In February 2023, Madonna introduced an arresting GRAMMY® Awards show performance by Sam Smith ft. Kim Petras. “Are you ready for some controversy?” she asked, before making a heartfelt speech. “If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative or dangerous,” she said, “You are definitely onto something.” The day after, with their fifth GRAMMY Award in hand, Sam headed into a Los Angeles studio with Madonna to record a fierce, unapologetic duet: “VULGAR.” Listen HERE. View the lyric video HERE.

A fearless, bold anthem, “VULGAR” honors every word of Madonna’s speech. It’s the celebratory sound of two artists conjoining in abandon, a meeting of wild minds, hooks and aesthetics, punctuated by an Eastern string break and bolstered by earth-shattering bass. It is a two-and-a-half minute slap-back to repression and a demand for respect. Released today by Capitol Records, the single was produced by ILYA for MXM Productions, Cirkut, Omer Fedi, Ryan Tedder, Jimmy Napes, Sam and Lauren D’elia, Madonna’s vocal producer and engineer.

Sam Smith is a multi-award-winning, multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter and lightning rod for provocation. Their third studio album, Gloria, has sold over 40 million albums sold worldwide and been praised by Rolling Stone as “their deepest album yet.” Sam will launch the North American leg of GLORIA The Tour on July 25.

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Madonna, the best-selling female artist of all time, continues to push boundaries and transform culture. She will kick off her highly anticipated global Celebration Tour in July.

Together, they are S&M. Together, they are “VULGAR.”

Chart-topping global superstar Niall Horan released The Show, his third studio album, via Capitol Records today. Revealing the immense growth and life experience he’s gained since 2020’s Heartbreak Weather – an album made in his early 20s – the result is a deeply felt and endlessly spellbinding statement on following your heart to its absolute truth. Download / stream The Show HERE.

Today, Horan shared the official video for the album’s title track. Directed by Connor Brashier(Kygo, Shawn Mendes), the video was shot at the Downtown Palace, a downtown Los Angeles theatre that dates back to the vaudeville era. As a crew rushes around preparing for the evening’s concert, Horan performs “The Show,” accompanying himself on piano. View the video HERE.

Set against a hypnotic backdrop of swooning strings and poignant piano work, “The Show” was the first song Horan worked on for the new album. The track reflects on the undeniably human desire to control the uncontrollable—then gently urges the listener to fully embrace life for all its messiness. He wrote it late one summer night in 2020, after his tour in support of Heartbreak Weather had been cancelled due to the pandemic. With most of his guitars stowed with his touring gear, he sat down at the piano and spontaneously composed a song that would come to define a whole new era of his career.

To celebrate the album’s release, Horan will perform today in New York City as part of the Citi Summer Concert Series on “TODAY.” After making his festival debut at Boston Calling last month, he will be playing festivals around the globe this summer. He’ll embark on a global headline tour next February. Due to the high demand for tickets – over half a million sold to date, resulting in numerous sold-out shows around the world – additional dates have been added to “THE SHOW” LIVE ON TOUR 2024, including a July 28, 2024 show at The Kia Forum in Inglewood, CA. See below for itinerary. Tickets are available at www.niallhoran.com.

Horan – who joined NBC’s The Voice” this season and logged his first win as a coach with contestant Gina Miles’ victory – recently performed “Meltdown,” another song from the album, on the show. View his performance HERE. Rolling Stone observed, “Unlike the optimistic pop songs that bury devastating lyrics beneath the sound of sunshine, ‘Meltdown’ keeps up an unrelenting pace that more so echos the heightened anxiety and panic Horan sings about.”

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In the making of The Show, Horan worked with a close-knit circle of collaborators, including Julian Bunetta (Thomas Rhett, SG Lewis), Amy Allen (Halsey, Sam Smith), Jamie Scott (Jessie Ware, Rag’n’Bone Man) and acclaimed producers John Ryan and Joel Little. Built on a lush and radiant form of alt-pop, the album draws much of its mesmerizing power from Horan’s ingenious use of harmonies—an element inspired by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, and other members of the ’60s/’70s music scene in Laurel Canyon – the very same Los Angeles neighborhood in which he’s lived part-time for the past seven years.

A near-lifelong songwriter who taught himself to play guitar as a kid in Ireland – and who names attending an Eagles concert at age four as a pivotal moment in shaping his sensibilities – Horanhas sold over 80 million records and toured the globe multiple times as part of the iconic One Direction. In 2017, he made his full-length solo debut with Flicker, a Platinum-certified and chart-topping album featuring the triple-Platinum single “Slow Hands.” Heartbreak Weather followed in 2020 and topped the U.K.’s Official Albums chart and Billboard’s Top Album Sales tally.

Hitting the fairway for a very good cause, GRAMMY® Award-winning, global megastar DJ Khaled excitedly presents the inaugural WE THE BEST FOUNDATION GOLF CLASSIC on Thursday July 20 in Miami, FL sponsored by Jordan brand. The perennial hitmaker will be joined by an A-list cohort of players, teeing off to support various charitable initiatives for a great cause. The proceeds will benefit the We The Best Foundation and their various endeavors in education, the arts, and so much more. This inaugural tournament will be an experience like no one other.

About the event, Khaled commented, “Just to be out on the golf course with close friends and family of mine is a blessing. Giving back makes it even better. I can’t wait to see you all at the first-ever WE THE BEST FOUNDATION GOLF CLASSIC. We’re starting something very special here while introducing the sport of golf to a wider community.”

The festivities commence on Wednesday July 19 when Khaled welcomes sponsors and guests.  Bright and early on the following morning July 20, registration and breakfast commence at 8am with celebrity intros at 9am. The tournament kicks off at 9:30am sharp followed by awards at 2:30pm.

For over two decades, the very mention of DJ Khaled has implied an elevated level of musical greatness, entrepreneurial excellence, and cultural impact. You’ve heard him across a GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum catalog, seen him in blockbusters such as Bad Boys For Life, caught him on the cover of Rolling Stone, watched him on numerous television programs, and felt his presence from the streets all the way up to the Barack Obama White House. He has achieved dozens of multiplatinum and gold certifications, including the 9x multi-platinum Billboard Hot 100 #1 “I’m The One” [feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, & Lil Wayne], 6x multi-platinum “Wild Thoughts” [feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller], double platinum “No Brainer” [feat. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, & Quavo]. His 2019 album, Father of Asahd [We The Best Music Group/Epic Records], to the top of the charts. Not only did it garner a platinum certification, but it also became his third consecutive Top 2 debut on the Billboard Top 200 and emerged as the “#1 Most-Streamed Record” upon release. To date, he has moved over 20 million singles and 6 million albums in addition to gathering 4 billion-plus streams. The latter propelled his 2021 album, Khaled Khaled which boasts the 3x multi-platinum anthem “Every Chance That I Get” [feat. Lil Baby & Lil Durk].

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Not to mention, he launched We The Best Music Group—a record label, management, publishing, and production company and in-demand studio. As a committed philanthropist, he founded his 501(c)3 organization The We The Best Foundation. It uplifts individuals throughout underserved communities across the United States and supports various non-profits. He has supported the fight against COVID-19., U2 frontman Bono recruited him as the first social media ambassador for Project Red, and he serves as the national spokesperson for Get Schooled. Now, the power of this legacy defines his thirteenth full-length album—which bears the name—God Did, making it his fourth number #1 album to debut on the Billboard Top 200 chart. With a newly minted star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, DJ Khaled continues to soar and inspire. GOD DID!

We The Best Foundation is a 501c3 organization dedicated to enriching the lives of the next generation – from childhood to adulthood. We support non-profit organizations and individuals in underserved communities in efforts that aid them towards becoming the best version of themselves. To learn more or donate, visit www.WeTheBestFoundation.org

Tupac Shakur’s sister, Sekyiwa ‘Set’ Shakur got emotional during his posthumous Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. (more…)

Tupac Shakur, the renowned hip-hop star, actor, and poet, was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday. (more…)

The 2023 edition of Africa Rising Music Conference (ARMC) was a success, with hundreds of artists, fans, and industry professionals converging at the Hallmark House Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 23 and 24 May.

The conference received high praise from delegates who said the women-led event was a much-needed platform that would help bridge the gap between Africa and the rest of the world.

This year, the convention shone a spotlight on Zambia and Germany and featured local influential industry players including Paradise Worldworld,  National Arts Council (NAC), Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF), the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA), Basadi In Music Awards and Trace South Africa. Also featured at the conference was a delegation of Germany-based music professionals comprising Re.Decay music producer and label owner Owen Ross, GROOVE magazine representative Alexis Waltz, WOMEX/Piranha Arts head of communications Gaurav Narula, creative Maureen ‘Mo’ Mutheu, WISE founder Philipp Geffer, Stil vor Talent co-founder and CEO Slawjana Ulrich, seed investor and entrepreneur representative Peer-Uli May, MA Music Academy Berlin managing director Karin Mueller, and AFEM events and communications manager Thilini Jayawickrama.

Plenary sessions and workshops

Over the two days, the delegates – some of whom traveled from Spain, UK and Botswana – shared ideas on different perspectives on how to improve the music industry. Plenary sessions were held to spur conversations on the urgent issues facing the industry, and new avenues for opportunities were examined.

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A panel on The Power of Music Conferences in Driving Regional Music Industries featured Music In Africa Foundation projects officer Claire Metais who used the annual ACCES conference to highlight the important role played by such gatherings.

“We had an interesting chat about the development of more similar platforms across the continent,” Metais said. “As Music In Africa, we were honored to participate in Africa Rising Music Conference because of the benefits it brings to the music industry.”

Another insightful discussion on the evolving role of a manager in today’s fast-paced and constantly changing music business landscape was covered under the topic Artist-Manager Collaboration: Key to Music Industry Success. International Music Managers Forum director of innovation and education Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt, who was on the panel, said: “Speaking with young managers from Zambia and South Africa, we learned how they are building brands for their artists and reinventing the business model to drive exciting new revenue streams.”

Other notable speakers at the conference included Shiba Melissa Mazaza (Mount Makeda/SA), Choolwe Chibomba (TIMEDIA/Zambia), Ralph Boege (Paradise Worldwide/SA), Mangaliso Mthembu (Ncube Incorporated Attorneys/SA), Sebastian Spring (MINT/Germany), Namakau Star (Paradise Worldwide/SA), Tamara Dey (artist/SA), Bwalia Nkumbula (Zed Arts Records Ltd/Zambia) and Pfanani Lishivha (SAMPRA/SA), among other influential industry names.

A series of Pioneer DJ workshops also took place, where participants learned how to deejay on the spot by experts. Additionally, aspiring DJs were taught how to improve their revenue opportunities during the two-day workshop, which was held in partnership with Bridges for Music.

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Showcases

Through the showcases, South African and Zambian artists managed to establish relationships with an eye towards collaborations and international deals.

Among the acts that performed were Bholoja (Swaziland), Aka Kelzz (Germany), Venior (Finland), The Planetoids (Germany), Namakau Star (SA), Natasha Chansa (Zambia) and Yolophonik (SA). Others are South African amapiano artist Boohle, who was joined by local electronic acts Deep Aztec, Chronicle Deep, Black Villain, Rose Bonica and DJ Kmat, as well as El Mukuka (Zambia), ALBI X (Germany) and Megatronic (UK/UAE).

Megatronic said: “ARMC was an incredible and very beautiful experience. I am feeling very privileged and lucky to witness this level of original talent.”

Founded in 2018 by female creatives SJ Nicholson, Sharon Ramoshaba, DJ La Vita, Jules Spielmann and Namakau Star, this year’s edition continued its mission of empowering and creating bridges between creative artists and music executives so they can successfully move into the international space while offering valuable insights and connections to international stakeholders who are interested in working and understanding the African market.

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“We had a delegation of over 20 international executives and artists from Europe,” Nicholson said. “ARMC has once again proved building bridges is possible when uniting communities and cultures. The Berlin Music Commission and the Music Board made this international interaction possible by bringing over artists and delegates from Germany. From an African perspective, we hosted the Zambian delegation for the very first time and 10 Zambian executives travelled here to talk about the state of their music economy and to establish new connections.”

Namakau Star added: “The energy and space at this year’s ARMC was amped-up and super warm. It was great seeing industry professionals coming together, we received a lot of great responses. There was a lot of learning and so many people felt represented.” Additionally, the delegates visited Soweto to learn about opportunities and barriers faced by local artists.

At the prestigious Marabi Club, the Africa Rising Music Conference concluded with a remarkable grand finale. Attendees came together to support the Bridges for Music Academy, raising an impressive sum of 300,000 Rand. Esteemed musician Zakes Bantwini, an early supporter of ARMC, graced the evening, signifying a full-circle moment. These funds will contribute to the growth and development of the Bridges for Music Academy, fostering the next generation of musical talent.

The Africa Rising Music Conference 2023 embodied the spirit of unity, collaboration, and empowerment within the global music industry. With its successful conclusion, the conference has once again proven that building bridges is possible when communities and cultures come together.

Save the Date for ARMC 24: May 28th and 29th, 2024

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Mark your calendars! The highly anticipated ARMC 24 is set to take place on May 28th and 29th, 2024, promising another remarkable gathering of industry professionals, artists, and fans.