Review: Usher shines at star-studded 2024 Super Bowl halftime show
Usher emerged at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium for the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show, an immediate confirmation of his position as the ideal halftime performer: one with timeless, well-known hits, masterful choreography, and a devoted audience.
Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz honored at pre-Grammy Black Music Collective event
In a pre-Grammy event, singer Mariah Carey used the Recording Academy stage to speak about fighting against conforming to certain music industry standards in an effort to create her music that would eventually appeal to the masses.
Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott and Chaka Khan make the crowd go wild at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Sheryl Crow and Olivia Rodrigo kicked off the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday night and Missy Elliott closed the show more than four hours later with a roof-shaking set, as the hall celebrated a strong representation of women and Black artists.
Jon Batiste tops Grammys; Silk Sonic soars, Rodrigo crowned
Jon Batiste won album of the year honors for “We Are” at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, giving him five trophies on a night that saw the ’70s funk of Silk Sonic take record of the year and song of the year and newcomer Olivia Rodrigo take three awards.
After top Grammy win, singer H.E.R. is heading to the Oscars
(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)NEW YORK – A night after winning the top Grammy Award for songwriting, R&B singer H.E.R. Leslie Odom Jr. will also compete for best original song with “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami...," which he wrote with Sam Ashworth. AdSongs by John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Janelle Monae and Robert Glasper were shortlisted for best original song but didn't make the final cut. The duo of Reznor and Ross have won a number of awards for their scoring work, including an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe. Terence Blanchard (“Da 5 Bloods"), Emile Mosseri (“Minari") and James Newton Howard (“News of the World") round out the best original score nominees.
The joy of music returns for Grammy winners, performers
Beyonce, left, and Megan Thee Stallion accept the award for best rap song for "Savage" at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish made history at the Grammy Awards. Just as joyously, dozens of creators largely sidelined for a year due to the pandemic got to make music again. 's topical “I Can't Breathe” won song of the year and Megan Thee Stallion was named best new artist. ___This story has been corrected to show the ceremony was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, not Staples Center.
Odom Jr., H.E.R., Andra Day score Golden Globe music nods
This combination photo shows Leslie Odom Jr. posing for a portrait on Nov. 8, 2019 in New York, from left, H.E.R. On Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, Leslie Odom Jr., H.E.R. and Andra Day were announced along with Celeste and Diane Warren as the Golden Globe nominees for best original song. Day and Odom Jr. follow the footsteps of Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga and Cynthia Erivo, who all recently scored acting and music nods in a single year. However, the tracks can compete for best original song at the Oscars.
Jazmine Sullivan, Eric Church, H.E.R. to sing at Super Bowl
Sullivan and Church will join forces to sing the national anthem at the next months Super Bowl, where Grammy-winning singer H.E.R. will perform America the Beautiful. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – R&B star Jazmine Sullivan and country singer Eric Church will join forces to sing the national anthem at the next month’s Super Bowl, where Grammy-winning singer H.E.R. will perform “America the Beautiful.”The performances will take place Feb. 7 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa before the big game and halftime show starring The Weeknd. She’s won honors at the MTV Video Music Awards, BET Awards and Soul Train Music Awards and launched R&B hits such as “Focus,” “Best Part,” “Slide,” “Damage” and “B.S.” with Jhené Aiko.
AP's top albums of 2020: Toni Braxton, Teyana Taylor, JoJo
This cover image released by Island Records shows "Spell My Name," by Toni Braxton. (Island via AP)NEW YORK – The top 10 albums of the year by Associated Press Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu (a playlist of the albums can be found here ):1. Toni Braxton, “Spell My Name": I can breathe again, thanks in part to the living legend Toni Braxton. Teyana Taylor, “The Album”: R&B princess Teyana Taylor boldly named her latest release “The Album" and she has reason to. JoJo, “good to know": Vocal beast JoJo pours all of her emotions on “good to know," making a superb album that's good to listen to now, and later.
Amid racial reckoning, Grammys honor the Black experience
This combination photo shows from left, Mickey Guyton, Beyonce Knowles and H.E.R., whose songs about the Black experience all landed Grammy nominations Tuesday. Months later, the song — and others focused on protesting, police brutality and the overall Black experience — are taking center stage at the 2021 Grammy Awards. Beyoncé’s “Black Parade” scored nominations for two of the top awards: song of the year and record of the year. The track will also compete for best R&B song and best R&B performance. For song of the year, “Black Parade” will compete with H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe,” the R&B singer’s track about police brutality.
12 Grammy facts: BTS and Dr. Luke in, The Weeknd out
And it earned him his first Grammy nomination in six years. 3 spot on the pop charts — is up for best rap song and best rap performance. And Anderson .Paak's “Lockdown," about police brutality and racial injustice, is up for best melodic rap performance and best music video. JAY-Z, THE SONGWRITERS, SHINESHappy wife, happy life: Jay-Z has lent his songwriting hand to his wife Beyoncé and he's earned Grammy nominations for it. PAUL McCARTNEY, THE ART DIRECTORPaul McCartney scored his 79th Grammy nominations this year — as an art director.
Gagas masks, Weeknds advocacy and more top VMAs moments
Sunday's show included performances with mask-wearing artists and fans and artists dancing in front the backdrop of the city's skyscrapers. Lady Gaga appeared in many different outfits and corresponding masks during Sunday nights show while she dominated the night with a performance with Ariana Grande. Gaga donned a pink mask that strapped around head, a mask with pointy tusks and even an electronic display on a mask while she sang Rain on Me with Grande, who also sported her own black mask. Other performances also included masks including Malumas backup dancers sporting bright colored masks for his technicolored drive-in concert and DaBaby performed with popular Vegas masked magicians Jabbawockeez. In between performances, backstage cameras caught many of the artists also sporting masks off stage as well.
MTV VMAs honor Chadwick Boseman; The Weeknd, DaBaby perform
NEW YORK The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, a night highlighting music and pop culture, kicked off with heartfelt words in memory of Chadwick Boseman, as host Keke Palmer told viewers the event was dedicated to the Black Panther icon. Moments after, the Weeknd brought his Blinding Lights" music video where he is bruised and blooded in a red suit to life. DaBaby, backed by the dance crew Jabbawockeez, also performed, running through several of his hits, including Rock Star." The shifts artists have made because of the pandemic are reflected in two new categories: best music video from home and best quarantine performance. Megan Thee Stallion who topped the charts this year with the Beyonc-assisted Savage" and WAP," her viral song with Cardi B earned multiple nominations, including one for artist of the year.
New this week: Beyonc, Alanis Morissette and Emmy noms
Heres a collection curated by The Associated Press entertainment journalists of whats arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES Black Is King: Written, directed and executive produced by Beyonc, the pop stars visual album arrives Friday on Disney+. Given that the last time Beyonc made something similar she crafted the dazzling film Lemonade, Black Is King like most things involving Beyonc is a major event. ), Kim Kaydence Krysiuk (Ariana Grande), Akil Fresh King (Beyonc) and others. Morissette also had an anniversary tour planned for her 1995 album, but that was also scraped due to COVID-19.
Elton John-led concert to re-air; film academy aids workers
IHEART’S LIVING ROOM CONCERTAn Elton John-led, star-studded benefit concert that raised more than $10 million to battle the coronavirus will be re-aired on Fox next week. Billie Eilish, Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys will be shown performing from their homes on “Fox Presents the iHeart Living Room Concert for America,” which will air Monday. Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Ellen DeGeneres and Ryan Seacrest paid tribute to those combating the spread of the virus. FILM ACADEMY DONATES $6M TO HELP INDUSTRY EMPLOYEESThe Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is giving $6 million to help film industry employees out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic. South Korea earlier on Friday reported 86 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing its nationwide total to 10,062.
Billie Eilish, a voice of the youth, tops the Grammy Awards
Gary Clark Jr. poses in the press room with the awards for best rock song, best rock performance and best contemporary blues album for "This Land", at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. The 18-year-old made history at the Grammy Awards Sunday. also won best pop vocal album. Her brother Finneas O'Connell also won awards for engineering and producing the album. Tyler, the Creator said later that the rap album Grammy was a backhanded compliment.
Family affair: Billie Eilish, Finneas win big at Grammys
“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” — created in the musicians’ Los Angeles home — helped Eilish win the top four honors, including album, song and record of the year, along with best new artist. Eilish won five honors. Together, they also won best pop vocal album, while Finneas’ individual honors included producer of the year (non-classical) and best engineered album (non-classical). Mill performed a new song called “Letter to Nipsey” while others joined together for “Higher,” which won best rap/sung performance. “To my mother, you did a great job raising this guy,” Tyler, who won best rap album, said to his mom, who was onstage and crying by side.