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Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Jim Morrison among music artists with the biggest vocabularies, study finds

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Elena Di Vincenzo/Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

Besides being the godmother of punk, Patti Smith also is an acclaimed poet and an award-winning author. So it’s no surprise Smith is the singer with the biggest vocabulary, according to a new study that ranks 200 different music artists based on their song lyrics.

Word.Tips, which conducted the study, found that Smith uses 217 unique words per 1,000 words appearing in her songs.

At #2 is legendary singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, with 199. Other veteran artists ranked in the top 10 include late Doors frontman Jim Morrison at #4, with 177; late country singer Hank Williams at #6, with 167; The Everly Brothers‘ Don Everly at #7, with 163; Bonnie Raitt at #8, with 159; and the late Johnny Cash at #10, with 158.

Perhaps surprisingly, Bob Dylan, the singer/songwriter considered by many to be one of the music world’s greatest wordsmiths, was at #44 on the list with 130 unique words per 1,000 — tied with David Bowie.

However, Dylan does top a separate list ranking the artists who have used the most unique words over the course of their entire career. According to the study, he has 12,285 different words in his songs. Prince is second on the tally, with 11,430; Elton John is third, with 9,467; Lou Reed‘s fourth, with 8,979; and Bruce Springsteen is fifth, with 8,862.

The artists that are part of the study came from Rolling Stone‘s list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time,” and a list of Spotify’s 100 most-listened-to modern stars as determined by Kworb.net.

Jadakiss crowns himself “The Black Mamba of vocals” after Verzuz battle

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jadakiss backstage at Madison Square Garden during his August 3, 2021 Verzuz; Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Jadakiss feels like Kobe Bryant after Tuesday night’s Verzuz battle between The Lox and Dipset. Both legendary rap groups went back and forth playing their group anthems, as well as their classic solo hits, at the Hulu Theater in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

On Wednesday, Jadakiss crowned himself “The Black Mamba of the vocals” on Instagram and shared a photo of himself wearing a DMX jacket while holding a bottle of what appears to be champagne. The image pays homage to late Los Angeles Lakers player Bryant, who sat in the same pose while holding the championship trophy after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals.

Jadakiss is the first rapper to win two Verzuz battles after his solo match-up against Fabulous in June 2020. Fans were impressed with the Lox rapper delivering another killer performance at the age of 46 with the same passion and hunger he had during his early years under Bad Boy Records.

“Jadakiss smoked Fab and Dipset by himself. Now yall understand why Kiss is top five dead or alive,” tweeted one fan, while another said, “If you want to be a rapper, study Jadakiss’ breath control.”

Another fan tweeted, “Jadakiss went through two different #verzuz and ran each one, solo and with a crew. It’s proper time we rewrite the books on how damn special he is at this rapping/performing/entertainment thing.”

Report: The Weeknd’s new video won’t air in IMAX theaters due to “intense strobe lighting”

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Weeknd will release his eagerly anticipated new song “Take My Breath” on Friday, but the video for the clip won’t premiere in IMAX theaters as originally planned.

A source tells Variety that the video was set to air before showings of the new movie The Suicide Squad, but those plans have been cancelled because there is “intense strobe lighting” in the clip, and that might trigger epileptic seizures in some viewers.

The Weeknd announced the track on Instagram as part of an Olympics promo focusing on the U.S. Women’s Track & Field team through the eyes of runners Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Gabby Thomas and Athing Mu.

There are several shots on The Weeknd’s Instagram that appear to be stills taken from the video. In one shot, he appears to be holding onto the waist of a woman wearing black leather and chains, while inhaling from an oxygen mask.

The singer recently told GQ, “I am not dark. My art is dark, and I’ve gone through dark times. I’ve used those dark times as inspiration for my art. But I feel like because I’m not dark, I was able to channel it and put it into my music and into my art.”

Garth Brooks invites fans to mask up at upcoming Kansas City show: “You can’t be safe enough”

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

As he considers reevaluating his Stadium Tour plans due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Garth Brooks is making one thing clear: He doesn’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable for wearing a mask to a show.

Ahead of his planned August 7 concert in Kansas City, Missouri, Garth spoke to fans via his Inside Studio G Facebook series.

“Follow all the rules. Make up your own rules, too,” the singer said. “You can’t be safe enough. You can’t be cautious enough. Keep your space. Keep your distance.”

He also encouraged concert-goers to mask up if doing so makes them more comfortable. “Please feel free to wear the masks at the concert. Nobody is going to look at you strange, I promise,” Garth stressed.

The Kansas City stadium show — which is expecting to host 70,000 Garth fans — will feature an on-site vaccination clinic. Per Rolling Stone, those who get vaccinated at the show will be eligible for a “ticket upgrade raffle.”

Earlier this week, Garth announced that he’s hitting pause on ticket sales for the Stadium Tour after next week’s sold-out Lincoln, Nebraska date. There will be a three-week window in which no shows will be scheduled, and ticket sales for his recently-announced Seattle date on September 4 will be halted.

Watch trailer for ‘The Sound and Fury of Rick James’; Leslie Jones joins HBO Max’s ‘Our Flag Means Death’; & more

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A trailer for the upcoming Rick James doc, B*tchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James has been released.

Directed by Emmy-nominee and hip-hop journalist Sacha Jenkins, the new feature offers an in-depth look at one of the most controversial and confrontational figures in “punk-funk” music. Known for hits songs like “Super Freak” and “Give It to Me,” James, who passed away in 2004, was a formidable figure in music during the ’70s and ’80s as a songwriter, performer and producer. According to Showtime, the doc will “present a full picture of James’ dramatic rise and fall,” as well as feature rare footage of James’incredible live shows, never-before-seen home video and original interviews with legendary artists. B*tchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James will premiere on Friday, September 3, at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.

In other news, Leslie Jones has been tapped as a recurring guest star on Taika Waititi and David Jenkins‘ HBO Max pirate comedy series Our Flag Means Death, Deadline has learned. She joins Nat Faxon, who was also announced. The series follows a pampered aristocrat who “abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate.” Other stars include Kristian Nairn, Nathan Foad, Samson Kayo, Rory Kinnear, Con O’Neill, Vico Ortiz, among others.

Finally, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, Mustafa Shakir and Ben Foster have joined the cast of the Antoine Fuqua-directed thriller Emancipation, Variety reports. Inspired by the true story of “Whipped Peter,” the film follows an enslaved person who emancipates himself and later joins the Union Army. As previously reported, Will Smith will star as Peter, a runaway slave who flees a Louisiana plantation in hopes of traveling north to freedom. A release date for Emancipation has yet to be announced.

Halsey posts photo of her nursing her newborn in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Savage X Fenty Show Presented by Amazon Prime Video

Halsey is working to end the stigma around breastfeeding.

First, she aimed to do it with the symbolic cover art for her upcoming album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. Now, she’s putting it into real-life practice with her newborn baby, Ender.

The singer posted a photo of herself breastfeeding the baby outdoors in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week.

“We arrived just in time!” she captioned the photo, using the hashtag #worldbreastfeedingweek.

Ender Ridley, the first child for Halsey and her partner Alev Aydin, was born on July 14.

Halsey’s new album, in which she explores “the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth,” is due out August 27.

Halsey previously said of the album’s cover art, “This cover image celebrates pregnant and postpartum bodies as something beautiful, to be admired. We have a long way to go with eradicating the social stigma around bodies & breastfeeding. I hope this can be a step in the right direction!”

John Mellencamp’s ‘The Good Samaritan Tour 2000’ doc arriving later this month along with soundtrack album

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

John Mellencamp‘s recently announced documentary The Good Samaritan Tour 2000 will premiere August 27 on Turner Classic Movies’ YouTube channel, and a companion live album will be released the same day.

As previously reported, the film focuses on Mellencamp’s 2000 trek of the same name, which featured a series of free, unannounced concerts held at parks, on street corners and in other public spaces in select major cities in the Midwest and on the East Coast. John played acoustic guitar at the shows, backed by only a viola player and an accordion player.

The doc is narrated by Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey.

Mellencamp co-produced the film, which was directed by Shan Dan Horan. The movie also includes special contributions from Nora Guthrie, daughter of late folk legend Woody Guthrie.

You can check out a trailer for The Good Samaritan Tour 2000 at John’s official YouTube channel. Following the movie’s debut, Mellencamp will appear as a guest programmer on the Turner Classic Movies network in September.

The soundtrack album, which is available for pre-order now, features 12 performances, including renditions the Mellencamp hits “Small Town” and “Pink Houses,” some deeper cuts from his catalog and covers of such tunes as Bob Dylan‘s “All Alng the Watchtower,” Donovan‘s “Hey Gyp” and The Rolling Stones‘ “Street Fighting Man.”

Here’s the full track list for The Good Samaritan Tour 2000 companion album:

“Small Town”
“Oklahoma Hills”
“In My Time of Dying”
“Captain Bobby Stout”
“Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)”
“All Along the Watchtower”
“The Spider and the Fly”
“Early Bird Café”
“Hey Gyp”
“Street Fighting Man”
“Cut Across Shorty”
“Pink Houses”

Megan Thee Stallion strips down to her Calvin Klein underwear

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Megan Thee Stallion showcases her modeling prowess in photos from her latest campaign with Calvin Klein.

On Wednesday, the “Savage” rapper took to her Instagram to share a series of photos of herself in two tank top-and-panty sets from the shoot. “#Mycalvins,” she writes in the caption to accompany the images.

In two photos, Megan poses in a black thong and a tank top with the Calvin Klein logo in the corner. In three other pics, she poses in a white tank and grey briefs with the brand’s classic logo along with the trim.

“So pretty,” wrote R&B singer Sevyn Streeter in the comments, while Megan’s thirsty boyfriend Pardi Fontaine shared nine emojis of a face with the tongue sticking out.

“I walk around the house butt-naked/ And I stop at every mirror just to look at my posterior,” wrote one fan, quoting lyrics from Megan’s latest single, “Thot S***.”

Megan Thee Stallion is the fourth female rapper to star in a Calvin Klein campaign, after Foxy Brown in 1999, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez in 2000, and Chika in 2019. Megan’s campaign photos have been plastered on billboards in major cities like Los Angeles and New York, inspiring women not to be afraid to show off their natural curves.

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Mudvayne & others join lineup for inaugural Voragos festival

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The reunited Mudvayne‘s comeback tour now includes one more stop.

Chad Gray and company are performing during the inaugural Voragos concert cruise and destination festival, setting sail in February 2022. The “Dig” outfit is taking the place of Chevelle, who had to drop off the bill due to a scheduling conflict.

“I still can’t believe I’m saying…MUDVAYNE IS BACK,” says Gray. “It’s been a long time coming. We are very excited to get back on stage in front of all the OG Oxygen Wasters and the New Ones that have NEVER seen us!”

Atreyu, Crown the Empire and Afterlife also have joined the Voragos lineup, which already included Rob Zombie, Mastodon, Black Stone Cherry, New Years Day, Tremonti, Saint Asonia, Tetrarch and Escape the Fate, among others.

For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit Voragos.com.

Mudvayne announced earlier this year that they were reuniting for a batch of fall festivals, ending the group’s decade-long hiatus. Their schedule includes sets at Inkcarceration, Louder than Life, Aftershock and Welcome to Rockville.

Get a look at Disney princess Billie Eilish in “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles”

August 4, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Disney+ has released a teaser-trailer for Billie Eilish‘s upcoming “cinematic concert experience,” Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles.

The clip opens with a shot of Billie lounging in a big chair as we hear the title track of her new album, Happier Than Ever. Suddenly, she morphs into an animated Disney princess-looking character, and then morphs back to regular Billie.

Next we see Billie and her brother FINNEAS rocking on the stage of the legendary Hollywood Bowl along with the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra. The special will feature Billie performing every song on her new album in sequential order — for the first and only time, we’re told.

But the opening shot of the teaser hints at another aspect of the special: It will include animated elements that will take viewers “on a dreamlike journey through Billie’s hometown of Los Angeles and its most iconic backdrops.”

Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles streams on Disney+ starting on September 3.

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