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3 Hip-Hop Bangers That Will Uplift Any Party, Shindig, or Get-Together
The article highlights three hip-hop tracks it considers particularly effective at energising parties and social gatherings: Missy Elliott’s “Work It”, Nas’s “N.Y. State of Mind”, and the Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic”. It presents the songs as examples of hip-hop’s long-standing ability to create excitement, encourage dancing and bring listeners together. The selections span 1994 to 2002…
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Tom Scholz reveals the secrets of Boston’s masterful debut album. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me… I’ve spent six months making a recording of a song that I’ve thrown out”
Tom Scholz has reflected on the seven-year process behind Boston’s 1976 debut album, describing how his perfectionism drove him to repeatedly refine and discard recordings. The album became a landmark of classic rock, showing how Scholz’s painstaking studio work and ambitious sound overcame record-label rejections and financial pressure. Scholz began writing songs around 1969, with…
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Aly & AJ Cancel Fall Tour Dates as Aly Michalka Sets Broadway Debut: ‘This Is a Bittersweet One’
Aly & AJ have cancelled their planned November and December tour dates after Aly Michalka accepted a Broadway role in & Juliet. Michalka will make her Broadway debut as Anne Hathaway, William Shakespeare’s wife, describing the opportunity as one she could not pass up; the cancellation affects fans who had arranged travel and attendance for…
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Dolly Parton’s Legacy on the Billboard 200 Chart: 7 Decades of Hit Albums
Dolly Parton charted 50 albums on the Billboard 200 across seven consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2020s, underlining her unusually long-lived appeal beyond country music. Fifteen of those albums reached the top 40, with her chart history spanning solo releases, collaborations and genre-crossing projects. Her first Billboard 200 entries included albums with Porter…
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Ravyn Lenae Postpones North American Tour Dates
Ravyn Lenae has postponed her planned North American tour, which had been due to take place in September and October in support of her album Blue Island. The R&B singer gave no reason for the decision, but said she and her team had made it after discussion and promised the rescheduled shows next year would…
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The 2005 audition Kristen Wiig called “the scariest five minutes of my life”
Kristen Wiig has described her 2005 Saturday Night Live audition as “the scariest five minutes of my life”, reflecting the pressure of performing a short solo routine of characters and impressions. The audition ultimately launched the comedian’s wider television career, helping establish her as one of SNL’s most celebrated modern cast members before later film…
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Troye Sivan Wants His New Album to Make a Cultural Impact, Not Just a Commercial One: ‘This One Is Going to Age Well’
Troye Sivan says he is prioritising cultural impact over first-week sales for his forthcoming fourth album, She’s the Best. He wants the record to create memorable pop-cultural moments rather than pass unnoticed, following the prominent queer-pop era around 2023’s Something to Give Each Other and the subsequent SWEAT Tour with Charli xcx. Sivan describes the…
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4 of the Best Rock Songs Turning 65 This Year
Four rock and rock-adjacent singles associated with 1961 are being marked at their 65th anniversaries, highlighting a period when the genre was developing new styles from earlier pop, country, blues and R&B influences. The selections illustrate how early 1960s hits helped establish surf rock, rockabilly and enduring mainstream rock standards. – Dick Dale & The…
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What was the origin of prison albums and which is the best?
The article traces the origins of prison albums, arguing that recordings by prisoners long predated Johnny Cash’s celebrated At Folsom Prison. It highlights Charles Lee Guy III’s 1963 album The Prisoner’s Dream, recorded while he was incarcerated in California, and explains why Cash nevertheless made the format culturally significant by bringing prison audiences and their…
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3 of the Best 70s Disco Songs That Sound Just as Amazing Today
The article highlights three enduring 1970s disco songs, arguing that their uplifting energy and dance-floor appeal remain strong today. – Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 “I Will Survive”, written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris, topped several Billboard charts and became a widely recognised anthem of resilience and self-belief. – The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”, written by…