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Benson Boone’s debut studio pop-rock album, titled “Fireworks & Rollerblades,” was released on Friday, April 5. The 21-year-old upstart has risen to prominence over the past year with notable songs such as “Ghost Town” and “In the Stars.” As his following continued to grow on platforms such as TikTok, his first album received more anticipation than he could’ve ever hoped for.
Week one of the famous music festival, Coachella, started with many iconic performances and collaborations, from Lana Del Rey sharing the stage with Billie Eilish to Will Smith getting on stage with J. Balvin. The first day of the festival took place on Friday, April 12, in Coachella Valley, California.
Out with one era, in with another: once again, mega-popstar Taylor Swift has returned with a new installment to her discography. Poignantly titled “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT,” Swift’s 11th studio album is a carefully curated look into a shattered heart following the end of a passionate relationship. This time, she’s letting listeners hear more about her life than ever before (which, in comparison to Swift’s previous work, is quite the statement in itself).
The song “End of Beginning” by Djo has become the latest TikTok-turned-real-world hit. The song has taken the social media platform and the charts by storm. The identity behind Djo (pronounced “Joe”) is a name that might sound familiar – Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington in Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things.” That’s not the only thing listed on Keery’s resume, which also includes 10 films, eight television shows and five albums.
The term “renaissance” refers to a rebirth: a time of transition and transformation that involves artistic and cultural revival. As the COVID-19 lockdown began to end, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter felt a renaissance emerging, and she wanted to be a nurturing part of it. Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance” was born to share love, confidence and joy and is part of a three-act musical project.
Brynn Cartelli, winner of Season 14 of “The Voice,” released her debut album “OUT OF THE BLUE” on Friday, March 1. To celebrate her debut, she curated an art exhibit for the album that was open only for the release date in New York. The event ran from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Lower East Side. It contained over 30 pieces of artwork, mostly created by young female artists based in New York.
Imagine yourself sitting in the back seat of your dad’s car on the way home from school –Nickelback is playing on his CD player radio. He asks you who sings this song and you have no idea, even though you’ve heard it a million times.
The 66th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, was a televised triumph for Taylor Swift and her fans. By the end of the night, Swift strutted out of the Crypto.com Arena with two Grammys in hand. One of those awards was for Album of the Year, which brought Swift from three to four of the same award, breaking the record for the number of wins.
Record labels are discussing a big change in the world of rerecording albums as the success of Taylor Swift’s “Taylor’s Version” releases increase. With Swift’s fourth re-recorded album released on Oct. 27, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” record labels are discussing adding a clause to contracts for new signees to ensure that they do not rerecord albums for 10 to 30 years after they depart from the label. In some cases, labels are not allowing for artists to rerecord albums at all.
Few artists could find a seamless way to connect items like polaroids, seagulls and pen clicks. In 2014, music industry topliner Taylor Swift did just that while transforming her career into an eclectic, synth-infused pop masterclass with the release of “1989.” Before the release of the Grammy-award-winning record, Swift flirted with unique, distinct genres as she began to progress into a fully-fledged pop star (songs like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “22” from her previous album tested the pop waters with her loyal country audience). Nine years to the day of the original release of “1989,” Swift has taken back her iconic record with “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”
Grammy-award winning a cappella group Pentatonix released their eighth holiday album ahead of their “The Most Wonderful Tour of the Year.” The album, titled “The Greatest Christmas Hits,” features a combination of old Pentatonix standards and new covers.
On Monday, Oct. 2, the band boygenius performed at Madison Square Garden as part of their tour for their debut album “the record.” The band consists of three members: Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, who are all also individual artists. The show was opened by MUNA. Bridgers came out to sing her part of her song with MUNA called “Silk Chiffon.” The night was filled with a mixture of screams and tears as people sang their hearts out.
Stephen Sanchez made waves all over social media in early 2022 when he debuted his hit single “Until I Found You.” In the ballad, which was reminiscent of ‘50s and ‘60s-style love songs, Sanchez gave listeners a glimpse of what he was capable of within the musical world. Sanchez has now been on countless tours and has made an even bigger splash in the music industry by performing alongside Elton John earlier this year.
Female country music artists have consistently faced a lack of equality in radio – their music is typically played less on the radio compared to their male counterparts. The highest-played male artist on country radio, Kenny Chesney, has earned more than six million spins, while the highest-played female artist, Carrie Underwood, has only earned a little more than three million spins. At the end of the year, even the male artists with the lowest numbers performed better than their female counterparts.
Soon, the sounds of cheers and screams will echo in the distance as Music Fest begins. Hofstra Concerts is celebrated for its profound musical passion, and this year’s Music Fest is an event worth its omnipresent hype. On Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m., Music Fest will host a stellar lineup of performances, including Hofstra’s own Official X and the Nice Guys alongside femdot., cupcakKe and headliner Ski Mask The Slump God, at the arena within the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.
Is it hard to imagine a place where everybody is united under one roof, enjoying themselves and each other’s presence? A place where people from every generation, every culture and every background can share the same air, the same food, the same drinks and the same love for one thing? Such a place might be impossible to conceive in a time (and specifically country) as deeply and systemically fractured as ours, but occasionally, there is a grand, unifying force that brings everyone together, even if for only a short amount of time.
Singer-songwriter Mitski’s new album, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” is a sweeping, lush experience that clocks in at just over 30 minutes. Released on Friday, Sept. 15, the album is Mitski’s seventh and continues to exemplify her remarkable lyricism and skill for transporting listeners to an entirely new world.
Nearly four million viewers tuned in across multiple platforms to watch this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, which aired on Tuesday, Sept. 12.
Three years after one of his songs was included on former President Barack Obama’s favorite songs of 2020, the dirt emo singer Ruston Kelly’s third full length studio album “The Weakness” was released on Friday, April 7.
In 2003, Linkin Park knew they had to live up to their previous releases that dominated the charts. Fan were anxiously awaiting the nu metal band’s new music.
