Funk/R&B legends Kool & the Gang will release Perfect Union, their first new studio album of original music in more than a decade, on August 20.
The 10-track collection was produced by the group’s late co-founder, Ronald Khalis Bell, who died in September of 2020 at age 68. The album, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available on CD and digital formats.
Perfect Union begins and ends with two different versions of a song titled “Pursuit of Happiness.” The second version of the track, a rap version, has been released as the album’s first single.
Kool & the Gang leader Robert “Kool” Bell explains, “My brother, Khalis, wrote the single ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ around the time of Obama‘s second campaign for President. That was such an inspirational time and the hook and music just bolted out of him. That time period was a pretty creative period for him and all of us.”
Adds Kool, “Now that he has passed, that [album title], Perfect Union makes even more sense to me. It’s about us. He used to say we were the ‘koolective’ genius of a band called Kool & the Gang. We came together as kids and it’s been a perfect union. He knew that.”
An animated music video for the track premiered this week at RollingStone.com, and you also can watch the clip on YouTube. It follows a robot, apparently living on a post-apocalyptic Earth, who creates a pair of goggles that allow other robots to see the planet as it once was. Together, they’re inspired to help make the Earth thrive again.
Here’s the full track list for Perfect Union:
“Pursuit of Happiness”
“The Weekend”
“Leave It on the Dance Floor”
“High”
“Sexy (Where’d You Get Yours)”
“All to Myself”
“R.O.Y.A.L.T.Y.” (Kool & The Gang Mix)
“Hold On”
“Good Time”
“Pursuit of Happiness” (Rap Version)
Eva Marie Uzcategui Trinkl/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
(SURFSIDE, Fla.) — As the recovery effort continues after the devastating partial collapse of a 12-story residential building in South Florida’s Miami-Dade County last month, there was a “small piece of good news” Friday, officials said, after a pet was reunited with its family.
A missing cat named Binx was found near the wreckage on Friday and reunited with its owners, who lived on the ninth floor of the tower, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a press briefing Friday evening.
“I’m glad that this small miracle could bring some light into the lives of a hurting family today and provide a bright spot for our whole community in the midst of this terrible tragedy,” she said.
The mayor did share any more details about the family. A volunteer who was feeding cats in the area recognized Binx and brought him to a local animal shelter, where it was identified as one of the cats missing after the disaster, she said.
At least 79 people have been confirmed dead and as many as 61 people remain missing following the collapse, officials said Friday.
Eight additional victims have been identified, the Miami Dade Police Department said Friday, including 3-year-old Luis Lopez Moreira III, the youngest so far; the boy’s father, Luis Pettengill, 36; and his mother, Sophia López Moreira, 36, the sister of Paraguay’s first lady, Silvana López Moreira. Two other children in the family remain missing.
The disaster occurred on June 24 around 1:15 a.m. local time at the Champlain Towers South condominium in the small, beachside town of Surfside, about 6 miles north of Miami Beach. Approximately 55 of the oceanfront complex’s 136 units were destroyed, according to officials. The rest of the building was demolished on Sunday night, due to concerns over structural integrity and an incoming tropical storm.
Meanwhile, 200 people who were living or staying in the condominium at the time of the disaster have been accounted for and are safe, according to Levine Cava, who has repeatedly stressed that the figures are “very fluid” and “continue to change.”
For over two weeks, hundreds of first responders carefully combed through the pancaked piles of debris in hopes of finding survivors. But no one has been found alive in the wreckage since the morning the building partially collapsed, and officials announced Wednesday evening that the search and rescue operation, in its 14th day, would shift to a recovery effort.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told reporters that the decision was “a result of a consensus by those closest to the rescue efforts that the possibility of someone still alive is near zero.”
To mark the somber move, a moment of silence was held Wednesday in honor of all the victims, of whom 53 have been identified. A candlelight vigil was held later that night at the memorial site for the victims.
Crews paused their work atop the piles early Thursday “for a brief moment of silence to honor the two-week mark since the collapse,” according to Levine Cava. Several families who lost loved ones were also brought to the site to pay their respects Thursday, she said.
“We have now officially transitioned from search and rescue to search and recovery,” Levine Cava said during a press conference Thursday morning. “The work continues with all speed and urgency. We are working around the clock to recover victims and bring closure to the families as fast as we possibly can.”
“We are taking as much care as ever to proceed to find victims in the rubble,” she added.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters that crews “will identify every single person” who’s found, and that officials also would continue to help the survivors and the families of the victims get back “on their feet as best as we possibly can.”
On Friday, the Broward County Medical Office started coming on-site to assist Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner Department personnel and help teams rotate more frequently, Levine Cava said.
“It is very, very valuable and critical that we provide some relief to those men and women working in the medical examiner’s office doing this vital work,” the mayor said during a press briefing Friday afternoon.
Crews have hauled away more than 13 million pounds of concrete and debris from the vast scene, and the pile of rubble is almost at ground level, Burkett said Friday. Some debris remains below ground level.
Officials said it could take several weeks to get to the bottom of the wreckage. Crews have been working virtually nonstop, with help from teams who came from across Florida and elsewhere in the United States as well as from abroad. However, their efforts were halted for almost an entire day last week due to safety concerns regarding the still-standing structure, prior to the demolition. Poor weather conditions have also forced them to temporarily pause working.
The cause of the partial collapse to a building that has withstood decades of hurricanes remains unknown and is under investigation. Built in the 1980s, the Champlain Towers South was up for its 40-year recertification and had been undergoing roof work — with more renovations planned — when it partially collapsed, according to officials.
An instrument featured on one of the most iconic album covers of the punk-rock era, The Clash‘s London Calling, will go on permanent display at the Museum of London on July 23.
The Clash’s Paul Simonon has indefinitely loaned the museum the Fender Precision bass that he smashed at a September 1979 concert by his legendary band at the New York City venue The Palladium.
A photo snapped by Pennie Smith of Simonon smashing the bass at the end of the show wound up on the cover of the British rockers’ classic album, which was released in December of ’79 in the U.K. and January 1980 in the U.S.
The bass previously was featured in the popular “The Clash: London Calling” exhibit that ran from from November 2019 to September 2020 at the Museum of London and celebrated the 40th anniversary of the album. The instrument now will go on display indefinitely in the museum’s World City gallery, and it eventually will be displayed at the facility’s planned new location in London’s West Smithfield section.
“We’re thrilled to have Paul Simonon’s Fender Precision bass on long-term loan,” says Museum of London curator Beatrice Behlen. “A seminal piece of music history, the moment the bass was smashed was immortalised on The Clash’s seminal album London Calling, a rallying call for Londoners and people around the world.”
She adds, “We are aware that many were unable to see the guitar as part of our exhibition The Clash: London Calling in 2020 due to coronavirus, so we are pleased to provide a second opportunity to see it.”
Free tickets to view the World City gallery can be reserved at MuseumofLondon.org.uk.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SHEIN Together Fest 2021
Here’s a roundup of new music from today’s hottest R&B and hip-hop artists.
Tinashe dropped off another single, “Bouncin’,” from her upcoming album, 333. The futuristic dance song flirts with both pop and R&B sounds, while Tinashe sings about sending dirty pics to her lover and sweating out her edges at the club.
“Watch it bouncin’ on the ground/ Got my edges sweating out/ Turn it up extra loud (Uh, oh ohhh)/ Yeah tonight we stepping out/ Been a minute since/ I found someone who could hold it down,” she sings.
“Bouncin'” follows Tinashe’s June release, “Pasadena” featuring Buddy.
Meanwhile, New Orleans singer Lucky Daye has lent vocals to “Sinner,” the new single from Nigerian artist Adekunle Gold. The romantic song tells the story of two lovers and takes inspiration from the biblical story of King David and Bathsheba.
Rappers Kid Ink and RMR Chanel dropped their summer-ready single “Party,” which includes a reworked version of the chorus of Jagged Edge‘s 2001 hit “Where the Party At,” featuring Nelly.
Last but not least, rising singer Mariah the Scientist shares her new album, Ry Ry World. Mariah uses her R&B vocal stylings to sing relatable songs about love, heartbreak and seeking “Revenge” on an ex from her past. Ry Ry World also features appearances from rappers Lil Baby and Young Thug. Earlier this week, Mariah the Scientist dropped a music video for her single “Aura.”
And, in case you missed it, the soundtrack for the upcoming film Space Jam: A New Legacy is out now. It features Saweetie, Cordae, Salt-N-Pepa, Kash Doll, Joyner Lucas and more, including Lil Babyand KirkFranklin on the new single “We Win.”
Space Jam: A New Legacy arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on July 16.
Ice Nine Kills has announced a new album titled The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood.
The follow-up to 2018’s The Silver Scream is due out October 15. Its lead single, “Hip to Be Scared,” which features Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix, is available now for digital download.
“Hip to Be Scared” is accompanied by a video, which, in keeping with INK’s horror-metal theme, is basically a note-for-note parody of the 2000 film American Psycho, specifically the scene where Christian Bale‘s Patrick Bateman murders Jared Leto‘s character with an axe after sharing his thoughts on the Huey Lewis hit “Hip to Be Square.”
You can watch the “Hip to Be Scared” video streaming now on YouTube.
The first Silver Scream album features the singles “A Grave Mistake” and “Savages.”
One of Alessia Cara‘s idols is Amy Winehouse, so she was thrilled when, for one of the two singles she’s releasing next week, she got to work with Amy’s producer, Salaam Remi. But as Alessia tells Billboard, the connection went even deeper than that.
Speaking about her single “Shapeshifter,” Alessia says, “I got to write it in the room and house where [Amy] wrote all of Back to Black, which was so crazy for me. It was just one of those full-circle, beautiful, magical moments. Working with Salaam was amazing because they were so close.”
Back to Black was Amy’s final album before her tragic death in 2011 at age 27. It won her five Grammys, including Best Pop Vocal Album.
The other single Alessia’s putting out next week is called “Sweet Dream,” which Alessia says is about her insomnia. “I’ve always struggled with falling asleep my whole life, and being in quarantine, being alone, I didn’t have a lot going on in my life, so I was like, ‘I need to write about this,'” she tells Billboard.
Asked what advice she’d give Olivia Rodrigo, who’s experiencing stardom at the same age at which the now 24-year-old Alessia first did, the Canadian Grammy-winner says, “It seems like she’s got it down, but I just guess … stay firm in your beliefs and in who you are.”
“My manager always tells me that the things that you say no to are often more important than the things you say yes to,” she adds. “So I would say that. Stand your ground and don’t be afraid to say no. And ‘no’ is a full sentence.”
Deftones‘ North American tour has been postponed to 2022.
The outing, which also includes Gojira on the bill, had previously been delayed to this summer from its original 2020 itinerary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’ll now launch in April of next year.
“This is not an easy decision, but one we felt necessary,” Deftones writes in a statement. “Giving this tour a little more breathing room will give space to, and help ensure we can make every date with confidence.”
Previously purchased tickets will be valid for the rescheduled dates, and refunds are available for those who can no longer attend. Additionally, new shows have been added in Las Vegas, Nashville and Cincinnati.
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Deftones.com.
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Emily Weisband enlists Little Big Town band mate Karen Fairchild for her newest song, “butterfly.”
“From the moment I heard this song I couldn’t stop listening and harassing Emily about it!” Karen explains. “It’s so relatable — the stages of love and how they change. Emily’s voice and writing has a vulnerability that is gut-wrenching. I’m so happy that she asked me to be a part of it.”
Emily got the idea for the song as she reflected on how the passage of time affects a relationship. “As fun as the butterflies are when you’re first falling in love, they do fly away and that’s when love becomes a choice,” she says.
“I wanted to write a song about staying even when the feelings fade, and I’m so honored that Karen wanted to sing this song with me,” Emily adds. “We felt like telling this story from both the perspective of a woman in a new relationship and a woman who’s been married for years was a really powerful way to share it.”
The new track follows Emily’s most recent EP, I Call It Being Human. In her work as a songwriter, she’s teamed up with country A-Listers like Dan + Shay and Keith Urban, as well as pop stars like BTS, Halsey and Camila Cabello.
With a pic on Instagram from star and co-executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker, it’s official: production has begun on the new Sex and the City sequel, Just Like That…
The photo shows Carrie Bradshaw herself with her co-producer co-stars Cynthia Nixon, who;s back as Miranda Hobbes, and Kristin Davis, reprising her role as Charlotte York Goldenblatt, all looking fierce in New York City.
Kim Cattrall, who played Samantha Jones in the beloved HBO series and its two subsequent feature films, will not return for this new chapter.
The 10-episode series will focus on Bradshaw, Hobbes and York Goldenblatt as they “navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s,” according to a summary of the show.
And Just Like That… will also feature Sara Ramírez, as well as returning SATC stars Chris Noth, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Willie Garson and Evan Handler.
A premiere date for the series, which will stream on HBO Max, has not yet been announced.
(NEW YORK) — Sir Richard Branson is set to briefly leave earth’s atmosphere on Sunday, risking it all to usher in a new era of space tourism that has been propelled by a billionaire-backed commercial space industry.
“We’ve spent 17 years trying to get to this stage,” Branson said in an interview with ABC News’ “Good Morning America” last week. “I’m just expecting the most extraordinary trip of my lifetime and by pioneering it myself, an extraordinary trip of a lifetime for other people in the future.”
If all goes well, Branson will beat fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos — who revealed he was launching via his own rocket on July 20 — into space by just over a week. While Branson said he doesn’t see it as a “race,” his own spaceflight announcement came just hours after Bezos’ revealed he was bringing along a female pilot whose dreams of being an astronaut in the ’60s were deferred.
The two launches within ten days of each other leave some to speculate whether these billionaires are “democratizing space” as they claim, or seeking bragging rights here on Earth. Still, as with all spaceflights, swaths of viewers from across the globe are expected to tune in — and there are no guarantees of safety as the ultra-rich use themselves as guinea pigs for their space-travel firms.
Here is what to know about Branson’s trip to the edge of space, scheduled to take off Sunday morning.
What is happening and how to watch
Branson, 70, will take-off aboard the first fully crewed flight from his private space-faring firm Virgin Galactic. The spaceflight will be streamed live on Virgin Galactic’s website as well as its Twitter, YouTube and Facebook pages. ABC News will also carry live coverage of the event.
The launch will take place from New Mexico’s Spaceport America, and live coverage will commence at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday.
Branson will serve as a mission specialist on what is being dubbed the Unity 22 mission, the company’s fourth crewed spaceflight on its VSS Unity spacecraft. Branson will be accompanied into space by fellow Virgin Galactic staff: Beth Moses (chief astronaut instructor), Colin Bennet (lead operations engineer), and Sirisha Bandla (vice president of government affairs and research operations).
Pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci will fly the spaceship, with C.J. Sturckow and Kelly Latimer flying the aircraft from which the spaceship will dispatch.
Branson’s role is to evaluate the private astronaut experience to prepare for future customers, which Virgin Galactic expects to do beginning in 2022.
R&B singer Khalid tweeted Friday that he will be at the launch, and debuting a new song.
Flight details
The VSS Unity spacecraft launches from a custom-built “mothership” aircraft, the VMS Eve, that takes off from a conventional runway. At an altitude of approximately 50,000 feet, the spaceship will be released from the aircraft and enter its glide to the edges of space where those aboard can experience just a few minutes of microgravity, as well as novel views of earth and space. Previous test flights for the spaceship reached an altitude of 55.5 miles.
As gravity pulls the spaceship back toward Earth’s upper atmosphere, the astronauts will buckle back into their seats for reentry. Eventually, the spaceship will glide back to Spaceport America for a runway landing. Branson has said in previous interviews that the flight will take about 1 1/2 hours total.
Virgin Galactic has taken heat from critics, including the twitter account of Bezos’ firm Blue Origin, for stretching the definition of “space” as its flights do not go above the Karman line (62 miles above earth) that is defined by many — but not all — as the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and space.
Neither Blue Origin nor Virgin Galactic’s flights will reach Earth’s orbit, however, the way Elon Musk’s SpaceX missions have. Musk on Twitter has called out this “big difference.”
The billionaires’ race to space
The modern commercial space race has been undeniably dominated by the ultra-rich. Blue Origin founder Bezos is the richest man in the world, according to Forbes data, and SpaceX CEO Musk is the third-richest. Branson’s net worth, meanwhile, is some $6 billion.
While this has led some to see space as a new frontier for billionaire daredevils, others have argued that the rise of private sector involvement in space travel has accelerated technological advancements, saved NASA money, and carries the longterm potential to open up space tourism to all who have been curious about the cosmos.
“I truly believe that space belongs to all of us,” Branson said in a statement earlier this month announcing his spaceflight. “After 17 years of research, engineering and innovation, the new commercial space industry is poised to open the universe to humankind and change the world for good.”
Virgin Galactic has stated its mission is “democratizing space” and increasing accessibility. Its initial price of tickets, however, cost $250,000. Bezos, meanwhile, auctioned a seat on his upcoming Blue Origin flight for a whopping $28 million.
As the pandemic spotlighted the nation’s wealth inequality and deepened the divide between the haves and have-nots, not everyone is rooting for the billionaires the way Americans got behind astronauts in the Apollo era. A Change.org petition calling for Bezos to stay in space has garnered headlines and more than 150,000 signatures.
Animosity was exacerbated by recent reports on how Bezos and Musk have avoided paying income taxes.
Earlier this year, progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., responded to one of Musk’s tweets about a “multiplanetary” future, calling for him to “focus on Earth.”
“Space travel is an exciting idea, but right now we need to focus on Earth and create a progressive tax system so that children don’t go hungry, people are not homeless and all Americans have healthcare,” Sanders wrote. “The level of inequality in America is obscene and a threat to our democracy.”
