Category Archives: Music

Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande Lead VMA Nominations

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By Creative Media Times

Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande leads this year’s nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA), with each artist receiving 10 nominations which was announced on Tuesday.

Newcomers and first-time VMA nominees Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X also received multiple nominations. Both had a big year this year with “Bad Guy” and “Old Town Road” respectively, and will face off in the Best New Artist category.

There are also two new categories this year: Best K-Pop and Video for Good.

The event is set to be hosted by comedian Sebastian Maniscalco, and will air live from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Monday, Aug. 26 at 8/7c.

See the full list of nominees below:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

21 Savage ft. J. Cole — “a lot” — Epic Records
Billie Eilish — “Bad Guy” — Darkroom/Interscope Records
Ariana Grande — “thank u, next” — Republic Records
Jonas Brothers — “Sucker” — Republic Records
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus — “Old Town Road (Remix)” — Columbia Records
Taylor Swift — “You Need to Calm Down” — Republic Records

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Cardi B — Atlantic Records
Billie Eilish — Darkroom/Interscope Records
Ariana Grande — Republic Records
Halsey — Astralwerks/Capitol Records
Jonas Brothers — Republic Records
Shawn Mendes– Island Records

SONG OF THE YEAR

Drake — “In My Feelings” — Young Money/Cash Money/Republic Records
Ariana Grande — “thank u, next” — Republic Records
Jonas Brothers — “Sucker” — Republic Records
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper — “Shallow” — Interscope Records
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus — “Old Town Road (Remix)” — Columbia Records
Taylor Swift — “You Need to Calm Down” — Republic Records

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Highlights From Comic-Con’s 2019 Panel “The Character Of Music”

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BMI and White Bear PR brought together a talented group of composers and directors for the “Character of Music” panel at Comic-Con’s 50th anniversary on Friday, July 19, at the San Diego Convention Center.

The all-star line-up included renowned BMI composer Tyler Bates (R.U.N) and the director of Cirque du Soleil’s new live-action thriller, R.U.N., Michael Schwandt; Emmy-winning BMI composer Frederik Wiedmann along with showrunner Aaron Ehasz (The Dragon Prince); and two-time BAFTA-winning composer Austin Wintory (Abzu) with video game director Matt Nava (Abzu). This year’s panel was a full house and amongst the most popular seats at Comic-Con.

Attendees who secured a spot to see the panel included a mixture of emerging composers, directors and music fans. BMI’s Anne Cecere and White Bear PR’s Chandler Poling co-moderated the ninth edition of “The Character of Music.”

The panelists touched on several key elements that go into producing a successful score for movies, live shows and video games, along with the key ingredients of a productive and creative relationship between composers and directors.

Wiedmann elaborated on the early stages of harmonic development for the characters on The Dragon Prince, and Ehasz emphasized on the importance of finding a composer who can be brilliant and fast when scoring for television. Bates and Schwandt expanded on music’s vital role in the live-action thriller R.U.N. written by Robert Rodriguez.

Wintory and Nava discussed the benefits of developing a short cut piece in the initial stages of game scoring to align visions.

The panelists also answered questions from the audience, and participants received limited-edition swag from the composers.

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Trailer To Star-Studded “Cats” Trailer Released

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By Creative Media Times

The first trailer for the upcoming adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical fantasy has finally arrived.

Directed by Tom Hooper, who won a best director academy award for The King’s Speech, “Cats” has a stunning star-studded cast that includes Taylor Swift, James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, and Rebel Wilson.

“Cats” is based on of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, the stage musical “Cats”, which received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981. It played for 21 years and earned the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical.

In 1983, the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for an extraordinary 18 years. Since opening in London in 1981, “Cats” has continuously appeared on stage around the globe, to date having played to 81 million people in more than fifty countries and in nineteen languages. It is one of the most successful musicals of all time.

Hopper was also responsible for successfully adapting Les Misérables into a 2012 musical drama film, which also received critical and commercial success in 2012.

Cats is scheduled for release by Universal Pictures on December 20, 2019.

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SDCC 2019: Composer Benjamin Wallfisch

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By Creative Media times

Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Grammy nominated composer Benjamin Wallfisch will be signing a limited amount of Mondo’s exclusive Blade Runner 2049 vinyl at Comic-Con 2019.

The signing will take place at booth #435 on the exhibit floor from 3:00PM on Thursday July 18th. Wallfisch co-scored the film with Hans Zimmer where the two received nominations for Best Original Score with the BAFTAs, Grammys and multiple Critic Associations.

Composer of David F. Sandberg’s box office #1 film SHAZAM!, Andy Muschietti’s IT, the most successful horror film of all time, and co-composer of Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed BLADE RUNNER 2049 (with Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer), Benjamin Wallfisch has worked on over 75 feature films and has received Golden Globe®- , BAFTA®-, 2x GRAMMY®- and  Emmy®- nominations.

He is currently scoring IT: CHAPTER TWO for New Line/Warner Bros.

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BMI Announces The Participants For Its 2019 Conducting Workshop For Visual Media Composers

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Award-Winning Composer Lucas Richman Will Lead the Workshop

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) announced today the selected participants for its 22nd annual Conducting Workshop for Visual Media Composers, led by BMI Classic Contribution Award winner, conductor and composer Lucas Richman.

Beginning August 13, the elite group will spend two weeks sharpening their conducting skills to music selections by BMI film composing legends such as Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams.

The workshop will be held at BMI’s Los Angeles office and Blake Neely’s Cow on the Wall Studio in North Hollywood culminating with the participants leading a 32-piece orchestra live to picture at Nathan Barr’s Bandrika studio in Tarzana on August 24.

“The Conducting Workshop was established to enhance the skills of BMI composers during the music-making process, both in the recording studio and live concerts, under Richman’s exceptional direction,” said Doreen Ringer-Ross, BMI Vice President Creative-Film, TV & Visual Media. “This workshop is just one of the many ways we provide composers with the tools they need to advance in the scoring community.”

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Hootie & The Blowfish, Marshmello And Steve Aoki With Special Guests Darren Criss And Monsta X Join The Lineup For The 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival

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Event Will Also Feature Performances by Alicia Keys, Cage The Elephant, Camila Cabello, Chance The Rapper, Def Leppard, French Montana, Halsey, Heart, H.E.R., Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Tim McGraw, Zac Brown Band and more

Hosted By Ryan Seacrest on September 20 and 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

HeartMedia announced today that Hootie & The Blowfish, Marshmello and Steve Aoki with special guests Darren Criss and Monsta X have been added to the iconic lineup for the 2019 iHeartRadioMusic Festival, the annual legendary concert event on Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21 at Las Vegas’ hottest entertainment venue, T-Mobile Arena.

This year, the epic two-day event will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest and will feature performances by Alicia Keys, Cage The Elephant, Camila Cabello, Chance The Rapper, Def Leppard, French Montana, Halsey, Heart, H.E.R., Hootie & The Blowfish, Marshmello, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Steve Aoki with special guests Darren Criss and Monsta X, Tim McGraw, Zac Brown Band and more.

Each night, the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Festival will broadcast live for fans via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. The CW Network will broadcast a two-night television special on Wednesday, October 2 and Thursday, October 3 from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. EST/PST. Leading up to the official television special, The CW will also air an hour-long Best Of Special on Sunday, September 29 at 8 p.m. EST/PST. In addition, The CW will exclusively livestream both nights of the festival via The CW App and CWTV.com.

Tickets are on sale now to the general public via AXS.com. Tickets for the Daytime Stage are also on sale and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com.
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Dazzling and Strange: Thom Yorke Ponders Love and Angst on Anima

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Eric Gasa

XL Recordings

Over 20 years since the release of the seminal album, OK Computer, Radiohead singer, Thom Yorke still maintains his creative peak. In tandem with his newest solo record, Anima, the singer has partnered with director, Paul Thomas Anderson to produce a short film to accompany the record. The result is a sleek, modern, and quintessentially Thom Yorke experience, starring the musician in his own dystopian world of angst and anxiety.

Available exclusively on Netflix, the film, also titled Anima gives viewers a glimpse into Yorke’s mind and showcases three songs from the record. The feature has no dialogue and is almost reminiscent of a silent film.

The first shots start in the grey-washed interiors of a subway. Passengers nod in and out of a trance-like sleep, and we see Yorke doing the same thing. It’s a surrealist scene as one by one the passengers awaken to life. Yorke stirs awake and makes eye contact with his muse across the car, played by his real-life partner, Dajana Rocione.

The ensemble exits the train and begin a stylish and artistic dance performance. Yorke’s ghoulish falsetto fits perfectly in place with the scene; dreamlike and mystifying. Human forms rive and abstract into odd shapes around Yorke as he searches for the girl he lost on the train.
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Taylor Swift Fights Scooter Braun and Former Record Label Over Music Ownership

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By Eric Gasa

Taylor Swift

It’s a familiar story; the young artist entangled in a battle for their work against the record label executives. But even for a veteran pop star like Swift, the news is no less difficult and complicated.

It takes a bit of work to get to the center of Taylor Swift’s debacle with former record label Big Machine, but at its heart is a poignant conversation about the record industry, executives, and the artists; and everyone is listening.

As the story goes, famed mega star agent, Scooter Braun, and his company Ithaca Recordings bought Swift’s old label, Big Machine, along with all six of the master recordings of her previous albums, for the hefty price tag of $300 million. On Sunday June 30, the day of the deal, Swift took things into her own hands via an open letter she posted to Tumblr.

“I learned about Scooter Braun’s purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world,” she writes, “All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years. This is my worst scenario.

”Braun, who has previously worked with Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and Arianna Grande, is a huge name in the industry and not a stranger to drama either.

But what exactly are master recordings and why are they so important? In short, master recordings refer to the original recording and master rights of an artist’s music. The owner of these rights owns the copyright, controls where the music is licensed, and can collect royalties. Whoever owns the label, legally owns the music.

Knowing how Swift removed her own music from Spotify in 2014, she certainly likes to keep control of her releases.

Swift’s criticisms did not end with Braun either. Swift later called out Big Machine founder, Scott Borchetta for signing the rights to her art away when she first joined the label when she was only 15, according to a source from Pitchfork.

Apparently, Swift’s only offer from Borchetta was to earn back recording rights for older records with each new one she put out. A bit of a sore deal honestly, six albums in the making.

Borchetta has since denied allegations and claiming that Swift “had every chance” to own her master recordings. Justin Bieber also responded to Swift, coming to Braun’s defense in a lengthy post on Instagram and called Swift a bully.

In the end, Taylor may have lost a chunk of her past with her departure from Big Machine, but she is hopeful for her new start with Universal Music Group and Republic Records which she signed with last year.

“Thankfully, I am now signed to a label that believes I should own anything I create,” Swift writes.Swift’s next record Lover is due out on August 23 via Republic Records.

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New Action-Packed “Charlie’s Angels” Trailer Revealed

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By Creative Media Times

Sony Pictures Releasing

The trailer for Elizabeth Banks’s upcoming action comedy Charlie’s Angels was just released, featuring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska in roles of savvy crime-fighting trio.

There’s plenty of glam and action in the trailer, and lots of outfits. Along with the fast paced action, we see our leads in various disguises and costume changes.

“We’re gonna need some wigs, toys, clothes,” says Banks.

Naomi Scott is certainly riding high this year with the recent, somewhat unexpected success of “Aladdin” this summer.

Banks wrote, produced and directed the film. Along with Djimon Hounsou and Patrick Stewart, she is also one of the multiple mentors of the women named “Bosley”.

A reboot of the 1970s TV series, as well as the 2000 and 2003 feature movie versions, the film features songs by Ariana Grande, Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus. Sam laflin, Noah Centineo and Luis Gerardo Méndez also co-star.

Sony Pictures Releasing is set to release “Charlie’s Angels” on November 15, 2019.

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Otaquest Brings Vibrant Japanese Music, Dance And Club Culture To Los Angeles

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The organizers of OTAQUEST LIVE and OTAQUEST KICKOFF remind music lovers and J-Pop fans of the upcoming live concert and after-party club event that will headline The Novo in L.A. Live in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, July 3rd.

OTAQUEST LIVE is a unique live summer concert event featuring a dynamic slate of J-Pop, dance and hip hop superstars who have helped to define the vibrant sound, styles, moves and images that drive Japanese pop culture.

Produced by OTAQUEST and LDH USA, this one-night-only live concert will feature live concert performances by J-Pop superstars Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and m-flo, as well as the first North American live performances from CAPSULE, CrazyBoy, and Hiroomi Tosaka.

Later in the evening on July 3rd, the OTAQUEST KICK OFF takes over and will showcase performances by some the hottest DJs from the bustling Tokyo EDM scene. Catch groove inducing sets by Taku Takahashi, TeddyLoid and Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE) and experience the captivating culture of the real Japanese club scene in Los Angeles for one night at this special live dance and DJ event. Each event is ticketed separately. Tickets for OTAQUEST LIVE and OTAQUEST KICKOFF are available now:

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