Category Archives: Music

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson shuts down B.o.B’s flat-Earth notions with diss track & must-see mic drop

This month, rapper B.o.B (“Nothin’ on You“) made it apparent on Twitter that he truly believes our planet Earth is flat, not round. I’ll give you a second. Okay, moving on. In a series of tweets (you can scour his conspiracy-laden feed here), he could be seen waxing philosophical (I’m stretching the phrase there) on the “mounting evidence” proving we live on a flat planet. “A lot of people are turned off by the phrase “flat earth” … but there’s no way u can see all the evidence and not know… grow up,” he tweeted. Things began to escalate when renowned astrophysicist and Cosmos host Neil deGrasse Tyson caught wind of B.o.B’s utter nonsense and fired back with his own series of tweets. Of course, these are backed up by actual evidence and you’d think NDT’s involvement would put an end to this. But no, this Twitter beef was only getting started.

B.o.B wasn’t going to go gentle into that good night (Interstellar space reference, boom!) and so he quickly pumped out a new rap called “Flatline” in which he spits, “Neil Tyson need to loosen up his vest, they’ll probably write that man one hell of a check.” Yeah, it’s that bad. Anyway, NDT would go on to slam dunk over the rapper again, but this time with a rap of his own! Turns out Neil’s nephew has the acumen to produce a record in-studio, and under the name TYSON he invented a “diss track” aptly called “Flat to Fact.” Against a backdrop featuring the same beat used on Drake’s Meek Mill diss track “Back to Back,” the younger Tyson fired back at B.o.B with amazing verses like, “I’m bringing facts to combat a silly theory because B.o.B’s gotta know the planet is a sphere, chief, woah!” He even had his uncle record some of his original tweets aimed at B.o.B to include in the track. NDT would go on to publicly back his nephew’s swing.

Now you’d think that would put a nail in this thing, but there’s more. With B.o.B pretty much and out at this point, Neil provided the knock out punch by appearing on Larry Wilmore’s Nightly Show on Comedy Central. He takes off his blazer, grabs a mic, and piles on the evidence like a boss. There’s really no other way to describe it. Check out a mic drop moment for the ages after the break! Best Twitter beef. Ever. Continue reading Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson shuts down B.o.B’s flat-Earth notions with diss track & must-see mic drop

YouTubers mashup Obama’s SOTU address into fun, catchy tune

Schmoyoho (“accent on the yo“), the musical YouTube troop behind viral sensations like “Auto-Tune the News” and the “Double Rainbow” and “Bed Intruder” songs, is back with their latest autotune-infused single and this one came out right on the heels of President Obama “dropping the mic” at his final State of the Union address. It’s got that classic Schmoyoho charm, from the twisted crowd reactions to the inclusion of a remarkably catchy tune with fun lyrics that remix parts of the President’s speech. The best part? The seamlessly choreographed dancing paired with Speaker Paul Ryan’s absurd facial reactions; watch out for those! Now get it like it’s 1999! Continue reading YouTubers mashup Obama’s SOTU address into fun, catchy tune

Ylvis, makers of “What does the fox say,” returns to take on a cappella

The Norwegian brothers who answered the longing question, “What does the fox say?” and attempted to explain “Stonehenge” are back with a new trancing music video that takes on the a cappella craze that’s still storming the nation (see: Pitch Perfect and its sequel, The Sing-OffPentatonix). In it, Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker are members of an a capella group whose apparent sole mission is to stave off bullies by making pit stops along their tour route at schools where children need a helping hand, er, voice. This latest viral parody by Ylvis includes the tried-and-true ingredients they’ve used before: it’s very silly while simultaneously wanting to be somewhat serious as it makes fun of a cappella tropes and takes down bullies in the most non-violent manner possible. Oh, and no surprise here–the song happens to be extremely catchy so I’ll save you a step in finding the tune for keeps. Catch a funny behind-the-scenes look after the break.

Boodelooap! Continue reading Ylvis, makers of “What does the fox say,” returns to take on a cappella

Kanye West drops three new tracks ahead of February album release

On New Year’s Eve, Kanye West dropped a brand new song titled “Facts” almost exactly one year after his last major release “Only One.” In his new rap he spits verses about his fledging fashion career, he praises his wife Kim Kardashian’s emoji app Kimoji, and he remains timely by incorporating a reference to Steve Harvey’s Miss Universe mishap.

More recently, ‘Ye released another new song called “Real Friends” and tagged at the end of it is a snippet of a third never-before-heard track, “No More Parties in LA.” The former track plays with Kanye’s favorite toy autotune and features Ty Dolla $ign. Per Twitter, Kanye produced the song, Frank Dukes and Boi 1da made the sample, and drum programming is by Havo. The “No More Parties” snippet previews a feature by Kendrick Lamar. Kanye produced the intro and hired DJ Madlib to direct the rest of the track.

All three tracks have been released on Kanye West’s official SoundCloud page. Though download links aren’t provided, ‘Ye apparently has no problem with his fans ripping the songs from the site.

In addition to copping these new beats, fans can finally mark down on their calendars the official release date for Kanye’s next album. Swish, formally known as So Help Me God, releases February 11. Though ‘Ye hasn’t confirmed a tracklist yet, Swish will more than likely include “Only One” (Featuring Paul McCartney), “FourFiveSeconds” (Featuring Rihanna & Paul McCartney), “Wolves” (Featuring Vic Mensa & Sia), “All Day” (Featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom, and Paul McCartney), and of course “Real Friends” and “No More Parties in LA.”

Update (1/18): And here’s the Kendrick Lamar-assisted “No More Parties in LA” in all its 6-minute and 15-second glory.

This year in music, as told by DJ Earworm’s mega-mashup “United State of Pop 2015”

I don’t know how he does it, but year after year DJ Earworm manages to fuse the biggest songs both musically and visually in something I’ve endearingly labeled a mega-mashup. This go-around, he’s challenged himself to take on Billboard’s top 50 tracks (that’s up from the typical 25 he deals with) and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he utterly nails it. Ed Sheeran, Fetty Wap, Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd dominate with the most songs used here, but be sure to check out the full list of songs used after the break to see if there’s any you didn’t catch. Want the song for keeps? Head over to DJ Earworm’s SoundCloud page to download a free copy. Continue reading This year in music, as told by DJ Earworm’s mega-mashup “United State of Pop 2015”

iTunes shares 2015’s top-selling music, movies, TV shows, apps & more

Thanks to its undeniable ubiquity, Apple’s iTunes storefront is a great barometer of the most popular media sold in entertainment. Let’s take a look at who and what performed well in 2015…

Included in iTunes’ top-selling albums are Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Taylor Swift’s 1989, and Adele’s 25 (which came out only weeks ago!). The top-selling song of the year is Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars’ addicting “Uptown Funk.” Hanging around in the top 20 are Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen,” The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face,” and of course, Adele’s “Hello.” In addition to these top-selling lists, Apple likes to share hand-picked Editor Choice awards and they include: Drake (Best Artist), Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly (Best Album), The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” (Best Song), and Bryson Tiler (Best New Artist).

Top-selling movies include Star Wars: The Digital Movie CollectionBig Hero 6American SniperInside Out, and Kingsman: The Secret Service. Apple’s featured best movies include Mad Max: Fury RoadInside Out, the Amy Winehouse documentary Amy, and Dope. In TV, Game of ThronesThe Walking Dead, Downton AbbeyScandal, and The Blacklist are amongst the year’s best-selling series. Apple’s featured best TV shows include Mr. RobotFargoUnREAL, and Inside Amy Schumer.

Apple’s App Store is home to the largest library of apps in the world. The best app to help pass the time with friends, Heads Up!, keeps its crown as the top-selling paid app in 2015. Rounding out the top five paid apps: Minecraft: Pocket EditionTrivia Crack (ad free)Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, and Facetune. The top 5 best-selling free ones are always easy to nail: Trivia CrackFacebook MessengerDubsmashInstagram, and Snapchat. Don’t worry–YouTubeFacebookUber, and Crossy Road don’t trail far behind.

Calling all book readers! Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train, E L James’ GreyFifty Shades of GreyFifty Shades Darker, and John Green’s Paper Towns are among the best-selling fictional novels. Top-selling non-fiction novels include Chris Kyle’s American Sniper, Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken, Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Daniel James Brown’s The Boys in the Boat, and Erik Larson’s Dead Wake.

Lastly, in the realm of podcasts, NPR’s Fresh Air is the most downloaded of the year. Apple named Mystery Show Best New Podcast and WTF with Marc Maron Best Classic Podcast.

Want more? Open iTunes to view all the top-selling media across Apple’s digital ecosystem.

The Beatles comes to streaming services just in time for the holidays (Update)

Nearly five years to the day that The Beatles finally embraced the digital world of music by releasing their famed catalog on iTunes, the Fab Four are now officially offering their 13 studio albums and 4 essential collections on music streaming services. The most prolific streamers like Spotify and Apple Music are featuring The Beatles music today, along with other industry players including Google Play, Amazon Prime Music, Tidal, Deezer, Slacker Radio, Rhapsody, and Microsoft Groove. Back in 2011 when the band landed on iTunes, it quickly sold 2 million songs and 450,000 albums during its first week on Apple’s music store. Looking forward to finding out how the streaming community picks up on their sudden inclusion.

The Beatles dropped its catalog on Christmas Eve; a special gift to the world, indeed. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Celebrate with the band’s announcement video posted after the break.

Update (12/27): Spotify has released some streaming data re: The Beatles, including the most streamed songs around the world. Skip after the break for the intel. Continue reading The Beatles comes to streaming services just in time for the holidays (Update)

Kid Cudi returns to his childhood high school for inspirational TED talk

It’s been fun following Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi’s career over the years, from his humble rap beginnings to his recent exploration into rap-punk-rock fusion. He never lets his fans forget where he comes from–that’s Cleveland, Ohio if you didn’t know. Last February, he went home to give a TED talk at his old high school, Shaker Heights High, where he shared with an excitable audience his experiences growing up in the music industry. For Cudi fans, it’s a brief but intriguing trip inside the mind of the rapper turned rocker/actor. In general, though, it’s an informative speech with an aim to push everyone to make goals and reach to fulfill them. Cudi gets surprisingly candid with the crowd (at one point he even invites up an old high school friend he hasn’t seen in many years) and offers sound advice for his fans, the haters, and all.

Click here to watch the 20-minute TED talk on YouTube.

Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift & The Weeknd lead 2016 Grammy nominations

Seemingly always on the rise rapper Kendrick Lamar leads with the most Grammy Award nominations this year. His 11 nods fall within major categories including Album of the Year (To Pimp A Butterfly) and his track “Alright” landed him numerous nods in the following fields: Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. Trailing not so far behind is Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, both earning 7 nods apiece.

Let’s take a quick look at the General Field nominees, the four most prominent categories that Swift managed to dominate this year thanks to her record-breaking album, 1989. Her popular single “Blank Space” is competing for Record of the Year with D’Angelo And The Vanguard’s “Really Love,” Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” and The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.” In the Album of the Year category, 1989 is up against Alabama Shakes’s Sound and Color, Kendrick’s Butterfly, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller, and The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness. “Blank Space” and “Alright” are joined by “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, and “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran in competition for Song of the Year. Last, Courtney Barnett, James Bay, Sam Hunt, Tori Kelly, and Meghan Trainor are all vying for the coveted Best New Artist award.

Click here for the full list of this year’s nominees. The 58th Annual Grammy Awards airs Monday, Feb. 15 at 8pm on CBS.

Kid Cudi drops his next genre-busting effort, ‘Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven’

The sixth studio album from Kid Cudi, Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven, has finally arrived. Like WZRD (2012), Indicud (2013), and Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon (2014) before it, SB2H continues to defy the musical boundaries Cudder successfully defined for himself early in his career with the Man on the Moon records. Cudi doesn’t consider himself a hip-hop or rap artist but instead an “alternative” one. SB2H emanates alt-grunge-rock vibes with emphasis on guitar strings, not electronic beats. “I’ve ripped my heart out and carved it into tiny pieces of musical madness,” Cudi has previously said about his latest effort. And it’s true: SB2H is an emotional record that drives into the depths of the experimental rapper-turned-rocker.

The 26-track album is split into an A-side and B-side. The first half features singles including “Confused!,” “Judgemental Cunt,” and “Wedding Tux.” Sprinkled throughout are skits featuring Beavis & Butt-Head voiced by the cartoon’s creator Mike Judge; Cudi enlisted Judge to record the new bits in-studio and how cool is that? The B-side includes eight tracks, half of which are demo recordings. Longtime Cudi fans will take solace in the fact that SB2H welcomes back Cudi’s Man on the Moon producing partner Plain Pat behind-the-scenes.

Wondering about Cudi’s tour plans? He was expected to kick things off this month, but due to production issues he’s postponing until “the top of next year.” Our consolation prize? The release of a third single, “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven,” side-A’s penultimate track produced by Cudi and Plain Pat.

Dig Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven‘s album artwork above, plug in your headphones, and rock out to dat new-new Kid Cudi via iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, or Google. Holding out for the physical CD? Cudi promises that’ll release Dec. 18, and you can preorder it today at Amazon. Also coming soon: vinyl and a “special limited run of cassette tapes.” Rad.

Kanye West outs new, recognizable material

Calling all Kanye fans, we’ve got a curious case on our hands. After releasing a handful of singles assisted by the likes of Paul McCartney, Rihanna, Sia, and Vic Mensa, Mr. West has created his very own SoundCloud account and is using it to drop (not so) new music into the laps of his fans. Let me explain.

Rising rapper Travis Scott sent out an Instagram in mid-October tagged with an image of the new SoundCloud account and the words “It’s starts.” Poor grammar aside, the link to the account brings you to two Kanye-driven tracks titled “Say You Will” and “When I See It.” Those titles should ring a bell. The first song is an altered version of ‘Ye’s opening to track his fourth studio album, 808s and Heartbreak. Though the differences to the original are not startling here, the inclusion of featured artist Caroline Shaw adds a new dimension to the already epic production.

The other released track, “When I See It,” is a reworking of The Weeknd’s song “Tell Your Friends.” In case you didn’t know, this particular beat was originally imagined and produced by West, and he ended up gifting it to The Weeknd for him to package inside his third studio album Beauty Behind the Madness. Here, West puts his own spin and his original record. One wonders if the undeniable presence  of autotune here is laying the groundwork for what we can expect from West’s next effort.

Like all the other post-Yeezus material Kanye has dropped to this point, it’s hard to say where these songs may eventually land. The rapper’s long-incubating seventh album Swish (formally known as So Help Me God) is still in the works but with no release date in sight. If you’ve been yearning for something, anything from Kanye West, this is for you. And cherish it, because who knows when West’s next production will make it out of the woodwork.

Sam Smith selected to perform next James Bond theme song [Update: Hear it now]

UPDATE (9/25): Right on time, Sam Smith’s Bond theme music has arrived and you can stream it now on Spotify or purchase it on iTunes. Generally, “Writing’s On The Wall” is being greeted with polarizing reviews. It’s a beautiful song, no doubt about that; Smith’s falsetto paired with the track’s cinematic strings is mesmerizing. The song, however, fails to provide its anticipated “drop” and it doesn’t boast the signature Bond boldness audiences have become accustomed to. It’s unapologetically a different kind of Bond theme, a soft ballad focused on delicate nuance. Me? I appreciate it and enjoy it, and I think it’s going to work well in SPECTRE, a Bond movie that aims to get personal and introspective. Take a listen. What do you think?

PREVIOUS (9/8): Adele. Jack White. Madonna. Sheryl Crow. Tina Turner. Gladys Knight. Duran Duran. Paul McCartney. What do all of these musicians have in common? Answer: Each of them have performed a James Bond theme song. Today, a new name gets added to the list. Rising crooner Sam Smith, who released his Grammy award-winning debut album In the Lonely Hour just last year, has been selected to sing the theme song for the upcoming 24th Bond film, SPECTRE. He’s the first British male solo artist since 1965 (Tom Jones, Thunderball) to record a Bond theme song.

Smith’s name had been rumored pool of artists to tackle the track, along with Ellie Goulding. But just last week when BBC Radio 2 asked the 23-year-old singer if he was secretly working on it behind closed doors, he shut it down. “That’s not me. That’s definitely not me,” he said. Lies! …I’m sure he was sworn to such secrecy. And then, early yesterday morning, Smith posted to Instagram an image with no caption–he’s wearing a ring with the infamous SPECTRE logo etched on it. The cat was out of the bag, and the very next day the announcement was made official.

The name of the track is “Writing’s On The Wall” and its written by Smith and Jimmy Napes. If you’ve been following Smith’s career so far, then the Napes name should ring a bell. The Grammy-winning producer assisted Smith with writing many songs from Lonely Hour including the popular single “Stay with Me.” Napes was also there during Smith’s Nirvana EP days, and he was also commissioned by Disclosure to co-write the Sam Smith-assisted hit “Latch.” Speaking of Disclosure, the English electronic brothers disclosed on Twitter that they, too, had a hand in producing “Writing’s On The Wall.” Full circle, indeed.

With permission granted, Smith hopped back onto Instagram to reveal the track artwork (see above) and share this message with his fans: “This is one of the highlights of my career. I am honoured to finally announce that I will be singing the next Bond theme song. I am so excited to be a part of this iconic British legacy and join an incredible line up of some of my biggest musical inspirations. I hope you all enjoy the song as much as I enjoyed making it. You can pre-order ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ on CD or vinyl using the link on my profile, or on iTunes from midnight.”

SPECTRE producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli added, “Sam and Jimmy have written the most inspirational song for Spectre and with Sam’s extraordinary vocal performance, ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ will surely be considered one of the greatest Bond songs of all time.”

The countdown is on; “Writing’s On The Wall” drops September 25. CD and vinyl singles can be preordered here. As soon as it releases, I’ll amend this post to include the highly anticipated track. SPECTRE hits theatres November 6.

[Via 007]