Kelis has accused Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams of sampling one of her songs without permission. Hours before the Formation hitmaker unveiled her new album Renaissance, the Milkshake star took to Instagram to react to the news that one of the tracks on the record, titled Energy, samples her song Get Along with You from her 1999 album Kaleidoscope. In a fiery post, Kelis claimed that she wasn't contacted by Beyoncé or producer Pharrell about the sample. "I just heard the record everyone is saying has my sample. But it's beyond this song at this point. This was a TRIGGER for me. Milkshake alone is one of the most licensed records of our generation," she wrote. "I am a creator, I'm an innovator, I have done more then (sic) left my mark on an era of music and style that will go down in history. But there are bully's (sic) and secrets and gangsters in this industry that smile and get away with it until someone says enough is enough. So I'm saying it today. I'm coming for what's mine and I want reparations. Peace." After some followers began to accuse Kelis of being "jealous" of Beyoncé's success, the 42-year-old insisted it was simply not the case. "The reality is that my real beef is not ONLY with Beyoncé because, at the end of the day, she sampled a record, she's copied me before. She's done this before, so have many other artists. It's fine, I don't care about that," she declared in a video. "The issue is that not only are we female artists, O.K., Black female artists in an industry (where) there's not that many of us. We've met each other, we know each other, we have mutual friends. It's not hard. She can contact (me), right?" In addition, Kelis noted that she has the right to feel "frustrated" about the situation and also pointed to Pharrell and "Chad" - presumably a reference to his writing partner and Neptunes co-founder Chad Hugo. "Pharrell knows better. This is a direct hit at me. He does this all the time, it's very petty... It's not about me being jealous. Jealous of someone using my song? That's the dumbest, most ignorant thing I've ever heard. Like grow up," she continued, alleging that she didn't make any money from her first two albums. "When I was signed to (Pharrell), I had the same manager he had, and he has writing credits on my records. All my singles coincidentally, and he ain't never written a song, a lyric a day in his life. So yeah, that's a problem. The reality is, all of this female empowerment, it only counts if you really do it. If you're really living it and walking the walk. Don't just talk the talk." Pharrell and Chad are credited as songwriters on Energy. Representatives for Beyoncé and Pharrell have not yet responded to Kelis' allegations. newsdesk https://www.music-news.com/news/UK/150552/Kelis-accuses-Beyonc-eacute-and-Pharrell-Williams-of-sampling-song-without-permission Newsdesk
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BLACKPINK debuted their first new track in almost two years, 'Ready For Love', during the in-game concert 'The Virtual' on 'PUBG MOBILE'.
The K-Pop girl group - comprising Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé - performed their hits and had a special treat in store for fans as part of their second collaboration with the popular battle royale game. The music video for 'Ready For Love' featured their virtual avatars and invited fans into their fantasy world. Their label, YG Entertainment had announced in a press release: “It is pleased to hold an In-Game Concert as the second collaboration between the world’s best group BLACKPINK, the best mobile game in the battle royale genre. We also hope to increase the opportunity for artists and fans to interact closely beyond the borders and language barriers.” 'The Virtual' takes place on July 29 to 30. BLACKPINK's fans - who are nicknamed Blinks - are able to grab the custom suits made for the 'Sour Candy' quartet for the performance until August 31. It was recently revealed that BLACKPINK are gearing up to drop new music and planning a world tour. The foursome will release fresh tracks in August as they are in the “final stages of recording a new album” and intend to go on the “largest world tour in the history of a K-pop girl group.” YG said: “A lot of BLACKPINK-esque music has been prepared over a long period of time. On top of new music and large-scale projects, BLACKPINK will also go on the largest world tour in the history of a K-pop girl group by the end of the year to expand their rapport with fans worldwide.” The label went on to add their sophomore album will begin “a continuous large-scale project which will extend through the second half of the year," suggesting that it won’t be the only thing they have up their sleeve for the rest of the year. This comes after rumours circulated that their comeback could be “as early as June,” which was met with confirmation they were coming back soon. News Desk https://www.music-news.com/news/UK/150564/BLACKPINK-debut-first-new-song-in-almost-2-years-during-in-game-concert Nicki Minaj has shared the first trailer for her eponymous docuseries Nicki, a six-part event that will chronicle the rapper’s meteoric rise to stardom in the 2010s.
The trailer features a litany of notable quotes from Minaj, opening with the declaration that “you don’t get a manual on how to be a famous rapper – you just learn it as you go”. Reflecting on her roots as an up-and-coming rapper in the mid-2000s, she continues: “I think the woman [I was] back then, she wasn’t afraid to fail. Female rappers weren’t really charting at the time… I’m fighting for the girls who never thought they could win.” We also learn that Minaj never sought out the spotlight, as she says of her initial ambitions: “I never wanted to be mainstream – mainstream came to be.” But an equally large focus in the six-part Nicki series seems to be the struggles that Minaj has faced as a woman in the hip-hop scene, with the rapper noting that she “simply [doesn’t] get the respect that men do”. “This industry is just not a loving [or] supportive place,” Minaj says later in the trailer. “It pretends sometimes, but it’s just not.” She went on to address her drug use as a coping mechanism, saying that she “could medicate myself and tell myself it’s okay, but when the high comes down, you’re still there”, and noted that after taking a break from music after 2018’s ‘Queen’, she “became the strongest I have ever been in my life”. It also looks as though the series will touch on the making of Minaj’s upcoming fifth album, as the trailer ends with the rapper saying: “I have to make music in order to stay sane”. A premiere date for Nicki is yet to be revealed, however it’s been confirmed that the series will stream on HBO Max before the end of the year. The trailer release comes ahead of Minaj’s next single, ‘Freaky Girl’, which is set to drop on Thursday August 11. That’ll be her fifth release for the year, following the Lil Baby joints ‘Do We Have A Problem?’ and ‘Bussin’, ‘Blick Blick’ with Coi Leray and ‘We Go Up’ with Fivio Foreign. Earlier this month, Minaj attempted to host a meet and greet with fans in North London, however it was promptly cancelled by local police due to “overcrowding”. It came after her appearance at this year’s Wireless Festival, and saw hundreds of fans gather outside Cafe KOKO – attached to the newly refurbished KOKO theatre – in the midst of a heatwave. The rapper was delayed and reportedly did not arrive until almost 6pm, by which time the crowds were so heavy that Minaj was flanked by police in order to enter the venue. This coming Monday (August 1), Minaj will perform at the third show of Drake‘s ‘October World Weekend’ concert series, appearing alongside Lil Wayne to deliver a “Young Money reunion” in Toronto. Shortly after tickets for the show went on sale, fans took to social media to complain about their outlandish prices. Also this month, Minaj responded to rumours that she’s expecting her second child, and appeared to diss Kanye West at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Her set at the festival marked her first live performance in around three years, and featured a medley of her early guest verses. When her verse from West’s 2010 single ‘Monster’ was queued up, however, Nicki cut it short. According to West’s ex-girlfriend, Amber Rose, the rapper thought Minaj “killed him” on her ‘Monster’ verse. In a recent interview, Rose said: “He didn’t know who Nicki was back then. I had Nicki pull up to the studio and I put her on ‘Monster.’ She was still coming up and I saw her in the studio and I was like, ‘Oh my god this bitch is fucking talented as hell.’ Rose claimed West wanted Minaj’s verse to be removed from the song at one point, because it was too good. She added: “He said, ‘How the fuck did you bring in a bitch that killed me on my own song?’” ByEllie Robinson 29th July 2022 https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-the-trailer-for-nicki-minajs-upcoming-docuseries-nicki-3279961
To millions, Beyoncé is still running it all. From her accomplished performing abilities to her extended displays of talent, the Texan singer’s reputation over the last two decades appears to have only grown, even in this recent considerable period of inactivity. It’s been six years since her last full record, 2016’s ‘Lemonade’, which, with time, has come to represent perhaps her highest point, as she reclaimed her narrative amid rumours of infidelity by her husband, rapper Jay-Z.
‘Renaissance’, her seventh studio album, marks the sound of an artist refreshed: this is her most relentlessly upbeat and fun record yet, one where she explores love, friendship and relationships across 16 spellbinding tracks. In a note to accompany the album, she describes the three-year period that it took to complete the record over lockdowns as one that “allowed me to feel free and adventurous”, providing a space where she could “scream, release and feel freedom”. The pursuit of Black joy is central to the record, as she draws on house music – and particularly New Orleans bounce – to join the latest wave of Black stars reclaiming gentrified genres that they were once pushed out of. Samples and collaborators on ‘Renaissance’ include influential Black figures like Barbara Ann Teer, founder of Harlem’s National Black Theatre, as well as rapper Big Freedia and producer Honey Dijon. The homage to that scene’s unique spirit is keenly felt on ‘Church Girl’, which samples Cameron Paul’s ‘Brown Beats’ – a song integral to the inception of bounce music – and the album’s huge lead single ‘Break My Soul’. On the latter, it’s the sample of Big Freedia’s hook that sets the album’s tone of empowerment: “Release ya trade, release the stress / Release the love, forget the rest.” ‘I’m That Girl’, meanwhile, is another declaration of self-confidence, and the bewitching ‘Cozy’ plainly offers: “Comfortable in my skin / Cosy with who I am”. It’s on ‘Alien Superstar’ where she expands her influences, and draws on ballroom culture. With the credits boasting a hefty cast (Labrinth, Lucky Daye, 070 Shake, Jay-Z) the song pairs a thumping rhythm with an understated, posh accented rap – the hallmarks of a ballroom MC – and flirts with fluttery high register; this instantly becomes the record’s most indulgent and intriguing track. There’s success, too, when she moves her focus away from a literal exploration of house music. ’Cuff It’ nods to the heyday of Motown and disco on a salacious tune soon to be a staple in pre-clubbing playlists. Likewise on ‘Heated’, she adopts an afro-bashment vibe with the help of Drake, who, too, recently dabbled in house music, though with mixed results. ‘Plastic Off The Sofa’ offers up groovy R&B that gives Beyoncé an opportunity to show off her powerful chops as she riffs and runs all over the punchy jazz band accompanying her hushed tone: “I think you’re so cool / even though I’m cooler than you,” she winks. The credits may be stuffed with big name collaborators and samples – everyone from AG Cook, Skrillex and Giorgio Moroder is listed – but explicit features are chosen carefully and executed smartly. The finest arrives on ‘Moves’ where an icon (Grace Jones) meets a newcomer (Tems); here, a bassline synonymous with afro-centric music encourages everyone to join the as a bolshy Jones says she’ll “bruk a bitch, bruk up / Fumble like we ’bout to come up”. Then, it’s Tems’ turn to shine with her brief interlude asking: “Who this girl in the back of the room? / It’s the girls, it’s the Yoncé girls”. It’s a fun, superfluous track all about girl power, and in this record of love, it reminds us that some of the greatest love we can experience can be with our pals. There is little Beyoncé has to prove to anyone 25 years down the line, but the start of this “three act project” proves that she’s still able to push herself and delve into new sonics, styles and ethos. On ‘Renaissance’, she’s added another remarkable record to her repertoire, this time one to continue leading the charge to bring Black culture back to the forefront of house and dance scenes. ‘Renaissance’ does precisely what it says on the tin; the revival of Black classics, and she makes sure a lot of love goes into that. ByKyann-Sian Williams 29th July 2022 https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/beyonce-renaissance-review-tracklist-artwork-3278806 The R&B star’s music sounds like the work of an artist who’s been sure of where he’s going for a long time Since supplying the sugary “u up?” chorus to Drake’s 2020 track “Chicago Freestyle,” Southern California singer-songwriter Givēon has become a force in modern R&B. Last year, his scorching 2020 ballad “Heartbreak Anniversary” became an unlikely TikTok sensation and a fixture of bummed-out playlists; that March, his cameo on Justin Bieber’s breezy stoner-pop smash “Peaches” gave him his first chart-topping hit.
Givēon had done all that without releasing an album — until now. The 15-track Give or Take doubles down on the contemplative romanticism that has made him such an appealing addition to this decade’s pop landscape. Give or Take is framed as a 45-minute conversation between the 27-year-old singer and his mother, who dispenses wisdom and support for her son’s musical success and romantic ups and downs. That structure helps Give or Take feel grounded — Givēon’s mother knows him too well for him to couch his insecurities in wild boasts or evasive platitudes, and she’s also caring enough to not berate him for any missteps he might make. “People make mistakes. People don’t always agree with each other. Keep that in mind,” she says at the end of the glittery opener “Let Me Go.” The openheartedness Givēon’s mother instilled in her son gives his music a powerful emotional core. Give or Take has a slew of producers and co-writers — OVO Sound guru Boi-1da co-produced the regret-wracked slow-dance “Scarred” and the glassy closing track “Unholy Matrimony,” while “Heartbreak Anniversary” collaborator Sevn Thomas co-penned and co-produced the head-over-heels “Make You Mine” — but it feels like a cohesive whole because of Givēon’s tender baritone, which cuts through atmospherics and rides grooves with equal dexterity. His physical voice has a sweetly rubbery quality that gives its lower register added gravity and makes its higher notes soar. Combine it with his candid yet imagistic lyrics and it’s hard to not get invested in his journey, whether he’s brooding about being betrayed on the echoing “Lie Again” or outlining his wishes for companionship on the gauzy “Get to You.” “Another Heartbreak” is particularly enhanced by Givēon’s all-in approach to love and songwriting. A piano-led ballad, it shows Givēon reckoning with the potential pitfalls of love’s flip side. Its lyrics are straightforward in a way that betrays his deep feelings — “Not saying that we’ll fail, girl/I just know that I’m scared,” he wails on the chorus — and the slowly building backing track, which includes a spectral choir and sweeping strings, adds to the feeling of unrest. Givēon’s ascent to pop’s upper echelons has been rapid even by 21st-century standards, but Give or Take sounds like the work of an artist who’s been sure of where he’s going for a long time. It’s confident yet vulnerable even in its most blissed-out moments, making his songs hit harder and imbuing his voice with even more soul. MAURA JOHNSTON |
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