Categoría: Billboard

It’s a crisp Tuesday afternoon in New York and Joe Keery is happy to be home. As he clears the remnants of a late lunch from Sugarfish off the breakfast nook in his apartment and begins to prepare a green tea, he laments how little time he’s been able to spend here this year. He offers up the obligatory “Sorry that the place may look like a mess,” but in reality, his West Village apartment is charming and cozy, with shoes neatly collected by the door, several guitars sprawled about the living room, an impressive VHS collection, various memorabilia adorning the handcrafted shelves that shield just a fraction of the space’s plentiful exposed brick and a drawing board with a handwritten message from his nieces that hangs near the kitchen. Keery, 33, will head back out on the road in a mere matter of days, though, as he prepares for a jam-packed fall schedule. Of course, there’s the three-part final season of Stranger Things — in which he plays the beloved bully-turned babysitter Steve Harrington — premiering in late November that will require plenty of press. But first, he’s focused on the role that has defined his year so far: touring as the alt-rock artist Djo. On the heels of a year in which his dreamy, synth-pop song “End of Beginning” went viral and peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 (his first entry on the chart), Keery returned this April with The Crux, his classic rock-influenced full-length recorded at New York’s famed Electric Lady Studios. The album’s lead single, “Basic Being Basic,” became his first No. 1 on a Billboard chart when it topped Alternative Airplay in July. And he’s been touring relentlessly in support of the project, including Down Under at the Laneway Festival, in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans at Lollapalooza in Chicago and at his own headlining dates across the globe. As he gears up for his next string of shows beginning later this month — billed as his Another Bite Tour — he’s first treating fans to a batch of entirely new music, with the arrival of The Crux Deluxe out today (Sept. 12), a 12-track surprise release that extends the universe of his third album. “The songs are all from the same period — it’s like a companion piece,” says Keery. “It can be like the punk little brother of The Crux, where it’s just a little bit more all over the place.” When Keery whittled down the tracklist for the original album, there were more than two dozen contenders in the mix, thanks in large part to a concerted focus on seeing ideas through during the recording process. “We had an imperative to be like, ‘Let’s not leave the song unless it’s 80% done,’ ” he says. “Or else the song doesn’t really exist.” Plans for the surprise release were solidified as early as May, when Keery and his steady co-writing/co-producing partner Adam Thein had a chance to revisit Electric Lady between legs of tour for some touch-ups — fixing a vocal issue on “Who You Are,” adding a second verse to “They Don’t Know What’s Right,” removing a few items from “Thich Nhat Hanh,” named after the Vietnamese monk, peace activist and poet. Crucially, the aim was to avoid any sweeping changes during those sessions. “We didn’t want to do too much,” says Keery. “It should be a snapshot of that time period.” Piers Greenan The result is a deluxe album that sees Keery continuing to lean into his strongest influences: “Love Can’t Break the Spell” unspools the five stages of grief following a break-up in the style of Fleetwood Mac; the rebellious flair of “Grime of the World” slides seamlessly into any collection of garage rock-fueled favorites; “Purgatory Silverstar” is a quintessential example of Keery turning a song on its head, sometimes more than once, at a whim — a plucking guitar intro gives way to a Red Hot Chili Peppers-esque rock bridge that then opens into an odyssey with twists and turns reminiscent of Rush or The Who. The Crux Deluxe also showcases his growing comfortability with experimentation: album closer “Awake” boasts both rollicking guitar ready to blow your hair back and, notably, a set of lyrics solely focused on syllabic fit over substance. “I had read something about John Lennon for ‘I Am the Walrus,’ and [how] those are nonsense lyrics,” Keery says. “[‘Awake’] was going to be on the album originally. A lot of people were like, ‘Those are my favorite lyrics you’ve ever written.’ It’s like, ‘There you f–king go. Maybe you should let your subconscious do a little bit more of the work.’ You want to write something that’s profound or that connects with people, but there are a million different ways to do that.” Then there’s “Mr. Mountebank,” a late swap with “Egg” from the album’s first installment. It’s the deluxe’s biggest dip into electro-pop, and Keery’s response in part to the success of “End of Beginning,” which he jokes makes him “kind of up my own ass.” (“Climb fast, money talks/ Then they want to sell you on what you’re all about,” he sings before reassuring his own standing with “Not afraid, not for sale/ Long game class acts never fail.”) In contrast to “Awake,” “Mr. Mountebank” is Keery at his most vulnerable on the deluxe, which can often flit between abstract metaphors and unfiltered lyrics about relationships, the industry and his own well-being. “I want to be open,” he implores. “It’s just, sometimes you’re like, ‘What the hell am I trying to say? What the hell is this song about? Am I repeating myself?’ It’s less of being scared as it is figuring out what you really feel and trying to get honest with yourself.” Piers Greenan Keery acknowledges that in the aftermath of “End of Beginning” having its viral moment in 2024, there was a sense of added stress — potentially even subconsciously — leading into

Fifteen years ago, as she prepared to hit the 2010 VMAs red carpet on Sept. 12, 2010, Lady Gaga had a backup plan for her meat dress. If the tailor-made look didn’t fit, if the meat spoiled or it dripped too much blood, the rising superstar had something else ready on the rack. But Franc Fernandez, the designer of the dress that is today on display at the Park MGM in Las Vegas, had worked three long days to create it, draping butcher cuts on a mannequin torso. “Obviously, I didn’t want that backup plan to happen,” he tells Billboard. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The meat dress, one of three Gaga wore during MTV’s 2010 Video Music Awards, did not launch her career: “Poker Face” had topped the Billboard Hot 100 the previous year, and she won eight awards that night for top 5 hits “Bad Romance” and “Telephone.” But the fashion statement, which Gaga said was a protest against the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy at the time, helped turn her into a cultural icon and established Fernandez’s career in the process. He has since worked with Rihanna, Beyoncé and others, and is represented by William Morris. Back then, though he was part of the singer’s creative team known as Haus of Gaga, Fernandez was struggling to build a reputation and make enough money to support a creative career. After Gaga wore the dress, his life changed. “Like most people who are in a creative field and have immigrant parents, there’s this constant ‘you should get a real job’ sentiment, which you internalize and think, ‘Yeah, they’re probably right, because this hasn’t been fruitful,’” he says. “But the scale of the publicity that got just gave me: ‘OK, you’re running towards something, and you’ve got some of it, so keep going.’” To mark the meat dressiversary — Sept. 12 — Billboard reached out to Fernandez in Los Angeles. Lady Gaga accepts the Video of the Year award onstage during the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards at NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on September 12, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images How did the meat dress project come to you? Was there a brief, or a white paper? It started with Nicola [Formichetti, then Gaga’s stylist] saying, “We want to make a meat purse for the red carpet.” Somewhere along the way, we were like, “Let’s do a full dress.” I don’t even think it was a fully formed idea until I started making the dress and she saw it, halfway done. She was like, “Holy sh-t!” in this way of “I didn’t know this thing was fully being formed.” It was more like a small shock — which I think is normal when you see that much meat slung on a hanger. I’ve read you bought the meat from your family butcher. There’s an Argentine market and butcher shop in the Valley that is now called Mercado Buenos Aires. I just went up to him. Well, it was also my family. I called my family and I was like, “Hey, I have to make this thing out of meat,” and they’re like, “Oh, you should use this cut,” and the butcher would go, “Yeah, you should definitely use this cut.” They all knew I was doing some strange work at the time, so I don’t think there was a lot of pushback. How much meat did you wind up using? About 60 pounds. It was a good amount on her body. I mean, she’s small, so I’m sure that was a lot. Are you a meat eater? Was anything about this counter to your values? I’m Argentinian. If anything, these are my values. All we do is eat red meat. It was definitely not a problem. How challenging was the meat to work with? I let the meat dictate what I could do. We sewed it onto a corset with carpet threads, so it was really thick, strong thread, and followed the striations of the meat to make sure whatever we had attached wouldn’t have fallen off. I didn’t fight the meat. How much time did you have? Probably three days, one day spent sourcing the meat. I didn’t have the space to do it. I was staying at my friend [Australian singer-songwriter] Sam Sparro’s basement in Silver Lake. He was like, “If you want to make this here, you can turn up the A/C and work.” So I worked out of his living room. He was really nice to let me do that and cleared out his fridge and had half of a mannequin in it. The mannequin on which you draped the meat? It was more like a bust form, an actual dress form. So you were opening the fridge and putting meat on the mannequin torso? No, we weren’t building in the fridge. We were building it outside. Obviously, when you took breaks, or if the meat had been out, you didn’t want it out too long. One hour in, one hour out, etc. It was pretty gruesome. How worried were you that the meat would spoil? Oddly, I wasn’t worried about the spoiling. I was more worried about the color losing its vibrance, because meat is so bright and red and beautiful when it’s refrigerated and fresh. The butcher told me to spray it with some salt water here and there to keep its redness, and it worked. Also, the kind of meat is called matambre [a thin cut of beef], and it’s more (of) a greasier cut than a bloody cut. We were less worried about it dripping. When did you realize, “We’re done, this is perfect”? When I saw her on camera, on the monitors, we were backstage at the VMAs — once she was sewn into it and the shoes were on. I was fussing with it a bit in the elevator on the way for her to get into her seat. What other logistical problems

LCD Soundsystem are gearing up for another one of their annual New York residency runs. The James Murphy-fronted dance-rock collective announced on Friday morning (Sept. 12) that they will be setting up shop at the Knockdown Center in Queens, N.Y. for a run of 12 shows over three weekends later this year. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The shows are slated to kick off on Nov. 20 and run through Dec. 13. The concerts will mark a return to the Knockdown space — the scene of last year’s residency gigs — with a release promising that the 2025 concerts will, “further explore the potential of the Knockdown space, including a variety of live openers, nightly afterparties featuring DJ sets from special guests, a DFA Records swap meet, an on-site iteration of the Michelin-starred Four Horsemen wine bar, and more.” Tickets for all 12 shows will go on sale to the general public beginning Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. ET; click here for details. The public on-sale will be preceded by an American Express pre-sale beginning on Tuesday (Sept. 16) at 10 a.m. ET through Thursday (Sept. 18) at 10 p.m. ET, while supplies last; click here for details. In the wind-up to their New York stay-put, LCD Soundsystem will perform at the See.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park, N.J. on Saturday (Sept. 13), the Portola Music Festival in San Francisco (Sept. 20), as well as a pair of shows at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 25 and 26 with Britpop legends Pulp. The late 2025 run will follow-up similar New York residencies by LCD in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The dates for the upcoming shows are:  Nov. 20, 21, 22, 23 Dec. 4, 5, 6, 7 Dec. 10, 11, 12, 13 Check out the poster for the 2025 LCD Soundsystem residency gigs below. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Source link

Billboard returned to New York City for its annual Hip-Hop/R&B LIVE event, taking over Webster Hall for a night of unforgettable performances. This year’s lineup featured Armanii, Leon Thomas, Ravyn Lenae, Odeal, and Gelo, drawing fans who lined up hours before the show to secure their spot inside the historic venue. Fans were in for an unforgettable night filled with surprises, from exclusive custom merchandise to a special surprise performance by Ty Dolla $ign. The energy never let up, making the night one fans won’t soon forget. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Erica Harris DeValve The concert was presented by State Farm®, which treated attendees to a unique experience with free custom t-shirts screen printed live on-site. The designs were created by a North Carolina A&T alumnus and graphic designer KeShawn Sanders, giving fans a chance to take home an exclusive piece of the event. Erica Harris DeValve When asked about the inspiration of this design, Sanders told Billboard, “Recognizing the history of this place was extremely important to me. Webster Hall has a deep connection to Hip-Hop and Black culture, so I thought it was the perfect idea to highlight the venue in this design.” The partnership builds on last year’s Good Neighbor Marketplace activation, which highlighted a clothing brand launched by another HBCU alum. Once again, State Farm showcased its commitment to supporting HBCUs and the broader community, not only through creative collaborations but also by inviting alumni from various HBCUs to join in the celebration. On the importance of brand partnerships with aspiring talent, Sanders said, “It’s so important to highlight the artists, and it shows that HBCUs cultivate a culture of loving what you do. The world has so many different cultures and perspectives to offer, and recognition from brands like Billboard and State Farm means a lot in pushing our culture forward.” Erica Harris DeValve Blending music, design, and community impact, Billboard’s Hip-Hop/R&B LIVE and State Farm delivered more than just a concert; they created a moment rooted in artistry, heritage, and connection. Source link

Maybe it runs in the family. When Mark Ronson visited The Tonight Show on Thursday night (Sept. 11) he doubled-down on a recent offer from his stepdad’s band to be the musical guest at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding. A few weeks after Foreigner threw their hat in the ring with an offer to be the wedding band at the recently engaged couple’s as-yet-unannounced nuptials, Ronson told Jimmy Fallon that he was up to offer his party-starting turntable services as well. “If you guys need a DJ, Travis, Taylor,” Ronson said, as Fallon tossed in his bid to be the couple’s official wedding stand-up comedian. “Let’s get on that!,” the pair agreed. The chat opened with Ronson taking a victory lap for helping Foreigner — co-founded by his stepdad, guitarist Mick Jones — get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. The last time he was on with Fallon, Ronson brought along a NSFW message from Sir Paul McCartney urging the RRHOF to finally induct the “I Want to Know What Love Is” band. “When I found out they got in, I was just, I guess because it was my stepdad, he’s just done so much for me, he’s such a huge influence,” Ronson said of Jones. “I was so much more excited when they got in than any other award or anything I ever got. I actually broke down and cried when I found out they got in.”  Ronson was in Cleveland on the night of the induction, though he said Jones, who has Parkinson’s, could not make it and stayed at home to watch it on TV and celebrate with his family.  The visit also included Ronson, 50, talking about his new memoir, Night People: How to Be a DJ in ‘90s New York City, a remembrance of his crazy days and nights being a DJ in New York in the 1990s, which included Fallon sometimes helping him haul his crates of vinyl back to his van at the end of the night. After recalling his thrilling first DJ gig at 10 years old — at his mom and stepdad’s wedding — Ronson detailed the moment he realized he’d found a unique style to set him apart from the many other DJs working clubs in New York at the time.  “One night I played AC/DC ‘Back in Black’ at this like, super amazing hip-hop party where they didn’t play anything like that,” he said. “Playing the kind of wrong record in a place like that you could get a bottle thrown at the booth or worse.” He described playing the biggest song at the time, “It’s All About the Benjamins” by Puff Daddy with Notorious B.I.G., Lil Kim and the Lox, and throwing in a bit of the hard-rocking guitar break from the AC/DC classic in the middle of the song and watching the club freeze for a scary second before everyone just lost it. “You know, the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward, it was this lovely moment,” Ronson said of the moment he became known as “that guy” in New York who would mix rock and hip-hop and everything else he could think of. Not for nothing, Ronson also described the time a DJ gave him a copy of the then-unreleased Biggie song “Hypnotize” and he got to play it in a club just moments after he heard it for the first time. “I just throw it on and the whole club.. you know how ‘Hypnotize’… that ‘boom-uh!’… it sounds like a meteor hitting the club. 500 people are hearing this song for the first time, knowing that they’re experiencing history and everybody is connected by this experience.”   Ronson hung around to play a game of “True Confessions” with Fallon and Reese Witherspoon, in which he told a tall tale about getting tucked in to bed as a kid by late comedy great Robin Williams. Watch Ronson on the Tonight Show below.  Source link

Australian sport’s biggest moments should be soundtracked by Australian artists. That’s the message from senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who has put the boot into the nation’s top football leagues for booking international entertainers to lead their grand final festivities. As the NRL, the professional men’s rugby league competition, and the AFL, the premier league for men’s Australian rules football, go deep in their respective playoffs, both codes have tapped U.S. artists to take the stage on finals day. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “Another day, another iconic Aussie sport shipping in an international artist and ignoring our homegrown talent,” the Adelaide-based Greens politician writes on social media. “Whether it’s the AFL or NRL Grand Final, an Australian performer should be taking the stage, not an American import. “While Australia’s music industry is struggling, cultural institutions like huge grand finals should be backing Aussie talent.” Hanson-Young’s comments closely follow the NRL’s announcement that Teddy Swims would headline the 2025 Grand Final Day entertainment, set for Oct. 5 at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. That’s following the controversial announcement of Snoop Dogg as the headline act for the AFL Grand Final, set to kick off Sept. 27 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. When Snoop was announced, Hanson-Young used the platform of her speech to parliament — and a post from her Instagram account — to brand Snoop a “slur merchant” and question why the AFL would pay millions to acquire international talent “rather than backing Aussie talent”. Australia’s music community is struggling to be seen and heard in a streaming world, where new artists are competing with 100 million-plus songs, and where catalog and major label signings from the U.S. and U.K. tend to dominate.    The potential solutions are many and varied, industry champions say, and could include the support act initiative “Michael’s Rule,” which requires that at least one local artist benefits from the support slot on an international artist’s headline tour of these parts. Earlier this year, New South Wales becomes the first state to implement what was once an industry code, by dangling financial incentives. When he performs at AFL Grand Final Day, Snoop will follow in the footsteps of past headliners Ed Sheeran, Sting, The Killers, Lionel Richie, Tom Jones, Meat Loaf and homegrown rockers Powderfinger. The NRL’s big day has featured domestic talent The Kid LAROI, Amy Shark, Gang of Youths, Jessica Mauboy, along with internationals Good Charlotte, Tom Jones, Billy Idol and the late “Queen of Rugby League,” Tina Turner. Source link

The KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack collects another double on the new-look ARIA Charts, while Australian artists John Butler and G Flip are the week’s fastest starters. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Western Australian indie artist John Butler bows at No. 3 with his solo release PRISM (via Jarrah/MGM), the third in a four-part “seasons” project — some six years in the making. PRISM follows an album of meditations (Running River) and a fully instrumental LP (Still Searching), and was crafted entirely solo, with support from producer James Ireland (POND, San Cisco). “I was channeling Kevin Parker to see if I could do it all myself,” he tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ. “That was fun. I learned a lot about honing my production skills. I was making all the beats and all the synths and all the guitars and kind of create this symphony of sound.” As band leader of the John Butler Trio, the roots rocker has nine top 50 albums, including ARIA Chart leaders with Sunrise Over Sea (2004), Grand National (2007), April Uprising (2010) and Home (2018). Just missing out on a podium finish is G Flip, whose Dream Ride (AWAL) drives in at No. 4. Dream Ride is the multi-instrumentalist’s third studio album, and the followup to their 2023 chart leader Drummer. Dream Ride is the week’s best-seller on wax, to lead the ARIA Vinyl Chart. The surprise release of Justin Bieber’s Swag II (Def Jam/Universal) refuels Swag, which bounces 20-6 on the new survey, published Friday, Sept. 12. Following its release in July, Swag debuted and peaked at No. 2. Talking Heads singer David Byrne lands a new career high as a solo act, as Who Is The Sky? (Matador/Remote Control) debuts at No. 18. That eclipses the No. 47 for My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, his collaborative effort with Brian Eno, released back in 1981. Talking Heads had five top 20 albums in Australia, topping out No. 2 with Little Creatures in 1985 and True Stories in 1986. Meanwhile, U.S. indie rock band Big Thief bag a top 20 appearance with Double Infinity (4AD/Remote Control), new at No. 19. At the top of the leaderboard, KPop Demon Hunters (via Republic/Universal) lifts 2-1 for an eighth non-consecutive week at No. 1. The LP leapfrogs Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, down 1-2. After pulling their music from Spotify, and inviting fans to download their catalog on Bandcamp at whatever price they choose, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard‘s strategy appears to have paid off with two entries into the top 50. Phantom Island (Virgin/Universal), released in June, returns at No. 39, and Flight b741, from 2024, reenters at No. 48. KPop Demon Hunters proves impossible to slay, as the soundtrack to the animated Netflix hit accounts for seven singles in the top 20, led by “Golden,” which now leads the ARIA Singles Chart for a seventh consecutive week. Source link

Aimer is teaming up with the blockbuster anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba once again. The “Zankyosanka” songstress was tapped to perform one of the two theme songs gracing the first of the anime trilogy Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle — Part 1: Akaza Returns alongside LiSA, with Aimer singing “Taiyo ga Noboranai Sekai” (English title: “A World Where the Sun Never Rises”). Explore See latest videos, charts and news The songwriting team for the track includes Hikaru Kondo, the film’s general director, and Go Shiina, the composer of the soundtrack, both from the production team of the title’s anime series. Aimer’s vocals resonate with the story of the Infinity Castle movie, filling the song with strength, determination, and vulnerability. How did the “Asa ga kuru” vocalist approach this new song born from the movie? In this latest interview, the 35-year-old singer reflects on her connection with the Kimetsu series and opens up about the creative process and essence of her latest collaboration.  You first collaborated with the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime through “Zankyosanka” and “Asa ga kuru,” the opening and ending theme songs for the Entertainment District story arc. You’d already worked on many tie-ins for other works. What was it like working on the Kimetsu series? When I was first tapped to do it, the work was already well known and LiSA had performed all of the theme songs up to that point, so there was some pressure. Still, I was able to work on “Zankyosanka” with the same team I’d been working with since my debut, and I’d also worked with Yuki Kajiura, who wrote “Asa ga kuru,” and ufotable, the production company behind the Kimetsu anime, so I was confident that we could create something great. Being able to join the Kimetsu anime team was a huge honor. “Zankyosanka” went on to rule Billboard Japan’s 2022 year-end Japan Hot 100, and you performed it for your first appearance on the prestigious Kohaku Uta Gassen year-end music extravaganza. What does this song mean to you? It’s a song that changed my concerts. In the early days of my career, there were a lot of ballads in my repertoire and the audience was mainly seated at my shows. I focused on making songs that reflected my inner world. But as I gained more experience, I began to realize how important performing live is, and last year I went on an overseas tour. The Aimer 3 Nuits Tour 2024 that made stops in Shanghai, Taipei, and Hong Kong, your first tour outside of Japan in about five years. The local crowd sang along with almost all the songs. In particular, “Zankyosanka” has a scat-like part that everyone can sing along to, so they sang it together with great enthusiasm. Inspired by their energy, I thought maybe my audience in Japan would sing along too, so I decided to make the next domestic tour (Aimer Hall Tour 2024-25 “lune blanche”) one where I build together with my audience. “Zankyosanka” was a big turning point for me. How did you feel when you were asked to collaborate with the Kimetsu franchise again, to sing “A World Where the Sun Never Rises” for the latest movie version? When I first heard about it, I was taken completely by surprise — I felt more surprised than happy, to be honest. Various artists have performed theme songs for the Kimetsu anime series since the Entertainment District arc, and until now, I hadn’t had many opportunities to sing the theme song for the same work after some time had passed. And the fact that it was one of two theme songs with the other by LiSA was also a huge surprise, so I felt both honored and delighted. “A World Where the Sun Never Rises” was written by the three people involved in the creation of the movie. Hikaru Kondo, the movie’s general director, wrote the lyrics and the composition and arrangement were handled by the composers of the film’s soundtrack — the former by Go Shiina, the latter by Shiina and Sachiko Miyano. It’s a song made specifically for this movie. They’re all probably constantly thinking about the Kimetsu anime, and I couldn’t imagine what people like that would come up with as a theme song. When I first heard the demo, I thought it was difficult and was like, “How should I sing this?” to be honest. There were parts that sounded like opera, the synths sounded like techno, and there were elements of rock as well. I thought it was a really interesting song, but also wondered what the correct way to sing it would be. As you say, it feels like the true power of this song can’t be drawn out by simply following the melody. It’s like your vocals are so integrated with the music that the song is only complete with it. When requesting a composer to write a song for me, I let them know my vocal range in advance. Most composers will then create melodies within that range with some leeway, but Mr. Shiina used the entire range, pushing it to the absolute limit. After I recorded it, he said, “I really love your low notes, so I wanted to include them, and I also wanted to make sure your high falsetto could be heard, too, which is why I composed the melody like that.” The chorus is my highest key, so I couldn’t sing it in my natural voice and had to use falsetto, and the first verse (A-melo) is at my lowest register. I rarely use long vibrato or falsetto with a classical-tinged, intense sound, so I realized that the song turned out so awesome because he intentionally aimed to “fully utilize Aimer’s voice.” Since the song is crafted to highlight my voice, it’s easier to add dynamics. I see. Because this song makes full use of your limits, once it settles into your body, you’re able

Ed Sheeran’s career is at a crossroads. Earlier this month, he concluded his Mathematics world tour, which ran for 169 shows and spanned the releases of two albums: 2021’s = (Equals) and 2023’s – (Subtract). The Mathematics era in total has spanned his entire recording career, kicking off with 2011 debut + (Plus); 2014’s x (Multiply); 2017’s gargantuan ÷ (Divide) and totals as one of the 21st century’s most successful recording and touring musicians. His reputation and legacy as a modern great is richly deserved. But in recent years, life got in the way. In 2022, his close friend Jamal Edwards – founder of influential online channel SBTV – died of an accidental overdose. His wife Cherry suffered a health scare during the pregnancy of their second child, a topic broached on the contemplative Subtract. Two legal cases around accusations of plagiarism – Sheeran denied all claims and won in court – sapped the joy out of songwriting for him. Perhaps it comes as little surprise, then, that Sheeran has gone for a total reset with Play. It’s the start of a new era for the English pop star, and the first of his five planned symbol records — with Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Stop set to follow in the coming years. His planned posthumous album Eject (seriously) is hopefully a long way off. The news that Sheeran was planning a “big pop” comeback after passion project Autumn Variations (2023) will be welcome news for his fans. When Sheeran is on form, there are few songwriters like him — and fewer still who are content to use his skills in such effective, crowd-pleasing ways. Experimental, avant-garde departures are not in the Sheeran songbook… and why should they be? Play, his eighth LP in total, is a buoyant record that traverses moods and continents. Lead single “Azizam” features Persian influence, and several songs (“Sapphire”) were inspired by his shows and travels through India. This is Ed back at his vibrant best, and the start of a bright, brilliant new era; here’s how the 13 tracks on Play shake out. “Slowly” In an album that pushes Ed’s creativity forward, the songs with his tried-and-tested sound are somewhat less impactful. True to its title, “Slowly” doesn’t really get going until the final minute, which then ends in quite sudden circumstances. It makes for one of Play’s rare forgettable moments. “In Other Words” “In Other Words” is one of the calmest songs on Play, but that doesn’t make it completely unremarkable. The track begins as a piano ballad that grows steadily across its four-minute run time as a string section softly swells in the background. It offers a much-needed breather at the LP’s halfway point following a head-spinning start. “The Vow” Backed by Our Dementia Choir, a Nottingham-based charity group of singers featuring people living with the disease, “The Vow” packs serious emotional heft. There’s a nod to blue-eyed soul in the record’s lush production that commits to the bit, just as much as Ed does to the song’s subject: “We’re stronger from joy and from pain/ Our love is the thing that remains,” he croons. “For Always” Hitmaker Amy Allen makes an appearance on “For Always” as a credited songwriter and backing singer. The pair trade lines on the reverent ballad, with Allen’s subtle vocals providing a gorgeous counterweight to Sheeran’s, as he promises to be his child’s constant throughout their life no matter the circumstance: “From your first breath/ To my last day,” he assures, “Whether I’m by your side/ Or a thousand miles away.” “Camera” Sheeran’s finest songwriting is often when he’s addressing his subject directly. “Camera” is for a lover, one that is so dazzling he has “to count to 10 and take a breath” amidst the butterflies flapping away in his stomach. He sings each line with such conviction so that, for a brief moment, it feels like he’s singing solely for you in this magical, romantic moment. Aw, shucks. “Heaven” There’s a hint of Bon Iver in the way that Sheeran stacks his vocals on Play’s closing track, utilizing its quality and dexterity as an instrument in its own right. “Heaven” is a reflection on the journey he’s been on to get back on top and traversing life’s challenges, and makes for a fitting finale as he completes the first chapter of his next adventure: “let’s pause and just take in this view” he sighs. “Old Phone” Before cloud-based storage, mobile phones were time capsules of certain moments in your life – the good, the bad and the cringe. “Old Phone” was inspired by the rediscovery of a previous device from Sheeran’s past, full of lost photos and messages to lovers and friends (estranged or otherwise). No wonder this acoustic guitar-led number is full of longing and nostalgia for the past, but this time revisited with wisdom and perspective. “Sapphire” Sheeran has described heading to India to meet with superstar Arjit Singh in his hometown as “a pilgrimage of music,” as the pair exchanged ideas, music and friendship. “Sapphire” features Singh performing in Hindi and Punjabi with Sheeran in English, although a remix of this track – not included on Play – offers a more pronounced role for Singh and is perhaps stronger for it. Either way, the universal language of music remains potent and disregards man-made borders and divisions. “Symmetry” Ed described India as a place he could “never get bored of,” and the influence from his travels in such a vibrant nation is felt keenly on “Symmetry.” The track is jam-packed with percussive instruments, such as the dhol and the ghatam — as well as stringed instruments the bouzouki, and the bansuri, a bamboo flute. The result is punchy, and Sheeran totally pulls it off. “Azizam” You can see why “Azizam” was selected to lead the Play era: that chorus. It’s the type of earworm melody that’s scattered throughout Sheeran’s career (see: “Shape of You,” “Bad Habits,” et al) and has the record’s biggest hit

 Ed Sheeran is here to play. The superstar British singer and songwriter today drops Play, his eighth studio album, which gathers the previously released singles “Camera”, “A Little More”, “Azizam”, “Sapphire,” “Old Phone” and more. Inspired, in part, by his exposure to Indian and Persian musical cultures, Play sees Sheeran enter a brand new era, after closing the chapter on his hugely successful Mathematics series. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “Play was an album that was made as a direct response to the darkest period of my life. Coming out of all of that I just wanted to create joy and technicolour, and explore cultures in the countries I was touring,” he wrote in an Instagram post earlier in the year. “It’s a real rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, it encapsulates everything that I love about music, and the fun in it, but also where I am in life as a human, a partner, a father.” To celebrate the new release, Sheeran shares the official video for “Camera”, starring Phoebe Dynevor. With Play, Sheeran will hope to extend his perfect streak in his homeland and Australia, where all of his studio albums have topped the national charts, including his most recent effort, 2023’s Autumn Variations. In the U.S., Sheeran has two career leaders on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Shape Of You,” one of the most-streamed songs in history, and four No. 1s on the Billboard 200 chart. He’ll give the new album a push from midday today, Sept. 12, when he heads to NPR’s offices, where he’ll play a selection of new music on his loop station for the first-ever livestreamed Tiny Desk concert of this scale. The four-time Grammy Award winner closed the book on Mathematics last Sunday, Sept. 7 in Düsseldorf, Germany, with the final show on his +−=÷× Tour (Mathematics Tour), a global juggernaut that began in April 2022 and featured more than 160 shows. He’s booked to played iHeartMusicFestival in Las Vegas next Saturday, Sept. 20, then presses play on The Loop Tour this December for shows across Continental Europe and the U.K., followed by a run of stadium shows across Australia and New Zealand in the first quarter of 2026. Stream Play below. Source link