Music

During a break from her setlist of “The Special Tour”, the singer, rapper, and classically trained flutist took a moment onstage to reveal a literal gem loaned to her from the Library of Congress: James Madison’s centuries-old crystal flute. The fourth president of the United States had received the handmade instrument as a gift from France in 1813 in honor of his second inauguration. However, the heirloom had never once been played or heard by anyone’s ears, sitting in silent collection among 1,800 other flutes for over 200 years–until now.

David Guetta and Bebe Rexha have kept a constant top on the U.K. singles chart with their hit new song “I’m Good (Blue)”, but this single is facing a challenge from Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy,” which has powered to no.2 on the midweek chart. The OCC reports that following the 48 hours in the chart week, just a “handful of units” separated the two singles, with “I’m Good (Blue)” still on top of the leaderboard. “Unholy” has taken over Tiktok as well.

“You know Ed Sheeran is a good singer because even though he’s ugly he’s still famous.” This direct quote is one of the few specific things I remember being said in middle school. While I am not sure why Ed Sheeran’s talent or appearance was the topic of conversation that day, seven years later the quote has clearly stuck with me. Beyond it being a poignant representation of both a middle schooler’s humor and logic, it remains to be uncharacteristically truthful.

Taylor Swift has decided to stop her “habit of dropping cryptic clues and Easter eggs” by announcing the names of the songs on her next album Midnights in a new series of TikTok videos. Swift revealed the series in a video she posted to TikTok on Wednesday shortly after midnight, dubbed Midnights Mayhem with Me. In the video, Swift utilizes a bingo roller machine with little, white Ping-Pong balls that are labeled to correspond with each of the album’s 13 songs.

Taylor Swift fans are convinced that Lana Del Rey will be featured on her new album: Midnights, set to be released on October 21st. Fans have been speculating about the possibility of a collaboration between the two icons for years, and this October, Swift may be granting their wish. The two’s similar positions as some of the most influential singer-songwriters in the music industry today means that this collaboration makes complete sense for both their careers and as well as their brands.

The history of rap is a highly interesting one. Through retellings of legendary debuts and the inventions of pioneering techniques weave compelling stories, we often leave out one important element: the involvement of women. Women have been at the forefront of rap since the genre’s very inception, but misogyny has infuriatingly prevented them from receiving the same kind of recognition as their male peers. Female rappers and the women who work in the industry are essential to the game–with them, the genre breaks free from restrictive norms and uplifts the voices of Black women.

FIFA has expressed in a recent report their support for BTS as the singer to perform at the World Cup’s opening Ceremony. The K-pop group is also expected to release a new song for the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup as part of the Goal of the Century campaign as Hyundai’s global ambassador.

American music has always been and will always be synonymous with Black music. Every single genre of music that originated on American soil, whether it be minstrel, jazz, blues, rock in roll, yacht rock, country, or disco, was all created or inspired by Black artists. Before Black music, white people in America only really listened to classical music imported from Europe.

Although Gap still plans to complete the projects which are already in production, an email sent out Thursday by Gap CEO Mark Breitbard has confirmed that their partnership with the famous rapper and designer, Kanye West has effectively ended. “While we share a vision of bringing high-quality, trend-forward, utilitarian design to all people through unique omni experiences with Yeezy Gap, how we work together to deliver this vision is not aligned,” Breitbard wrote.

September has arrived, which can only mean one thing: New York Fashion Week has begun! The shows began on Wednesday, September 7, and will continue until September 14, allowing fashion enthusiasts to see the fabulous new collections from the world’s top designers. Even if your name isn’t Anna Wintour, you can watch Michael Kors, Lafayette 148, Vivienne Westwood, and other household names debut their latest collections—and get some killer wardrobe inspiration.

For decades we’ve heard songs on the radio that reference the queen and her reign. But often we fail to actually connect the song to Queen Elizabeth herself, opting instead to translate lines about her majesty as being metaphorical. However, in light of her passing, many people have begun re-listening to these songs and hearing them in a different way. In reference to the individual that was Queen Elizabeth II, rather than the politics she represented.

Elton John has found a solution to a problem every single artist that has come before him has had to face. At 75 years of age, he has been able to maintain relevance in popular culture, and even more impressive; his new music continues to be a hit. Unlike Elton John, Paul McCartney, who gained extreme amounts of fame in the 1960s and 70s, has continued to come out with music, yet this music has seldom been streamed on music platforms or played in nightclubs or on the radio. His old music continues to outperform his new music.