The Queen of Pop is back to take her throne with her new single ‘Stupid Love.’
The last the world heard a new Lady Gaga album was in 2016 when she released soft rock album, Joanne. In early 2017 we got the surprise drop of “The Cure” when she stepped in last minute to headline Coachella.
We then of course got shook by A Star is Born, where we dove off the deep end into the shallows because the soundtrack was that good. Even then, the music was curated for Ally rather than Gaga.
Since then…nothing. Three years of no Gaga and the fans have been begging and begging. There was a brief leak of the song back in January, but today we have the full song AND an (inter)stellar music video to go with it.
In the video we see Queen stop an alien war with a bop of a song. And if you ask us… seems legit. But that’s not what you should be fixated on. Notice at the end we see a still of a jacket that says “Kindness Punk” and then a screen that says “Chromatica.”
I think it’s safe to assume that her upcoming 6th studio album is called Chromatica. We’re also assuming that ‘Kindness Punk’ is an upcoming song.
Either way, we have one way to explain this new Gaga era…
You can get tickets to see Lady Gaga at her Las Vegas residency show here.
73 years ago, a baby boy was born by the name of David Robert Jones. Little did the world know then that a showman, a legend, an icon was born.
David Bowie is easily one of the most influential artists not just in the 20th century…but ever. He was someone who was so effortlessly themself and never let anyone tell them otherwise.
In both music and movies, Bowie showed a creative force that no one could ever close to replicating. With his own unique style, which often was androgynous, Bowie opened doors for others who were far from normal, in the best way.
Bowie was such a performer in his time, bringing costume and theatrics to the stage, which wasn’t very common then. His videos often included him in make-up which, while many were put off by it, helped shape the music, film and fashion we know today.
The Showman
From his first album, Hunky Dory, to his last, Blackstar, Bowie has tons of hits under his belt. With him constantly reinventing his stage personas, fans were always eager to see who and what David would do next. Here are some of his personas.
David Bowie: Though this is his regualr standard self, he did give himself a new last name. From Jones to Bowie. He named himself after American pioneer and creator of the Bowie knife, James Bowie.
Ziggy Stardust: A bisexual demigod in red boots. This was character that gave Bowie the breakthrough he needed. The album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is now considered one of the greatest albums of all time and his songs provide a critical note on matters like politics, drugs and sexual orientation.
Aladdin Sane: “A lad insane” is said to be Bowie’s “half brother Terry who has schizophrenia.” Aladdin came to light when Bowie killed off Ziggy Stardust onstage at a London gig, introducing his new era. The Aladdin Sane album which features the self titled track and the hit “The Jean Genie.”
The Thin White Duke: This persona happened during David Bowie’s “dark years.” He was struggling with a heavy hard drug addiction and stress. From here came the album, Station to Station. This alter ego is a troubled man, who sings of romance but is completely numb to feelings. The Duke had platinum blond hair and was usually dressed in a white shirt, black trousers and a waistcoat. It is his most controversial persona and the Thin White Duke has been called a psychopathic aristocrat and an immortal zombie.
The Blind Prophet: His last and most heartbreaking character. The Blind Prophet came from the Blackstar album. In the video Lazarus, he is a blind prophet telling himself of his own death. This whole album is a goodbye message to his adoring fans. Knowing he was dying and wouldn’t be around much longer, he wanted to give one last gift. It even features the lyrics “look up here, I’m in heaven,” hoping to give fans a slight ease.
Bowie’s film and television career are almost if not equally as impressive and inspiring as his music career. He held leading roles in several feature films, including The Man Who Fell to Earth, Just a Gigolo, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, The Hunger, The Linguini Incident, and arguably his biggest film Labyrinth.
David Bowie as Jareth in Labyrinth/ Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC
You can’t forget the endless amounts of documentaries made!
The Influencer
David Bowie has influenced some of the greatest artists of today. Most notably, Harry Styles as of recent. Harry Styles, we can wholeheartedly say, is the David Bowie of the recent generation. Pushing gender boundaries and being openly fluid. Bowie influences can be heard in Harry’s self-titled album and his recent album, Fine Line. Let’s not forget the fashion!
Another popular artist that takes direct influence from David is Lady Gaga. From Gaga’s first big hit, “Just Dance,” which featured her rocking a lightning bolt over her eye. Gaga has always expressed her love and admiration for the late singer. She even sports a portrait tattoo on her ribs of him.
Splash News
When Bowie passed, at the Grammy Awards that year, Lady Gaga honored him by performing a stunning performance of a Bowie medley. Starting with “Space Oddity” she performed variations of his biggest hits like “Changes,” “Suffragette City,” “Fashion,” “Let’s Dance,” and “Heroes.” While, of course, she nailed the vocals, she even dedicated her look that night to him, complete with the campy outfits, orange hair, and dramatic outfit changes. You can watch the full performance here.
A Legend Forever
Though he is now gone, David Bowie lives on forever through his movies, music, and family. A biopic movie is said to be in the works, however, it is also said that David’s family refuses to hand over the rights to his music.
David was a legend in music and film for his unique style and creativity, but he was so much more than that. He was unapologetically himself which was so rare for him on time. Wearing makeup, dresses and being openly bisexual were things that he did way before they were deemed “okay.” He has opened the door for not only musicians but people who just want to be themselves.
Bowie will forever be one of the greatest icons to ever grace the world.
It’s that time. The end of a year, the end of a decade, it’s time for a new start, and time to bring back this iconic meme. What songs will make the list this year?
To start 2020 right, try one of these hit songs to bring you into the decade…
“Roaring 20s” by Panic! At The Disco at exactly 11:59:17 PM
if you play panic! at the disco’s roaring 20s at exactly 11:59:17 on the 31st december brendon urie will sing “THIS IS MY ROARIIIIIING, ROARING TWENTIES” as you go into 2020
“Feeling My Self” by Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé at exactly 11:58:50 PM
If you play “feeling my self” by Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé at exactly 11:58:50 on New Year’s Eve, Beyoncé will say “world stop” in 2019 and “carry on” in 2020. What a great way to start the new decade. 🤪
“thank you, next” by Ariana Grande at exactly 11:59:15 PM
If you play ariana’s “thank u, next” at exactly 11:59:15, on new year’s eve you will hear her say “thank u, next” as soon as you enter 2020. & that’s on period 💋
if you play “outer space/carry on” by 5sos at 11:53:55 pm on new year’s eve you will not only start 2020 but also the decade with 5sos singing the last line “you know it's gonna get better” :')
“Fine Line” by Harry Styles at exactly 11:55:40 PM
If you listen to Fine Line (the song) at exactly 11:55:40 PM on Dec 31, you’re gonna start the new year with Harry singing “we’ll be alright” and that’s beautiful
“Let it Happen” by Tame Impala at exactly 11:54:55 PM
if you play let it happen by tame impala at exactly 11:54:55 on new year's eve, the bass drop after this long ass bridge will start at exactly midnight. Start off your new year right.
There’s people that when you see how old they’re turning you’re just like “Oh okay”. There are some people you’ll say “Ooh damn they’re that young… They look old af…”. And then you have people like Jared Leto…. Where you’re like “WTF WHERE IS YOUR YOUTH FOUNTAIN YOU YOUNG BEAUTIFUL PERSON YOU!?”
Jared turns 48 today and we just don’t understand how this man is pushing 50….
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Like, excuse me sir…. Where? Is he drinking the water from Tuck Everlasting or something.
In case you wanted to see what young Jared looked like… Here’s a personal attack.
Photo: ABC Studios / My So-Called Life
Yeah… We know… My So-Called Life was a show that aired in 1994 that Jared played the swoon-worthy Jordan Catalano… You’ve probably heard that name from your mom. The show only lasted one season… We were barely alive and we’re not over the fact that we were cheated out of more Jordan.
Jared has certainly made a name for himself over the past 48 (still not over that) years that he has existed. From his highly successful music career with his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, to his praised acting career and all of his philanthropic work in between. Jared is a force to be reckoned with.
We don’t care what you think or say about his Joker. We’d do absolutely anything to see those hours of cut footage because… Damn boi.
Jared has been in notorious movies such as Fight Club, American Psycho, Panic Room, Dallas Buyers Club, Blade Runner, and many many more.
In fact, Jared has a very big and important movie coming up and is set to release in 2020. He’ll be playing Dr. Michael Morbius in the movie Morbius.
Now if you don’t know who or what that is, let us explain. Jared Leto will be playing a Spider-Manantihero that is… Ready for this one… A VAMPIRE. Kind of fits his brand, huh? We just know that we need JaredLeto, Tom Hardy, and Tom Holland all in the same movie. And we could possibly get it. WE ARE CROSSING EVERYTHING!
Now before we go we just wanted to leave you with a special treat- uh- behind the scenes picture of Morbius.
Sheila E., aka the Queen of Percussion is looking to drum with YOU!
Just to catch you up to speed, Sheila E. is a pioneer for women in the music world. She has toured and recorded with legends like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, George Duke and Lionel Richie. Oh and she helped create some of Prince’s biggest hits like “Let’s Go Crazy.” That’s not even including her ground breaking solo work!
She’s quite literally considered the greatest female drummer alive. And is just one of the greatest drummers ever, period. So this is kind of a big deal.
Recently Sheila E. put out her latest single, “No Line” ft. Snoop Dog and is encouraging fellow drummers and percussionists alike to share their covers!
You can enter the contest by uploading your cover of “No Line” to Facebook, Instagram or Youtube and using the hashtag #NoLineDrumLine. You then must register your video with this link.
Your cover will be featured on the #NoLineDrumLine contest page! The winner will be decided by Sheila and a panel of celebrity judges selected by DW Drums as well as the public.
Winners will receive the following:
• Grand Prize Winner will receive a SKYPE PRIVATE DRUM LESSON WITH SHEILA E. and an LP® E-CLASS SIGNATURE TIMBALE SET. • Second Prize Winner will receive a LP® E-CLASS CONGA and TUMBA. • Third Prize Winner will receive a LP® E-CLASS BONGO SET • 5 Runners-Up will receive a One (1) Year membership to DRUMCHANNEL.COM
The #NoLineDrumLine contest is produced by Total Assault and Stilettoflats Music, Inc. and sponsored by LP, DW Drums and Drum Channel.
Click here to view the complete contest rules. The contest ends on January 10, 2020.
Be sure to download Sheila E. “No Line” ft. Snoop Dog here so you can get all the practice in to win this contest!
Harry Styleshas yet, once again, delivered with his sophomore album, Fine Line. This album melodically takes us back to the 60s and 70s with its soft rock and retro feel. Lyrically, it takes us on a whirlwind of emotions as we follow Harry through the rise and fall and acceptance of his past relationship. We’ll break it down track by track for you.
Golden
If there was ever a musical ode to Fleetwood Mac… This is it. This is a song that you just want to sway and twirl to. You want to drive down the coast with the top of the car down at sunset with the wind in your hair.
“Golden”, we wrote on day two of being in Shangri-La […] as soon as we’d done it, it was like, ‘Oh, this is track one’. I used to drive from here to the studio and listen to it. “Golden” was like the perfect PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) song. It’s like driving down the coast, that is what the song is for. It feels so Malibu to me.
– Harry Styles, during his November 2019 interview with Zane Lowe
Lyrically, this song sets the listeners up for the rest of the album. “I don’t want to be alone when it ends” quite literally foreshadows the story told throughout the album. Paired with the upbeat music, this is the perfect way to start this album.
Watermelon Sugar
The second song on the album and also the second single released. “Watermelon Sugar” gives us the perfect summer feeling of romance. The one that we know will end quick so we dive in deep to enjoy the moment. The harmony, the bluesy guitar, the EVERYTHING.
Adore You
“Adore You” is the third single off of Fine Line and probably the most intricate. This single literally started out as a whole mystery of this mysterious island popping up but Harries quickly figured it out. “Adore You” is a beautiful song about unconditional love and doing anything to make them safe and happy. We stan. And this video probably had the most amazing marketing in the history of music videos.
Lights Up
“Light’s Up” was the first taste of Fine Line that we got. Paired with a steamy music video that just dropped out of nowhere… We were shooketh. “Light’s Up” is a heart wrenching song with upbeat music. The fear of having people find out who your partner is, having to deal with the light’s up and on that person. The lyrics make us want to give him a really really big hug and never let go.
Cherry
This is when the album starts to slow down and get real. This song is obviously about an ex of his. They’ve broken up, she’s moved on, and Harry isn’t taking it very well. “Don’t you call him what you used to call me,” and the french voicemail at the end that is actually from his ex Camille Rowe talking. The voicemail translating to:
“Hey! Are you asleep? Oh, I’m sorry…” “Well, no… Nope, it’s not important…” “Well then… We went to the beach and now we—” “Perfect! Let’s go!”
Musically the song reminds us of “Little Things” from Harry‘s 1D days. Just him, a guitar, some harmony and a whole lotta feels.
Falling
We could call this song the climax of the album. This is all about the grief and heartache he is going through from the end of his relationship. He lost control of the relationship as well as her trust with his “wondering hands.”
This is definitely the fan favorite of the album. The ballad, the most emotional.
To Be So Lonely
This song is genius. This song blends so many different aspects from different genres that in theory shouldn’t go together… But yet they do. We have an Italian style ukulele with a blues-y plucked bass along with trumpets, cello’s and even a violin accompanied by swing-like lyrics.
“To Be So Lonely” is just really like articulation of Mitch’s brain. Even when Mitch plays to himself, he’s got the swing.
In this song, Harry has accepted his grief and he fact that the relationship is now over. He knows he’s messed up and she’s with someone else. She wants to be friends but he doesn’t think he can right now because he still loves her. He doesn’t want to be given any false hope, even if she doesn’t mean for him to feel that way.
She
“She” is the older sister to “Woman.” This song is pure genius. It’s a fantasy, it’s sexy and wow that guitar solo. The beginning of the song sounds almost identical to “Meet Me In The Hallway” but quickly turns into her own thing.
“She” is a beautiful blues ballad that listeners subconsciously play over and over again on repeat. The song features a fantasy love that a man would rather day dream about than face the real world.
Sunflower, Vol. 6
This is our beautiful 60s surf rock anthem of the album. Here he is reminiscing of the good times in his past relationship. He wants to immortalize their memories together through this melody.
All in all this song is just a feel good song. You smile and sway to it. You can feel the sun on your face and can practically feel and smell the ocean breeze.
Canyon Moon
“Canyon Moon” is another track that reflects back on the happy times of their relationship. Also noted as Stevie Nicks favorite track of the album, “Canyon Moon” is a ballad to 60s & 70s soft rock.
You can quite literally visualize yourself driving through canyons and hills.
Treat People With Kindness
60s 60s 60s. This song is so retro, with an Austin Powers flare. Sure Harry doesn’t sing the chorus but let’s look past that. This song is an ode to Harry‘s mantra “Treat People With Kindness.” This is something that he’s always preached in some way, shape or form throughout his whole musical career.
“Treat People With Kindness” is all about wanting to go somewhere where we can all just be nice and love one another. A place where we can feel happy and safe, and even if something bad happens, we know we’ll be okay.
Fine Line
The closing song on the album is also the namesake of the album. “Fine Line” as stated in an interview with Harry, “was always gonna be the last song on the album. It felt like it described to me the process of making it and how the album felt in terms of the different kinds of songs on it.”
This is a stripped song filled with emotions in-between the lyrics. Being that there’s not many lyrics to the song, Harry relies on the accoustic guitar to tell his story. And if you listened to the album from top to bottom as intended, in those pauses with no words, you know exactly what he’s trying to say and how he feels. He’s found balance with love and life, and acceptance and grievance. And of course, he closes the album out with an epic outro in a beautiful Harry-like fashion.
Well that’s it for Fine Line. An epic album from an epic person. What were your thoughts on Fine Line? What’s your favorite song and why? Let us know in the comments below or tell us on Twitter!
Catch Harry on tour in a city near you with his Love on Tour tour here!
This world was left in awe when early this week, we were left with the unfortunate passing of Jarad Higgins, known mostly by his stage name Juice WRLD.
Higgins passed away at Chicago’s Midway Airport after suffering a medical emergency, later revealed as a seizure. Happening less than a week after his 21st birthday, the talented young rapper was said to suffer the seizure after deplaning from a private jet on an early morning flight from California back to Chicago. The reports state that he had blood coming from his mouth, and was later transported to a local hospital, but was soon after pronounced dead.
Born December 2nd 1998 in Chicago, Illinois, Higgins, like many of us, experienced heartbreak at a young age when his parents divorced in 2001 – leaving him and his older brother to be raised by their mother. Higgins was left so emotionally wounded that when asked once if he could have a conversation with anyone throughout history, it would have been his estranged father; revealing how scared he was from the dissolve of their relationship, and that it was always at the forefront of his thoughts. In June of 2019, Higgins‘s father passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. He was left with no real closure, which had a huge impact on both him and his music.
Photo: Juice WRLD on Twitter
“Something Ain’t Right With My Mind So I Lost It”
Rapper, singer, and songwriter, Higgins lived a life of love for music. Learning to play piano at a young four years old, he continued his passion for music following guitar and drums. In fifth grade he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. At the request of his mother, he was prescribed Ritalin, Vyvanse, and other mind-altering drugs. Though he was normally supportive of his mother, he disagreed with her decision to medicate him at such a young age. This had a large influence on him, explaining that he believed mental health is neglected as a whole in the Black community; a topic he felt passionately about and tirelessly tried to change.
He drew a great deal of inspiration from life experience, but also from video games, such as everyone’s favorite Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and other classic Guitar Hero. From these influences was a strew of rock and pop, including Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, Falling In Reverse, and hisfavorite, Billy Idol.
His sophomore year in high-school was the time when Higgins began to take his rapping to the next level. Coincidentally, it seems, during this time was a period of heavy drug use for him. From Lean as early as 6th grade, to Percocet’s, and Xanax well into 2016. Whether it was depression, a chemical imbalance related to the ADD medication, or a combination of all these factors, Higgins ultimately ended dropping out of high school in 11th grade due to deteriorating health from heavy drug use.
"In Love With All Your Flaws & Sins. Your scars are really gorgeous."
“More Than a Millionaire, I Wanna Change the World”
Higgins took on one of our favorite genres; a combination of emo-rap music. He started his venture into the music world when he recorded his first song “Forever” on his cellphone, and published it to SoundCloud under the name “JuicetheKidd”. Soon after, he changed his name to “Juice WRLD,”an ode to Tupac‘s part in the movie Juice. To the young Tupac fan, “Juice Wrld“signified “taking over the world”.
And, that he did. In 2017 after releasing a three-song EP Nothing’s Different, he gained attention from major music blogs and other outlets.
He had his first mainstream hit in the summer of 2018. “Lucid Dreams” found its way to the top of the Billboard charts, followed by the remix to “All Girls Are The Same,” featuring Lil Yachty. The success of the song broughthim to sign a multi-million dollar contract with Interscope Records, where he delivered his first studio album Goodbye & Good Riddance. In March 2019, Juice released his second studio album Death Race for Love, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard hot 100, followed by multiple hit singles from the album.
“Perfectly Imperfect”
A pioneer to the emo-trap world, like our homie Lil Peep, it’s no surprise that Juice WRLD paid tribute to the late rapper with a 2-track EP titled Too Soon. Featured on this EP was the song “Legends,” where he spits the line, “What’s the 27 club? We ain’t making it past 21,” breaking our hearts to feel that even he knew, similar to talents before him, he wouldn’t spend much time here.
But instead of focusing on the death of Juice, we’d rather talk about the impact that he made on his fans, and the world around him. He made it clear, that he wasn’t in it for the fame and money. Rather, he had plans to change the world, and to a lot of us, he did; blowing the doors off the hinges when it came to male depression and the stigma that surrounds it. Juice taught us to embrace the fact that we are all ‘perfectly imperfect,’ and that it’s okay to talk about these sensitive topics.
“Being Emotional Is One of The Toughest Things”
Juice used the rawest parts of his life for the entire world to see, just to show us that there is no shame in mental problems, addiction, or heartbreak. On the darkest days, Juice was the voice in our ears, validating the feelings we have are real, and we aren’t alone in them. He touched tortured souls in ways that have never been done before, like the great artists that came before him, he changed the world forever.
It was apparent that Juice WRLD‘s career was just about to begin. Working with well-known artists, topping Billboard charts, and even being named in the top five male artists streamed on Spotify in the U.S. this year. He evolved the creation of rap to come, and the view towards emotional vulnerability in Hip-Hop. He was a beautiful soul with a huge heart, that will live in ours forever. Changing lives at the cost of his own. Rest in Power.
