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Albert Hammond Jr, best known as the lead guitarist in The Strokes, has announced his fifth solo album, Melodies on Hiatus, out June 23rd on Red Bull Records. What’s more, he’s shared a handful of supporting tour dates (grab tickets here) and lead single “100-99” featuring Goldlink.

Besides GoldLink, Melodies on Hiatus features Rainsford, Steve Stevens, and Matt Helders. It was co-written remotely with Simon Wilcox, with premium mastering from Dave Cooley and mixing by Tony Hoffer. Pre-orders are ongoing.

“100-99” was partially inspired by the ’90s hip-hop Hammond Jr grew up listening to, he explained in a statement. “I would always gravitate towards the melodic hooks in the songs I heard on the radio, specifically anything Dr. Dre was producing or rapping on,” he said. “Years later, I noticed myself pulling from the style of those melodic lines in my guitar work, even though it wasn’t...

When I reach Cruel Santino via Zoom, he’s in the pedicure section of a Lagos spa, seated comfortably in front of burnt rose painted walls. It was three days after the release of his second album, Subaru Boys: Final Heaven, and Santino had just recovered from the rowdy release party at which he apparently lost his voice. He sounds perfectly enlivened in conversation now – in fact, someone off-camera indicates that he should quiet down. “Am I loud?” Santino asks them apologetically. “Okay. Sorry. I got you. I got you.

Isaiah (Kofi Siriboe) and Stevie (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing) don’t meet cute in “Really Love.” They meet with understated beauty, at a time in their lives when ardor and connection will be tested by the dreams each has harbored for much of their lives. He’s a talented painter watching other art school classmates get representation and gallery shows. She’s in the last year of law school and sure to be courted by elite firms.

For her debut feature, director Angel Kristi Williams doesn’t make it easy on her protagonists. And her deliberateness of vision, trust in story and clear-eyed empathy suggest she’s a talent to keep track of. For their restrained yet smoldering performances, the two lead actors received a special jury acting prize at the 2020 SXSW film festival.

Stevie and Isaiah first connect at a gallery opening in front of a large painting of a woman.

HBO Max released the official trailer for the upcoming reality dating series “Fboy Island,” which will premiere on July 29.

Hosted by Nikki Glaser, the series follows three women, Nakia Renee, Cj Franco and Sarah Emig, who move to a tropical island where they’re joined by 24 men. Half of the men are “nice guys” also looking for a real relationship, while the others are self-proclaimed “f-boys” competing for a cash prize. By the finale, all will be revealed — who is a nice guy, who is an “f-boy” and who will the women ultimately choose. The series is a social experiment that asks the age-old question: can “f-boys” truly reform or do nice guys always finish last?

Glaser will executive produce alongside creator Elan Gale, Jason Goldberg, Ben Bitonti and showrunner Sam Dean.

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

Dates

Paramount Plus announced that the live-action musical “The J Team” will premiere on Sept.

Mark Ronson appeared on podcast “Out of Office with Rick Kleinman” to discuss his career, as well how “a lot of therapy” has helped him to have healthier relationships and work less.

Ronson sat down with host Rich Kleiman, Co-Founder of ThirtyFive Ventures alongside Kevin Durant (and Ronson’s former business partner) for a lengthy conversation that touched on everything from Amy Winehouse to breaking into the New York City hip-hop scene to his recent engagement to Grace Gummer.

“Looking back on it, if you go to a lot of therapy to unpack this stuff,...

Silk City — comprising Diplo and Mark Ronson — have released their latest single, “New Love” featuring Ellie Goulding. It’s the duo’s first release since 2018.

In the accompanying Ana Sting-directed video for the dance track, Ellie Goulding plays multiple roles at the New Love club, including the venue’s bouncer and serving as the headlining performer. Meanwhile, Diplo and Ronson show up via photo IDs that Goulding scans at the door, appear on a TV screen, and they are also listed as missing persons on a milk carton.

Like...

The advocacy group Global Citizen has released Stand Up, an eight-song compilation album produced in partnership with Parlophone Records/Atlantic Records and Raphael Saadiq. The collection arrives ahead of the Global Citizen Prize award special, airing Saturday, December 19th on NBC.

Executive produced by Saadiq, the album features new renditions of classic songs done by groups of artists: Tori Kelly and JoJo; Pj Morton and Yola; Andra Day and Chelsea Collins; Ari Lennox and GoldLink; Jordin Sparks and Milck; Bonfyre and Masego; and Lucky Daye, Bjrnck, and Big Freedia.

“We...

Gorillaz will launch a new four-part Apple Music show, Song Machine Radio, to support their upcoming collection, Strange Timez, out October 23rd.

The first episode will air October 19th at 5 p.m. Et, the second on November 6th at 3 p.m. Et, the third on November 23rd at 2 p.m. Et, and the fourth and final on December 9th at midnight Et. Each member of the animated outfit — 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs — will host their own episode of the hour-long show, with 2D helming the premiere.

Gorillaz...

Gorillaz have announced Song Machine Live, the virtual group’s first performance in two years, airing December 12th and 13th.

The three ticketed shows are a continuation of Gorillaz’s Song Machine video series and will be broadcast live across three different time zones via LIVENow. Noodle, Murdoc, Russel and 2D will be joined by Damon Albarn as they perform songs from their album Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez, out October 23rd, as well as old favorites. A roster of guest artists has yet to be announced.

Gorillaz most...

Gorillaz have tapped Cure frontman Robert Smith for a new song, “Strange Timez,” that marks the latest offering in the animated outfit’s ongoing Song Machine series.

Befitting its title, “Strange Timez” opens with Smith and Damon Albarn sharing vocal duties over an unsettling mix of synths and drums that steadily settles into a thumping, darkwave dance groove.

“Strange Timez” arrives alongside the news that Gorillaz will compile the tracks from their first season of Song Machine into a new release, Strange Timez, out October 23rd. Gorillaz launched Song Machine...

Kaytranada’s pulsating “Need It” soundtracks a night club brawl that culminates in a dance party in the single’s new video. The song appears on his latest album, Bubba, which arrived in December.

The Andre Bato-directed visual takes its inspiration from Hype Williams’ 1998 film, Belly, opening in a blue-lit night club similar in style to the movie. While it appears as if the plot will involve a possible drug deal gone bad as someone removes a bag from behind a toilet and passes it along in the club,...

A lot of people are stuck inside during the coronavirus pandemic. Others are still going to work in essential jobs. It’s a scary time for all of us, so we asked our readers to let us know what music they’re turning to to keep their spirits up in the midst of a historic global crisis. See and hear some of what’s on their apocalypse playlists below. Let us know what’s on yours.

Seeacm Awards Entertainer of Year winners list: Every winner at the Academy of Country Music Awards

Boz:

Ariana Grande – “R.E.M” and “Sweetener” (really the whole album to be honest)

Carly Rae Jepsen – “I Really Like You”

Jamie Xx and Young Thug feat. Popcaan — “I Know There’s Gonna Be Good Times”

Lady Gaga – “Alejandro” and “Dance in the Dark”

Janelle Monáe – “Pynk”

One Direction – “Olivia”

Harry Styles – “Adore You,” “Watermelon Sugar,” “Sunflower...

“I don’t really feel the loyalty to any particular genre,” Brent Faiyaz says. “To be completely honest, I’m an R&b singer because I’m black and I sing.”

The 24-year-old singer (real name Christopher Brent Wood) sounds calm and collected as he discusses his new Ep, Fuck the World. He’s got the word “sonder” tattooed over his right eyebrow — a reference to the group he fronts with frequent producers Dpat and Atu — and he takes his sunglasses off to meet my gaze.

Since being featured on...

Kaytranada recruited Pharrell Williams and Tinashe for his upcoming second LP, Bubba, out December 13th via RCA Records. The Canadian producer previewed the album — which follows his 2016 debut, 99.9% — with the funky new song “10%,” featuring Kali Uchis.

“You keep on takin’ from me, but where’s my 10 percent?” Uchis croons on the track over Kaytranada’s smooth groove, built on a thumping kick drum, pulsing bass and woozy synthesizer chords. “Don’t act like you didn’t know,” she adds on the bridge. “You’ve been watered down, baby/I gotta...

This past Friday, Kamala Harris, the Senator from California and a Democratic presidential hopeful, released her summer playlist, a collection of songs she’s “listening to while traveling around country.” Said Harris, “I’m a firm believer that we all need to find the time to dance, to sing and to bop our heads a little, so I’m sharing the songs I’m listening to in the car out on the campaign trail this summer. Whether we’re driving from Sacramento to Reno or Dubuque to Chicago, this playlist always lifts me up.

Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and Travis Scott will headline the inaugural Day N Vegas, a rap-heavy music festival set for November 1st through the 3rd in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tyler, the Creator; Migos, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Miguel, 6Lack, Kali Uchis, Juice Wrld, Brockhampton, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Lil Nas X, Lil Baby and Ybn Cordae will also perform at the event, scheduled for the Las Vegas Festival Grounds.

Other performers include Lamar’s Black Hippy collaborators Ab Soul, ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock, along with Flatbush Zombies,...

Fresh off his headlining set at Governors Ball, Tyler, the Creator has announced a new set of North American tour dates in support of his new album Igor.

The tour will begin Labor Day weekend at Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, with 34 stops in New York, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco and more before wrapping up October 26th in Houston. The tour also includes several dates in London, marking the official end to Tyler’s ban from the UK over offensive lyrics.

The rapper GoldLink will open for all North American dates,...

Gary Clark Jr., Fka Twigs and Santigold are among the top performers at Afropunk 2019, set to take place August 24th and 25th at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn, New York.

The festival will also feature headlining performances from Jill Scott and Kamasi Washington, while the rest of the lineup boasts artists like Danny Brown, Toro Y Moi, Death Grips, Tierra Whack, Leon Bridges, Rico Nasty, Lianne La Havas, Goldlink, Nao, J.I.D., Kelsey Lu and Tank and the Bangas. The full lineup is available on the festival’s website.

General admission...

As a songwriter and producer, Warren “Oak” Felder’s resume encompasses hits from Nicki Minaj (“Your Love”), Usher (“Good Kisser”) and Alessia Cara (“Here”). He’s been in the industry for nearly 15 years and, until 2018, he had never heard anyone say “skip rate” in the studio.

“That word was not uttered,” Felder says. But it’s become increasingly common: “Now there are conversations we all have as songwriters — ‘yeah, we just want the skip rate of this song to be super low.'”

Skip rate indicates whether listeners make it...

Rapper Sheck Wes is being labeled an abuser of women by his ex-gf but he's vehemently denying the allegations ... calling them all lies. Justine Skye -- a singer, actress and model -- put Sheck on blast, calling him pathetic and claiming he put his hands on her in the past. She said there was an instance when she was "taking a walk with my friends and my man and Sheck Wes (my abuser) and his...

Christina Aguilera has just been nominated for two Grammys! The superstar singer is up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance alongside Demi Lovato for their song "Fall in Line" and Best Rap/Sung Performance for "Like I Do" featuring Goldlink. Earlier this year, Aguilera released her eighth studio album, Liberation. This was the first time in six years that the 37-year-old Grammy winner has released an album, and her fans couldn't have been more excited to hear her new tracks. The release of Liberation came 19 years after Aguilera dropped her self-tilted first album in Aug. 1999. Months after the album's release, Aguilera would go on to score her first Grammy, beating out Mickey Mouse...

Rising D.C. rapper GoldLink and Miguel turn a mundane night into a nightmare in the new video for “Got Friends.”

The Christian Sutton-directed clip begins with an extended sequence set inside a diner. A trio of women walk into the restaurant, order and eat, while Miguel and GoldLink attempt to spit some game and grab their attention – though they ultimately fail. As the women drive away, the camera pans to an ominous “missing” poster that includes the faces of Miguel and GoldLink, along with several other men.

“Got...

A demon tries to fill the hole in his heart in the surreal, yet touching video for Alt-j’s remix of “Last Year.” The new version of the track features production from Terrace Martin and a verse from Washington D.C. rapper GoldLink, and will appear on Alt-j’s upcoming remixes album, Reduxer, out September 28th.

Martin anchors his version of “Last Year” with a steady drumbeat and sprinkles sparkling synths and saxophone throughout the cut while retaining the original’s atmospheric mood. The new beat imbues Marika Hackman’s...

Mark Ronson and Diplo’s new project Silk City team with Dua Lipa to bring a burst of light to a blackout in the video for their new song, “Electricity.”

The Bradley and Pablo-directed clip is set in New York City during the sweltering 2003 blackout, and it opens with Dua Lipa singing and dancing to the infectious dance cut alone in a loft. The pop star’s energy eventually creates a beacon of light that attracts a horde of people, who soon pack the poorly lit apartment for a delirious rave.

When it comes to the HBO series “Insecure,” the music inside Issa Rae’s head is as crucial as the comedy. Rae is the creator, star, writer and producer of the show, which enters its third season this Sunday (August 12). Since its debut in 2016, she’s also served as musical curator (with music supervisor Kier Lehman), as it were, and the resulting soundtrack has allowed the series to operate as a tastemaker for open-ended nu-r&B and supple hip-hop. “Our music mission has always been female heavy, L.A.-centric and independent,” Rae tells Variety. “This season feels like a transitional season, and so I wanted everything to feel fresh and new and current.”

When she was preparing to film, the multi-hyphenate Rae had an idea for a contest that revolved around finding new, independent and unheard artists. The concept resonated with Carolyn Williams, Svp of Marketing at RCA, the...

Silk City, the new project from Diplo and Mark Ronson, recruited rappers Desiigner and budding D.C. Mc GoldLink for their new dance song. “Loud” maintains a steady groove, over which Diplo and Ronson layer an array of synths that pulse, throb, skitter and soar. The track’s blend of classic house and contemporary pop and hip-hop provides the perfect space for Desiigner to bark the club-ready hook.

GoldLink, meanwhile, delivers two verses packed with punchlines like, “I have to say, since Steez passed away/ Most of these rappers don...

Red Bull TV will livestream Lollapalooza 2018 with performances from Jack White, Post Malone, Vampire Weekend, the Weeknd, Arctic Monkeys, the National, Odesza, Khalid, Chvrches, Zedd, LL Cool J, Walk the Moon, Manchester Orchestra and more. Coverage from Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois will begin Thursday, August 2nd at 7 p.m. Et and continue on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Et each day.

BØRNS, Chromeo, Greta Van Fleet, Gucci Mane, James Bay, Logic, Lykke Li, the Vaccines, Tycho and Tyler, the Creator will also appear in Red Bull’s broadcast of the fest.

What is Christina Aguilera feeling emancipated from? you may ask, digging into “Liberation,” her first album in close to six years. One track offers some tantalizing clues. “I ain’t built for no fake shit,” she wails, almost gutturally, over rock guitars and faux crowd noise produced by Anderson .Paak. “It’s good pay,” she additionally points out, but “I can’t move with these chains on me / I had to get free. … This ain’t a game to me.” The song title: “Sick of Sittin’.” Now, if it were any other star expressing an animus toward chairs, we might think she was speaking figuratively. But it doesn’t take much reading between the lines to divine that this openly disenchanted ex-“Voice” jurist really has written one of the few breakup songs ever to celebrate splitting up with a TV show.

There are other titular connotations along the way.

Awards season continues as the 60th annual Grammy Awards announce the recipients of outstanding achievements in music, taking place on Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Hosted by James Corden, the show is broadcast live on CBS starting at 7:30 p.m. Et.

Follow People’s full Grammys coverage and check back throughout the night as the winners are announced!

Record of the Year

“Redbone” — Childish Gambino

“Despacito (Remix)” — Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber

“The Story of O.J.” — Jay-Z

“Humble.” — Kendrick Lamar

“24K Magic” — Bruno Mars

Album of the Year

“Awaken, My Love!” — Childish Gambino

4:44 — Jay-Z

Damn.