Category Archives: Music

Britney Spears and will.i.am to release new single ‘Mind Your Business’

On Monday, Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am confirmed via social media that he and Britney Spears will reunite on a new single set to be released on Tuesday. The announcement was accompanied by a video teaser posted by will.i.am, with the caption “Uh Oh!!!” The short clip features the artists’ taglines: “You are now, now rockin’ with will.i.am and Britney, b****.” In the teaser, Spears can be heard singing what appears to be the song’s chorus, “Mind your business, b****,” over an upbeat tempo. The video ends with the announcement of the single’s arrival and includes the hashtag “MindyourBusiness.”


This collaboration marks a reunion for the duo, as they have previously worked together on the 2011 release “Big Fat Bass” from Spears’ album “Femme Fatale,” as well as the lead single “Scream & Shout” from will.i.am’s album “Willpower.” The music video for “Scream & Shout” also gave Spears her first entry into YouTube’s Billion Views Club. Furthermore, will.i.am served as the executive producer for Spears’ 2013 album “Britney Jean.”


The upcoming single will be Spears’ first release since her collaboration with Elton John on the remix of his hit song “Tiny Dancer” titled “Hold Me Closer.” This remix marked her return to the Billboard charts after nearly a decade.


The news about the new single comes shortly after Spears announced the release date and title of her highly anticipated memoir, “The Woman in Me.” Set to be published by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, the memoir aims to tell Spears’ story “on her own terms, at last,” according to the publisher’s announcement. The book is scheduled to be released on October 24.


Spears had been living under a court-ordered conservatorship since 2007, which was placed by her father, Jamie Spears. Despite working and continuing her music career, the conservatorship remained in place. Rumors circulated among fans, sparking the “#FreeBritney” movement, with concerns that she was being held against her will. Ultimately, the movement led to her release from the conservatorship.

Taylor Swift’s Upcoming The Eras Tour: What To Know About the Opening Acts

Taylor Swift’s upcoming “The Eras Tour” begins on March 17 in Arizona, and it is her first tour in 5 years. The last time she toured was for her album Reputation in 2018, but she has since released Lover, Folklore, Evermore, and Midnights, as well as Red and Fearless, which were re-recordings of her former albums. On this tour, she welcomes nine opening acts, spanning from well-known artists like Paramore to up-and-coming singers like OWENN. It appears that two opening acts will be beginning the show on each date. Here’s what you need to know about each artist, whether you are anticipating the upcoming tour, or looking to expand your music taste! 


Paramore


Paramore was formed in 2014, and is best known for their songs Misery Business, Still Into You, and Ain’t It Fun. The band has an estimated 17,800,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and they just recently released their sixth studio album This Is Why. The lead singer, Hayley Williams, and Taylor Swift met all the way back in 2008, through Swift’s mother. Williams told MTV: “We actually met at this Grammy party … and [Taylor Swift’s] mom came up to us and was like, ‘It’s so nice to meet you guys, you’ve got to meet my daughter,’ … I think we exchanged numbers, and we started hanging out in Nashville not too long after that.” More recently, Williams told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that Swift’s new album inspired Paramore’s new song Running Out of Time. Below are the dates Paramore will be joining Taylor:

  • 3-17 & 3-18: State Farm Stadium

Beabadoobee


Beatrice Kristi Laus, aka Beabadoobee, is a Filipino-British singer and songwriter. She is best known for her songs death bed (coffee for your head), Coffee, and Tired. She gained popularity after her first EP Lice (2018) and received critical acclaim for her first album Fake It Flowers (2020). Laus has an estimated 11,900,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and has recently released her album Beatopia. She opened up about meeting Taylor Swift to Hot Press, stating “I met her at the NME Awards and she just came up to me and said she liked my music. I’d listen to anything from folklore. All her new stuff is amazing, songs like ‘Cardigan’ and ‘Betty’ are especially good. It was surreal.” Below are the dates Beabadoobee will be joining Taylor:

  • 3-24 & 3-25: Allegiant Stadium 

  • 4-1 & 4-2: AT&T Stadium

  • 4-13, 4-14 & 4-15: Raymond James Stadium

  • 4-21, 4-22, & 4-23: NRG Stadium 

  • 4-28 & 4-29: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Phoebe Bridgers


Phoebe Bridgers is an American singer and songwriter, most known for making indie music. She is known for her membership in groups such as Boygenius (2018), Better Oblivion Community Center (2019), and Sloppy Jane (2021). She is also well known for her solo albums Stranger in the Alps, and Punisher, which both received critical acclaim. Bridger’s most well-known songs are Motion Sickness, Kyoto, and Scott Street. Her group Boygenius recently announced their upcoming album The Record, which will be released in March. She has an estimated 8,800,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and is known for her musical collaborations with SZA, 1975, Lorde, and Taylor Swift. Although Bridgers and Swift worked together to create the song Nothing New, they have never actually met. According to Far Out Magazine, Bridgers revealed that texting Swift for the first time was “a total high.” After their song was released, Swift told Seth Meyers on his talk show that Bridgers was one of her favorite artists. Below are the dates Phoebe Bridgers will be joining Taylor:

  • 5-5, 5-6 & 5-7: Nissan Stadium 

  • 5-12, 5-13 & 5-14: Lincoln Financial Field 

  • 5-19, 5-20 & 5-21: Gillette Stadium

  • 5-26, 5-27 & 5-28: MetLife Stadium 

girl in red


Marie Ringheim, aka the girl in red, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter, best known for her indie pop music, and being a “queer icon” according to Paper. Her career began by recording music in her room and posting it to AWAL and SoundCloud, and she received critical acclaim after her first studio album If I Could Make It Go Quiet. Her most popular songs include: we fell in love in October, bad idea! and I wanna be your girlfriend. She has an estimated 13,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and she supported artists such as Clairo and Billie Eilish on their tours. Although she and Taylor Swift have never met, Ringheim told KEXP “I really like Taylor Swift and the reason why I like Taylor Swift is that I really love melodies … I think she probably inspired me.” Below are the dates the girl in red will be joining Taylor:

  • 6-2 & 6-3: Soldier Field 

  • 6-9 & 6-10: Ford Field

  • 6-16 & 6-17: Acrisure Stadium 

  • 6-23 & 6-24: U.S. Bank Stadium 

MUNA


MUNA is an American indie pop band that consists of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson. The band was created in 2013 when the trio met in college. Their first EP More Perfect was released on SoundCloud in 2014, and their first studio album About U was released in 2017. Muna has an estimated 2,100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and their most popular songs include Silk Chiffon, Anything But Me, and What I Want. The band also joined Harry Styles on tour in 2017, and Kacey Musgraves in 2022. They received great praise for their covers of Sometimes by Britney Spears, and August by Taylor Swift. In an interview with Variety, McPherson revealed how Swift had been an inspiration to them, stating “Obviously, Taylor’s been around for such a long time and definitely, we all have memories from back in the day of when certain albums came out.  I remember a friend of mine gave me ‘Fearless’ on a flash drive. And I was obsessed with ‘Fifteen’ and in my feelings. Gavin also stated that Swift influenced their most recent album. We all have stories like that with Taylor.” Below are the dates MUNA will be joining Taylor:

  • 3-31: AT&T Stadium

  • 4-30: Mercedes Benz Stadium

  • 6-4: Soldier Field

  • 6-30 & 7-1: Paycor Stadium

  • 7-7 & 7-8: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

  • 7-14 & 7-15: Empower Field at Mile High

HAIM


HAIM, an American rock band consisting of the sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim began in 2007. Their first EP Forever was released in 2012, and quickly received praise. Shortly after, they were signed to Polydor Records and released their studio album Days Are Gone. Their most popular songs include The Wire, Gasoline (feat. Taylor Swift), and Now I’m In It. They have an estimated 4,900,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and have featured on popular songs such as no body, no crime by Taylor Swift and Pray to God by Calvin Harris. They have also previously toured with Florence and the Machine in 2012 and with Taylor Swift for The 1989 World Tour in  2015. The sisters have been friends with Swift since 2013 after they defended her in response to a misogynist tweet. This resulted in Swift following them back on Instagram and inviting them to dinner in 2014. When People magazine asked what HAIM is looking forward to on the upcoming tour, they said “Backstage pre and post-show dance parties with Taylor,”

adding “everything about it is perfect … that’s why we’re doing it again!” 

Below are the dates HAIM will be joining Taylor:

  • 7-22 & 7-23: Lumen Field 

  • 7-28 & 7-29: Levi’s Stadium

  • 8-3, 8-4, 8-5, 8-8 & 8-9: SoFi Stadium 

GAYLE


Taylor Gayle Rutherfurd, aka GAYLE, is an American singer best known for her pop rock music. She was discovered by Kara DioGuardi, an ex-American Idol judge, and was signed to the major record label Atlantic Records, in 2021. She is best known for her song abcdefu, after it went viral on TikTok and Spotify. Rutherfurd was also nominated for a Grammy in 2021, after the song’s success. She has an estimated 12,100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and her top songs include abcdefu, abcdefu (angrier), and fmk (feat. blackbear). In an interview with Billboard, she revealed how she felt when Swift asked her to join The Eras Tour, stating “Obviously I’ve known about Taylor, for forever, like my whole entire life — I can’t remember a time where I didn’t know Taylor Swift. My best friend and I went to [an] awards show and Taylor Swift happened to be there, and I did a performance and some very cool things happened after that.” Below are the dates GAYLE will be joining Taylor:

  • 3-17 & 3-18: State Farm Stadium

  • 3-24 & 3-25: Allegiant Stadium 

  • 3-31: AT&T Stadium 

  • 4-13: Raymond James Stadium

  • 4-30: Mercedes Benz Stadium 

  • 5-6: Nissan Stadium

  • 5-12 & 5-13: Lincoln Financial Field

  • 5-19 & 5-20: Gillette Stadium

  • 5-26: MetLife Stadium 

  • 8-5 & 8-9: SoFi Stadium 

 Gracie Abrams


Gracie Abrams, an American singer, and songwriter released her first single Mean It in 2019. Her first EP minor was also released in 2019 and sparked her stardom. It included some of her most popular songs I miss you, I’m Sorry, and 21. She has an estimated 9,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and recently announced her debut album Good Riddance set to release on February 24. In 2022 she commenced her This Is What It Feels Like Tour, and opened for Olivia Rodrigo on the Sour Tour. Abrams recently did an interview with Teen Vogue and shared her admiration for Swift by saying “she is, for me, one of the blueprints for vulnerability as a young woman. I just respect the s**t out of her with everything that she does. I’ve always been so inspired at every stage of my life as a fan of hers.” Below are the dates Gracie Abrams will be joining Taylor:

  • 4-1 & 4-2: AT&T Stadium

  • 4-14 & 4-15: Raymond James Stadium

  • 4-21, 4-22, & 4-23: NRG Stadium 

  • 4-28 & 4-29: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

  • 5-5 & 5-7: Nissan Stadium 

  • 5-14: Lincoln Financial Field 

  • 5-21: Gillette Stadium

  • 5-27: MetLife Stadium 

  • 6-4: Soldier Field 

  • 6-9: Ford Field

  • 6-16: Acrisure Stadium 

  • 6-23: U.S. Bank Stadium

  • 6-30 & 7-1: Paycor Stadium

  • 7-7 & 7-8: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

  • 7-14 & 7-15: Empower Field at Mile High

  • 7-22 & 7-23: Lumen Field 

  • 7-28 & 7-29: Levi’s Stadium

  • 8-3 & 8-8: SoFi Stadium 

OWENN


Christian Owens, aka OWENN, gained his following after being a dancer on Swift’s Reputation Tour and starred in the music video for her song Lover in 2019. In 2021, Taylor helped him sign with the record label Republic Records. He has 12,700 monthly listeners on Spotify and is best known for his songs Baby Girl, released in 2021, and Rest Of My Life, released in 2022. According to The Honey Pop, OWENN takes inspiration from David Bowie and Fleetwood Mac. OWENN shared with his followers on Instagram live “We had a whole bunch of label meetings. Taylor Swift was a huge co-sign and helped…a lot of people don’t know. She actually contacted the head of the Republic herself on my behalf, which was kind of crazy. I get to the meeting. They were like ‘Yo, why is Taylor Swift so adamant about us signing you? We want to see you perform!” Below are the dates OWENN will be joining Taylor:

  • 5-28: MetLife Stadium 

  • 6-2 & 6-3: Soldier Field 

  • 6-10: Ford Field

  • 6-17: Acrisure Stadium 

  • 6-24: U.S. Bank Stadium 

  • 8-4: SoFi Stadium

Katlynn Wheatley

Katlynn Wheatley

Author

Miley Cyrus can buy her own flowers, but who is the florist?

The Wrecking Ball singer has brought the new year in with the powerful self-love anthem Flowers. This hit single is from her upcoming album Endless Summer Vacation and has earned her her first No.1 debut and broken the Spotify record of most-streamed song in a single week.  


The song owes part of its success to its catchy hook:

“I can buy myself flowers/ Write my name in the sand/ Talk to myself for hours/ Say things you don’t understand/ I can take myself dancing, and I can hold my own hand/ Yeah, I can love me better than you can. “


Familiar, right? The romantic imagery, the melodic cadence…

Fans on all platforms have very rightly made the connection to Bruno Mars’ 2012 song When I Was Your Man. From side-by-side comparisons on TikTok to mash-ups of the two songs circulating on Twitter, the song’s chorus is undeniably reminiscent of the popular ballad both lyrically and melodically.


Take a look:


“I should’ve bought you flowers/ And held your hand/ Should’ve gave you all my hours/ When I had the chance/ Take you to every party ‘cause all you wanted to do was dance/ Now my baby’s dancing, but she’s dancing with another man.”

While the lyrics are inverted to make it seem like a kind of feminist response to Bruno Mars’s song, the question of infringement does come up. Has Bruno Mars given her permission to do this? Does he need to?


If she had sampled the song, i.e., used snippets of the original recording, the case would have been more straightforward – recording use and copyright licenses would have had to have been involved. What Cyrus has done, however, is called interpolation – the act of taking an existing piece of music and recreating it within a new piece of music. Imagine buying a cake from your local bakery versus using their recipe to bake your own.


Interpolation has become an increasingly popular songwriting technique. It can be as blatant as Anne Marie’s hit song 2002, or more subtle like Portugal The Man’s Feel It Still. Some think it is a cool, nostalgic way to revive older pieces of music, while some say that it’s a loophole that musicians use to avoid plagiarism issues and give financial credit to the original artist. 


Many musicians speak of other artists as their influences, but where do we draw the line?


When it comes to all things legal, interpolation is a little more nuanced than sampling. Permission from the owner of the underlying composition of the musical work may be required, but it is not required from the copyright owner, “regardless of how similar the new recording may be,” says the United States Copyright Office.

This basically means that it’s up to Bruno Mars – whether he’s flattered by the reference or insulted by it.


While there has been some speculation amongst fans as to whether Cyrus has gotten permission or not, it doesn’t seem like a legal battle will ensue.

Surbhi Agarwal

Surbhi Agarwal

Author

Beyoncé’s Private Concert in Dubai

Beyoncé performed her first concert in nearly five years on January 21, 2023. The private show took place at Atlantis the Royal hotel in Dubai as a celebration of its opening. According to Today, the luxury hotel paid Beyoncé $24 million dollars to do the show and provided her with a hotel room that costs $100,000 a night. 


The elite guests for this private event included Kendall Jenner, Rebel Wilson, Liam Payne, and Ellen Pompeo, among 1,000 other invited guests according to USA Today. Guests wore extravagant outfits and posed in front of large fish tanks and sculptures. One invited guest even wrote, “it was influencer heaven… one recessed pool in the hallway is so well-incorporated into the space, it’s a wonder more people didn’t accidentally fall in.” 


During the hour-long concert, Beyoncé sang her well-known songs “Halo,” “Drunk in Love,” “Crazy in Love,” and “Brown Skin Girl”, which her daughter Blue Ivy joined her. Surprisingly, she did not perform any songs from her last album Renaissance, which fans had a lot to say about on Twitter. One posted, “Beyoncé really took $24 million and is performing her old s**t. I love this scammer.” 


While this luxurious event seems like a dream, it has sparked much controversy from Beyoncé’s fans. From the fact that Dubai has laws against homosexuality to the no phone policy, people are divided on whether or not to be excited about the potential of more Beyoncé shows. Some think that the famous artist was wrong for performing in an anti-LGBTQ country while inviting guests who are part of the community. Rebel Wilson even brought her girlfriend with her. According to LaineyGossip, “It showcased two worlds – one where rich, foreign, queer couples experience a different side of Dubai.” While another fan wrote “Listen Beyoncé has bills to pay and you best believe there are a lot of out open and happy a** gays in Dubai. It’s called the almighty dollar.” 


The no-phone policy also sparked conversation online. According to one invited guest, the hotel provided each person with a special pouch to put their phone in after dinner to ensure that no part of the concert was leaked. This did not work as planned, as pictures and videos of the show were quickly posted online. Beyoncé is not the first artist to do this, however, as Jack White, Bob Dylan, John Mayer, Madonna, and Adele have also banned phones at their shows. This leaves many wondering if this will be the new norm for concerts in the near future. Phones not only distract from the atmosphere of a show but also send a negative message to the performer that people aren’t paying attention.

Katlynn Wheatley

Katlynn Wheatley

Author

More Jonas Brothers music coming soon!


Nick Jonas appeared on Kelly Clarkson’s daytime talk show on Friday, January 13th, where he discussed his new role as a father and plans for upcoming music with the Jonas Brothers. He mentioned that there will be a tour later this year and Kelly asked him about balancing touring and fatherhood as he and his wife, Priyanka Chopra, have a one-year-old daughter named Malti.


Nick Jonas discussed with Kelly Clarkson on her talk show his plans on balancing touring and fatherhood as he hasn’t had to do this before like his brothers Kevin and Joe have, who both have kids. He also mentioned that fans can expect new music from the Jonas Brothers soon, as the album is completed and they are currently in the planning stages for the campaign, album, and single release. This new release will be following their comeback album, “Happiness Begins” which was released in 2019.


Kelly Clarkson expressed her admiration for the Jonas Brothers during the interview, praising their individual projects as well as their work as a band. She commented on how she enjoys everything they do and how it is uncommon for a group to still be solid after working on solo projects. The full interview can be watched below.

Brandon Shields

Brandon Shields

Author

Hello, Lorde’s Sister

Indy Yelich O’Connor, the younger sister of Lorde, announced her debut EP “Threads” for release on February 17th via TMWRK Records. The EP includes the new single “Hometown” as well as previously released tracks “Killer” and “Threads”.

“Hometown” shares similarities with Lorde’s style, particularly in its suburban setting and reflective production. 


Indy sings about her past experiences and reflects on the past with lyrics like “Nineteen and we haunted streets that we knew so well,” and “I cut my feet on the love and the lust I felt.” She also muses on the possibility of returning to a friendship with someone she knew in her hometown, singing “You’re wonderin’ if we’ll go back to bein’ friends.” The song is sung with a deep, throaty voice that is reminiscent of Lorde’s own style.

In a statement, Indy said that “Hometown” is about the memories from her teenage years in suburbia that she will never forget. She described the song as nostalgic and evocative of the feelings of driving through the suburbs, revisiting an ex’s house, returning from the big city, and staying at her parents’ place. 


She also mentions how the song is about having to let go of people from the past and the emotions that come with it. She says that everyone has someone from their past that they hold close and that this song talks about the first inklings of real love, innocence, and sadness of having to let go.


In 2022, Lorde spent most of the year touring in support of her third studio album, Solar Power. In November, she wrote to her fans in a newsletter and talked about the difficulties of touring in the post-pandemic industry. She wrote that for artists, promoters and crews, the situation is at an almost unprecedented level of difficulty. She explained that there are three years’ worth of shows happening in one, combined with a global economic downturn, and people’s understandable wariness about health risks at concerts.

Stream the full song below.

Brandon Shields

Brandon Shields

Founder | Team Havoc Studios

The Weeknd is Back!?

The Weeknd has announced that he is working on new music in a recent interview with Hollywood Reporter. When asked about his current musical endeavors, the 32-year-old hitmaker stated, “I’ve definitely been inspired. I’ve been in the studio.” The interview was posted on Monday, January 9th.


The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of his album “Dawn FM” by releasing a new music video for the track “Is There Someone Else?” on January 7th. 


Though the artist did not provide any further information about his upcoming project, he did discuss in the interview the inspiration behind “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”, the Oscar-shortlisted theme song he wrote for James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water. Tesfaye opened up about how the Avatar franchise has served as a source of inspiration for him ever since he saw the first film in 2009, during a period in his life which he refers to as “the darkest time of my life” when he was homeless.


“The most enjoyable aspect of composing the song was receiving feedback from James and ensuring that the lyrics and melody aligned with the film’s themes,” the artist shared with the publication. “I rewrote the song several times to ensure it was flawless.”


The singer of “Blinding Lights” also briefly mentioned the potential nomination of the song for an Academy Award, expressing that he feels “honored” by the recognition. In the past, Tesfaye had expressed his displeasure with another prominent awards show, the Grammys, and boycotted it since his highly successful album “After Hours” was not recognized in 2020.


However, according to the musician, the Oscars “definitely feel different” than the Recording Academy. “I’m simply grateful,” he continued, referring to the fact that he won a Grammy for his contribution to Kanye West’s “Hurricane” in 2022, after his boycott. “I am thankful for any kind of recognition and I am excited to be part of the conversation.”

Brandon Shields

Brandon Shields

Founder | Team Havoc Studios