Pop artist Jaira Burns (Upscale Music Group/Interscope Records) has just released a brand new song for fans, titled “Numb.” Produced by Thomas Slinger and co-written by Jaira, the mid-tempo track features the singer’s distinct vocals atop a driving pop arrangement. You can listen to “Numb” HERE.
“I love this song for its contrast: The production is so energetic and gives off a party vibe, but the lyrics take on a slightly darker perspective. Sometimes you drink or smoke to temporarily escape reality. This song is for the times when people get faded; not for the reason of having fun, but to feel ‘NUMB’,” says Jaira.
“Numb” marks Jaira’s first single since her contribution to Riot Games’ virtual group K/DA. The quartet debuted their single “POP/STaRS” live during the League of Legends ceremony in Korea last November. The song quickly entered into the top 10 of Billboard’s Pop Digital Song Sales chart and has since amassed a whopping 142M views on Vevo. The project was a fitting end to Jaira’s impressive 2018 where she was named as part of Paper Magazine’s “100 Women Revolutionizing Pop.” With plans to showcase her songwriting abilities, the Pennsylvania native plans to follow up her debut EP, Burn Slow, with new music in 2019.
Eminem-signed, Compton-bred rapper Boogie has shared a new single and video titled “Silent Ride.” With the track released via Shady Records/Interscope Records, the video for “Silent Ride” is directed by Gina Gammell and Malcolm Washington for Vanishing Angle production company.
Praised by Pitchfork as “one of the West Coast’s most promising young rappers,” Boogie has also announced a January 25th release date for his forthcoming album, Everything’s For Sale. The album marks his first full-length for Shady Records/Interscope Records.
Since making his debut for Shady Records/Interscope Records in December 2017, Boogie has released such acclaimed singles as “Self Destruction” and “Deja Vu.” Arriving last August, the latter was hailed by HotNewHipHop as a “smooth new offering” built on “lush basslines.”
Born Anthony Dixson, Boogie got his start in music after joining a church choir at the urging of his mother. He soon started writing lyrics and crafting melodies, and later enrolled in Long Beach City College to study recording. With his debut mixtape Thirst 48 arriving in June 2014, Boogie had his breakthrough with The Reach—a 2015 mixtape that spawned the Jahlil Beats-produced “Oh My,” whose viral success cemented him as one of the most refreshingly honest new voices emerging from the West Coast. Releasing Thirst 48 Pt. II in 2016, Boogie found his raw, unfiltered lyricism earning praise from artists like Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem, who signed him to Shady Records in October 2017.
03/16 – House Of Blues, Peacock Room – Houston, TX
03/17 – 89thStreet OKC – Oklahoma City, OK
03/18 – Dada Dallas – Dallas, TX
03/20 – Marquis Theater – Denver, CO
03/21 – Soundwell – Salt Lake City, UT
03/23 – Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
03/24 – Neumos – Seattle, WA
03/26 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
03/29 – El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
03/30 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
Following a whirlwind 2018, rising American singer-songwriter and musician Donna Missal dives head first into 2019, making her late night television debut on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers with what’s certain to be a riveting performance of her breakthrough single, “Keep Lying.” Tune in to NBC tonight at 12:35/11:35 central.
The performance comes a little over a month before her announced 2019 headline tour, which kicks off Valentine’s Day (February 14) in Chicago. The 20 date ‘This Time’ Tour, is prom-themed and takes Donna across North America, making stops in St. Louis, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Nashville, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and more before concluding in San Diego on March 30.
Donna recently explained the concept of the tour in an Instagram post: “I was homeschooled. I never had a school dance or a picture day or a graduation. THIS TIME TOUR is your invitation to the winter and spring formal I never had. If you had a shitty time in school and want a re-do, or maybe you loved it and want to go back to that feeling, THIS TIME is your time. VIP packages will be available so you can take your very own NEW yearbook photo by Muriel Knudson and be a part of our CLASS OF ‘THIS TIME’ yearbook.”
In addition to her North American headline tour, Donna will bring her live show to the UK for the first time, making her London debut January 23 at The Moth Club. For tickets and more information, go to http://www.donnamissal.com.
Having spent much of 2018 on the road, including two special album release shows in LA and New York, an appearance on MTV’s TRL, her debut festival appearance at Austin City Limits and prominent supporting slots opening for King Princess, Bishop Briggs and Sir Sly and Joywave, earning legions of new fans along the way—now Donna Missal is taking the reins, bringing her energetic and fiercely passionate live set to a city near you, in support of her debut album (and tour namesake), This Time.
The tour will see Donna Missal playing songs from her debut album, This Time, out now on Harvest Records. The eleven-track album infuses Missal’s timeless, fiery vocals with scorching production by Tim Anderson (Solange, BANKS, Halsey), harkening back to the heyday of classic soul music, all the while creating something fresh and contemporary. Including standout cuts like “Driving,” “Transformer,” “Girl,” “Thrills” and current focus track, “Jupiter,” an impassioned anthem with a driving bassline and massive chorus. Watch Donna deliver the goods in this live version of “Jupiter” HERE, filmed exclusively as part of Vevo’s DSCVR series
The album also includes her latest single “Keep Lying,” which has been steadily climbing the charts at Alternative radio. Following Zane Lowe’s premiere of Missal’s original demo version of “Keep Lying” on Beats 1, the song shot to the top of the Spotify Viral and HypeMachine charts.
Blending elements of soul, hip-hop and rock & roll, Missal shaped This Time’s sonic landscape partly by laying live recordings down on tape, then sampling those recordings to imbue her songs with a fresh yet timeless energy. Much of that live recording took place at the iconic Different Fur Studios in San Francisco, where she was joined in the studio by Nate Mercereau (Leon Bridges). “I really wanted this album to reference my history of playing in bands,” she explains. “It’s all these very pure, talented musicians playing together in a room, but then we took that and sampled it and altered in a way that creates something totally new.”
With its title taken from a track Missal co-wrote with her frequent collaborator Sharon Van Etten, ‘This Time’ is an uncompromisingly honest look at living entirely on your own terms. “I’ve spent most of my life being hyper-focused on time, which I think is something that a lot of women obsess over,”says Missal. “We’re in such a rush to make things happen, when really we should take the time to figure out what we actually want out of life. And even though it’s so fucking hard to have that kind of patience, I think it’s so important to believe in yourself enough to let things develop in a way that feels right to you.”
Throughout the album, Missal crafts her lyrics with the kind of idiosyncratic detail that instantly etches each line onto your heart, exploring self-empowerment on tracks like “Transformer”—a fiercely charged anthem about “having the courage to take what you want from life, without apology,”and on “Thrills,” which sees Missal musing on self-love and sexual confidence, her voice soaring over a gently swaying groove and dreamy guitar tones. “‘Thrills’ is about owning what makes you real,” says Missal. “There is a shift happening in our societal standards of beauty and sexuality, and the more we embrace our flaws the closer we become to effecting real change. I’d love for people to hear the song — and not just women, but anyone who feels disenfranchised— and remember that being sexy and confident comes from self-acceptance.”
Elsewhere on This Time, Missal infuses social commentary into songs like “Girl”: a stripped-back yet intricately textured track that unfolds with both gentle playfulness and piercing vulnerability. “I wanted to address this idea that women need to be pinned against each other in order to succeed, or need to point out the flaws in other women just to feel good about themselves,”says Missal. “That kind of thinking has been around forever, and it doesn’t feel like it’s going away—but the more we talk about it, the better it’s going to get.”And on “Driving,” Missal delivers one of the album’s most mesmerizing moments, with her flowing melody, hypnotic rhythms, and ethereal vocals merging with a quiet grandeur that’s simultaneously escapist and inspiring. “‘Driving’ is about being on the precipice of taking control over your life—that feeling of seeing something you want in the distance and making the decision to go for it,”says Missal. “It’s about saying ‘Even if it takes a long time, or I hit some bumps along the way, it’s all okay because I’m the one behind the wheel.’”
To date, Donna Missal’s songs have racked up more than 23 MILLION COMBINED STREAMS globally, and now with the release of her debut album ‘This Time’, Missal is excited to provide her fans more of what they love so much about her music. “This isn’t a record about love and loss and relationships,” Missal explains. “It’s about taking chances for yourself, figuring out who you are and really standing behind that. I made a point of putting myself out there as a real person navigating this life at this moment in time, because I want to do whatever I can as an artist to help people feel more confident in navigating their own lives. I’d love for the listener to receive the message that you can take your time to learn and love yourself. That’s been the most important discovery that I want to share with this album.”
Donna Missal’s is a voice that comes around only once in a lifetime, a tour not to be missed
SAM SMITH & NORMANI ANNOUNCE ‘DANCING WITH A STRANGER’ OUT JANUARY 11th
Sam Smith & Normani announce their joint single ‘Dancing With A Stranger’ to be released worldwide via Capitol Records on Friday, January 11th. Presave link to download/stream the single here.
‘Dancing With a Stranger’ is a smooth slice of sultry, R&B influenced pop where Sam and Normani’s vocals effortlessly glide over the production. The collaboration between the two came about through a chance encounter at the studio in Los Angeles as Sam was writing the single with pop legends Stargate and Jimmy Napes. Normani was in the studio next door and with both artists being long-term fans of each other, it was a no-brainer for Normani to join Sam on the new track.
Sam Smith has spent the past year travelling around the world on tour in support of his sophomore album, The Thrill Of It All, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and also topped the charts in the U.K, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium. Rolling Stone awarded The Thrill Of It All four stars and hailed Smith as Éc;one of the mightiest, most expressive singers of his generation.Éd; Éc;Dancing With a StrangerÉd; is the first new music from Sam Smith in 2019 and follows on from his global hit with Calvin Harris Éc;PromisesÉd; which stormed the charts last summer.&#a0;Since the release of his 2014 debut album, In The Lonely Hour, Smith has sold over 17 million album equivalent units worldwide.&#a0;He has won four GRAMMY awards, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, three Billboard Music Awards and three BRIT Awards, among others.
On the new single Sam Smith says, Éc;Iߣm so excited for everyone to hear Éc;Dancing With a Stranger,Éd; which I wrote on The Thrill Of It All tour last year. For me it bottles everything I was feeling whilst juggling my personal life and touring.&#a0;It is also such a beautiful moment for me as Iߣm a huge, huge fan of Normani and everything she is. Iߣm so excited to watch her light shine. I hope everyone enjoys hearing this song as much as I do.Éd;
Normani launched her solo career last year with her debut solo single Love Lies; with Khalid. Love Lies soared to #1 at Top 40 Radio in the US and was the first single Normani released following her global success with multi-platinum group Fifth Harmony. Since then, she has gone on to release a number of new tracks including two tracks with Calvin Harris and her recent single, Éc;WavesÉd; feat. 6LACK. In addition to working with Calvin Harris, Khalid, and 6LACK, Normani has also recently collaborated with Quavo and Kehlani. Normani is currently working on her debut solo album and this March will see her join Ariana Grande on the North American leg of The Sweetener World tour.
Normani explains about the collaboration, I’m truly blessed having the opportunity to create with one of the greatest vocalists of this decade. I think about the artists that I frequently listen to daily and Sam Smith has definitely been one of them for some time now. I never thought in a trillion years that I would be able to state that I have a record with this extremely gifted being. Iߣm super proud to share this song with Sam and cannot wait for the rest of the world to experience it – from the first moment that I heard the song I knew how special it was. Iߣm deeply in love with this body of work and I hope that you all will be too. Iߣm so thankful that Sam put his trust in me to help him bring this song to life. To my fans, thank you for all of your continued support. I love y’all!!! I pray you guys enjoy this.
Coachella returns to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA for two weekends set forApril 12th 14th andApril 19th21st.Childish Gambino,Tame ImpalaandAriana Grande will headline both weekends. (Full lineup as of January 2nd below).
Passes for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival go on saleFriday, January 4 at 11 AM PTatcoachella.com, while supplies last. All taxes, shipping and fees are included in listed pass prices.
Five of the most influential urban artists of the genre, plus the sensual and unequaled touch of “The Diva of the Bronx” in Jennifer Lopez, give a new “flavor” to one of the most listened to songs of 2018. “Te Bote 2,” produced by the young Puerto Rican, Young Martino, is a new version of the original song “Te Bote,” which swept downloads on all digital platforms in 2018. In addition, it became the most reproduced from YouTube worldwide this year and now has its “sequel”, a Spanglish style mix, which aims to position the issue in the Anglo-Saxon market. “La Diva del Bronx” is in charge of giving the single the feminine, sensual, and international touch, making a participation in the song with a letter completely in English, without leaving aside its distinctive Latin flavor. On the other hand, Casper Mágico, Nio García, Wisin, Yandel and Cosculluela contribute a new letter in Spanish, combining the best of Trap and Reggaetón in a musical piece that reaches to 7 minutes. “Te Bote 2” has its official video in the hands of the renowned director Fernando Lugo. It is now available on YouTube. Check it out here! The theme is destined to become the new urban anthem of the year 2019, thanks to the “explosive combination” of its performers who invite us to enjoy a good rumba in both English and Spanish.
2 Chainz, the multi-platinum, Grammy Award®-winning MC, “One of the Very Best Rappers Alive” (Noisey), host of Viceland’s Most Expensivest series and one of the most-in-demand collaborators in the game – returns with the music video for “Girl’s Best Friend” out today via Def Jam Recordings.
LISTEN TO HOT WINGS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND HERE!
L.A.-based singer/songwriter/producer Leven Kali has released three new songs, “Mine,” “Thursday,” and “Too High” featuring fellow West Coast artists Buddy and Na’Kel. The tracks, written and co-produced by Leven himself, showcase his ability to display modern romance as a colorful, funk-inspired, and dreamy entity. Leven is due to release his debut full length project in the spring of 2019 on Palm Studios/ Interscope Records. A lyric video for “Thursday” is also out today, directed by Palm Studios.
The new tracks come as a follow up to Leven’s October double-single pack, NunWrong With a Lil’ Good Lovin’, which Billboard said “encompass lush, mellow R&B vibes that resemble Anderson Paak’s surreal sounds and the pop elements of Bruno Mars.” This fall, Leven joined Snoh Aalegra on the west coast leg of her tour.
Leven dropped his acclaimed single “Do U Wrong” ft. Syd back in January. Produced by Zack Sekoff (Vince Staples, Thundercat), the track features a writing contribution from Swedish singer/songwriter Snoh Aalegra. In its glowing review of “Do U Wrong,” Pitchfork stated that Leven “is out to write the next episode of California hip-hop: buttery neo-soul vocalism growling electric guitar, and G-funk thumo.” Leven is scheduled to release his full-length project in 2019.
