LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sorry, Psy. Adele has outpaced the South Korean pop star on the race to 1 billion views on YouTube. The streaming service announced Thursday that her music video for “Hello” greeted its 1 billionth view in 87 days, breaking the 158-day record held by Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” “If anyone deserves it, … Continue reading
ELOY, Ariz. (AP) — Colombian musician Juanes and singer John Legend met immigrants at a jail in Arizona on Wednesday before performing for a small crowd outside the facility to draw attention to immigration and mass incarceration. The Grammy winners each played two songs separately and one together — Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” — as … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — France-based music streaming service Deezer says it has raised 100 million euros ($109 million) from its two largest shareholders to fuel its expansion after abandoning plans for an initial public offering of stock last year. The funds from Access Industries and French telecoms giant Orange will help pay for marketing in … Continue reading
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country star Blake Shelton interrupted the lovefest on the CMT Artists of the Year show with a slightly profane mini-roast of his good friend Luke Bryan. Both Shelton and Bryan picked up honors at the awards show aired live on CMT on Wednesday night in Nashville, Tennessee. But when it was … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cynthia Robinson, a trumpeter and vocalist whose bold and brassy style made her a key member of Sly and the Family Stone, has died at age 71. Jerry Martini, her longtime friend and fellow horn player in the band, said Wednesday that he was among those with her when she died of … Continue reading
LAS VEGAS (AP) — 100 is turning out to be a very good year for Frank Sinatra. What would have been the musical icon’s centennial birthday on Dec. 12 has been celebrated with an HBO documentary about his life, a Grammy museum exhibit, even dinner specials at an old Las Vegas steakhouse. A star-studded, Grammy-produced … Continue reading
LONDON (AP) — Adele has announced her first tour since 2011, with a string of European dates in support of her record-breaking new album, “25.” The British singer announced Thursday that she will play venues in Britain and Europe starting Feb. 29 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Adele has previously said she finds touring lonely. But … Continue reading
Selected box set reviews from The Associated Press: Bruce Springsteen, “The Ties That Bind: The River Collection,” (Columbia) $119.98 No one does deluxe album reissues quite like Springsteen: 22 outtakes, half never before heard, a DVD of a concert from that era (1980) and a new film where he talks about his artistic choices at … Continue reading
BC-US–Music-Eagles of Death Metal/147 Eds: APNewsNow. With AP Photos. Eagles of Death Metal is safe, ‘horrified’ by Paris attacks NEW YORK (AP) — Members of the band Eagles of Death Metal say they’re home safe after the Paris attacks and “are horrified and still trying to come to terms with what happened in France.” The … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The Dixie Chicks are ready to party in the U.S.A. The Grammy-winning group will kick off its “DCX MMXVI World Tour” on June 1 in Cincinnati. It wraps up the tour Oct. 10 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale Friday. The group will visit more … Continue reading
The Wainwright Sisters, “Songs in the Dark” (PIAS) There can be something magical about the voices of siblings singing together, as a listen to the Beach Boys or the Everly Brothers shows. More proof comes in this subtly haunting album by Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, for whom music has always been a … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The cast album from the Broadway smash “Hamilton” has done something few such recordings have done in quite some time. How long? Since Richard Burton was King Arthur onstage — the first time. Atlantic Records said last week that “Hamilton” has so far sold over 54,000 albums, had more than … Continue reading
Chris Young, “I’m Comin’ Over” (RCA Nashville) Chris Young ends his fifth album with “What If I Stay,” a sparse, tenderly swaying ballad that shows off the Tennessee-born country singer’s rich baritone, wide range and seductive phrasing. For most of “I’m Comin’ Over,” 30-year-old Young hitches his truck to rhythm-driven contemporary country music. He clips … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Coldplay and Gwen Stefani have been added to the list of performers for the 2015 American Music Awards. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will also hit the stage at the Nov. 22 show at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The rap duo will debut a new song. Coldplay will sing the … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Mick Jagger and Robbie Robertson are paying tribute to the late Allen Toussaint, the New Orleans musician who wrote “Southern Nights,” ”Lady Marmalade” and many other hits. “He was such an influential songwriter and performer,” Jagger tweeted Wednesday. Early in their career, the Rolling Stones covered Toussaint’s “Pain in My Heart” … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 