Editor Brian Harrod Provides Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, with aggregated news from sources all over the world from the Roundup Newswires Network
While questions rightly remain over its shadowy nominations process, Grammy voters should be praised for honouring a large number of women and people of colour
The Grammys always attract a degree of controversy. This year, there was singer Teyana Taylor protesting that “all I see is dick” in the all-male nominations for best R&B album, and a slightly peculiar statement from Justin Bieber, asking to be considered an R&B artist rather than a pop singer. More headlines were grabbed by the Weeknd, understandably shocked that his double-platinum album After Hours, and its accompanying single Blinding Lights – a song so omnipresent that it recently celebrated an entire year in the US Top 10 – didn’t receive a single nomination: he subsequently announced he would stop his label submitting his music in future. The latter’s complaint revolved around a lack of transparency in the voting process: the presence of nomination committees that retain executive power over who makes the shortlists and who hold the ability to add artists who have received no nominations in many of the Grammys’ categories.
The argument about transparency isn’t going to go away – if your voting process involves a shadowy and apparently unanswerable cabal who exert control over the nominations, you should probably expect people to look askance at it – but, the absence of the Weeknd aside, the actual winners in the Grammys’ big categories brooked little argument.
The Covid-restrained Grammys were a mostly female-fronted affair, with wins for Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift
It was a historic, triumphant night for women in music at the 2021 Grammys, as a range of female artists took home the top awards. HER took home song of the year for the Black Lives Matter anthem I Can’t Breathe, Taylor Swift became the first woman to win album of the year three times, and the rapper Megan Thee Stallion won both best new artist and best rap performance for her Savage remix with Beyoncé, now the most awarded singer (male or female) and female artist of all time.
One contributor is notably absent from the new film about Britney: herself. But from Rihanna to Beyoncé to Taylor Swift, female stars have always struggled to tell their stories
In the closing song of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, we are invited to ponder the question: “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” It is a powerful message about legacy and ownership, as relevant to any modern public figure as it is about one of America’s founding fathers.
I think about this lyric whenever my mind strays to Britney Spears, who has found her life back under the microscope following the release of the documentary Framing Britney Spears. The story the film chooses to tell is contextualised by what we now understand as the rampant misogyny of the mid-to-late 00s, painting an empathic portrait of a woman who had not previously found much sympathy in the mainstream.
The singer-songwriter said ‘there has to be a place in feminism for women who look and act like me’, citing her lyrics on ‘submissive roles’
Lana Del Rey has hit out at the accusations that she “glamorises abuse” that have trailed her throughout her decade-long career. In a lengthy text post to her Instagram account, the 34-year-old singer criticised “female writers and alt singers” who she says have blamed her “minor lyrical exploration detailing my sometimes submissive or passive roles in my relationships” for “[setting] women back hundreds of years”.
She wrote: “In reality I’m just a glamorous person singing about the realities of what we are all now seeing are very prevalent emotionally abusive relationships all over the world.” She said she had been “honest and optimistic” about her “challenging” relationships: “News flash! That’s just how it is for many women.”
Singer with remarkable vocal range had been sampled by generations of hip-hop and R&B artists, including Beyoncé and Mary J Blige
The soul, funk and R&B singer Betty Wright, celebrated across pop genres for her remarkable vocal prowess, has died aged 66.
The cause of death was not immediately known but Wright’s niece confirmed the news, writing on Twitter: “Sleep in peace aunty Betty Wright. Fly high angel.”
The singer teamed up with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s relief fund #startsmall to make the donation to the National Alliance in Mental Health, University of California Los Angeles, and local community-based organisations working to improve mental health. In a statement on her website, Beyoncé said mental burdens were accelerating for people who can’t access basic necessities during the crisis.
R&B star announces numerous African pop and rap stars on album out Friday, as well as Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams and daughter Blue Ivy
Beyoncé has outlined details for her 14-track new album to accompany The Lion King remake, entitled The Lion King: The Gift, to be released on Friday. The album features four new solo songs alongside collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, Childish Gambino, Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy and more. It is separate from the soundtrack to The Lion King, though the Beyoncé song Spirit appears on both. The singer voices the character Nala in the new 3D-animated version of the 1994 Disney classic.
Swift’s Billboard Music awards set was reminiscent of Beyonce’s 2018 Coachella show – highlighting the history of black women’s achievements being ignored
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Roger Waters | Rock concerts | Use-by dates | Exercise | Smartphones
Regarding Jeremy Beecham’s thoughts on Roger Waters (Letters, 19 April), I think we can take it as read Waters would not encourage Madonna to support the Assad regime by playing Damascus. John Warburton Edinburgh
• You failed to mention the two most important filmed rock concerts (Homecoming review – Beyoncé documentary is a triumphant celebration, 19 April): Monterey Pop and Woodstock. To write about seminal filmed rock gigs without mentioning them is like writing about influential 60s groups without mentioning the Beatles or the Stones. Jon Ingram Ilkley, West Yorkshire
The marriage rate remains low , but Jay-Z and BeyoncA are doing their best to keep wedlock fashionable. On Everything Is Love , the joint album the couple surprise-released on Saturday, their union again glitters as a luxury item as covetable as their AlaA a boots and Aruba vacations.
In this Nov. 4, 2016 file photo, Beyonce performs at a Get Out the Vote concert for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. Jay-Z and Beyonce have released a joint album that touches on the rapper's disgust at this year's Grammy Awards and features a shout out from their daughter Blue Ivy to her siblings.
Florida judge, 59, resigns after she was recorded furiously berating asthmatic, wheelchair-bound defendant in court who DIED three days later after struggling to get her medication while in custody 'You are delicious': The Sixth Sense actress reveals how Smallville star Allison Mack 'tried to recruit her into cult which forced women to have sex with its leader and branded them with his initials' Embarrassment for Mitt Romney as he fails to secure Utah GOP nomination and will now head to a primary in June The diet that helped millions lose weight easily AND quickly: Dr Michael Mosley makes his 5:2 plan even better so you shape up for summer Florida county commissioner 'kept a stripper as a sex slave and paid her and her husband $300-a-week to sleep with him whenever he demanded' 'He broke the law!' Trump insists that James Comey leaked classified information in memos about their meetings ... (more)
In this Nov. 4, 2016 file photo, Beyonce, center, and Jay-Z perform during a Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton campaign rally in Cleveland. Beyonce performed a 2-hour set at Coachella, Saturday, April 14, 2018, paying tribute to the marching bands, the dance troupes and step teams at historically black colleges and universities.
'Thank you for your personal sacrifice': Beyonce makes surprise appearance to present 'humbled' Kaepernick with Muhammad Ali Legacy Award as he promises to 'continue to work for the people' Bannon tears into Romney for working as a missionary while 'guys were dying in Vietnam rice paddies' as he says Alabama Republican and veteran Roy Moore has more integrity than the Mormon's 'entire family' Roy Moore in anti-Semitism storm as he says Jewish billionaire George Soros will go to HELL - then suggests all non-Christians will too Champion of gay rights Justice Anthony Kennedy grills baker during arguments over gay wedding cake refusal case in closely divided Supreme court Doctor who discovered CTE in NFL players resigns as chief medical examiner in California because San Joaquin County sheriff 'interferes in death investigations' How Harvey made Hollywood COMPLICIT: Web of deceit spun by ... (more)
Beyonce has encouraged fans to take part in the 100 Days of Kindness challenge to show their support to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. The Halo superstar, who is pregnant with twins, has taken to social media to rally her devotees after U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration announced the removal of federal guidelines that allowed transgender school students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.
HOW many of us have read the following words scribbled on Christmas cards: "2017 has to be better than this year." It might all have been so different: if a few votes had gone the other way last June, the phrase "diplomat-in-chief Boris Johnson" would still be a satirical oxymoron.
Beyonce performs at a get-out-the-vote event for the Hillary Clinton campaign in Cleveland, Nov. 4, 2016. BeyonceA*s nine nods for A'Lemonade,A' her album and film exploring race and infidelity, led the field as nominations for the 59th Grammy Awards were announced on Dec. 6. less FILE -- Beyonce performs at a get-out-the-vote event for the Hillary Clinton campaign in Cleveland, Nov. 4, 2016.