By Armando

Music legends Queen, Neil Diamond and Tina Turner are set to be the honored with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. They will join Hal Blaine, Emmylou Harris, Louis Jordan and the Meters as recipients of the award which “celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording.”

“This year’s Special Merit Awards recipients are a prestigious group of diverse and influential creators who have crafted or contributed to some of the most distinctive recordings in music history. These exceptionally inspiring figures are being honored as legendary performers, creative architects and technical visionaries. Their outstanding accomplishments and passion for their craft have created a timeless legacy,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy.

Other honorees include Bill Graham, Seymour Stein, and John Williams for the Trustees Award, while Tony Agnello and Richard Factor will be the Technical Grammy Award recipients.

A special award presentation ceremony and concert which will celebrate the Special Merit Awards honorees will be held this summer. The Grammy Awards will be held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on January 28.

Queen, led by the late Freddie Mercury, is one of the world’s best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of 150 million to 300 million records, including classic rock hits “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.” Often to as “The Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Tina Turner’s hit-making career spans decades, once as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner husband-and-wife musical duo with then husband Ike Turner, leading up to global success as a solo artist. In 1983, Tina launched “What’s Love Got to Do with It” which would become her signature hit single.

Singer-songwriter Neil Diamond scored numerous hits during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s including “Sweet Caroline,” “America” and “Heartlight.” He wrote for chart hits for the Monkees and later hit no.1 with his own single “Cracklin’ Rosie” (1970).

By Niy Birden

Let it be known: Paloma Faith is ready to make her mark as an R&B popstar. Maybe not quite like Bruno Mars aesthetically, but with the same musical foundation and performance attitude.

And this time, it is imperative for our best interests that we pay complete attention.

With 4 albums in the game and more than 20 years as a performer, it is really quite a surprise that she hasn’t gotten up to the ranks such as her other fellow female British performers, like Adele and other singer songwriters. Even though her sound and imagery were quite literally similar to a circus act (which makes sense considering that she was a magician’s assistant), she had the full package: chops, dance skills, and the looks. But somehow, she was heavily overlooked.

Not anymore.

Debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and selling over 40,000 copies, this is her first UK charting album.

The Architect, Paloma’s newest album, is a statement that is finding a unique spot amongst the 2017 album releases in the mainstream R&B and pop world.

It is a joyful surprise in many ways. With the album title being released in 2016 after a statement about her hiatus following her childbirth, many people did not expect to hear from our friendly singer from across the pond for quite some time.
Continue reading →

By Armando

Lady Gaga will have a two-year residency in Las Vegas in 2018, the six-time Grammy award winning artist announced. “The rumors are true!” Gaga posted on Twitter. “I will have my own residency at MGM’s Park Theater. Get ready for a brand new show!! It’s been my lifelong dream to be a Las Vegas girl, I’m so overjoyed! Love you little monsters we did it, meet me in Las Vegas!!”

Shows are scheduled to take place in 2018 at the city’s new 5,300-seat Park Theater at Park MGM resort on the Las Vegas strip.

According to Variety, Gaga will earn over $1 million per show, with the deal reportedly worth $100 million. The residency will reportedly feature 74 shows and may possibly run longer.

Specific dates and ticket prices for the show will be announced at a later date.

Gaga is the latest major recording artist to take on a Vegas residency following Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey and Backstreet Boys.

Gaga’s provocative and experimental work seem a good fit for the Vegas. Her career profile will undoubtedly pull in broad new generation of audiences, armed with 30 million followers on Instagram, and 75 million followers on Twitter.

She is still on the Joanne World Tour which is scheduled to conclude on February 2018. Recently, the 31 year old musicians received two Grammy nominations: Best Pop Vocal Album for “Joanne” and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Million Reasons.” She’s also set to star in the remake of “A Star is Born,” a film that marks Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut.

By Creative Media Times

A few weeks ago, Ed Sheeran teased that a remix of his latest single “Perfect” will soon be released. Its “a pretty big f***in deal,” says Sheeran. “I’m just basically gonna ‘Despacito’ ‘Perfect.'”

Today Sheeran reveals that the remix is in fact a duet with Beyoncé. Though the two have performed on stage before, this marks the first time the powerhouse musicians have collaborated on a single. The two performed on stage together during a tribute to Stevie Wonder in 2015.

The romantic ballad is from Sheeran’s recent album ÷ (Divide) which was nominated in the Grammy’s best pop vocal album category. The song’s original version is currently number five on Billboard Hot 100 and the duet version should definitely provide a boost to it’s chart performance.

In the romantic duet, Sheeran takes the lead verse and chorus which were essentially similar to the song’s original version, before Beyoncé comes in to sing the second verse, which then lead to harmonious blend of their vocals on the track’s last two choruses. The original do features more a orchestral sound than the acoustics on the duet.

The collab track is second for Sheeran this month, after his work with Taylor Swift on the latter’s latest “End Game”. Beyoncé recently collaborated with rapper Eminem on “Walk on Water” released last month, and with J Balvin and Willy William’s “Mi Gente” remix which was released in September.

By Creative Media Times

The Grammys have announced their nominees with Jay-Z leading with eight. This time, he’s up against favorite contenders such as Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars, with Lamar up for seven awards, while Mars earned six nominations.

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