By Creative Media Times

60th Annual Grammy Awards.

All three artists’ albums, Jay-Z’s “4:44,” Lamar’s “DAMN.,” and Mar’ “24K Magic,” are up for album of the year alongside Lorde’s “Melodrama” and Childish Gambino’s “Awaken, My Love!.”

SZA also made a big mark this year, leading all female artists this year with 5 nominations including Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best R&B Performance (“The Weekend”.)

The remix version of Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber, is up for both song and record of the year categories, thus becoming the first non-English-language track to be nominated in both. The song was a massive this this summer, staying at Billboard’s Hot 100 number-one summit for 16 consecutive weeks, a record it tied with “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.

Taylor Swift received two nominations for her songwriting of Little Big Town’s “Better Man” (Best Country Song) and “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” from the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack (Best Song Written For Visual Media), though she was mostly snubbed in other major categories. Her latest “Reputation” album was not released within the Grammy eligibility date of Oct. 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017.

Ed Sheeran is also noticeably absent in any of the big four categories. While his ubiquitous single “Shape of Your” and his album “Divide” (÷) which destined to be the best selling album of the year seem assured on major categories, Sheeran had to settle in for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance categories.

Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy stated: “I’m inspired by this year’s nominees and the incredible talent each possesses. Their recordings are a true testament to how creatively alive and meaningful our music industry has become. Each nominee uses their craft to inspire, uplift, and tell stories of our world through their artistry. They provide a vibrant soundtrack that represents the highest level of excellence and continues to impact and reflect our culture.”

The 60th anniversary of the awards show is set to air live from New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28. This marks the awards’ return to New York City after spending 15 years in Los Angeles. James Corden is set to return as host for a second consecutive year.

Album of the Year:
Bruno Mars, 24K Magic
Childish Gambino, Awaken, My Love!
Jay-Z, 4:44
Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.
Lorde, Melodrama

Song of the Year
Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber, “Despacito”
Jay-Z, “4:44”
Julia Michaels, “Issues”
Logic ft. Alessia Cara and Khalid, “1-800-273-8255”
Bruno Mars, “That’s What I Like”

Record of the Year
Childish Gambino, “Redbone”
Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber, “Despacito”
Jay-Z, “The Story of O.J.”
Kendrick Lamar, “HUMBLE.”
Bruno Mars, “24K Magic”

To see the full list of nominees, go to: grammy.com

By Michelle Bordage

Island – DCD2

Mania is to be released on January 19th, 2018 and has ten tracks to blow fans minds including: *Young the Menace, * Champion, *Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea, * Hold Me Tight or Don’t, * The Last of the Real Ones, * Wilson (expensive mistakes), * Church, * Heavens Gates, * Sunshine Riptide (featuring Burna Boy), * Bishops Knife Trick.

In 2015, Fall out Boy released “American Beauty/American Psycho and while on tour, began to write Mania, (talk about a busy band)! Fall Out Boy had their beginnings in the outskirts of Chicago in the town of Wilmette, Illinois. Though the years the boys had a few different drummers but were thrilled when Andy Hurley joined the band in 2003 just in time for the release of the “Take this to your Grave” album.

Fall Out Boy Consists of Patrick Stump on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Pete Wentz on bass, Joe Trohman on lead guitar and Andy Hurley on Drums.

Mania will be Fall out Boys 7th album and the band feels it is their best yet. The tour for this album will set out on in North America starting November 14th in Oakland CA at the Oracle Arena. Tickets begin at $16.dollars and range all the way up to $186. Dollars. Although the new Lp has not been released as of yet. Fall out Boy will treat us all to the beginnings of this tour as a tease first.

Fall out Boy has made the announcement that one dollar from every concert ticket sold in this upcoming Mania Tour will benefit the “Fall out Boy Fund”. The Fall out Boy fund will donate this money to various Chicago charities.

If you have never had the pleasure as of yet to catch a Fall out Boy concert, I highly suggest that you make the Mania tour, Fall out Boy puts on a full show filled with surprises and definitely a night to remember! If you would like to keep up with news on Fall out Boys upcoming album, tour-dates, or what is happening with the charities that will be donated to, go to their official fan site, https://falloutboy.com/

By Armando

vanswarpedtour.com

“I have been a very lucky person to have traveled across the country and sometimes around the world as one of the founders and producers of the Vans Warped Tour. Today, with many mixed feelings, I am here to announce that next year will be the final, full cross-country run of the Vans Warped Tour.”

Although next year will be its last, Lyman also teased that there will be a celebration to “commemorate the tour’s historic 25th anniversary in 2019.”

The traveling festival has been touring annually each summer since 1995 in the United States and Canada. It later became known as “Vans Warped Tour” after the manufacturer of skateboarding shoes became the main sponsor in 1996.

The tour has since diversified into featuring acts of various genres beyond its original punk rock roots, and has seen performances from Fall Out Boy, No Doubt, Blink-182, Paramore.

“I am so grateful to have worked with more than 1,700 bands over the last 23 summers. I wish I could thank every band that has played the tour,” says Lyman.

2018 will bring Warped Tour to Camden, Hartford, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pittsburgh.

By Michelle Bordage

Interscope, Universal Canada

If that wasn’t enough excitement for U2 fans, the new album is hitting the road as U2’s “Experience + Innocence North American Tour 2018”. Tickets will be going on sale November 20th beginning at 10am at the one and only (Ticket master.com). But, on good authority, it has been stated that these tickets have an early special peek- a- boo on November 14th! (Just a heads up).

U2, from Dublin Ireland, is an Irish Rock band that has had an (edge) on rock music since 1976. Members, Paul David Hewson (Bono) Lead vocals, David Howell Evans (Edge) lead guitar, Adam Clayton bass guitar, and Larry Mullen Jr. on drums have made such a large impact in the world of music over the decades and so many walks of life have had the pleasure to see them in concert, you don’t want to miss this opportunity, it promises to be spectacular.

In 2015, U2 went out on the “Innocence + Experience tour which brought U2 to 19 cities through Europe as well as the U.S… The 2018 “Experience +Innocence tour has (as of so far) fifteen booked dates in the United States alone. Here is a listing of their up-and-coming 2018 Tour dates, and where you can catch them:

* Wednesday: May 2, 2018. Tulsa, OK (Bok Center)
* Friday: May 4, 2018. St. Lewis, MO (Scottrade Center)
* Monday: May 7, 2018. San Jose, CA (Sap Center at San Jose)
* Friday: May 11, 2018. Las Vegas, NV (T-Mobile Arena)
* Tuesday: May 15, 2018. Los Angeles, CA (Forum)
* Tuesday: May 22, 2018. Chicago, IL (United Center)
* Saturday: May 26, 2018. Nashville, TN (Bridgestone Arena)
* Monday: May 28, 2018. Atlanta, GA (Infinite Energy Arena)
* Tuesday: June 5, 2018. Montreal, QC CA (Bell Centre)
* Saturday: June 9, 2018. Uniondale, NY (NYCB Live. Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial co)
* Wednesday June 13, 2018. Philadelphia, PA (Wells Fargo Center)
* Sunday: June 17, 2018. Washington, DC (Capital One Arena)
* Thursday: June 21, 2018. Boston, MA (TD Garden)
* Monday: June 25, 2018. New York City, NY (Madison Square Garden)
* Friday: June 29, 2018. Newark, NJ (Prudential Center)

http://www.u2.com/tour/

By Andy Speck

Loma Vista – Caroline

In terms of sound, the album has a unique flavor amongst Manson’s records. The tracks, especially “KILL4ME” and “Blood Honey”, are all filled with energizing, synthesized beats that quite effectively get you pumped up, but for fans of Antichrist Superstar, there is something to be desired. Manson’s vocals flow infinitely well into the thrashing of a guitar, and unfortunately that presence just isn’t felt.

Lyrically, Heaven Upside Down is strewn about featuring provocative language in some places, with lyrics that sound juvenile in others. Manson is an artist, and through his back catalog of some amazing work, he’s proven competent at writing some of the most intriguing lyrics anyone in the industry has to offer. That’s where a lot of his long-time listeners will take issue with the album. “Je$u$ Cri$i$” not only looks like a punk kid wrote the title in his history notebook, it would appear to the untrained eye one the lyrics were inscribed there too, with “I write songs to fight and to f*ck to” being part of the hilarious chorus.

Stand-out tracks of the album include “Saturnalia” and “Blood Honey”. The mood perpetuated by the former is ominous, as the lyrics at times are drowned out by the sheer atmosphere created by the way the track is mixed. “Blood Honey”, a song about Manson’s battle with attempting to find what his fans want him out of him, does a great job of evoking songs such as “Coma White”, while still evolving his career.

Since the outcry of conservatives the world round in the nineties with the release of his debut album, Marilyn Manson edified his spot as a controversial figure. In this third act of his career, it seems Manson is still somewhat stuck in the nineties. A quick look at the music videos for tracks on this album will show the sexy nun, and other perverted Christian imagery that quite frankly is no longer shocking because a couple of decades ago, those same tropes were already used extensively. In this era of everything going on in the world, we need someone to challenge those social norms, to try and take on what society has become.

Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne Night’s Top Winners At “The 51st Annual CMA Awards”

GarthBrooks wins sixth Entertainer of the Year Award at 51st Annual #CMAawards

An all-star group that included Kelsea Ballerini, Brooks, Kix Brooks, Eric Church, Ronnie Dunn, Faith Hill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, and Keith Urban struck a chord of togetherness through the ABC Television Network broadcast with an emotional collaboration that began with Church singing “Amazing Grace” a cappella in silhouette, then the rest of the group joining in on Rucker’s uplifting hit “Hold My Hand” from his time as the lead singer of Hootie & The Blowfish.

Co-host Carrie Underwood then summed up the evening’s mission statement in the opening of her 10th year monologue with Brad Paisley: “Las Vegas. Charlottesville. New York. Sutherland Springs. Historic storms in Texas, Puerto Rico and Florida. The list goes on and on. This has been a year marked by tragedy, impacting countless lives, including so many in our Country Music family. So tonight we’re going to do what families do – come together, pray together, cry together and sing together.”

By the end of the night, fans and members of the industry had done a little of all those things, celebrating the best music of the last year while calling for unity in a nation torn asunder by violence and tragedy, to remembering departed heroes such as Glen Campbell, who lost his fight with Alzheimer’s disease, to Troy Gentry, one half of the duo Montgomery Gentry, taken too soon when his helicopter crashed on the way to a gig. The later was honored with a performance by Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, and surprise guest and bandmate Eddie Montgomery.

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Eric Gasa

Quality Control Music / Motown Records / Capitol Records

The first salvo from Migos’ upcoming album Culture 2, is gritty, raunchy, saucy fun from 2017’s hottest hip-hop super group. On “MotorSport” the trio enlist Nicki Minaj and chart-topping powerhouse Cardi B. Tabloids may have rumored a feud between Minaj and Cardi but on “MotorSport” any signs of rivalry fall to the wayside as the two dominate the track with their monster verses. Migos’ name may be on the single cover, but “MotorSport” belongs to the ladies.

Cardi’s gruff flow erupts with steamy verses about sex tapes and her best Daddy Yankee impression (“dame mas gasolina!”) while she buries her hatchet with Minaj: “Why would I hop in some beef?/When I could just hop in a Porsche?/You heard she gon’ do what from who?/That’s not a reliable source, no.”

Minaj resumes the throne as usual with her iconic inflection and aggressive flow. Fresh from guest verses on Katy Perry’s awkward last record, Minaj sounds at home on “MotorSport”. Here she’s prowling, scheming, calling shots from the center of the track. Though lyrical bravado, Minaj’s verses carry some serious stopping power (“My crown won’t fit on your bum lace fronts.”) Minaj may be with new company, but she hasn’t lost the pink pint, “Pull up in the space coupe, I done linked with Marty/I can actually afford to get a pink Bugatti.”

At its core, “MotorSport” is a ballsy, swaggering song. It checks off every credential for a Migos track: fast cars, fast sex, and fast ladies. But here, the Georgia trio take a backseat to the two queens facing off on the song. Even if “MotorSport” feels like more of the same thing from Migos it’s still a monumental single for bringing the two greatest female MCs of our time together. If Culture 2 can pull off more moments like this then we are sure to see one of the premier hip hop releases of 2017.

Migos have yet to announce a release date for Culture 2, though Offset hints that the record will be out by the end of this year. This new album is the follow up to Migo’s massively popular sophomore record, Culture, which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and featured smash hit single “Bad and Boujee.”

By Armando

Asylum. Atlantic.

Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” has just been certified diamond in the US, which signify sales and streams of at least 10 million, Billboard reports Friday.

Written by the English singer-songwriter himself together with Amy Wadge, the song was release in September 2014 as the third single from his “×” (Multiply) album.

What makes the feat even more impressive is the fact that the song never made it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song peaked at number two for eight consecutive weeks, blocked by “Uptown Funk” from reaching the summit.

“Thinking Out Loud” later won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, while also receiving nomination for Record of the Year, the former two being the singer’s first Grammy wins.

Sheeran shared the news to his official instagram page (below): “Thinking out loud is diamond in the US. Thank you to everyone who streamed or downloaded it x.”

This accomplishment puts the romantic ballad in rarefied company: since the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) implemented Diamond certification, only 14 other songs have achieved it.

As impressive the accolade is, this likely won’t be Sheeran’s last. Earlier this year, the singer released “Shape of You” which seem destined to top Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2017: as of August 2017, the single has sold 2.3 million copies and spent 32 weeks at the top 10, a record it shares with The Chainsmokers’ “Closer” and LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live.”

“Shape of You” is from Sheeran’s third studio album ÷ (Divide), also in the running for biggest-selling album of the year. If Sheeran successfully accomplish both feats, he will be the first artist since Adele to top both single and album year-end charts with “Rolling in the Deep” and “21” respectively back in 2011.

 

Thinking out loud is diamond in the US. Thank you to everyone who streamed or downloaded it x

A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on Oct 27, 2017 at 7:01am PDT