often times popular music works because it is, to put it plainly, just cool as fuck
the Migos were cool as fuck
"Hotel Lobby," a decade on from "Bando," is cool as fuck
that was Takeoff — just watch this. cool as fuck.
a rep for Tory Lanez says it is NOT TRUE that charges against him in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting were dropped: “The blog that posted this info is wrong. I assume the docket hasn't been updated ... The next hearing date is in mid-February.”
this lawsuit by Deb Dugan vs. the Recording Academy is basically everything Grammys conspiracy theorists have been claiming for years: “boys club” self-dealing, sexual harassment/abuse at the highest levels, artists nominated over other acts bc of inside connections…
it’s war
Grammy war: Deb Dugan has filed an EEOC complaint against the Grammys, including an accusation that she had been sexually harassed by a top music lawyer. Story TK.
for years, Ryan Adams has used his influence in music to lure in and emotionally torment women
@melenar
& I talked to some, including Mandy Moore, Phoebe Bridgers & a young woman who says her sexual texts w Adams while she was underage killed her dreams
breaking: Tory Lanez found GUILTY OF ALL CHARGES in 2020 shooting of Megan Thee Stallion
he faces more than 20 years in prison
first take NY Times story
BREAKING: Diddy is being sued by the singer Cassie, his longtime partner and former Bad Boy artist, for years of alleged horrific physical and sexual abuse
by
@sisario
some truly heinous stuff in this lawsuit
breaking: Capitol Records “has severed ties” with the A.I. rapper FN Meka, “effective immediately,” following days of backlash over the caricature
the activist group
@industryblkout
called for a formal public apology about two hours ago
thx gd for
@MatthewTHealy
of the 1975, a famous musician who is at least attempting to give interesting interviews (in this case, to me, for our Fall Preview)
on the new album, Jack Antonoff, turning down Ed Sheeran, cringe & being ’soft-canceled’
Dugan vs. Grammys lawsuit: “This year, 30 artists that were not selected by the membership were added to the possible nomination list.”
+ claims that in 2019 Song of the Year category, an artist ranked 18/20 by the member votes was nominated over Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande
very cool to hear
@LilJon
talk about how his time skateboarding + listening to Dead Kennedys and Bad Brains infused a punk spirit into crunk music
“I Don’t Give a Fuck” is a punk song… “Bia Bia” is a punk song… “Who U Wit” is a punk song…
DIARY OF A SONG, EP. 11: “Lover” by
@taylorswift13
+
@jackantonoff
@laurasisk
when was the last time you heard Taylor talk about songwriting? turns out she knows what she’s doing…
I’ve been covering the unprecedented Britney Spears conservatorship since
@mehpatrol
came to the NYT with the idea of a big investigation in 2015
I truly never expected what we heard from Britney in court today
Young Thug RICO indictment is insane in so many ways…
it attempts to tell a story that carries through basically his whole (truly wild) career, back to early 2013, the start of his national rise, not long after “I Came From Nothing 3” & right around “1017 Thug”/“Black Portland”
DIARY OF A SONG, EP. 16: “Kyoto” by
@phoebe_bridgers
not many current songwriters are better at stomping on hearts while also being hilarious
here’s how another sad & funny Phoebe ballad became one of the elusive sad & funny Phoebe rock songs 🔥🤘⛩🏪🎺
I sat down with 6ix9ine, who remains extremely popular, to talk about... all of it, including the worst things he’s done, the differences between him and Tupac, and why he’s addicted to the attention, the money, the fame and the outrage
spoke to Swizz Beatz about making what was supposed to be DMX’s comeback album + other memories of his friend, like how DMX used to get his rental cars customized just because
@taylorswift13
@jackantonoff
@laurasisk
tbh Taylor Swift was one of the inspirations for Diary of a Song in the first place, w her use of in-process voice memos as bonus tracks & vertical studio vids from “Reputation” sessions
so v happy to close out the year w this one
Lorde & I continued our conversation about “Solar Power” from Diary of a Song [] for a full feature on the album (out next week)
+ staying sane/offline after teen fame, how weird it is to be worshipped &, yes, Jack Antonoff
HOW
@KACEYMUSGRAVES
MAKES A SONG
sometimes she’ll write the lyrics for a chorus in the middle of a big sheet of paper & then parts of verses on little slips that can be rearranged until they’re perfect
here’s the one for “Slow Burn” as seen in our video
the book I’ve spent the last 4+ years reporting & writing — RAP CAPITAL: An Atlanta Story — is on sale now, out July 2022!
it’s a portrait of the most important/influential modern music scene, the people who make it tick + the city that made them that way
despite all he’s admitted to, this man had a No. 1 song this summer/is prob about to have the top album in the country. to me, he’s maybe the defining pop culture figure of the Trump Era (besides…) & you can decide what that says about the state of things
RIP Lil Marlo, who everybody described w the same two words: “Real Atlanta”
he was a huge reason Baby started rapping and stayed w it (& vice versa), but told his partner, “No matter what I’m doing, you keep going.”
this was the 1st song he ever made
DIARY OF A SONG, EP. 7: “Con Altura” by
@rosaliavt
@JBALVIN
@el_guincho
a reggaeton tribute by a flamenco musician who’s reinventing pop in her image (singing in Spanish)
pls get used to ROSALÍA/try to tell me she isn’t the most charming FaceTimer alive
breaking: at least three New York drill rappers — Sha Ek, 22Gz and Ron Suno — have been cut from this weekend’s Rolling Loud festival in Queens at the request of the NYPD, their representatives said
no comment from the festival or the police....
Anthony Fantano (
@theneedledrop
) has reviewed so much music on YouTube that he’s become an institution, so I wrote about where he came from (nu-metal, video-game vlogging, 4chan, NPR) + his influence (TikTok futuristic music-crit, viral Phil Collins teens)
Gayle King said R. Kelly agreed not to be present for the interview with his two girlfriends, but he entered the room behind them after it began. Gayle said he would “cough very loudly,” and that the women were “certainly aware that he was there.”
Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino were all offered performances at the Grammy Awards on Sunday and DECLINED. they may not even show up (ditto Taylor Swift and, potentially, Ariana Grande)…
can the Grammys please anyone?
rap doesn’t function w/o the young local kings & role players like Marlo, who grew up in Bowen Homes & was a student of Shawty Lo, the kind of Atlanta legend he wanted to be — maybe not a natural talent like Baby but a grinder who’d seen a lot, loved his city & commanded respect
at least four different major rap gossip blogs just posted (the same) allegedly leaked not-guilty verdict in the Tory Lanez trial re Megan Thee Stallion shooting
the jury is on lunch. the disinformation is rampant...
Teddy Geiger has had a truly insane career: heartthrob pop hit (& video starring Kristin Cavallari) by 18 (plus a Got Milk? ad, MTV Cribs, etc)
self-imposed industry exile by 21. now a pile of Top 10 smashes as a songwriter.
oh and she came out as trans
breaking: Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” — which Mariah told me she wrote “in the womb, darling” — just hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time…
here’s the story behind the Christmas miracle that took a quarter-century
I am extremely excited to report and write a book about the most influential and complex American art (and business) of this century in the most influential and complex American city
#THENEWNEWATLANTA
ethel cain, whose debut album is out tonight, is very special (& extremely my shit)
a small-town Florida girl plotting an elaborate pop career from the middle of nowhere. this is the new breed of cult stardom…
get to know
@mothercain
a quick look at Britney Spears’s court-appointed lawyer of 13 years, Samuel Ingham, including these bits from confidential court records that give a taste of his interaction with the conservatorship
breaking: Britney Spears has been speaking out against her conservatorship — & her father’s role in it — for far longer than we previously knew, according to newly obtained court records
story ahead of tomorrow’s hearing by
@LizDDay
,
@starksamantha
+ me
DIARY OF A SONG, EP. 3: “Slow Burn” by
@KaceyMusgraves
🦄✨🔥🐔
sometimes things start with just a title, a few guitar chords and a vibe inspired by an acid trip. this is how Kacey made one of her most personal songs & set the tone for “Golden Hour”
what do Drake, Katy Perry, the Weeknd, Rihanna, Calvin Harris, Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, Halsey, Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Camila Cabello have in common?
songs by
@iStarrah
, the secret queen of streaming who won’t show her face
I remember being at an industry party a couple years ago when Marlo introduced me to Roddy Ricch, who hadn’t yet blown up. it was a lame scene full of suits + dweebs, & even though they were from opposites sides of the country, Roddy was sticking to Marlo’s side. he had presence.
not a lot of first lyrics on a first song on a first album better than “he said the way my blue eyes shined/ put those Georgia stars to shame that night/ I said, ‘that's a lie’”
breaking Grammys news: the top categories were expanded to 10 nominees at the very last minute — 24 hours before the nominations were announced — adding, for example, Kanye West and Taylor Swift to the mix for Album of the Year
this is a treasure trove.
50 RAPPERS, 50 STORIES — Lil Wayne, Cam’ron, 50 Cent, Earl Sweatshirt, Eminem, Cardi B, Gucci Mane, Lil B, LL Cool J, Scarface & many more — telling a nonlinear, hyperlocal and personal history of hip-hop
all in their own words
A biomusical about Michael Jackson, now titled "MJ The Musical," is moving forward despite renewed attention to child abuse allegations against the singer. The producers, who include Jackson's estate, said the show will open on Broadway next summer.
BREAKING: the FBI is looking into whether Ryan Adams committed a crime by sexting with an underage fan
here’s the original story by
@melenar
and I
and Adams’s original denial:
DIARY OF A SONG, EP. 8: “iMi” by
@BONIVER
@blobtower
feat. everyone from
@wheezy5th
to
@jamesblake
& many, many more
5 years, 28 people +some cardboard… no one writes a song like Bon Iver
(Midwestern dudes w lots of feelings = MOST EMO EPISODE YET (?))
PRINCE- “SIGN O’ THE TIMES” (1987) x DIARY OF A SONG
ep. 18, our first throwback
featuring Prince’s closest confidantes/collaborators at the time of his classic double LP, which was recently reissued & felt unfortunately resonant in 2020
enjoy
I’ve been on a lil book leave & off Twitter (back Monday) but here’s a profile of Mr. Uptown Funk, Mark Ronson, who is 43, divorced and on top of the world
the push-and-pull between Old Grammys (duets, corny ballads, tributes, Aerosmith) & New Grammys (Tyler, Lil Nas X, Rosalía, Billie winning song of the year) does not make for a coherent television show !
DIARY OF A SONG, EP. 2: “Mo Bamba” by Sheck Wes
😈🏀😈🏀😈🏀😈
how a one-take freestyle uploaded to SoundCloud on a whim becomes a word-of-mouth hit — from internet obscurity to Fashion Week, NBA games & Drake’s ears
@SHECKWES
@TAKE_A_DAYTRIP
@16YROID
in a nice bit of serendipity, look what broke into the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time this week…
as
@SheckWes
says in our video, “this song still hasn’t hit its peak — and this is, like, a statistical fact” :)
SOCCER MOMMY: not a bedroom project anymore
I was w
@sopharela
as she made “color theory” (Feb. 28), which is abt paranoia, depression, illness & death but also, as she said, “really bangs”
a student of Swift/Lavigne/Phair/Williams is hitting her stride
the full, 27-minute XXXTentacion tape is harrowing
the prosecutor’s office that released it said the tape would prob not have been admitted as evidence at trial bc it was recorded secretly, without the knowledge or consent of the other people on it
if you’ve spoken to anyone working in the music business in the last 12 months, a Billie sweep makes sense: to major labels, she’s THE only reference point
PROFILE
DIARY
POPCAST
best TV needle drop in recent memory:
“Hard in Da Paint” by Waka Flocka Flame playing over the corporate office loudspeakers during a ‘cyberattack’ on “The Morning Show”
behind the scenes of Jay-Z's surprise Brooklyn Public Library takeover...
including a recreation of Baseline Studios by the production designers who bring you the Super Bowl halftime show!
photos by Amir Hamja
you know we had to...
DIARY OF A SONG, EP. 6: "Old Town Road" by
@LilNasX
@YoungKio_
@billyraycyrus
how an unknown kid from Atlanta bought a twangy, NIN-sampling beat online, made some memes + conquered TikTok, Nashville & the Billboard charts
🤠🐎⚡
there are lots of open questions about Taylor Swift re-recording her catalog—acoustic? note-for-note recreations? Max Martin?—but on the contract point, Swift said this morning that she’s allowed to start re-recording her first five albums in Nov. 2020…