Music

Leah Kate’s the latest artist to see her viral TikTok song turn into a bona fide radio hit. After she posted a snippet of her song “10 Things I Hate About You” on the app, it went viral, then blew up on digital service providers and is now on radio stations nationwide. And that’s something that Leah says she just can’t get her head around.

“I don’t believe it. I’m just like, ‘What?'” she laughs. “In my head, I’m so, like, ‘Please listen to my music. I’ll do anything … stream my song!’ … so it hasn’t connected in my brain. Like, reality hasn’t caught up with what the truth is, in my head. So every time I hear it on the radio, I’m like, ‘Oh, how is this possible?'”

And no, despite the song’s title, it was not inspired by the 1999 rom-com starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger. “I love the movie, but it actually had nothing to do with the creation of the song,” Leah tells ABC Audio.

She explains, “I was not over this guy and I was like, ‘I need to get over him.’ [But] I could only really remember the good parts of our relationship, [so] I was like, ‘OK, Leah, time to remember the bad parts,’ because there are way more bad parts than good!”

Leah adds, “I started writing this list of everything I hated about him, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is kind of a fun song idea.’… It started out as, like, 100 things, and then I narrowed it down to 10 things.”

You’ll hear Leah performing that song and more as she kicks off a tour with Australian band Chase Atlantic on Wednesday.

“You can expect, like, so much new music in the set,” she promises, teasing “crazy things and visuals.” “It’s going to be really fun. I’m so excited!”

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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The backlash that Adele experienced after she abruptly called off her Las Vegas residency back in January turned her into a “shell of a person,” the singer told told BBC Radio.

Appearing on an episode of BBC Radio 4’s program Desert Island Discs, which aired on Sunday night, Adele revealed, “I definitely felt everyone’s disappointment and I was devastated and I was frightened about letting them down. I thought I could pull it together and make it work and I couldn’t, and I stand by that decision.”

However, Adele admitted, “I was a shell of a person for a couple of months,” she continued. “I just had to wait it out and just grieve it, I guess, just grieve the shows and get over the guilt, but it was brutal.”

Adele insisted that the show as it was simply wasn’t “good enough,” adding, “I’m not going to just do a show because I have to or because people are going to be let down or because we’re going to lose loads of money.”

Addressing why she hasn’t given fans any updates as to when the residency might be rescheduled, Adele told the program, “Of course I could be someone on TikTok or Instagram Live every day being like, ‘I’m working on it.’ Of course I’m working on it! I’m not gonna update you if I ain’t got nothing to update you with because that just leads to more disappointment.”

In February, Adele told talk show host Graham Norton that the residency would “absolutely 100%” happen this year.  On Friday, the BBC reports, she told the audience at her concert in London’s Hyde Park that she’d been announcing the dates “very, very soon,” and she was waiting for one more piece of equipment to be ready.

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Night two of the much-anticipated Essence Fest concert series at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans saw soulful performances by leading ladies of R&B: Jazmine Sullivan, Summer Walker, Patti LaBelle and more.

Janet Jackson headlined the night’s entertainment with epic song-and-dance showings of some of her most iconic hits, including “If” and “I Get So Lonely.”

Straight out of the gate, the multi-talented singer, 56, proved to be just as energetic and flexible as early ’90s Jackson, sporting a fierce sparkly Black jumpsuit and leading the pack of backup dancers through just about every hit.

Thousands of excited attendees packed the house, returning the love Jackson dished throughout her hour-and-fifteen-minute-long performance and sang along to fan favorites like “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “State of the World” and “Let’s Wait Awhile.”

Before Jackson came the “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle, who in all of her iconic glory, hit the C-Walk dance, belted out notes high and low and commanded the stage as she’s known to do. With songs like “Love, Need and Want You” and “If Only You Knew,” LaBelle seemed to have left the crowd more than pleased.

When Grammy-winning singer Jazmine Sullivan graced the stage, the room went wild with applause. With great ease, Sullivan delivered memorable performances of “Bodies (Intro)” and “On It” from her smash album Heaux Tales.

Adorning her newly announced growing baby bump, Summer Walker kicked off Ladies Night using her calm but appreciated energy to perform hits such as “Girls Need Love” and “No Love.”

The 2022 Essence Fest concert series continues Sunday with City Girls, Lil Kim, Wizkid, New Edition and more, streaming live on Hulu starting at 7 p.m. CT.

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Halsey has been outspoken about their anger over the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court last month, leading fans in a chant of “my body, my choice” at an Arizona concert and telling those in favor of the ruling to “go home right now. I don’t care.”  Now, they’ve written an essay for Vogue detailing their own experiences with abortion and why motherhood has only strengthened their resolve to fight for abortion rights.

In the essay, Halsey reveals, “I miscarried three times before my 24th birthday,” adding, “One of my miscarriages required ‘aftercare,’ a gentle way of saying that I would need an abortion, because my body could not terminate the pregnancy completely on its own and I would risk going into sepsis without medical intervention.”

“During this procedure, I cried. I was afraid for myself and I was helpless,” they continue. “I was desperate to end the pregnancy that was threatening my life.” 

Revealing that they’d changed their will during pregnancy so they could donate their organs if they were brain-dead, but their heart was still beating, Halsey noted the irony in the fact that “a beating heart in my womb could mean I couldn’t consent to saving my own life.”

While they’ve since been asked many times if becoming a mother has changed their views on abortion, Halsey writes, “The answer is firmly no. In fact, I have never felt more strongly about it. My abortion saved my life and gave way for my son to have his.”

They conclude, “Every person deserves the right to choose when, if, and how they have this dangerous and life-altering experience. I will hold my son in one arm, and fight with all my might with the other.”

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Travis Barker took to social media Saturday to explain the medical emergency that landed him in the hospital earlier in the week.

He confirmed that he suffered from a “severe life-threatening” case of pancreatitis.

“I went in for an endoscopy Monday feeling great. But After dinner, I developed excruciating pain and have been hospitalized ever since,” Barker tweeted.

“During the endoscopy, I had a very small polyp removed right in a very sensitive area, usually handled by specialists, which unfortunately damaged a critical pancreatic drainage tube,” he continued. “This resulted in severe life-threatening pancreatitis.”

“I am so very very grateful that with intensive treatment I am currently much better,” Barker wrote.

Barker’s wife, Kourtney Kardashian, also broke her silence on the medical scare, writing on her Instagram Story, “Oh what a scary and emotional week it has been. Our health is everything and sometimes we take for granted how quickly it can change.”

She continued, “I am so grateful to God for healing my husband, for all of your prayers for him and for us, for the overwhelming outpouring of love and support. I am so touched and appreciative.”

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After a long day of nonstop experiences, panels, discussions, giveaways and more, day two of the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans rounded out with a star-studded lineup of performances from top Black music stars of today.

For the first time on the Essence Fest stage, Nicki Minaj delivered an hour-long set featuring some of her chart-topping hits like “Moment 4 Life” and “Super Bass” as well as throwback classics like “Itty Bitty Piggy” and “Beez in the Trap.”

Following Tamron Hall’s high-energy introduction of the rap superstar, it took about 45 minutes before Minaj finally made her grand entrance onto the Caesars Superdome stage. But fans were quickly pleased by the new visuals, rare showings of catalog favorites and surprise appearances by Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne.

Lauryn Hill graced the stage alongside her Fugees family, Wyclef Jean & friends, in a nostalgic performance of “Killing Me Softly,” “Ready or Not” and other classic hits.

The Black joy was in full effect when rap legend Nas blazed the stage for close to an hour. The New York native took fans on a journey down memory lane with his iconic ’90s and 2000s songs, including, “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That),” “Hot Boyz” and “Oochie Wally.”

Country star Mickey Guyton kicked off the night’s entertainment. She welcomed fellow country singer Brittney Spencer to the stage for a heartfelt performance of “Black Like Me,” a song released in 2020 amidst the George Floyd protests.

The 2022 Essence Fest concert series continues Saturday with headliners Janet Jackson, Summer Walker, Jazmine Sullivan, Chloe x Halle and more, streaming live on Hulu starting at 7 p.m. CT.

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Romeo Miller made his first public appearance since the news of the death of his 29-year-old sister Tytyana Miller, at the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture on Friday. From the Essence Wealth & Power stage, Miller, fellow panelists Lori Harvey and AT&T executive Michelle Jordan discussed ways to help advance Black representation in business. The 32-year-old entertainer also shared special words of wisdom for Black leaders who wish to become successful entrepreneurs.

“Laws and keys to success from the bible,” Miller began, reading from his bible study notes saved on his cell phone.

“You must understand your potential. You must have passion. Although you have vision and passion, you must have principles to protect them,” he read. “You have to plan your strategy to be successful. If you’re going to be successful, you have to protect yourself from the wrong people. That’s the big key right there. And the longest way to success is a shortcut.”

Miller finished by emphasizing the idea that Black leaders shouldn’t “cheat yourself,” while reiterating a key point in his speech: “the longest way to success is a shortcut.”

Throughout the discussion, the Growing Up Hip Hop alum provided personal life details including his status as second generation, only after his father, successful rapper and record label founder, Master P. He also opened up about his own entrepreneurial journey.

“I was literally in one of my film classes at USC a few years ago and all of the movies we were watching, it was only white actors,” he recalled. “How do you think the young Black girl, the young Black boy is going to think the world is represented?”

And that’s the reason events like the Essence Fest are important, Miller says, “Because we need generational love in the Black community.”

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Fans in Las Vegas may not have gotten the concerts they were promised earlier this year, but Adele kept her appointment with her hometown crowd in London Friday night at Hyde Park.

It was the first time she’d performed in London since 2017, and even then, she canceled the final two shows of her four-night run at Wembley Stadium due to vocal issues.  As Variety reports, when Adele took the stage Friday night, she started “Hello,” and then stopped to exclaim, “I’m so happy to be here!”

According to Variety, Adele did just as much chatting as she did singing, sharing stories about binging Stranger Things and taking her son to see Billie Eilish, and how much she likes Britney Spears memes. She also read the signs fans held up, and congratulated them on the special occasions they were celebrating, like birthdays, anniversaries and divorces.

But of course, she also sang: the setlist included songs old and new, from “Skyfall,” “Make You Feel My Love” and “Rumour Has It” to “Easy on Me,” “Oh My God” and “I Drink Wine.”  Of course, she sang “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You”  and “Set Fire to the Rain.”

Adele even appeared to address her Las Vegas residency, which has yet to be rescheduled. “I know a lot of things have happened with this album, I know a lot of you feel let down and I’m mortified,” she said, according to to Variety. “But I take my music very seriously and I had to do that.”

According to setlist.fm, here’s full list of what Adele sang Friday in London, as part of Hyde Park’s British Summer Time festival:

“Hello”
“I Drink Wine”
“I’ll Be Waiting”
“Rumour Has It”
“Water Under the Bridge”
“One and Only“
“Skyfall”
“Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”
“Easy on Me”
“All I Ask”
“Make You Feel My Love”
“Someone Like You”
“Oh My God”
“Set Fire to the Rain”
“Hold On”
“Rolling in the Deep”
Encore:
“When We Were Young”
“Love Is a Game”

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Earlier this year, it was reported that Jack White and his label, Third Man Records, had obtained the rights to release the lost Prince album Camille. White has now shared a bit more info about the project and, more specifically, what he will not be doing with the record.

In an Instagram post, White sets out to clarify a “misleading” recent headline reporting that he “plans to ‘re-edit'” Camille.

“I want to make sure the message is clear,” White says. “Neither I nor Third Man Records, have any intention of ‘editing’ or ‘remixing’ Prince’s music.”

Prince originally recorded Camille in 1986 under a pseudonym. While all the songs on the album were eventually put out, including on Prince’s 1987 record Sign o’ the Times, they were never released together as a single package.

“I was referring to simply putting the songs in the original order that the album Camille was in, as those songs have been put out in multiple releases since Camille was first taken off the presses,” White explains.

“I would never mess with Prince’s music,” he adds. “Hopefully that clears up any misunderstanding, and this album can see the light of day in its original form.”

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