Gospel, Jazz, Folk, Country, Rock, Soul, B-Bop, Funk, Rhythm & Blues, Punk and Pop, it all came "Out of the Blues".

On the Focus Music page we aim to take a look at the journey popular music has made through the decades with links to influential artists of each era. Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and original Blues men including Robert Johnson, Edward Son House, Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt made their way north from the American deep South and brought the "Blues" to a wider American audience. This in turn lead to the birth of "Rock and Roll" in the 50s with artists such as Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Little Richard.

"The Beatles" were inspired by the great guitar riffs of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Little Richard's soulful sound and "Rhythm and Blues" burst onto the UK music scene in the 60s spawning the "Mersey Beat Sound" and "Beatlemania" and the rest they say is History! America's British Invasion may have included The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and the Animals but in return the UK embraced Soul and Motown music with brilliant artistes like Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Wilson Picket, Otis Reading, The Four Tops, The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Ike and Tina Turner, Percy Sledge, Jimi Ruthin, Aretha Franklyn, Otis Reading, The Temptations. The Soul Train had arrived and we loved the ride. 2009 marked the 50th Anniversary of Motown. Motown 50 (3CD). 

Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five continued the Motown tradition as Soul music lead the way to Funk, Reggae, Ska, Soul/RnB, Hip Hop and Rap. Keeping the "Soul Train" on the tracks is fledgling songstress Dionne Bromfield who at 13 years of age brought some of that 60s Motown style to a new generation. London-born soul singer Dionne Bromfield, whose sensational debut TV performance on Strictly Come Dancing 2010 introduced her as an exciting new talent. The single, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was taken from her debut album "Introducing Dionne Bromfield".

We are updating and will be adding more Focus Music Notes soon, in the meantime check out the archive of blog posts and media releases on this blog.

A 22-hour-old baby petitioning to be readmitted to the womb is the protagonist of the catchy punk-pop of Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is, the 3^rd single to be released from Sparks 26^th studio album. 

The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte marks Sparks' first release on the venerable Island Records label in close to five decades, following such classics as 1974's landmark Kimono My House, highlighted of course by the indelible hit single 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us'. The new album is described by Ron and Russell Mael as a record that is "as bold and uncompromising as anything we did back then or, for that matter, anytime throughout our career." 

Sparks previously shared the single 'Veronica Lake' and the album title track alongside a video starring Cate Blanchett. The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte also includes such instantly intriguing new musical vignettes as 'Mona Lisa's Packing, Leaving Late Tonight' and 'A Love Story'. Both characteristically timeless and unequivocally modern, The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte once again affirms that, after more than a half century making such masterpieces, Sparks remain inimitable, ingenious and, as ever, utterly one of a kind. 

Sparks will celebrate The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte and much more with an extensive world tour that sees the band playing some of the biggest venues of their incredible career, with highlights including a pair of sold-out headline shows at London's historic Royal Albert Hall (May 29 and 30), performances at 3xPrimavera Festivals and Glastonbury and the biggest headline show of Sparks' more than fifty-year career, taking place on July 16 at the world famous Hollywood Bowl in their beloved hometown of Los Angeles. 

PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE THE GIRL IS CRYING IN HER LATTE ALBUM ON CD, CASSETTE, VINYL, CLEAR VINYL AND PICTURE DISC

👀👀👀

SPARKS TOUR 2023 

MAY 

23 – Oxford, UK – New Theatre Oxford 

24 – Liverpool, UK – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall SOLD OUT 

26 – Glasgow, UK – SEC Armadillo 

27 – Manchester, UK – Bridgewater Hall SOLD OUT 

29 – London, UK – Royal Albert Hall SOLD OUT 

30 – London, UK – Royal Albert Hall SOLD OUT 

JUNE 

2 – Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound Barcelona 

4 – Nimes, France – La Paloma 

5 – Marseille, France – Espace Julien 

8 – Madrid, Spain – Primavera Sound Madrid 

10 – Porto, Portugal – Primavera Sound Porto 

13 – Paris, France – Le Grand Rex 

14 – Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg, Grote Zaal 

16 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Store Vega 

18 – Berlin, Germany – Tempodrom 

20 – Brussels, Belgium – Cirque Royal 

22 – Wolverhampton, UK – The Civic at The Halls 

23 – Pilton, UK – Glastonbury 

27 – New York, NY, USA – Beacon Theatre 

28 – Philadelphia, PA, USA – Keswick Theatre SOLD OUT 

30 – Washington, DC, USA – Lincoln Theatre 

JULY 

1 – Boston, MA, USA – The Wilbur 

3 – Toronto, ON, Canada – Danforth Music Hall SOLD OUT 

5 – Chicago, IL, USA – Copernicus Center 

6 – Milwaukee, WI, USA – Pabst Theater 

8 – Kansas City, MO, USA – Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland 

9 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater SOLD OUT 

12 – Dallas, TX, USA – Texas Theatre SOLD OUT 

13 – Austin, TX, USA – ACL Live at the Moody Theatre 

16 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – Hollywood Bowl † 

22 - Tokyo, Japan – duo Music Exchange 

24 – Osaka, Japan – Namba Hatch 

25 – Tokyo, Japan – Line Cube Shibuya 

* Festival Appearance 

† w/ Special Guests They Might Be Giants 

For complete details and ticket information, please see allsparks.com/#tour 

The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte tracklisting: 

1 The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte 

2 Veronica Lake 

3 Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is 

4 Escalator 

5 The Mona Lisa's Packing, Leaving Late Tonight 

6 You Were Meant For Me 

7 Not That Well-Defined 

8 We Go Dancing 

9 When You Leave 

10 Take Me For A Ride 

11 It's Sunny Today 

12 A Love Story 

13 It Doesn't Have To Be That Way 

14 Gee, That Was Fun 

The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte formats: 

LP, Clear LP, Picture Disc, CD, Cassette

Listen to Nothing Is As Good As They Say It Is HERE

Order the album HERE 

👀👀👀

CONNECT WITH SPARKS: 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

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Who said what

Bona fide masterpiece ★★★★★ - Record Collector - Album of the Month 

Outstanding ★★★★ - Mojo 

Their victory lap! Uncut 

Urgent and defiant – The Wire  

Piquant and literate...  like a short walk around an art gallery... Clash Magazine 

A genuinely outstanding album, with zero laurels rested ★★★★★ – Buzz Magazine 

An album alive with enough inventive energy to put bands a third of their age to shame – Classic Rock 

They remain as witty, sharp and brilliant as ever ★★★★ - RetroPop Magazine 

A genre hopping mission statement from a band sounding more vital than ever – Narc 

Still so incredibly vital – Classic Pop

About Sparks 

Levels of interest in the work of Sparks are at heights unsurpassed in their more than fifty year career, with the ultimate cult band now centerstage in the full beam of the spotlight. 

Most people, with even a passing acquaintance with Sparks, will know the basics by now. How Californian brothers Ron and Russell Mael, both students at UCLA, began making music together in the late Sixties, originally under the name Halfnelson. How their Top Of The Pops debut with "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" stunned a generation and nearly scored them a UK #1. How their career moved through many phases, including (but not limited to) art rock, glam, big band swing, electro-disco, new wave and synthpop, taking in collaborations with Todd Rundgren, Les Rita Mitsouko, Tony Visconti, Franz Ferdinand and Giorgio Moroder. 

How keyboardist and songwriter Ron's intricate staccato arrangements combine with the acrobatic vocals in which Russell delivers his brother's always-on-point lyrics. How Ron's stillness and stern, intimidating visage contrasts onstage with Russell's hyperactivity. How their popularity has spiked unpredictably in different territories at different times: Britain, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Japan, and their homeland the United States. And how the influence of "the greatest band you've never heard of," or "your favorite band's favorite band," has been recognized by successive generations of artists from Joy Division to Duran Duran to Depeche Mode to Bjork to Beck and beyond. Their influence on music cannot be overstated – as super-producer Jack Antonoff recently declared,  "All pop music is re-arranged Sparks." 

Now into their sixth decade of making music, Sparks have never been more relevant, with studio albums Hippopotamus (2017) and A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip (2020) both reaching #7 on the UK Official Albums Chart amidst global acclaim. Released in 2021, the lauded career-spanning documentary film The Sparks Brothers, directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver), brought an awareness of Sparks to parts they previously hadn't reached. 

Sparks' 2021 film musical Annette, directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, has been showered with awards, especially in France where the film won three Lumières Awards and five César Awards, including "Best Original Music" for Ron and Russell. In addition, the film's "So May We Start" was shortlisted for "Best Original Song" at the 94^th Academy Awards. Focus Features have recently announced plans to develop X-Crucior, a new musical epic written by Ron and Russell. 

NOTHING IS AS GOOD AS THEY SAY IT IS' THE NEW SINGLE FROM SPARKS, RELEASED MAY 12 2023 

FROM THE ALBUM THE GIRL IS CRYING IN HER LATTE, OUT FRIDAY, MAY 26 VIA ISLAND RECORDS 

LIVE TOUR STARTS MAY 23 INCLUDING ROYAL ALBERT HALL, GLASTONBURY & HOLLYWOOD BOWL

DRAKE & 21 SAVAGE 

"SPIN BOUT U" OFFICIAL VIDEO 

OUT NOW 

Watch HERE

Most other musicians, when they've been working for over half a century, are resting on their laurels, basking in the warm glow of their heritage, accepting the odd Lifetime Achievement Award, playing the odd Greatest Hits tour and concentrating on shifting their back catalogue. But Sparks are not most other musicians. They are utterly unique.

With the release of their 26th album,The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte,on May 26^thRon and Russell Maelcontinue on that unique and uncompromising path. And, in a move that is as unexpected as it is unsurprising, the new bold, genre defying, modern masterpiece will be released by Island Records, the label that released their astonishing breakthrough record Kimono My House in 1974. 

"Funny how things work! One of the most memorable periods for Sparks, the one that forever cemented our relationship with the UK and also exposed Sparks to a bigger audience around the world, was the 70s Island Records era. Chris Blackwell, Muff Winwood, and Co. went all in on our album, Kimono My House, and released a truly non-conventional first single, This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us. Their belief (and ours) proved right: that there was a place for both bold creativity and commerciality in pop music. And here we find ourselves in 2023, almost 50 years later, re-signing with Island Records, again with an album that we all feel is as bold and uncompromising as anything we did back then, or for that matter, anytime throughout our career. We're happy that after so much time, we've reconnected with Island, sharing the same spirit of adventure that we all had way back when, but with our new album, 'The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte.'"Ron and Russell Mael

"Sparks have always been one of the most original, ground-breaking and creative groups in pop and their longevity is partly down to their ability to constantly reinvent themselves. It's an honour and thrill having Sparks back on Island. Next year it will be 50 years since Island released "Kimono My House". That album sounded like it came from the future and once again with "The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte", Ron & Russell have created a pop masterpiece that sounds like no one else."

Louis Bloom Island President

"Levels of interest in Sparks, worldwide, have never been so high. In part this is due to the releases of the Edgar Wright directed documentary The Sparks Brothers and Annette, the musical film Ron and Russell wrote, but it is also due to their seemingly inexhaustible creativity and sheer hard work. Each album is more ambitious, each tour larger and more far reaching. It was important to partner with a label who could match the band's ambition on a global scale."

Sue Harris Manager

To coincide with thealbum release Sparks will take to the road for a world tour that will include 2 sold out headline shows at London's Royal Albert Hall and, in America, the soon-to-be-announced largest headline show of the band's career

About Sparks  - www.allsparks.com

Levels of interest in the work of Sparks are at heights unsurpassed in their 50+ year career, with the ultimate cult band now centre stage in the full beam of the spotlight.

Most people, with even a passing acquaintance with Sparks, will know the basics by now. How Californian brothers Ron and Russell Mael, both students at UCLA, began making music together in the late Sixties, originally under the name Halfnelson. How theirTop Of The Popsdebut with "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" stunned a generation and nearly scored them a UK No.1. How their career moved through many phases, including (but not limited to) art rock, glam, big band swing, electro-disco, new wave and synthpop, taking in collaborations with Todd Rundgren, Les Rita Mitsouko, Tony Visconti, Franz Ferdinand and Giorgio Moroder.

How keyboardist and songwriter Ron's intricate staccato arrangements combine with the acrobatic vocals in which Russell delivers his brother's always-on-point lyrics. How Ron's stillness and stern, intimidating visage contrasts onstage with Russell's hyperactivity. How their popularity has spiked unpredictably in different territories at different times: Britain, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Japan, and their homeland the United States. And how the influence of "the greatest band you've never heard of", or "your favourite band's favourite band", has been recognised by successive generations of artists from Joy Division to Duran Duran to Depeche Mode to Bjork to Beck to The Darkness and beyond.Their influence on music cannot be overstated - as super-producer Jack Antonoff recently declared "all pop music is re-arranged Sparks".

Now into their sixth decade of making music, Sparks have never been more relevant. Once more Top 10 regulars, with studio albumsHippopotamus(2017) andA Steady Drip, Drip, Drip(2020) both reaching No.7 in the UK and receiving global acclaim, the lauded career-spanning documentary filmThe Sparks Brothers, directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun Of The Dead,Hot Fuzz,Baby Driver) and released in 2021, brought an awareness of Sparks to parts they previously hadn't reached.

Sparks' 2021 film musicalAnnette, directed by Leos Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, which almost swept the board in France at that year'sCésar andLumières Awards with eight wins and seven nominations across the two ceremonies, including the César for Best Original Music, and also fared well elsewhere, with a Golden Globes nomination for Cotillard, and 'So May We Start' shortlisted for Best Original Song at the Oscars. Focus Features have recently announced the studio is developingX-Cruciora musical epic written by Ron and Russell.

NEW YORK, NY (December 2, 2022) – Blasting off higher than ever before, Metro Boomin proudly presents his anxiously awaited blockbuster new album, HEROES & VILLAINS, out now via Boominati Worldwide/Republic Records. 

Assembling an Avengers-level guest list, the album also notably boasts the likes of John Legend, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, Young Thug, Mustafa, A$AP Rocky, Gunna, and the late Takeoff.  Check out the full track-listing below. 

It notably serves as his first solo LP in four years and the follow-up to his 2018 full-length debut, Not All Heroes Wear Capes. The latter bowed at #1 on the Billboard 200, picked up a platinum certification, and housed the triple-platinum "Space Cadet" feat. Gunna, platinum "No Complaints" feat. Drake & Offset, platinum "Don't Come Out The House" feat. 21 Savage, triple-platinum "10 Freaky Girls" feat. 21 Savage, platinum "Overdue" feat. Travis Scott, among others. 

The excitement around the album started earlier this week with a short film, created by Gibson Hazard, featuring an elite lineup of stars including Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman, Academy Award-nominated actor LaKeith Stanfield, Young Thug and Gunna. Watch HERE. It's HEROES & VILLAINS season now.  

HEROES & VILLAINS Tracklist 

1. On Time ft. John Legend 
2. Superhero (Heroes & Villains) ft. Future & Chris Brown 
3. Too Many Nights ft. Don Toliver & Future 
4. Raindrops (Insane) ft. Travis Scott 
5. Umbrella ft. 21 Savage & Young Nudy 
6. Trance ft. Travis Scott & Young Thug 
7. Around Me ft. Don Toliver 
8. Metro Spider ft. Young Thug 
9. I Can't Save You (Interlude) ft. Future & Don Toliver 
10. Creepin ft The Weeknd & 21 Savage 
11. Niagara Falls (Foot or 2) ft. Travis Scott & 21 Savage 
12. Walk Em Down (Don't Kill Civilians) ft. 21 Savage & Mustafa 
13. Lock On Me ft. Travis Scott & Future 
14. Feel The Fiyaaaah ft. A$AP Rocky & Takeoff 
15. All The Money ft. Gunna [Bonus] 

Listen to the album Here

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Metro Boomin "Superhero (feat Future & Chris Brown)" Music Video 

Listen Here

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Metro Boomin - Heroes & Villains (Short Film) 

Watch Here

METRO BOOMIN RELEASES ANXIOUSLY AWAITED CINEMATIC NEW ALBUM  

HEROES & VILLAINS TODAY 

INCLUDES FEATURES FROM JOHN LEGEND, FUTURE, CHRIS BROWN, DON TOLIVER, TRAVIS SCOTT, 21 SAVAGE, YOUNG NUDY, YOUNG THUG, MUSTAFA, A$AP ROCKY, GUNNA AND THE LATE TAKEOFF 

 About Metro Boomin 

Since 2013, GRAMMY® Award-nominated diamond-certified producer, DJ, and artist Metro Boomin has defined not only the sound, but the direction of hip-hop. With dozens of smashes to his name, his unmatched, unprecedented, and undeniable discography encompasses the quintuple-platinum "Jumpman" by Drake and Future, quadruple-platinum "Bad and Boujee" [feat. Lil Uzi Vert] by Migos, diamond-selling "Congratulations" [feat. Quavo] by Post Malone, quintuple-platinum "Mask Off" by Future, quadruple-platinum "Bounce Back" by Big Sean, and many more. Working with The Weeknd, he co-produced the Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit "Heartless" and contributed three more tracks to the chart-dominating 2020 epic After Hours. Along the way, he also joined forces with 21 Savage for the 2016 blockbuster Savage Mode and its even bigger 2020 successor Savage Mode II—which bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, went gold, and closed out the year on multiple year-end lists. Other knockout collaborative albums included Double or Nothing with Big Sean and Without Warning with Offset and 21 Savage, both of which crashed the Top 10 of the Top 200. In 2018, he unleashed his full-length solo debut, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, seizing #1 on the Top 200 upon release and eventually reaching platinum status. The FADER hailed him as "The Most Trusted Guy in Rap," HIGHSNOBIETY christened this era "The Boom Years," and The Wall Street Journal dubbed him "The Rap Producer Shaping Pop Music." Plus, he launched his own record label Boominati Worldwide in partnership with Republic Records. 

FOLLOW METRO BOOMIN 

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Today, Diamond certified and award-winning artist The Weeknd announced 2023 dates for the expansion of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour. The next leg of the tour will kick off Saturday, June 10th in Manchester, UK at Etihad Stadium, with stops across Europe and Latin America in Stockholm, Amsterdam, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and more before wrapping up in Santiago, Chile on Sunday, October 15th at Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida. Additional 2023 dates will be announced soon.

The completely sold-out North American leg of the stadium tour was an incredible success breaking attendance records and grossing over $130 million dollars to date.

TICKETS:

● Europe: Tickets for the European shows go on sale starting Friday, December 2nd at 12pm local time. Fans who purchased tickets for the 2022 After Hours Arena Tour in Europe can register HERE for presale access to the 2023 dates. Visit this EU FAQ page for any questions.

● Colombia: Tickets for Colombia shows go on sale starting Saturday, December 3rd at 9am local time.

● Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina Tickets go on sale for shows in Mexico (at 2pm local time), Brazil (at 10am local time) and Chile (at 11am local time) starting Thursday, December 8th. On-sale information will be announced soon for Argentina. ● All tickets and additional info will be available at TheWeeknd.com/tour.

United Nations World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye will again partner with the U.N. World Food Programme to contribute funds from the second leg of the tour to the XO Humanitarian Fund, which supports the organization's response to the unprecedented global hunger crisis. €1 from each ticket sold across Europe, £1 in the UK and the $1 equivalent in countries across Latin America will go to this important cause. The fund raised money during the North American leg of the tour through ticket sales, proceeds from an exclusive tour t-shirt, and a $500,000 donation directly from The Weeknd. The Weeknd's corporate partners, tour venues, World Food Program USA board of directors and supporters also stepped up to contribute, as well as tour sponsor Binance, who contributed US$2 million to the fund. The first grant of $2 million will be going to provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to the most food-insecure regions of Ethiopia.

The tour celebrates The Weeknd's 2020 album After Hours (it's hit single "Blinding Lights" was named the new No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 song of all time, surpassing Chubby Checker's 1960 hit "The Twist"), as well as his critically-acclaimed album Dawn FM, which was released January 2022. Kaytranada and Mike Dean will join The Weeknd on all European dates.

The After Hours Til Dawn tour is powered by Binance, the global blockchain ecosystem behind the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, bringing Web 3.0 technology to concert-goers worldwide. Ticket holders receive souvenir NFTs as well as gain access to an exclusive NFT collection for The Weeknd's tour, in collaboration with HXOUSE, a think center and community incubator for creative entrepreneurs. Five percent of the sales from the upcoming tour NFT collection will be donated to the XO Humanitarian Fund.

AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN TOUR 2023 EUROPE TOUR DATES:

Sat Jun 10 – Manchester, UK – Etihad Stadium

Wed Jun 14 – Horsens, Denmark – Nordstern Arena

Sat Jun 17 – Stockholm, Sweden – Tele2 Arena

Tue Jun 20 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena

Sat Jun 24 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruijiff ArenA

Wed Jun 28 – Dublin, Ireland – Marlay Park

Sun Jul 2 – Hamburg, Germany – Volksparkstadion

Tue Jul 4 – Dusseldorf, Germany – Merkur Spiel Arena

Fri Jul 7 – London, UK– London Stadium

Tue Jul 11 – Brussels, Belgium – King Baudouin Stadium

Fri Jul 14 – Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park

Tue Jul 18 – Madrid, Spain – Cívitas Metropolitano

Thu Jul 20 – Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Sat Jul 22 – Nice, France – Allianz Riviera

Wed Jul 26 – Milan, Italy – Ippodromo La Maura

Sat Jul 29 – Paris, France – Stade de France

Tue Aug 1 – Bordeaux, France – Matmut Atlantique

Fri Aug 4 – Munich, Germany – Olympiastadion

Sun Aug 6 – Prague, Czech Republic – Letnany Airport

Wed Aug 9 – Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy

Sat Aug 12 - Tallinn, Estonia - Tallinn Song Festival Grounds

AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN TOUR 2023 LATIN AMERICA TOUR DATES:

Fri Sep 29 – Mexico City, Mexico – Foro Sol

Wed Oct 4 – Bogotá, Colombia – Estadio El Campín

Sat Oct 7 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Estádio Nilton Santos Engenhão

Tue Oct 10 – Sao Paulo, Brazil – Allianz Parque

Fri Oct 13 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Hipódromo de San Isidro

Sun Oct 15 – Santiago, Chile – Estadio Bicentenario La Florida

THE WEEKND ANNOUNCES 2023 EUROPE AND LATIN AMERICA DATES FOR AFTER HOURS TIL DAWN STADIUM TOUR

THE GLOBAL TOUR IS POWERED BY BINANCE

NORTH AMERICAN LEG HAS GENERATED $5 MILLION FOR THE XO HUMANITARIAN FUND

DRAKE & 21 SAVAGE ALBUM 'HER LOSS' OUT NOW

LISTEN 

'HER LOSS'

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

1.     Lively Up Yourself 

2.     Trenchtown Rock 

3.     Duppy Conqueror 

4.     Is This Love (One Love) 

5.     Small Axe 

6.     Lively Up Yourself (acappella) 

7.     Roots Rock Reggae 

8      Turn Your Lights Down Low 

9.     Jamming 

10.   Exodus 

11     Lee 'Scratch' Perry 

12.   Punky Reggae Party 

13.   Waiting In Vain 

14.   Running Away 

15.   No Woman No Cry 

16.   So Much Things to Say 

17.   Three Little Birds 

18.   One Love 

19.   Could You Be Loved 

20.   Get Up Stand Up 

Now You See The Light . . .

By Paul Morley

Get Up Stand Up is, as its sub-title says, a Bob Marley musical, but it's something more than a straightforward musical featuring the usual razzamatazz. Of course it is, because it's about Bob Marley, and all he was and is, as prophet, star, songwriter and shaman, as man of ideas and man of action. It's filled with world famous, indelible Bob Marley songs, which were never conceived to be part of a theatrical experience, but which can become that, because they were made to change shape and travel through time and space. 

They made the difficult accessible and the personal universal and were destined to grow, to keep growing, and never lose their power and persuasion whatever the setting, wherever and whoever the listener, and watcher. A Bob Marley musical dazzles, because of those compelling, crowd-pleasing songs, but it also communicates the militant Marley's uncompromising message of love, unity and positivity. 

As a musical, and all the other things it is, Get Up Stand Up demonstrates how the anger, spirit and conviction of Bob Marley transcends time and place, language and continents. As with Marley himself, the great ever-moving champion of change, of rebels and outsiders - whose music is played on rotation in hotel bars and on easy listening radio stations but is also a soundtrack to revolution - all is not as it seems.

Get Up Stand Up is a vivid story-telling cheer-leading rags-to-riches musical about Bob Marley starring his evocative songs, furious martial anthems and visionary, sceptical idealism, and it's an eye-opening live documentary about the dramatic life and times and historical impact of the man himself, taking him through turbulent loves and complicated collaborations from raw, provincial adolescent and ambitious, elusive interloper to international superstar. It's a love story as well, as the chaotic loves of a chaotic life so rich in incident lead to some of the tenderest, loveliest, most beautifully observed love songs and romantic lullabies ever written.

It's an analysis of creativity and the astonishingly inventive way Jamaican music evolved before and after the country's independence in 1962. It follows Marley as he imaginatively synthesises musical styles and establishes a distinctive voice and vision by bouncing off and working with fellow adventurers Peter Tosh, Bunny Livingston and Rita, Judy and Marcia of the I Three, and key mentors and producers such as Coxsone Dodd and Lee Perry and later Chris Blackwell of Island Records.

Tosh, Marley and Livingston as the Wailers are a progressive Jamaican soul group with twisted rock and roll dynamics, a steely, determined, playful gang of dreamers, philosophers and warriors living life on the rough margins using psychedelic songs of faith and hope to stand up for themselves. They fight for their individual rights to such an extent they themselves fall apart. Bob is left to deal with the pressures of a new kind of celebrity and responsibility, and the exiled Peter and Bunny to deal with watching a story of success unfold without them, and their old comrade become the face of Jamaica, the ultimate icon of Rastafarianism, a shadow over their own solo efforts. 

It's also a story about political awakening, of how to use resistance and defiance to generate the sense of purpose and empathy that made the songs so powerful and enduring and Marley so magnetic and revelatory. And it's a story of life and death and life after death, as Marley faces up to political turmoil, death threats, real life violence and the relentless cancer that cuts his life tragically short even as he fought and kept writing and singing to the end.

As a musical, and something other than that, it respects and continues the subversive, uninhibited and volatile spirit of Marley and the Wailers, it aims to become part of it, to develop the legacy, and constant mystery, of Bob Marley as much as turn it into simply a one-dimensional act of celebration, a fantastic but self-contained night out. It pays tribute to Marley and celebrates his mystique, melodies and messages, his eager and inquiring mind, but the main intention is to be a work in its own right that becomes an integral part of his world, not merely a nostalgic souvenir of it.

As a production, Get Up Stand Up contains its own internal and onstage collaborative shape-shifting energies, inspired by its own determination to exist against all odds – to become a spectacular West End musical featuring a challenging, flawed and contradictory black hero and activist, an exhilarating upbeat entertainment with serious points to make about colonial repression, social inequity, collective resistance, radical humanism and the vital need for liberation and emancipation.

The singers in the show playing Bob, Peter, Bunny, Scratch, the I Three, each and every character, don't imitate, they interpret, and bring their own intense spiritual energy to Phil Bateman's inventive arrangements. The musicians, the nine piece Stand Up Crew, on stage as part of the show with their experienced, eloquent feel and togetherness, don't merely copy but dive deep into the history of Jamaican music, remodelling the insinuating guitar and flashing brass, absorbing and adapting the searching, restless experiments in groove and symbolic forward motion of the Wailers ingenious rhythm section Aston and Carlton Barrett.

Producer Paul Groucho Smykle, who as an original Island Records house producer worked on heady mixes for Bob Marley, Black Uhuru and Grace Jones, is an expert in this forward motion, in the fluid, narcotic space and time of Marley's music. He produces the cast singers, and the Stand Up Crew, as an act in their own right, as an expressive, original version of the original music, the life, story and songs of Bob Marley turned into a rare hybrid of performance, theatre, recording studio, music and biography.

And as Bob Marley did at his shows, this musical, full of its own joys and surprises, its own brilliant performances and musical invention, this musical which is more than simply a musical, tough and tender, wild and thoughtful like it's subject, sends audiences home with the words 'stand up for your rights' ringing in their ears. You've had a great night, but you've also been moved to act. And as Bob Marley knew more than most, it's always time to act, to try and make things better, whatever the news.

Playful Productions, Stage Play and Cedella Marley present 

GET UP STAND UP! 

THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL

The album is available to order here and here

GET UP, STAND UP! THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL, 

Lyric Theatre, 29 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 7ES 

GetUpStandUpTheMusical.com  Box Office 0330 333 0088 Tickets from £15

Please note that tickets can be exchanged up to at least 24 hours before the event

  Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok /  Website

Listen to 'Beep' HERE.

 LISTEN 'BEEP'

MATA IS COMING SOON

M.I.A. is managed by SALXCO.

'Beep' is out everywhere now.

An irresistible end-of-summer jam, 'Jane' was produced by Rykeyz (who also produced Skip's #1 single 'Slow Down' with H.E.R., as well as hit songs by Jessie Reyez, Ari Lennox, Demi Lovato, and Rick Ross, among others). Recorded in Miami, the single comes with an official music video directed by Mid Jordan, featuring both Marley and Starr. Watch the official music video for 'Jane' Featuring Ayra Starr HERE.

Speaking on his latest single, Marley shares: "'Jane' is really about finding that thing in your life to keep you balanced and free from stress. It was a good common ground for Ayra and I to instantly connect and set the vibe."     

Currently, Skip Marley is on his North American festival tour including headlining slots at Beacon Park in Detroit, MI tomorrow night, as well SummerStage in Central Park, NYC on September 26. On September 21, the young Marley will commence his headlining CHANGE TOUR, starting in Toronto, Canada. For tickets and more information, go to: www.skipmarley.com/tour

'Jane' Ft. Ayra Starr follows his last single, 'Change' released earlier this year via Tuff Gong/Island Records. Produced and co-written by Oscar Holter (The Weeknd, Coldplay, Katy Perry, P!nk,) the feel-good, reggae tinged track brought all of the positive vibes at a time where the world needs it most and signified a new chapter for Skip Marley who is currently working on his debut album. Listen to 'Change' HERE.

Skip Marley earned his first RIAA Gold certified single for the #1 global smash 'Slow Down' with GRAMMY® Award-winning artist H.E.R. With over 200 million global streams, the song became the quickest and biggest-streaming song in Marley family history, and elevated Skip to over 440 million total global artist streams.  It was the first time a Jamaican-born artist reached the #1 spot on the Billboard Adult R&B chart.  At the same time, Skip became the first Jamaican-born artist inside the Top 15 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in nearly a decade and a half (since Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole in 2006 with "When You Gonna Give It Up to Me"). The track spent 3 weeks at #1 at R&B Radio. Skip was nominated for two Grammy Awards (Best R&B song and Best Reggae Album) and two Soul Train Music Awards, an NAACP Image award, and Best New Artist at the iHeart Music Awards.

'Jane' Featuring Ayra Starr is out everywhere now.

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

08/27 - Beacon Park - Detroit, MIn

09/17 - Sea.Hear.Now Festival - Asbury Park, NJ**

09/21 - Toybox - Toronto, ON

09/23 - Higher Ground - Showcase Lounge - Burlington, VT

09/24 - Freshgrass Festival - MASS MoCA - North Adams, MA

09/26 - Central Park SummerStage - New York, NY

09/27 - Union Stage - Washington, DC

09/28 - Elevation 27 - Virginia Beach, VA

09/30 - Oceans Calling Festival - Ocean City, MD**

10/02 - Harlows Night Club - Sacramento, CA

10/04 - SoHo Restaurant & Music Club - Santa Barbara, CA

10/05 - The Roxy - Los Angeles, CA

10/06 - AURA - Tempe, AZ

10/08 - Reggae Rise Up Vegas Festival - Las Vegas, NV**

10/09 - Hangar House - Salt Lake City, UT

10/10 - Cervantes' Other Side - Denver, CO

10/12 - 3Ten - Austin, TX

10/14 - House Of Blues - Cambridge Room - Dallas, TX

10/15 - House Of Blues - Bronze Peacock - Houston, TX

10/16 - Parish at House Of Blues - New Orleans, LA

10/18 - Underbelly - Jacksonville, FL

10/19 - Crowbar - Tampa, FL

11/20 - Wonderfront Music Arts Festival - San Diego, CA**

** Festival Appearance

 👀👀👀

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

Groundbreaking, global trailblazer and visionary M.I.A. delivers yet another thought-provoking track, titled 'Popular,' out today, along with an official music video, featuring influencer-bot-in-training M.A.I. Watch HERE. 

'Popular' follows 'The One' which was released in May and comes ahead of her highly anticipated full length studio album 'MATA' which will see its global release via Island Records. This new body of work, recorded in London, Los Angeles, Italy, Bali, Jakarta, and St Vincent, signifies a compelling new era for the multi-talented artist and activist, who remains one of the most captivating and innovative creators of a generation. More details to be revealed soon. 

Undoubtedly, one of the most important and potent multi-medium artists of this millennium, M.I.A.'s career spans 5 studio albums, international performances, multiple sold-out world tours, GRAMMY® and Academy Award recognition, while continuously pushing the boundaries of digital and ideological possibilities. M.I.A. has never lost touch with her indelible punk spirit that inspired her glitching directorial debut; Elastica's Mad Dog music video, to her self-directed tour visuals, graphics and NFT's that continue to bend minds to this day. She has consistently paved the way in the music and digital art space and helped create a community of outcasts during the defining years of the internet, a spectrum of influence that is unrivaled by a recording artist.

'Popular' is out everywhere now. 

'POPULAR' WATCH | LISTEN

MATA IS COMING SOON

Watch the video: HERE

Linkfire: https://PostMalone.lnk.to/ILYVid

After teasing its arrival and stirring up genuine anticipation, GRAMMY® Award-winning artist, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Ciara unveils her eagerly awaited new single and music video "JUMP" [feat. Coast Contra]. It officially marks her debut for Republic Records and Uptown Records in conjunction with her own Beauty Marks Entertainment. 

Listen to "JUMP" [feat. Coast Contra]—HERE. 

Watch the music video for "JUMP" [feat. Coast Contra]—HERE.

"JUMP" sets the pace for Ciara's next chapter. Bursting out of the gate with a bang, the frenetic production underlines her confident and catchy verses before the unshakable hook promises, "It's a party when I make that thing jump." It reups her classic dancefloor-ready R&B with a jolt of uncontainable energy and spirit. Adding to hype, it features a slick verse from viral HipHop group Coast Contra. Signed to Area 51 Music/Virgin Music the talented crew of emcees includes Eric Jamal (Philadelphia, PA), Rio Loz (Cali, Columbia), and twin brothers Ras & Taj Austin (Los Angeles, CA).

Upholding a tradition of showstopping visuals, she serves up a cinematic event befitting of this anthem. Directed by Dave Meyers [Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande], the clip moves at lightspeed. Ciara not only dances atop a moving subway train, but also leads a succession of highly choreographed routines. It also boasts no less than 14 outfit and glam changes, speaking to her status as a style icon. 

"JUMP" will make you move!

Prior to release, Billboard, Variety, and more celebrated Ciara's exciting announcements about new music, while HYPEBAE already pegged "JUMP" as a "summer anthem."

Most importantly, it sets the stage for her first full-length album in four years and eighth LP overall, coming soon. 

The summer of Ciara is underway now.

Throughout her unbelievable career thus far, Ciara has emerged as one of the most impactful, influential, and important artists of 21st century. Beyond streams in the billions, she has earned dozens of multiplatinum, platinum, and gold certifications worldwide and delivered timeless anthems such as "One Step, Two Step" [feat. Missy Elliott], "Goodies," "Body Party," "I Bet," "Level Up," and more. Beyond appearances across film and television, she stars in The Color Purple next year. Meanwhile, her entrepreneurial endeavors include everything from her production company Why Not You Productions, co-owner of Ten To One rum, and as well as The House of LR&C, the fashion house she launched with her husband Russell Wilson in 2020. Not to mention, she sits on the board of the Why Not You Foundation and also co-authored the New York Times Bestselling children's picture book Why Not You? However, she's about to kick off her biggest, boldest, and brightest chapter yet now with her 2022 debut for Republic Records, Uptown Records, and Beauty Marks Entertainment.

GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING ICON CIARA'S NEW SINGLE & MUSIC VIDEO "JUMP" FEAT. COAST CONTRA OUT NOW

  👀👀👀

WATCH HERE

 ------------

Follow Ciara on 

 Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Spotify

Drake has taken to his socials to announce the surprise 7th Studio album, Honestly, Nevermind.

  Out Now

Listen Here

Post Malone's 4th studio album, Twelve Carat Toothache, is his most intimate and personal record to date. Throughout the 14 tracks, Post takes us with him on his trials with fame, giving a glimpse into the irony of seemingly having it all, but feeling like nothing all at the same time. In an interview with Billboard, Post explained he wants the new songs to "speak more to how I'm feeling at the moment: the ups and downs and the disarray and the bipolar aspect of being an artist in the mainstream."

Linkfire Album: https://PostMalone.lnk.to/tct

Track list:

1. "Reputation"

2. "Cooped Up (with Roddy Ricch)"

3. "Lemon Tree"

4. "Wrapped Around Your Finger"

5. "I Like You (A Happier Song) (with Doja Cat)"

6. "I Cannot Be (A Sadder Song) (with Gunna)"

7. "Insane" 

8. "Love/Hate Letter To Alcohol (with Fleet Foxes)"

9. "Wasting Angels (with The Kid LAROI)"

10. "Euthanasia"

11. "When I'm Alone"

12. "Waiting For A Miracle"

13. "One Right Now (with The Weeknd)"

14. "New Recording 12, Jan 3, 2020"