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3 Songs From the 1980s That Are All About Real Relationships
An American Songwriter feature highlights three well-known 1980s hits that were directly inspired by the songwriters’ real-life romantic relationships. Rather than being purely fictional or abstract, each track drew on personal circumstances the writers were living through at the time, giving the songs a lasting emotional resonance with listeners. The piece underscores how autobiographical songwriting…
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Legendary folk singer Linda Perhacs reported missing
Folk singer-songwriter Linda Perhacs has been reported missing after friends and former collaborators said they had been unable to contact her for around eight months. The report has prompted a public appeal for information about the 82-year-old musician’s welfare, given her longstanding influence on experimental and psychedelic folk. Perhacs was last seen at an assisted-living…
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Oprah Winfrey Reveals Sweet Gift She Got From Beyoncé After Writing About Being ‘Blown Away’ By Renaissance Tour
Oprah Winfrey revealed that Beyoncé sent her a hat from the Renaissance World Tour after Winfrey wrote her a fan letter praising the 2023 concert. Winfrey shared the anecdote during an appearance on the street-interview web series Are You Okay?, describing how touched she was that the singer responded to her note with a gift.…
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“I wish I could do that”: A developer on The Sims has been eyeing up Paralives’ characters’ asymmetric shoes and their wider possibilities
A senior character artist on The Sims, Jess Hyland, has praised rival life-simulation game Paralives for allowing characters to wear mismatched shoes and earrings, saying she wishes The Sims could do the same. Speaking at the Develop conference following a talk on how The Sims 4’s character creator has evolved since 2014, Hyland noted that…
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States cite new appeals-court ruling to defend Live Nation monopoly verdict – Live Nation says it backs throwing the verdict out
Live Nation has told a New York federal court that a new appeals-court ruling cited by the Plaintiff States actually undermines their case, not helps it, as both sides prepare for a court hearing on the company’s bid to overturn the April antitrust verdict against it. The dispute centres on a July 13 decision by…
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Watch: SAVATAGE Performs With Orchestra In Pompeii
Progressive metal pioneers Savatage performed at the Amphitheater of Pompeii in Italy on 27 July 2026, backed live by a 40-piece orchestra for what the band has described as a likely once-in-a-lifetime performance at the historic Roman venue. The show featured extensively reworked arrangements put together by guitarist and Trans-Siberian Orchestra music director Al Pitrelli…
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Full line-up announced for Jorja Smith and Tems at London’s All Points East 2026 with Katy B, Maverick Sabre and more
The full Friday line-up for All Points East 2026 has been revealed, with Jorja Smith and Tems confirmed as co-headliners alongside a raft of newly added acts including Katy B, Maverick Sabre and Bricknasty. The announcement matters for UK festival-goers as it completes the bill for the opening day of one of London’s biggest summer…
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Carín León tops nine nominations for first European Premios Juventud
TelevisaUnivision has confirmed the full list of nominees for the 23rd Premios Juventud, with Mexican singer Carín León leading the field on nine nominations, ahead of Beéle, Kany García and Rauw Alejandro on seven apiece. The ceremony will be held on 3 September at the Starlite Amphitheater in Marbella, Spain, marking the first time the…
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How Isolation and Love Fueled Paul McCartney’s Greatest Solo Masterpiece in 1970
This piece explores the origins of Paul McCartney’s 1970 solo track “Maybe I’m Amazed,” widely regarded as the high point of his early post-Beatles songwriting. Written on the piano he received as a wedding gift, the song emerged from a mix of personal turmoil and newfound love, as McCartney processed the breakup of The Beatles…
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How did Frank Zappa become a hero of Czech democracy?
Frank Zappa became an unlikely symbol of resistance in communist Czechoslovakia, his music having inspired dissidents who defied state suppression during the Cold War. His 1967 song “Plastic People”, recorded with the Mothers of Invention, so resonated with the Prague underground that the banned rock band the Plastic People of the Universe took their name…