Today, singer and songwriter Darren Criss releases his newest single, “I Can’t Dance,” via BMG.
This is the second in a series of new songs which Darren described as “character-driven singles.” He announced the track on Instagram earlier this week, writing, “Half masc, half fem, half bad bitch, half brazen baller. This song is an ode to both those we love to hate and those we hate to love. What can I say, I live for dualities.”
“I Can’t Dance” arrives on the heels of “f*kn around,” which Billboard described as “a slick alt-pop single built around a wiggly bass line.” MTV News praised, “With synthy distortions and a banging guitar loop, the song echoes the sharper edges of contemporaries like Shawn Mendes and Justin Timberlake’s with a theatrical flair fans have come to expect from Criss.” Darren made his late-night television performance debut with the single on The Late Late Show with James Corden alongside Este Haim of HAIM on bass, The Pocket Queen on drums, frequent collaborator and San Fermin frontwoman Charlene Kaye on guitar, and the track’s co-writer CJ Baran on keys.
Music has always played an integral role in Darren’s artistry. As a solo artist, his 2017 EP Homework debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Album chart. Criss has toured to sold-out audiences around the world including headlining the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival with multi-GRAMMY Award nominee and renowned DJ Steve Aoki. In 2019, he also headlined the Balmain Music Festival for the Balmain men’s spring 2020 show. He has been featured on the cover of numerous magazines including such music publications as Billboard and American Songwriter.
As a songwriter, Darren has penned songs for the comedy musical Royalties, for which he was also the creator and executive producer. He received his first Emmy nomination for songwriting in 2015 for Best Original Music and Lyrics for the song “This Time,” which appeared on Glee’s series finale. In addition to collaborations with fellow artists including Rufus Wainwright, Sabrina Carpenter, Bonnie McKee, Jordan Fisher, and many others, he has also written for Apple’s animated series “Central Park.”
ANNE-MARIE & NIALL HORAN RELEASE THEIR NEW SINGLE OUR SONG
Anne-MarieandNiall Horanteam up for nostalgic new single Our Song. Directed by Michael Holyk, the video is loosely inspired by Bonnie & Clyde as it trails friends, Anne-Marie and Niall, as they hastily flee their town in search for new beginnings. Additionally, Anne-Marie has announced her highly-anticipated new album Therapy, which will be released on July 23.
Therapy is the follow-up to her multi-platinum 2018 debut, Speak Your Mind, which was the UK’s biggest-selling debut release of that year and spawned two global anthems – 2002, written by Ed Sheeran, and the Marshmello collaboration FRIENDS, which reached #2 on the U.S. Top 40 Radio Charts. Therapyis a collection of songs that embody Anne-Marie’s characterful artistry, self-effacing attitude, and beautiful honesty. Anne-Marie wrote Therapy with Max Martin (Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift), Kamille (Little Mix, Mabel), TMS (Dua Lipa, Lewis Capaldi), Blake Slatkin (The Kid Laroi, 24kGoldn), Plested (Lewis Capaldi), MNEK, Raye, Nathan Dawe and Ed Sheeran. The album will include Our Song, along with previous released tracks Don’t Play with KSI and Digital Farm Animals and the Nathan Dawe and MoStack collaboration Way Too Long.
Of the album, Anne-Marie explains, “Ugh, it feels so good to announce my new album, Therapy! Music is a source of healing for everyone, and music is therapy itself, right? I hadn’t realized until we were hit by the pandemic just how much I needed music. I need to perform. I need to write. My lyrics are my open diary to you all and writing this album has helped me focus and understand my feelings. I needed this album! As well as seeking therapy from writing and music in general, I’ve also been on a journey of seeing a psychiatrist this past year and it has changed my life. I’ve always tried to be as open as I can with my fans about my own journey and through seeing a professional, I’ve been able to start combatting and understand the anxieties my brain has dealt me over the years. I am learning, and I am progressing. This album helped me get to that place too and it encapsulates lots of feelings and emotions, whether it’s tracks that focus on my own ride, or the ones that I just loved making, and I hope you can lose yourself in it. I made this for you and me.”
About Anne-Marie
She has become one of the globe’s most successful pop stars since her breakthrough in 2016. Anne-Marie has over 5 billion streams to her name, a platinum debut album alongside five Top 10 UK singles and two Billboard Hot 100 hits. She has garnered dozens of award nominations, sold out her global headline tour and supported Ed Sheeran in stadiums everywhere. In 2020, alongside charitable work and recording, Anne-Marie released her first-ever documentary titled ‘How To Be Anne-Marie’exclusively with YouTube. She hasn’t slowed down in 2021, her January release Don’t Play with KSI and Digital Farm Animals spent twelve weeks inside the Top 10 of the UK’s Official Singles Chart and is the biggest UK song of 2021 so far by a female artist, she collaborated with Nathan Dawe and MoStack on the feel-good Way Too Long and made her debut as the new, and winning, judge on The Voice UK.
PAULA FUGA RELEASES SECOND SINGLE Hōkūleʻa Star of Gladness, FULL ALBUM RELEASE,RAIN ON SUNDAY, AVAILABLE JUNE 25th, Lead single, If Ever at 3 MILLION+ multimedia streams to date and featured on Good Morning America live from Hawaii.
About Hōkūleʻa Star of Gladness
Another powerful celebration of nature and its wonders, Hōkūleʻa Star of Gladness reimagines a song written by George Boogie Kalama (a crew member on the Hōkūleʻa, the voyaging canoe that embarked on a legendary journey from Hawaiʻi to Tahiti in 1976). The Hōkūleʻa was built with the purpose of regaining certain knowledge that had been lost from Hawaiian culture—a way of navigating and seafaring using only the natural elements as their guide, explains Fuga, who’s close friends with Kalama’s son. At some point on the trip they entered the doldrums, a place near the equator where there’s no wind or currents. They ended up being stuck at sea for a while, and during that time he wrote this song about the constellation that guides the navigators back home.
About Paula Fuga
Acclaimed for her originality in song composition and spellbinding, soulful vocals, Fuga is one of Hawaii’s top female musicians in generations. A poet at heart and an accomplished ukulele player under Master Instructor, Roy Sakuma, she has intertwined her passions into award-winning songwriting. Her debut album, LILIKOI lauded the prestigious Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award for Most Promising Artist. Since the release of her EP Misery’s End, which featured guest appearances by Ziggy Marley and Jack Johnson, Fuga has headlined the global music circuit and performed on the stages of Good Morning America, Madison Square Garden, The Sydney Opera House Forecourt and is a three-time return guest artist to The White House. Today, with a global fanbase and thriving music career, Fuga’s music is dedicated to inspiring positive social change – rooted in perseverance and hope. She is fiercely committed to permeating the world with the evocative voice of the Hawaiian people. On June 25th Fuga will release her second full-length album Rain on Sunday through Brushfire Records. Lead single, If Ever is available now, garnering over 3-million listens to date.
Stream the new song Hōkūleʻa Star of Gladnesshere and preorder the album Rain on Sunday here! Make sure to follow Paula Fuga via her Instagram, Twitter, official website, Facebook and Youtube.
INTRODUCING NALIYA, BUZZING POP DISRUPTOR, RELEASES HER DEBUT SINGLE HANDSHAKES TODAY
Building on momentum as a sought after force behind-the-scenes, buzzing artist, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Naliya releases her debut single Handshakes today. The track’s percussive 808s, head-nodding bass line, and glassy keys, serve as the perfect backdrop for her ethereal delivery and unshakable hook. It’s an intimate and infectious bop and the best way to get to know her.
Listen to Handshakes by Naliya (Immersive / Sandlot / Interscope Records) here.
Hailing from Canada and based in Los Angeles, she takes the reins and personally writes and produces everything herself. Upon graduating early from Berklee College of Music, she moved to Los Angeles and grinded until she broke through into the industry. During an Instagram Live session, she caught the attention of multi platinum producer J Kash [Maroon 5, Charlie Puth, Selena Gomez] who signed her on the spot. He placed her into sessions immediately, and she contributed to Jason Derulo’s Lifestyle [feat. Adam Levine] and Tate McRae’s Rubberband.
Naliya personally touches every element of her music. Behind a desk running Ableton Live by herself, she’ll conjure up a beat before picking up a pen to write lyrics and finally grabbing a microphone to bring the production and words to life. The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer architects an unfiltered and undeniable take on pop warmed by handcrafted beats and lyrics so intimate they could be a DM. She spent the first eight years of her life in Calgary before the family moved to Paris where she resided until 16. Returning to Vancouver Island Canada for high school, she admittedly didn’t have many friends and felt like an outcast. Staving off feelings of depression, she downloaded GarageBand one day and started making beats of her own. Fast-tracking her degree, she finished Berklee College of Music in just three years, got a Visa, and relocated to L.A. Releasing a series of early singles and collaborations, she repeatedly achieved six-figure streaming numbers. During a Shark Tank-style Instagram Live hosted by powerhouse songwriter J Kash [Maroon 5, Charlie Puth, Selena Gomez], she shared a composition and landed a deal. With Kash in her corner, she co-wrote Jason Derulo’s Lifestyle [feat. Adam Levine] and Tate McRae’s Rubberband. After amassing nearly 2 million streams independently, she formally introduces herself on a series of 2021 singles for Interscope Records led by Handshakes.
Make sure to stream Handshakes on all streaming services here and follow Naliya on her Instagram.
Expanded Soundtrack Of ‘Almost Famous’ Set for Release July 9th
In a limited-edition uber box set, additional formats include 6LP super deluxe in black and colored vinyl, a 5CD super deluxe, a 2CD deluxe edition, original soundtrack on 2LP, and two Stillwater vinyl EPs.
“Look under your bed—it’ll set you free.” With those enticingly enigmatic words, an empathetic, hip older sister bequeaths to her hyper-smart but nerdy 11-year-old brother her Rosetta Stone to life in the late-’60s: a prized trove of expertly curated rock, pop, and folk albums that set into chaotic motion young William Miller’s eye- ear- and mind-opening journey in director Cameron Crowe’s quasi-autobiographical 2000 ode to rock ‘n’ roll fandom, Almost Famous.
Two decades later, the Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe Award-winning film remains one of the sweetest love letters to the genre, one that deftly captured the look, sound, feel, and attitude of what rock ‘n’ roll meant to its creators, its most fervent adherents, its hangers-on and its worried parents during a golden era of pop music. The movie’s legacy is celebrated with the first-ever release of all the music that so powerfully fueled Crowe’s story, based on his own power chord-driven odyssey from wide-eyed music-loving kid to respected rock journalist to celebrated filmmaker.
UMe has compiled multiple iterations of the film’s Grammy Award-winning soundtrack, augmented comprehensively in the limited-edition Uber Box set that encompasses an expanded soundtrack with five CDs, seven 180-gram black vinyl discs, and a brand new 7-inch for Stillwater’s “Fever Dog.” The expanded soundtrack includes songs from The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young&Crazy Horse, The Who, and Yes, plus all the songs created for the film’s fictional aspiring rock group Stillwater, most written for the movie by Cameron Crowe, Heart’s Nancy Wilson and Grammy Award-winning guitarist, Peter Frampton.
The Uber Box includes bonus items such as a 40-page photo book and memoir housed in a film-prop-replica of William Miller’s high-school notebook complete with writings by Cameron Crowe, Nancy Wilson, along with cast and crew members; the first-ever complete William Miller cover story on Stillwater as a 1973 Rolling Stone newsprint; two replica ticket stubs from Stillwater’s San Diego and Cleveland concerts; and a Stillwater tour poster. Exclusively available only in the Uber Boxset is a Stillwater Cleveland concert poster and a backstage poster; six film-prop-replica backstage passes (some seen throughout the film); three film-prop-replica business cards for Dick Roswell (Stillwater’s Road manager), Lester Bangs (Creem magazine), and Ben Fong-Torres (Rolling Stone magazine); and three photo prints of cast members.
Among the 103 audio tracks are numerous clips of dialogue released for the first time: including the promise from William’s sister Anita that “One day you’ll be cool,” and crackling exchanges between William and vaunted Creem magazine rock critic Lester Bangs, the real-life mentor who offered early encouragement to then-teenaged rock fan Crowe to pursue his desire to write about the music he loved.
The box set points out how exceptional the Almost Famous soundtrack was and remains. Crowe arranged for a dedicated remix & edit of the Who’s “Amazing Journey/Sparks” instrumental from their rock opera “Tommy” and live album “Live at Leeds.” For another scene, Crowe had grabbed a bootleg live recording out of his stash for Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer” from a 1999 show, which Young recently unearthed from his extensive archive and newly mixed from the original multi-track analog tape for this release. The set is also highlighted with the inclusion of Elton John’s iconic “Tiny Dancer,” newly mixed with the cast members singing alongside the song as featured in the film.
Crowe found supremely qualified collaborators by drafting Wilson to compose the score and to team with Frampton to help write credible rock songs for Stillwater. For the new release of the soundtrack music, all of Wilson’s brilliant score music is included, along with 14 score outtakes that didn’t make the final film.
Along with the thirteen-disc Uber Deluxe box, Universal is issuing two six-LP editions—one on black vinyl, the other with colored vinyl discs; a five-CD Super Deluxe set including 102 tracks, 36 of them previously unreleased songs; a separate 12-inch vinyl EP with all 6 of Stillwater’s songs; a Record Store Day exclusive with the 7 original demos of the Stillwater songs, five performed by Wilson the other two by Frampton; a two-LP vinyl version of the original soundtrack album; a two-CD Deluxe Edition of the original soundtrack.
“We are extremely proud to revisit Almost Famous with a very special bounty of goodness,” said Cameron Crowe. “For the first time, we’ve created a Deluxe Soundtrack that features nearly every song from the film, along with Nancy Wilson’s wonderfully evocative score. We’re also thrilled to finally preserve both versions of the film, along with a collection of rare new bonus features, on these beautiful new 4K and Blu-ray releases as part of Paramount Presents. Long live physical media!”
To complement the expanded soundtrack, Paramount Home Entertainment will release the film for the first time on 4K Ultra HD, in a limited-edition Steelbook, as well as in a new limited-edition Blu-ray in the Paramount Presents line on July 13, 2021. Meticulously remastered from a new 4K film transfer under the supervision of Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous is presented in stunning 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision® and HDR-10 for ultra-vivid picture quality.
The limited-edition 4K Ultra HD Steelbook includes both the original theatrical cut (plus access to a digital copy) and the beloved Bootleg cut (aka “Untitled”), along with new bonus content offering a backstage pass into the creative process through a new interview with Crowe, extended scenes, rock-school sessions, a look at the casting and costumes, and more. Almost Famous will also be available in a limited-edition Blu-ray Disc™ in the Paramount Presents line. With collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of the film’s theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments, therelease includes the remastered versions of the theatrical cut for the first time on Blu-ray (plus access to a digital copy) and the Bootleg cut, along with bonus content. The film has become a touchstone not just for music lovers who came of age in the swaggering early 1970s rock era that Almost Famous celebrates, but subsequent generations of music fans who connect with its timeless portrait of how music can offer solace, insight, and joyous release from whatever challenges life throws.
Throughout this rock ‘n’ roll juggernaut, William Miller, Stillwater, and the film’s other players soak in the music of the day, all curated by Crowe using his knowledge of and connections to many of the biggest and most influential rock acts of the era. This manifests onscreen perhaps most memorably in the full-band bus singalong with Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s “Tiny Dancer,” the duo’s tribute to their own groupies—or as William is quickly corrected by Stillwater’s female fans when he uses the term, “We’re Band-Aids!”—emphasizing the distinction between those who crassly latch on to rock stars simply for their celebrity versus those who try to get closer because of their love for the music.
“In the late sixties, adventuresome and modern directors like Mike Nichols began moving away from traditional orchestral score in their movies,” Crowe writes in an essay accompanying the new project. “The Graduate, with its deft and emotional use of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Sounds of Silence,’ changed the landscape.”
It surely did in Almost Famous: Led Zeppelin approved the use of five songs for the film—unprecedented at the time. When Crowe showed the film to Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page during his pitch to persuade them to grant use of the songs he wanted, Plant raised a question: “Was your mother really like that?” after taking in Frances McDormand’s endearingly taut performance as William’s over-anxious, over-protective college professor mom, Elaine. Cameron told him, “That and more.”
The original release of the film’s soundtrack included only Zeppelin’s “That’s the Way,” while the new set adds in “Misty Mountain Hop,” “The Rain Song,” “Bron-Yr-Aur” and “Tangerine,” the latter employed so effectively during the film’s finale as Stillwater’s tour bus trundles off into the sunset.
Actor Jason Lee, whose performance as Stillwater vocalist Jeff Bebe nailed a combination of bravado and underlying insecurity, says, “Every time I watch the movie…every time the bus is pulling away as Led Zeppelin’s ‘Tangerine’ plays at the end…it kind of crushes me a little bit. That song is a … killer. And with the dust kicking up as the bus is driving away…that moment for me, watching it as an audience member? Perfect. Watching it as a cast member and an audience member? It’s bittersweet.”
As Crowe puts it about finding the right music for each scene in a film, “Something magical happened when the actor and the scene and the music worked together. Often, it’s a shotgun marriage, but every once in a while, everything clicks. That’s when a movie can sear your soul.”
He had experienced that power while directing his debut film, Say Anything…, and again in his 1992 romantic comedy Singles as well as in 1996’s Jerry Maguire. “By the time we got to the next one,” he said of approaching Almost Famous, “I was ready to put the music at the center of the movie.”
For any Almost Famous fan, this is the ultimate collection, a vibrant, reverberating reminder of the ways rock ‘n’ roll can break your heart and bust your chops–but also the music’s power to set you free.
Limited Edited Uber Box set for release July 9, full tracklist below
Gathering 100 million streams on popular collaborations and earning acclaim from EDM.com and more, New Jersey electronic pop songstress Jex introduces a scorching signature style on her first solo single “2AM” today. It notably marks her official debut for Eddie O Entertainment/Casablanca Records.
The track rides a dance floor-tailored disco bounce and thick piano towards a powerhouse refrain. Jex’s vocals explode from intimate verses into a soaring nocturnal chorus.
Regarding the single, she commented, “I tried to capture the personal experience of not being able to sleep, because you’re thinking about someone. I’m not in love with this person, but at that time of night, it sometimes feels like you are. This person is just on your mind.”
Jex has already moved listeners everywhere with a high-powered catalog of collaborations. However, she’s offering an escape in her solo material uplifted to the heavens by her seismic vocals. Right now, she’s preparing more music for release very soon.
Jex recognized her calling as a kid in a small South Jersey farm town outside of Philadelphia. Her father gigged regularly, and he brought Jex out on stage at a young age. She studied piano for twelve years and gained a deep understanding of theory. At the same time, she taught herself how to compose by listening to everyone from Lady Gaga, Sia, and Amy Winehouse to Boston and Foreigner. She dropped out of college and locked herself inside of her home studio. Her voice caught the attention of various producers, and she quietly emerged as an in-demand vocalist. In 2017, she initially teamed up with Humain for “My Way,” opening up the floodgates. She joined forces with Robin Hustin and Tobi Morrow on “Light It Up,” surpassing 27.8 million Spotify streams. She landed her biggest collaboration to date by fueling “Control” by Unknown Brain and Rival to over 42 million Spotify streams. Other bangers included Lost Sky’s “Where We Started,” posting up another 19 million Spotify streams.
Meanwhile, EDM.com described her collaboration with Leowi “These Days” as “a stunning dance ballad.” In 2020, she inked a publishing deal with Ultra Publishing. During 2021, she landed a deal with Eddie O Entertainment/Casablanca Records.
MASEGO’S STUDYING ABROAD: EXTENDED STAY IS OUT TODAY, Deluxe Edition Of Masego’s 2020 EP Contains Five New Tracks, IncludingTrapHouseJazzRemix Of Hit Single Mystery Lady, Masego Unveils Lyric Video For Bliss Abroad Feat. Shel, Plus Visualizers ForYebo/Sema,Well Traveled And Smith & Westin Feat. TeaMarrr
Today, Masego released Studying Abroad: Extended Stay, the deluxe edition of his acclaimed 2020 EP, via EQT Recordings and Capitol Records. To give fans a deeper glimpse into the new material on the deluxe edition, Masego shared an array of visual content, made to accompany the new songs.
Watch the Bliss Abroad lyric video featuring Shel here along with the Yebo/Sema visualizer here! Also make sure to check out the Well Traveled visualizer here and Smith and Westin featuring TeaMarrr here!
Earlier this month, Masego released the TrapHouseJazz Remix of Mystery Lady, which is exclusive to the deluxe edition. View the visualizer here. Masego recently performed Mystery Lady, which has amassed over 80 million combined global streams, on The Late Late Show with James Corden. He was joined by Don Toliver, who features on the original version of the song. View their performance here.
Download / stream Studying Abroad: Extended Stayhere. See below for track listing.
The deluxe edition leads off with the EP’s original six tracks, which find Masego walking the listener through every phase of a relationship, from its blissful beginnings to its tragic ending. He explored uncharted territory with sampling from an international palette of sounds and styles and enlisted collaborators such as D’Mile (Usher), Jack Dine (Stormzy), Jonah Christian (Nicki Minaj), IzyBeats (Mala Rodriguez), Kojo Asamoah (Ari Lennox), Don Toliver and Shenseea.
Hailed as a musical polyglot by the Los Angeles Times, Masego isa singular talent and surprising presence, a saxophone player, a singer, a rapper, a comedian, a DJ. Lady Lady, his 2018 debut album, put him on the map. Tadow, the lead single, has surpassed half a billion global streams and been certified Gold by the RIAA. Since the album’s release, Masego has toured the world, headlining sold-out tours and starring on festival stages across every continent but Antartica. Herecently contributed a new song,Somethin’ Ain’t Right(feat. JID and Rapsody), to Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album.
Track Listing for Studying Abroad: Extended Stay
Passport
Polygamy
Mystery Lady (feat. Don Toliver)
Sides of Me
Silver Tongue Devil (feat. Shenseea)
Bye Felicia
Bliss Abroad (feat. Shel)
Smith & Westin (feat. TeaMarrr)
Well Traveled
Yebo/Sema
Mystery Lady (TrapHouseJazz remix)
A musical shapeshifter, the creator of a blueprint for a new kind of sound – NPR Music
Sophisticated – Pitchfork
Smooth and lavish energy that’s become his musical signature – Vogue
A musical polymath who’s equally funny, flirtatious, and sensitive – FADER
Fashion model, singer-songwriter and actress Sif Saga managed to stand out from her peers through her creativity and talented artistic expression making her a total triple threat. Originally from Iceland, Sif grew up in Boston, MA and started modeling at age 16, after being scouted while at boarding school.
Over the next 7 years, Sif went on to live in Paris, LA, Australia, and now New York City to pursue her career as a model. Sif has graced the covers of top fashion magazines including Elle Bulgaria (2019), Numero Russia (2019), Elle Argentina (Feb 2020), Maxim Mexico (2020), L’Officiel Argentina (2020), and Elle Argentina (Dec 2020). She has also shot campaigns for esteemed brands such as Estee Lauder, Ralph Lauren and Kendra Scott, to name a few.
In addition, Sif is an incredibly talented singer/songwriter; writing, composing, and singing over 20 songs and counting which she releases on her Spotify verified artist page. She co-produces with producer AJ Jenkins and her music has a lounge style to it, perfect for the hottest NY and LA lounges. Her relatable lyrics paired with buttery vocals and are gearing Sif up for total stardom, making her one to watch as the latest “It” Girl to hit the scene.
Sif is also an actress gearing up for her big screen debut in Indie Thriller Feral State. The film will be released on June 2, 2021, both in theater and on digital streaming. To view trailer, click here.
JP COOPER DROPS NEW SINGLE “HOLY WATER” LISTEN NOW
4 billion streams globally
1 Million ADJ. Global album sales
10 million monthly Spotify listeners
Top 10 debut album
Acclaimed British singer and songwriter JP Cooper, whose debut album “Raised Under Grey Skies” and huge global hit “September Song” introduced an artist of great depth with a voice and songs to match, returns with the release on May 21 of his new brand new Island Records single “Holy Water”. You can listen to the single HERE.
“Holy Water” is a deeply personal song for Cooper which explores the idea of picking yourself up whenever you fall, a great lesson he learnt from his dad.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the new song JP says:
“Holy Water is a song that was half finished for about 5 years. I was raised in a strong Catholic household so questioning yourself and your choices was a big part of what was going on in my mind, especially in my teens, early twenties. There were a lot of things I was doing that I probably shouldn’t have been doing given the way that I was raised. There were lots of parts of myself that I guess I was at war with. My dad was always an amazing example… if you fall down, pick yourself up and keep it moving and I guess for him the church and his faith gave him the opportunity to start again, which is what initially inspired me to write the song. The song is for everyone though, regardless of their beliefs. I think we all, as human beings, want to to evolve and become better people. No matter how many times we let ourselves down, the important thing is to put it behind you, move forward and try to be better the next day. Holy Water is about showing gratitude to the people around me who taught me how to try and do that and how to process that. It doesn’t make me perfect but that’s a huge part of being human.”
The infectious new gospel-tinged track follows JP’s 2020 EP release ‘Too Close’ which included the uplifting track “Little Bit of Love” which was written as a response to how many of us were feeling dealing with the pandemic.
JP’s soulful voice has graced two of the biggest and most enduring Top 10 singles of the last few years; the Jonas Blue’s memorable “Perfect Strangers”, which Cooper co-wrote, and his inescapable radio hit “September Song” (which has racked up over 600 million streams worldwide). JP also recently featured on Emily Burns’ new version of her song “Is It Just Me?” which also reached a Top 10 position on the iTunes chart. The Manchester born troubadour Cooper has an incredible 1 million ADJ Global album sales and an extraordinary 4 billion total global streams, fueled by his devoted 10 million monthly Spotify listeners. In addition, his music has been played on over 120,00 radio plays across 250 radio stations and sold out UK and European tours.
2021 promises to be JP’s most exciting year with lots of new music to come.
ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS
A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Black Thought, Drake, Florence + the Machine, Greta Van Fleet, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack Johnson, James Blake, James Bay, Jessie J, John Mellencamp, Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne, Lorde, Metro Boomin, NAV, Nicki Minaj, Of Monsters and Men, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and more. Founded by brothers and chief executives Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings, Boominati Worldwide, Brushfire, Casablanca Records, Cash Money, Lava Records, XO, Young Money, among others. Republic also maintains a long-standing strategic alliance with Universal Music Latin Entertainment (J Balvin and Karol G). In addition, Republic has expanded to release high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Fifty Shades of Grey), Sony Pictures (Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse) and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises. Extending further into the worlds of film, television, and content, Republic launched Federal Films in order to produce movies and series powered by the label’s catalog and artists. Its first production was the Jonas Brothers documentary Chasing Happiness for Amazon Prime Video.
THE MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORY OF JUDAISM IN PARIS REOPENS AND UNVEILS NEW EXHIBITIONS
As Paris begins to reopen, the Museum of Art and History of Judaism (known as “The mahJ”), located in the exquisite 17th-century Hôtel de Saint-Aignan in the historic Marais neighborhood, reopened its doors yesterday, presenting a lineup of new exhibitions following its closure due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Postponed from its previously planned April 2020 opening, Chagall, Modigliani, Soutine… Paris pour École, 1905-1940, will now be on display from June 17 to October 31, 2021. The exhibition will showcase 130 works by Jewish artists who came to Paris in the early 20th century, as part of “the School of Paris.” The artists, including Chagall, Soutine and Modigliani, came to Paris from across the world to create their art in a free and modern context, without the constraints present in their home countries.
Echoing the School of Paris exhibition, the mahJ will unveil a new exhibition dedicated to Hersh Fenster, author of Undzere farpaynikte kinstler (Our Martyred Artists), published in Paris in 1951. Written in Yiddish, the book retraces the lives and works of 84 Jewish artists living in France who died between 1940 and 1945. The exhibition, Hersh Fenster and the Lost Shtetl of Montparnasse, will be on display from May 19 through October 10, 2021.
Also upon its opening, the mahJ will present From Workshop to Museum: ORT and the Transmission of Jewish Culture, running until January 22, 2022. Founded in Russia in 1880 to help Jews through an apprenticeship of manual trades, ORT (Organisation Reconstruction Travail) is today an international educational network established in more than forty countries. In 2021, the organization celebrates the centenary of its presence in France, where every year it now trains some 5,000 students and trainees. Thanks to new findings in its archives, the mahJ traced back the role of this organization in the creation of the Museum of Jewish Art (1948-1998) in the rue des Saules, Paris, which became part of the mahJ.
In the contemporary gallery, the exhibition Maya Zack, La Mémoire en Action, running through September 12, 2021, presents three films presented for the first time in France by Israeli artist Maya Zack, haunted by questions of memory.
For more information about the Museum of Art and History of Judaism, visit this website.
ABOUT THE MAHJ:
Located in the magnificent 17th-century Hôtel de Saint-Aignan in the Marais neighborhood of Paris, the Museum of Art and History of Judaism (Musée d’art et d’histoire du Judaïsme – known as “mahJ”) is one of the leading history and art museums in Paris. Since its opening in 1998, the mahJ has been devoted to showcasing major artworks from influential Jewish artists and sharing the history of Judaism in France, as well as throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. The mahJ collection comprises more than 12,000 works from antiquity to the present day and a wealth of archival materials. The museum also provides a number of educational programs to younger generations on Jewish art and culture, and hosts a variety of events and activities for all ages throughout the year.
