Ah, and here we are at the final match-up of Bracket Madness and we are almost ready to crown the Greatest Artist of the 90s. In the last round, TLC knocked out Nirvana while Mariah Carey outshone Green Day. And so now, down from the original eight, we have but two: TLC and Mariah Carey. There can only be one Greatest Artist of the 90s, and we know its hard, but a decade so great as the 90s deserves a worthy representative. Who should it be? Read more…
Posts By Zara Golden
Skrillex Says He “Did Some Music” For Kanye West’s Next Album
This is some interesting news: Skrillex is collaborating with Kanye West on West’s new album. Or so says Skrillex in this new interview with the Daily Beast. “I did some music with Kanye, from what I know, it’s actually going to be the first song on his new album,” said the dubstep king. He didn’t say much more, but the aside was enough to drum up excitement about the internet. West hasn’t really spoken on this next album yet, but his long time producer and collaborator No I.D. says that it’s happening and that it’s “everything you don’t expect.” And so, assuming that 1. there really is an album happening, and 2. that it’s far enough along that West already thinking about a first single or thinking about sequencing, this collaboration could totally happen.
A year ago, back when Skrillex was but a thing for the young people and the radio still played songs that weren’t heavy with drops, we might have been scratching our heads at this. But the times have changed. It’s 2012 and we are now living in a dubbed out, womp-womp sort of world. And always the pioneer, West has already made himself at home here. 2007′s “Stronger” featured a Daft Punk sample, and Watch The Throne was rife with dub-flavor between that massive drop at the end of “N****s In Paris” and the admittedly dubstep-inspired “Who Gon’ Stop Me.” Not to mention, West’s been a Skrill fan since his YEEZYWORLDPEACE days, when he called “Cinema (Remix)” “one of the greatest works of art ever made.” ‘Ye usually gets what he wants, and we feel confident that should this happen, he’ll totally make it work.
Skrillex Invades L.A. to Headline HARD Summer Festival [DailyBeast]
Rita Ora Career Check: Everything You Need To Know Before Ora‘s Debut
Let’s call it the Rita Ora bubble. The Kosovo born, London raised star has hard at work on her debut album since 2009 and all the while she’s been busy building herself hype. Over the past few years, she’s given a lot of interviews, played festivals, made nice with Rob Kardashian, and begun hinting at a fashion line in the works. She’s made sure to keep visible and to always be looking good with crimson lips, fly style, and a big smile. As a result, she’s been fun to root for, and not just because she’s got a big dog like Jay-Z behind her. But she only has a handful of songs to her name, and with her debut release Ora finally close on the horizon, we have to wonder what exactly we are going to get. Can she live up to the hype? Or will the bubble pop? Let’s break it down. Read more…
Tuned In: Emeli Sandé Shines With “Wonder” On Today Show
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You Oughta Know artist Emeli Sandé won Olympic glory before the games even began with her stunning Olympic opening ceremony performance, but stateside viewers missed it, because the NBC broadcast cut the segment for reasons that still aren’t entirely clear. This morning, the network made up for it by inviting the opening ceremony star to the Today Show‘s Olympic Village set-up for a quick chat and to sing a brand new song. “The sun’s shining, we are in the amazing Olympic Village, and we are full of wonder,” she said before jumping into the triumphant “Wonder.” Her voice buoyed by soul and her hair swooped high with hope, she claimed her spotlight, singing confidently, “I am full of light, yes I am full of wonder.” And truly she is. This was the perfect song to lead-off this last weekend of the games, because even we, who are not competing, were left feeling inspired.
Last Lap: Jay-Z And Beyonce Raked In $40 Million Last Year, Are Named The Highest-Paid Celebrity Couple
BILLS, BILLS, BILLS NO MORE: JAY-Z AND BEYONCE HAVE TAKEN THE THRONE
Forbes has anointed Jay and Bey the Highest-Paid Celebrity Couple this year, having earned a cool $40 million between them in music sales alone. [Idolator]
THE OLYMPIC CLOSING CEREMONY WILL BE “THE GREATEST AFTER-PARTY IN THE WORLD”
Medals have been awarded and heroes have been made, but the end is nearing and now the rumors start spinning: the music director for the the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony says Sunday’s event will include 20 British artists performing 30 pieces of music, “like spinning plates and they’re all on fire.” Among in those 20 acts? Almost definitely Muse, Kate Bush if we’re lucky, and probably not Ed Sheeran but definitely not Pink Floyd. And please, please, puh-lease someone make sure the Spice Girls are there. [NME]
“Lights” Hits #2 On The Billboard And Now “Anything Could Happen” For Ellie Goulding
Though hanging tough in the top ten of our own Song of the Summer competition, Ellie Goulding‘s “Lights” has finally broached the top of the Billboard 100 charts. Sure, the effervescent “Lights” has been out for almost two years now, and is so popular in England that she got to serenade Kate and Will at their royal wedding and gets to date Skrillex. But after two years of rise, and held off from the tippy-top only by the indelible “Call Me Maybe,” it seems only reasonable that we go ahead and call “Lights” what it is: a hit.
But Goulding is moving on. Her sophomore album Halcyon is due out in October, and today she debuted and perfectly named lead single, “Anything Could Happen.” A bit more thumping but still swaddled in shimmery synth, “Anything Could Happen” shows off Goulding’s optimism and also a new, soulful edge to her voice that we haven’t heard in her other stuff. It’s a little different, but in a good way. And really, with “Lights” making the final push to the top and with Halcyon on the horizon, all eyes are on Goulding. Anything could happen.
P!nk’s Is Putting Everyone To Work On Her New Album: Eminem And Fun. Join The Mix
Anticipation for P!nk’s The Truth About Love keeps growing and growing. We’ve already adopted the album’s first single “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” as our break-up anthem and gone giddy over the news that expectant mother Lily Allen and P!nk’s cute daughter Willow will be featured on the album. And today, the word gets better still because Eminem and Nate Ruess of fun. have joined the mix, as well! Babies, rockers and rappers — is there no one P!nk can’t work with? Lily Allen, Eminem and fun. — is there no one P!nk is not not working with. Read more…
Outasight Introduces DoSomething’s Battle Of The Band Winner At Lollapalooza
A good time was had and a good dead done. Through the mud and rain at Lollapalooza 2012 shone one particularly nice moment. DoSomething.org and VH1′s Save The Music Foundation put together a Battle Of The Bands contest that pitted bands from all over the nation against each other for the chance to win the $5,000 grand prize and a set at this years Lollapalooza. This year’s winners were Point To infinity from Houston, TX, and they got to rock out on the very same stage as fun. and Frank Ocean. Afterwards, Point To Inifnity’s Richie Choung said that the show was “literally my best and favorite experience in my life EVER!” Literally the best “EVER!” How’s that for a reason to save the music?
New York rapper Outasight introduced the band, and we are glad it was him because, when we caught up with him afterwards to talk about the charities he supports, he told us — neither coached nor bribed! — that he would love to help provide music programs for kids like Save The Music does. “Back in the day kids used to have to play an instrument, mandatory,” he said, sad that “Those days are long gone.” He also shared that he supports a charity called Autism Speaks, which provides help for families who have autistic children. Find out more about them at their site, AutismSpeaks.org.
Check out pictures from Point To Infinity’s performance below. Read more…
Two Door Cinema Club Can’t “Sleep Alone” Anymore
You Oughta Know alums Two Door Cinema Club had the internet stopped and tweeting last month when the they debuted “Sleep Alone,” the epic first single off of their upcoming album Beacon. And today, they unveiled the accompanying video. Last year they won us over with an eye catching, primary color soaked and choreography packed video for “What You Know.” This, though, is a darker and more CGI-ed affair wherein Alex Trimble invites us into his haunting and drug-addled dreams that inspired the song. Not exactly a PSA, this isn’t exactly our idea of a good night’s sleep either. Read more…
Tuned In: Ziggy Marley Pays “Jammin’” Tribute To His Father On Conan
Last night on Conan, Bob Marley‘s eldest son Ziggy Marley celebrated LA’s newly anointed Bob Marley Day and the DVD release of Marley with a lovely performance of his father’s classic hit “Jammin’.” Ziggy summoned his father’s spirit, jamming out on a red-yellow-and-red guitar and with a smooth backing band behind him. It’s like his father knew when he wrote the song in 1977 that we would still be enjoying it all these years later, and that his progeny would assure that this jam is going to last. Who needs a holograph when you’ve got a flesh and blood son that can keep your spirit alive for you? To think that jamming was a thing of the past…
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