Music

Ellie Goulding says she isn’t offended when people forget she’s a songwriter.

The British pop star spoke with BBC about winning the President’s Award at this week’s BMI Awards, which goes to songwriters, music publishers and composers. “I think people forget that I write my own music, and it just feels good,” she expressed, adding this is the first time she’s been recognized as a songwriter.

“When you’re writing songs close to your heart and you’re putting them out there, that’s all you can really do, and then everything else is a bonus,” Ellie said, adding, “It’s hard work writing songs – especially pop songs, that takes a different kind of dedication.”

Ellie, who’s been writing songs since she was a teenager, explained there are certain “formulas” to follow when writing pop. “There’s things not to say, there’s things to say. And so it’s a real art form,” she said.

“I’m so lucky that I get to do it as my as my job because I love it so much,” she continued. “I’ve been writing pop songs since I was a teenager. And so to be recognised by songwriting for the first time, it’s very cool.”

Ellie’s life has changed dramatically since she burst into the U.K. music scene back in 2009 with her debut single “Under the Sheets.” She saw international success two years later with “Lights.”

Ellie says the “whole climate of music” has changed since she first stepped into the limelight and credits social media for moving the needle.

“I quite enjoy the challenges, what you have to do as an artist now isn’t easy — it’s something you have to work at,” she explained. The hitmaker added, “I’m on TikTok, I’m on socials, I put myself out there and I actually enjoy it. I don’t mind having fun.”

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There’s certainly plenty of drama between many of the rap girls these days, but one duo that’s spreading the love is Lil‘ Kim and Cardi B. 

Appearing on a special reboot episode of Rap City, which aired ahead of the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards on Tuesday night, Kim gushed about her fellow New York rapper, providing details about their close relationship.  

“There’s rumors you did something with Cardi,” inquired Rap City host Big Tigger. “When are we getting that Cardi song?”

The rap legend didn’t quite answer the question but was excited to talk about their friendship. 

“Cardi is like the love of my life,” she said with a smile. “Y’all don’t even know — she makes me laugh.”

Kim added of their relationship, “We talk a lot, people have no idea. She’s my little sister but she’s really my big, little sister.”

The rap legend said Cardi often offers advice and “directs” her on certain industry moves. “We just laugh a lot,” Kim continued.

Though there was no confirmation about an upcoming collaboration track, the rappers were recently spotted in the studio together, as seen in a video clip shared by The Neighborhood Talk. 

In a series of Twitter posts last December, Cardi went to bat for Lil’ Kim, defending the “Crush on You” rapper against cyberbullying.

“I know how much it hurts to constantly get picked on,” Cardi wrote, adding that, “When I collab wit her is going to be at the right time & the right song. I don’t rush BIG MOMENTS!.” 

As far as the hip-hop world is concerned, hopefully, that “right song” is on its way soon. 

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Ringo Starr is releasing a new concert album and video capturing a 2019 performance with his All Starr Band at Los Angeles’ famous Greek Theatre. The project will drop in multiple formats on November 25, the day after Thanksgiving.

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Live at The Greek Theater 2019 will be available on CD, DVD and Blu-ray; a special two-LP set pressed on yellow vinyl will be sold exclusively at independent record shops in conjunction with the 2022 Record Store Day Black Friday event.

The album and film document the final show of Ringo and the All Starr’s 2019 tour, which took place on September 2. The band’s lineup for the trek featured founding Santana singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, Men at Work frontman Colin Hay and Average White Band bassist Hamish Stuart.

The set lists included select Beatles tunes, solo Ringo hits and renditions of songs by Santana, Toto, Men at Work and Average White Band.

The show’s finale featured several All Starr Band alums — Joe Walsh, Edgar Winter, Nils Lofgren, The Romantics‘ Wally Palmar and renowned session drummer Jim Keltner — joining Ringo and company onstage for a rousing version of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”

A recording of Ringo performing Carl Perkins‘ “Matchbox,” which he used to sing with The Beatles, has been released as an advance digital single from Live at The Greek Theater 2019, and a video of the performance has debuted on his official YouTube channel.

You can preorder the album and video now.

Here’s Live at The Greek Theater 2019‘s full track list:

“Matchbox”
“It Don’t Come Easy”
“What Goes On”
“Evil Ways”
“Rosanna”
“Pick Up the Pieces”
“Down Under”
“Boys”
“Don’t Pass Me By”
“Yellow Submarine”
“Cut the Cake”
“Black Magic Woman”
“You’re Sixteen”
“Anthem”
“Overkill”
“Africa”
“Work to Do”*
“Oye Como Va”
“I Wanna Be Your Man”
“Who Can It Be Now?”
“Hold the Line”
“Photograph”
“Act Naturally”
“With a Little Help from My Friends”

* = CD, DVD, Blu-ray only.

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Alice Cooper‘s Tuesday concert in Loveland, Colorado featured a surprise reunion with Nita Strauss.

According to Louder, Strauss, who had just played nearby Denver with Demi Lovato on Monday, joined the shock rocker for a rendition of the classic “School’s Out.” Following the show, Strauss tweeted, “I had the best time! Thanks for the warm welcome.”

Strauss played guitar in Cooper’s touring band from 2014 to this year, when she announced she wouldn’t be joining the group on their fall tour. She then revealed she’d joined Lovato’s live band to tour the pop star’s new, rock-driven album, Holy F***.

Since sharing the news of her new gig, Strauss has suggested that her departure from Cooper’s band may not be permanent.

“There’s no shutting of a door and changing of the guard,” Strauss told Louder. “It’s just I’m taking a step back a little bit.”

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If you ask the average Harry Styles fan, chances are they’ll say seeing him in concert is much better than going to work or school. Well, one young fan took it a step further: she skipped daycare to see him live.

Harry had an aww-worthy exchange with his little fan, who is named Camila. TikTok user @strawberriesandstyles shared an adorable video of Camila holding up a sign that read, “Skipped daycare to be here.” The hitmaker took notice of the banner and the young child who was happily holding it.

Harry’s face lit up as he waved to her and asked while flashing a thumbs up, “Are you having a good time?” He appeared genuinely delighted when Camila said yes.  

“Look at that tiny face,” he gushed and continued to chat with his special guest. He asked her name and told her, “We hope you’re having a good time tonight. I hope you’re enjoying the show.” 

Harry then found out that this was Camila’s first concert, which made him even more ecstatic. “First concert. Get it. Let’s go,” he celebrated with a fist pump. He told the crowd to make noise for his young fan and declared, “Much better than daycare!”

Harry just wrapped a limited residency at Moody Center in Austin, Texas as part of his Love On Tour run. He now heads to Chicago’s United Center for another slew of dates, running from October 6 to October 15.

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Former First Lady Michelle Obama announced Wednesday a star-studded list of guest moderators who will join her on her upcoming book tour in support of The Light we Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times. 

The tour kicks off in Washington, D.C on November 15-17 with Ellen Degeneres moderating the first two nights. As the trek continues in major cities across the U.S. throughout the month of December, Mrs. Obama’s guests include Gayle King in Philadelphia, Tyler Perry for two nights in Atlanta and Tracee Ellis Ross in San Francisco. The final stop in Los Angeles will feature Oprah Winfrey.  

“For me, The Light We Carry book tour will be about starting important conversations and digging deeper into the questions that all of us are grappling with as we live through uncertain times,” Mrs. Obama said. “I can’t wait to get back on the road and dive into it with such a thoughtful, impressive group of moderators.”

The book — which releases globally on tour kick-off day, November 15 — features a series of fresh stories and reflections on change, challenge and power. It includes Mrs. Obama’s belief that “when we light up for others we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress.”

Tickets and a full list of tour dates are available at michelleobamabooks.com.

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Wynonna Judd is currently in the midst of The Judds’ farewell tour, a trek that she originally planned with her mom and duet partner, Naomi Judd.

But things changed after they announced the string of dates. Naomi died by suicide on April 30 at the age of 76 after a lifelong battle with mental illness. Wynonna ultimately decided to go ahead with the tour, albeit reconfigured as an all-star girls’ night with a rotating cast of guest performers, including Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde and others.

Though stepping out onstage without Naomi is a difficult and emotional experience, Wynonna says that the tour is a chance for both her and the audience to close a chapter of the legendary mother-daughter duo’s career.

“This is my opportunity to step into a situation that I don’t know that I am ready to do what I’m about to do, but I think it’s going to heal me,” the singer tells People.

She hopes that it’ll be a similarly cathartic experience for the concertgoers, many of whom have been fans of the Judds for decades and are also grieving Naomi’s death.

“I’m teaching what I want to learn, which is how to have peace and joy in a really negative [time],” Wynonna continues. “I want people to know that they’re loved. I want people to know that there is hope.”

The Judds Final Tour continues through this month. Martina McBride, who was named as the opening act on the original billing, will continue to perform all the dates.

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The xx hasn’t released a new album in over five years, but according to bassist/vocalist Oliver Sim, that streak won’t last forever.

Speaking with Consequence’s Kyle Meredith with… podcast, Sim declares that the “Crystalised” trio “definitely” plans to continue putting out new material.

“The xx will always be my home and will always be my priority,” Sim says. “Normally I wouldn’t speak for [bandmates] Romy [Madley Croft] and Jamie [xx], but I know they feel the same.”

Sim just dropped his debut solo album, Hideous Bastard, last month, and he’s “excited’ to see how that, as well as Croft and Jamie’s own solo material, will impact the direction of The xx’s music going forward.

“How is this gonna change the band?” Sim wonders. “What have we all learned independently?”

Before you start getting too excited, Sim notes that “nothing is recorded at the moment,” but does confirm that “There is more music from The xx, definitely.”

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When Carly Pearce stepped onstage at the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday night, her performance was extra meaningful and emotional: Loretta Lynn’s death had been announced just that morning.

Fans in the crowd might’ve guessed that Carly would perform “Dear Miss Loretta,” a tribute to the country legend that she included on 29: Written in Stone in September 2021, and she did — but that’s not all.

While she was onstage, Carly explained that after she released “Dear Miss Loretta,” she got a voicemail response about the song from Loretta herself. Then, she proceeded to pull out her cell phone and play the message for the crowd.

True to Loretta’s deadpan, forthright personality, the voicemail contained plenty of humor. “I’m layin’ here in bed, just taking it easy. I’m fixin’ to get up and wash my face maybe, comb my hair….I haven’t got no place to go, have I?!” the message opens.

But Loretta’s words quickly become more heartfelt. “I love your song. Thank you, sweetheart. I love you, honey,” she continues. “Come and see me sometime.”

As she played the voicemail, Carly turned to the crowd with tears in her eyes. “I’ve listened to that message a lot today, and if that doesn’t capture the purest form and the essence of her beautiful soul, I don’t know what else does,” she said before launching into her performance of “Dear Miss Loretta.”

Loretta Lynn died on Tuesday, October 4 at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. She was 90.

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How is Rihanna feeling about becoming the newest Super Bowl halftime performer? She finally broke her silence but made it clear she’s keeping her cards close.

TMZ ambushed the star in Los Angeles after she was done shopping to ask about the big game. Rihanna called the pap “sneaky” for waiting for her outside the store, but that didn’t stop her from throwing a few bones.

“I’m nervous,” she revealed through a dramatic whine when asked how she feels about taking on football’s biggest stage. She then quickly deadpanned, “But I’m excited.”

The pap didn’t let up and continued peppering Rihanna with NFL-centered questions, namely who will be accompanying her on the halftime show.

At the moment, no one has been announced as the singer’s co-headliner; there are some reports Rihanna will do the event solo — as Lady Gaga did in 2017.

The paparazzi threw out a few potential guests to Rihanna, such as A$AP Rocky, but she declined to answer. Instead, Rihanna threw up a peace sign and continued walking to her car. The hitmaker did call out a polite “Thank you, girl” before climbing into the vehicle.

The Super Bowl halftime show will mark Rihanna’s return to music after an extended, six-year absence. The singer last released the album Anti and its supporting tour back in 2016.

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