Music

London-based virtual reality live music platform MelodyVR has acquired Rhapsody International (the parent company of Napster) for $70 million. According to a press release, MelodyVR hopes the “acquisition will enable the creation of a unique music platform that will offer both immersive live performances and music streaming.” MelodyVR CEO Anthony Matchett said in a statement,

Comedian Hannibal Buress has announced a five-city tour of Midwest drive-in theaters in support of his latest comedy special Miami Nights. He released the special for free on YouTube in July. Check out the full run of tour dates below. Much of the special centers on a 2017 incident in Miami during Art Basel in

Big Sean announced today that his new album Detroit 2—the sequel to 2012’s Detroit—finally has a release date. It’s coming on September 4. Tonight, he’s shared a new single from the album, and it features the late Nipsey Hussle. Listen to “Deep Reverence” below. On the track, Big Sean references Kendrick Lamar. “After what happened

Walter Lure, guitarist and longtime member of New York punk icons the Heartbreakers, has died of complications from lung and liver cancer, his label Cleopatra Records has confirmed. He was 71 years old. News of Lure’s death was previously shared in a social media post from the Hollywood venue Starwood. Lure’s band the Waldos also

Today, on what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday, Nike has released an ad narrated by Kendrick Lamar. “Kobe taught us to be better,” Kendrick says in the brief clip (titled “Better: Mamba Forever”). Watch it below. Kobe Bryant died January 26 in a helicopter crash. Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant also died

Justin Townes Earle, the singer-songwriter and son of Steve Earle, has died. The news was confirmed on his official Facebook page on Sunday night. He was 38. “It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing of our son, husband, father and friend Justin,” the statement reads. “So many of you have

Luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton has shared a new video featuring a 20-minute set by Ms. Lauryn Hill and a full band. Hill performed six tracks, including “Black Rage,” her most recent single “Guarding the Gates,” her 1998 classic “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and more. Watch the full black and white clip below. The set

J Balvin and Roddy Ricch will no longer perform at MTV’s Video Music Awards on Sunday (August 30), according to Variety. “As with every awards show, there are always last-minute talent changes. That said, this year has more logistical hurdles than most and the health and safety of our employees and partners is of the

Brandy and Monica have been announced as the next guests on Verzuz. More than 20 years after facing off on their 1998 hit “The Boy Is Mine,” they’ll reconvene for a livestream from Atlanta on Monday, August 31, at 8 p.m. Eastern. Since launching in the spring, the Verzuz series has featured a number of

Jack Sherman—the second guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers, who played on the band’s self-titled debut album and performed on their first U.S. tour—has died, as the band has revealed on social media. “We of the RHCP family would like to wish Jack Sherman smooth sailing into the worlds beyond, for he has passed,” reads

Travis Scott has shared his new single “The Plan.” The track will be featured in Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming thriller Tenet. Listen to “The Plan” below. Scott discussed Tenet in a recent interview with GQ’s Gerrick D. Kennedy. “I can’t even explain it,” Travis Scott said of the film. “You literally just have to watch it.

Footwork architect Traxman has shared a new “Juked Out” remix of “WAP,” as the Chicago Reader points out. The Teklife producer integrates Boom-Boom’s classic 1989 track “Work This Pussy” (famously sampled on Teyana Taylor’s “WTP”) into his take on Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s raunchy hit. Take a listen to that below. Earlier this

A rare Ella Fitzgerald live album has been announced. The Lost Berlin Tapes, recorded at Berlin’s Sportpalast in 1962, arrives October 2 (via Verve). Found within the private collection of Verve founder Norman Granz, the concert tapes were recorded two years after the Berlin concert that made up Fitzgerald’s iconic live album Mack the Knife:

“You don’t wanna be caught unaware / You don’t wanna be lost where else / And you don’t wanna be blinded by the night / Letting the world steal your sight” croons a heavenly lead vocal from behind a whispering acoustic guitar in the opening lines of the single “Rapture” from Lavendine. The words here

Future and Swae Lee have teamed up with Internet Money for a new song called “Thrusting.” The track arrives via Internet Money Records, a collective of artists and producers that have helped create work by Juice WRLD, Trippie Redd, and more.“Thrusting” will appear on Internet Money’s forthcoming LP B4 the Storm, which comes out August

In the past few weeks, Megan Thee Stallion has taken to social media to discuss a July 12 incident in the Hollywood Hills that left her foot injured by two gun shots. That same evening, reports circulated that Megan had been in an SUV with rapper Tory Lanez when the shots were fired. Lanez was

Today, August 20, would have been the 71st birthday of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott. To celebrate him, and the band’s 50th anniversary, Universal Music Catalogue are releasing a new box set titled Rock Legends. The 6xCD/1xDVD deluxe release arrives October 23 and will feature 74 unreleased tracks, including alternate versions, live recordings, demos, and

Ben Gibbard performed two songs for the remote edition of the Democratic National Convention. Gibbard sang his Death Cab for Cutie track “Northern Lights,” as well as the Postal Service classic “Such Great Heights,” which he dedicated to the United States Postal Service. Check it out below. “I think more than any election in my

The virtual Democratic National Convention had its third night tonight. In addition to speeches from Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clinton, tonight’s virtual convention featured the debut performance of “my future” from Billie Eilish. Watch it happen below. Before she performed alongside her brother FINNEAS, Eilish encouraged people to register to vote and endorsed

Tears for Fears have announced a deluxe reissue of their 1989 album The Seeds of Love. The remastered album will be released in several editions: a deluxe box set, a 2xCD set, a picture disc vinyl edition, and a standard vinyl edition. The box set will include 22 unreleased tracks including outtakes, demo recordings, and

Fadi Tabbal—the Lebanese musician, producer, engineer, and founder of Tunefork Recording Studios—has launched the Beirut Musician’s Fund in response to the tragic explosion that occurred in the city on August 4. The fund attempts to raise $34,935 (USD)—the amount needed to replace artists’ damaged, lost, or destroyed gear. All donations will be managed by Tunefork

Travis Scott has announced that his new single “The Plan” will drop this coming Friday (August 21). Scott broke the news on Twitter, writing, “FLAME x CHRIS NOLAN COOK UP THE PLAN FRIDAY.” The new track will appear on the soundtrack for Christopher Nolan’s upcoming action film Tenet, which stars Robert Pattinson, John David Washington,

Carly Rae Jepsen has shared a new song, “Me and the Boys in the Band.” Made with the help of Jack Antonoff, Tavish Crowe, Jared Manerika, and Nik Pesut, the new song comes with a video directed by Jake Chamseddine. The visual features footage of Jepsen and her band on tour, intercut with video clips

Orville Peck and Shania Twain stopped by the latest episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon!, where they performed their new single “Legends Never Die.” Their performance was filmed in an empty bar. Watch it below. Peck and Twain released “Legends Never Die” last week, along with a flashy music video. The single appears

Barack Obama’s tradition of sharing playlists continued today with the release of his 2020 Summer Playlist. The playlist includes performers at this year’s Democratic National Convention, including Billie Eilish, Maggie Rogers, Common, John Legend, Leon Bridges, the Chicks, and Billy Porter. It also includes songs from Megan Thee Stallion, Frank Ocean, Bob Dylan (off his

2 Chainz has announced the release date for his new album So Help Me God. The record, which follows 2019’s Rap or Go to the League, arrives September 25 (via Def Jam). Check out the announcement below. A Def Jam artist announcing an album called So Help Me God might sound familiar: In March 2015,

Last month, the Rolling Stones shared a previously-unreleased track titled “Scarlet,” featuring Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Now, the War on Drugs have remixed the song. Hear their take on the track below. “I just re-imagined the song as if I had Mick, Keith and Jimmy in the room with me,” the War on Drugs’

Sigur Rós’ Jónsi has shared another new song from his forthcoming album Shiver. “Cannibal” features guest vocals from Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser. Watch the video, directed by Giovanni Ribisi, below. “When Sigur Rós was starting, we were always compared to Cocteau Twins and I really didn’t like that. I hated being compared to anybody,” Jonsi

Boldy James: The Versace Tape [Griselda] The Versace Tape is Detroit rapper Boldy James’ Griselda debut. Jay Versace produced and Westside Gunn executive produced the project; Westside Gunn also guests on the closing “Roxycontin.” The Versace Tape is Boldy James’ third release of 2020, following Manger on McNichols (with Sterling Toles) and The Price of

Billie Eilish, the Chicks, Maggie Rogers, John Legend, Leon Bridges, Jennifer Hudson, Common, Stephen Stills, and others are set to perform at next week’s virtual Democratic National Convention, according to CBS News and Variety. The 2020 DNC takes place August 17-20 and will be available to watch online. According to the reports, Stephanie Cutter, 2020