wright is a genre unto herself.

    When she takes the stage Sunday to perform her unique blend of soul, jazz, gospel and folk at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, she’ll be stepping into an area she says has always met her with “warmth, soulfulness and deep knowing.”

    Wright has performed in the D.C. region many times over the years since the release of “Salt,” her 2003 debut album, but the timing of her appearances in 2025 have coincided with major local political tremors.

    After signaling plans to take over the Kennedy Center on social media days earlier, President Donald Trump was elected to serve as the chairman of the Kennedy Center on Feb. 12. The center’s president Deborah Rutter, a Biden appointee, was fired. Wright was scheduled to perform that night.

    She remembers the evening vividly, not only because of the outrage and uncertainty swirling around the arts community, but because she became — in her words — an “unhired usher at a threshold,” offering grace and whatever comfort she could as staff worried about their futures.

    “I was literally the last artist to slide under the gate before everything changed,” Wright said in an interview with WTOP. “I walked through the Kennedy museum and galleries with some of the staff who were worried that they wouldn’t be able to retain their jobs. We were in it together.”

    For Wright, this was not an unusual occurrence.

    “I do find myself at very interesting thresholds where things are ending and where they’re beginning,” she said. “It’s happened so many times in my life in different ways. I don’t know why it happens, and I’m just glad for that very odd assignment. I’m around when I’m needed, and I just trust the arrangement of that, and I just give what I have to give.”

    That sense of “showing up at thresholds” has followed Wright throughout her career — in moments both public and deeply personal. One of the most striking came in 2016, when she learned that her April 2016 Minneapolis concert was the last live show attended by music icon Prince before he died.

    “It’s not something you want to be known for, but it’s true,” she said. “When I heard Prince was coming, I thought, ‘The band’s gonna play all crazy … they’re gonna be so excited, (it’ll be) musical turbo and I won’t be able to breathe or get a word in edgewise.’ But then I was also like, ‘You’re the daughter of a minister and a gardener. Just feed him. He needs to sit at the table, too, and be nurtured. Do your job.’”

    Now, the Strathmore performance comes at another uncertain time for the D.C. region as area residents navigate the effects of the government shutdown.

    Wright believes her music is intended to nurture in moments like these.

    For Wright, the connection with D.C. audiences runs deep.

    “What I love about the audience(s) and the people of D.C. is that they understand they are the place that is the capital of so much history,” she said.

    She describes local listeners as unusually attuned to the intersections of history, identity and art that her music explores; that jazz, gospel and folk all feed into one another.

    “If genres were lenses, then I am in a place where a few of them overlap. A stream feeds a creek, (which) feeds a lake, (which) feeds a river,” Wright analogizes.

    “They get it. There’s not as much explaining to do”

    At the Strathmore, Wright said, she looks forward not only to the music, but also to reuniting with the venue’s staff, whom she calls “really beautiful people” she met when appearing there last May in a tribute show to her mentor and inspiration, Bernice Johnson Reagon.

    “It’s an incredible hall,” she said. “You come there with your soul full of everything you’ve been carrying, and (as an artist) you pull out the best, because it’s a place to be heard deeply.”

    The concert is expected to draw a capacity crowd, adding another chapter to Wright’s long-running relationship with D.C. audiences. For her, the night will be less about performance than about presence.

    “I want people to actually feel joy and courage about being here right now,” she said. “I want people to remember enough, to feel enough, to release enough, to receive enough — and be grateful that they’re here right now.”

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    [ad_2]

    Terik King

    Source link

  • All hail the ‘Queens’: Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Stephanie Mills restart their tour

    [ad_1]

    NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Patti LaBelle didn’t envision a six-decade career when she entered the music business at 14 years old. But 67 years later, she doesn’t take it for granted, acknowledging the fragility of life.

    “I think of my sisters who all passed before they turned 50, and so I thought that I would be one who also would … leave at a certain age,” reflected the 81-year-old entertainment icon. “When I turned 70, I said, ‘I’m still doing it.’”

    A regal celebration would be fitting for a singular act of her eminence, but to the delight of adoring subjects, there’s even more fanfare to bestow. “The Queens: 4 Legends. 1 Stage.” tour features LaBelle with fellow music legends Chaka Khan, Stephanie Mills and Gladys Knight, 81. The second leg of their royal concert processional kicks off Friday in Greensboro , North Carolina.

    “They’re coming to the four of us and loving what they see because we’ve not stopped. We’re phenomenally into what we do. There’s no pretending,” said LaBelle, the “Lady Marmalade” and “If Only You Knew” singer-actor, noting a tour with a collection of this much prestige is unprecedented. “To come back with the Queen’s tour, it’s just beautiful.”

    The first leg of the tour — produced by Black Promoters Collective — ran from May through June. Arenas were treated to megahits like Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” and “Sweet Thing,” Knight’s “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye),” Mills’ “Home” and “Never Knew Love Like This Before,” as well as LaBelle’s “The Right Kinda Lover” and “You Are My Friend.”

    A rotating stage transitions each 45-minute set into the next performance, introducing each artist to their wide cross-section of concertgoers, which often includes multiple generations: parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents. Individually, the impact of Khan, Knight, LaBelle and Mills within the music industry and pop culture can’t be quantified, with fans and critics praising them for never abandoning soul music or their Black audience.

    “I hear it all the time. You know, ‘I was weaned on you,’ from mother to grandmother on down. It’s lovely to hear,” Khan, 72, told The Associated Press in a joint interview with LaBelle and Mills. “I’m sure I can’t grasp the feeling that they’re feeling, but I get it — I think. And I think it’s pretty special.”

    At 17 years old, Mills originated the role of Dorothy in “The Wiz,” which debuted on Broadway 50 years ago. Now, 68, the Grammy winner affectionally known as “the baby” by her co-headliners, says there’s no need to slow down.

    “It’s in the blood. What would we do? Sit at home and not do anything?” said Mills, who hopes for another Broadway stint in the near future. “I was 11 my first Broadway show. So, I’ve been in the business my entire life.”

    Despite the accolades amassed by each artist – Khan and Knight are both in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – the rarity of assembling a tour with iconic legacy artists with long careers is not lost on them. But what Khan, the “Ain’t Nobody” and “Through the Fire” singer, is most proud of is far more poignant.

    “Staying alive,” said Khan, who’s lived a colorful public life, and has not shied away from discussing her past substance abuse issues in various interviews in the past. “I probably took it for granted at some point in my life.”

    Khan’s story will be brought to the stage in the “I’m Every Woman” production premiering in London’s West End in early 2026. Khan, who’s also been in the studio with Sia, has said she’s prepping an album featuring unreleased music she recorded with Prince and Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham.

    “The Queens: 4 Legends. 1 Stage.” tour is scheduled to wrap Oct. 5 in Cleveland. LaBelle, who’s preparing to launch a new syrup in her popular food line, says she recognizes the blessing of still being able to get on stage and perform.

    “My favorite part is just being able to still do it at my age,” she said. “Most people hide their age when they turn 50 … it’s a blessing, it’s a graduation. And like I said, at this age, don’t be afraid to do anything … you can’t stop living.”

    ___

    Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Soul Music Legend Al Green Releases Absolutely Perfect Lou Reed Cover

    Soul Music Legend Al Green Releases Absolutely Perfect Lou Reed Cover

    [ad_1]

    Soul legend Al Green released his first new track in five years, putting his own spin on Lou Reed’s 1972 classic, “Perfect Day.”

    “I loved Lou’s original, the song immediately puts you in a good mood,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer wrote on social media. “We wanted to preserve that spirit, while adding our own sauce and style. I hope this song accompanies you through your perfect days.”

    Check out his version of “Perfect Day” below:

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • R.E.M., Blondie, Snoop Dogg get nods for Songwriters Hall

    R.E.M., Blondie, Snoop Dogg get nods for Songwriters Hall

    [ad_1]

    NEW YORK — Bryan Adams, R.E.M., Blondie, Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Heart and The Doobie Brothers are among the nominees for the 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame, part of a dazzling list of talented acts who left their mark on country, pop, rap, Broadway, post-punk, Latin and New Jack Swing.

    The ballot includes the musical theater duo of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who wrote “Ragtime” and “Anastasia,” as well as soul-jazz vocalist Sade, whose 1980s soft rock hits include “Smooth Operator” and “The Sweetest Taboo.”

    Two veteran rock stars are also nominees: Patti Smith — whose songs include “Because the Night” and “Dancing Barefoot” — and Steve Winwood, whose hits include “Higher Love” and “Roll With It.” Vince Gill is once again a nominee, having first made the ballot in 2018.

    Eligible voting members have until Dec. 28 to turn in ballots with their choices of three nominees from the songwriter category and three from the performing-songwriter category. The Associated Press got an early copy of the list.

    Jeff Lynne of ELO, who penned “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Evil Woman,” faces off against the “Losing My Religion” R.E.M. quartet led by Michael Stipe, as well as sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, who showed women could rock hard with songs like “Barracuda” and “Crazy On You.”

    Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke are eligible for the hall as Blondie, who gave us the New Wave hits “Call Me” and “Rapture,” and Snoop Dogg would join such rappers as Missy Elliott and Jay-Z should he make the cut. Estefan is credited for popularizing Latin rhythms with such crossover smashes as “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” and “Let’s Get Loud.”

    Two classic rock icons compete as Adams — with radio staples like “Summer of ’69” and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” — contends with The Doobie Brothers and their always-in-rotation “Listen to the Music” and “Long Train Running.”

    Nominees who work behind the scenes include Glen Ballard, who helped write Alanis Morissette’s monster 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill” and was involved in the recording and writing of Michael Jackson’s albums “Thriller,” “Bad” and “Dangerous.”

    Veteran songwriter Tom Snow, who worked with Olivia Newton-John, Barbra Streisand, Cher, The Pointer Sisters and co-wrote “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” from the movie “Footloose,” is also eligible. “Footloose” connects another nominee, Dean Pitchford, who collaborated on the score, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard album charts, knocking off “Thriller” in 1984.

    The nominee list includes Teddy Riley, the singer, songwriter, and producer credited with creating New Jack Swing and its top anthems like Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” and Keith Sweat’s “I Want Her,” and Liz Rose, who co-wrote many songs with Taylor Swift, including “You Belong with Me,” “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “White Horse.”

    There’s also country songwriter Dean Dillon, who wrote songs with Toby Keith, George Strait and Lee Ann Womack; pop songwriter Franne Golde, behind such hits as Jody Watley’s “Don’t You Want Me” and “Nightshift” by the Commodores; and the duo of Bobby Hart and Tommy Boyce, who penned many of The Monkees’ hits.

    The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor those creating the popular music. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

    Some already in the hall include Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins.

    ———

    Online: http://www.songhall.org

    ———

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

    [ad_2]

    Source link