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Andra Day talks new album, plays a villain and regains confidence after vocal injury

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andra Day rose to acting acclaim after her starring role within the 2021 Billie Holiday biopic, however the soulful singer nearly lost the ability of her powerful voice in the method.

Day suffered a vocal injury after smoking cigarettes for her role in Lee Daniels’ “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” It took her a while to get well from a hemorrhage in her vocal cords, but now it appears like the singer is back on form together with her latest album, “Cassandra (cherith),” which was released earlier this month.

“Cassandra” – which is Day’s legal name – is her first album in nine years, since her debut in 2015 with “Cheers to the Fall”, which received a Grammy nomination together with the superb single “Rise Up”. On his new album, he explores the complexities of his past relationships and his spiritual walk with God.

Day has been attempting to regain her confidence since starring within the movie “Holiday,” which helped her win a Grammy and a Golden Globe for her acting and music. She trained her vocals in studio sessions and on several large stages, including several performances during Grammy week and the pre-Super Bowl game, where she performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” earlier this yr.

In a recent interview, Day talked to The Associated Press about her latest album and how her faith helped her overcome heartbreak and her desire to play a villain.

The comments have been evenly edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: How essential was it for you to deal with the problem of religion in “Cassandra”?
DAY: Faith is my entire foundation. It’s who I’m. If someone asked me to summarize my identity, I might answer: “I am a follower of Christ. I am a child of God.” What matters is the way you show up. No one’s perfect. When creating this album, I wanted people to experience the mistakes I made. You don’t desire to remain on this place. You need to grow out of it. No matter what mistakes I made or didn’t perform well, I used to be very loved.

AP: How has your faith helped you overcome heartbreak?
Day: This season I’m intensely reminded that I’m loved. That’s what I mean. I feel like I’m hard to like. I feel like when people get to know me they’ll think, “Oh God, she’s really not that great or interesting.” I’ve handled a lot of this type of imposter syndrome. This is the love I really want. There is a verse that claims that God’s plan shouldn’t be to harm you. But they’re there to provide you hope and a future. I stand by it. I imagine it. It’s very painful for me because I like really deeply – something I recently discovered. But at the identical time, it’s a reminder that God’s plan for me shouldn’t be nearly me on this romantic relationship. This could also be a part of it. It is wonderful. But that is a holistic issue that concerns every one’s life. His plans for me are good. God’s love and plans for me. This is what really helps me in the long run.

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AP: How badly were your vocal cords damaged?
DAY: Hemorrhage occurred. You could see inflammation of the blood vessels. I actually have one which is in pretty bad shape at once, nevertheless it hasn’t fully hemorrhaged, which is great. This was my rescue. It’s just drier, more hemorrhagic, more damage and breakdown.

AP: Do you regret smoking cigarettes to play Billie Holiday?
DAY: I began to wonder if it was the best decision. I used to be really desperate. It was my first role. But it definitely had… an impact. I left Billie feeling more confident due to who she was, how she walked across the room and dealt together with her own confidence issues. My voice as a singer. Over the last yr or two I actually have had serious self-confidence issues. It’s really hard when you already know your voice is one-way and then all of a sudden you are like, “Oh my God, I am unable to hit these (notes) or I’m having a hard time hitting these (notes). You need to determine sing again. This is totally new. It definitely affected my self-confidence. Recently, the situation appears to be improving.

AP: Was smoking required for this role?
DAY: I didn’t need to smoke for Billie. I’m just awesome. It appeared to me that this was one in all those roles that required sacrifice. I simply cannot get it to burn well on screen.

AP: Has your voice reached your level recently?
DAY: We played on the Blue Note (jazz festival) in New York. God was so great. We sold out two nights. It was amazing. There were moments in this system after I felt prefer it wasn’t my very own voice. I used to be in a position to hit certain notes and reach certain places. Recently it has given me more confidence. I just have to get back on the horse and keep doing it and strengthening my muscles like all the pieces else.

AP: What are your future profession plans?
DAY: I would like to play more. I also need to make more music. I need to make more music, more consistently. I’ll take one other break someday. It won’t be one other nine years. I actually need to make EPs with artists I like. Just drop a whole bunch of EPs. All sorts of species. All sorts of styles. I would like to support the opposite producers who worked on this album.

AP: Is there a specific role you wish to play?
DAY: I like futuristic sci-fi stuff. I prefer to play a sort of warrior hero. Biographies too. There are three roles that I’m extremely focused on. I might like to play the unique version of Poison Ivy. I might definitely like to play Eartha Kitt and Angela Davis. These are my dream roles.

AP: It can be interesting to see you play a villain like Poison Ivy. Why her?
DAY: This is the funniest a part of playing the bad girl. She’s only bad for you. She’s just bad for the audience. For me, as an actor, I do not play a bad girl. I never play a bad character. That’s what I learned from Tasha Smith and Lee (Daniels). To really play well and be convincing, all the pieces in your head needs to be justified. Every move I make. Every thing has its reason. Violent passion. How in my mind and head I do not function like that in real life because now I actually have justified every horrible thing I actually have done and said. I do not have a look at Poison Ivy like, “Yeah, I’m playing a villain.” I say, “My God, she is an amazing plant savior.” … It’s the difference.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kendrick Lamar tops Apple Music song charts in 2024 and women are making history

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NEW YORK (AP) — “Not Like Us” but people sure like him: Kendrick Lamar Smash topped Apple Music’s global song chart in 2024 as a large music streamer published year-end lists Tuesday and provided listeners with data on their most listened to songs.

“Not Like Us” is Lamar’s first-ever song to succeed in primary on the worldwide year-end charts.

In second place is “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” is third, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is fourth, and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” is fifth.

“Cruel Summer” is, in fact, a fraction of Swift’s seventh studio album “Lover”, released in 2019. revival in summer 2023

Of the 100 songs on the chart, 39 are songs by female-identifying artists, which is the primary record in the worldwide chart’s seven-year history.

And this may occasionally come as a surprise: Japanese hip-hop band Creepy Nuts’ breakthrough song “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” topped Apple’s most read lyrics in 2024. Other Creepy Nuts songs include “Not Like Us”, “Espresso” and “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish.

“Bling-Bang-Band-Born” also topped the Apple Music song chart, which allows users to see which songs fans sang along to probably the most. It is obvious that Japanese music is becoming more and more popular internationally: in 2023 one other Japanese group, YOASOBI, topped the Sing charts in its inaugural yr, with “Idol”. “Idol” continues to dominate this yr, peaking at #2.

New to the 2024 year-end charts set is the addition of the Shazam Global Radio Spins chart, which uses Shazam to see what songs are being played on radio stations world wide. “Houdini” by Dua Lipa Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” and Tate McRae’s “Greedy” top the list.

Also available Tuesday might be Replay — Apple’s alternative to Spotify’s Wrapped playlist — which allows Apple Music subscribers to experience the most well-liked music on the streaming service this yr. Artists can now also share their year-end data using Apple Music for Artists.

In November, Apple Music named Eilish Female Artist of the Year, following her hugely successful 2024. This yr, Eilish became the youngest person to ever win the award two Academy Awards, and released her critically acclaimed third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which gained popularity seven 2025 Grammy Awards nominations. At this yr’s awards ceremony, she accepted two latest record player-shaped trophies – despite the fact that she hasn’t released a brand new album – each for “What Was I Made For?” With hit movie “Barbie”.

“It’s always special when a young artist can connect with so many people so quickly,” Rachel Newman, senior director of content and editorial at Apple Music, said in an announcement. “But what has been truly remarkable about watching her evolve over the past yr will not be only that her voice and artistry proceed to resonate so widely. The point is that she blossomed as bravely and truthfully as she did – on her own terms and in her own way.

I don't want a dog. I'm getting a dog

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kendrick Lamar and SZA embark on their ‘Grand National’ tour across North America, including Toronto. MUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE!

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We all knew this was coming. Kendrick Lamar dropped his latest album “GNX” on the Friday before Thanksgiving and people were screaming “MUSTAAAAAAAAAARD” over Kendrick’s hilarious shouting of DJ Mustard’s name on the song “tv off.” This appears to be the case for DJ Mustard, who recently wrote that he I shouted as I walked down the road forgetting that he was referring to himself. Good times.

Anyway, because Kendrick is the variety of artist who abandons a project and then continues an enormous tour to support heron Tuesday, December 3, 2024, his press team spammed all of our inboxes with a press release announcing that Kendrick and SZA were embarking on the “Grand National Tour,” a 19-city stadium tour crisscrossing North America. Makes sense. The show covers most major cities within the United States – the New York metropolitan area, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Washington, DC, Vegas, Philadelphia, etc. – and one fun little performance on June 12, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

This guy.

If you’ve got literally been living under a rock or spent 12 months recording “Naked & Afraid” or something, you realize that Kendrick Lamar and one in all Canada’s biggest exports, Drake, were embroiled in a tiff that included criminal charges, legal motion, bops, and an absolute song 2024’s ‘Not Like Us’ where Kendrick Lamar beat Draked Drake in every way possible. Drake is, in fact, from Toronto. Considering that Kendrick and Drake haven’t only repeatedly attacked one another lyrically over the past nine months, but their teams, supporters, and fans have also taken sides, performing together in their respective cities really didn’t seem to be a no brainer. that may occur. At least not now. Drake continues to be Drake, although his luster has been greatly enhanced (some due to Kendrick, others since the claims of the colonizers are beginning to look more accurate than we would love, no matter what “business” dictates), so in fact when he decides to set out tour to support whatever he’s doing, he’ll Los Angeles.

I feel the identical might be said about Kendrick. Should he NOT go to Toronto because he’s arguing with Jimmy within the wheelchair? I assume that is silly. Plus, Kendrick told us he really loves New Ho King, a restaurant in Toronto. Shouldn’t he go for fried rice and dipping sauce? Of course I did, especially after it went away claimed that Drake shut down TDE artist SiR’s performance at a location in Toronto.

I hope everyone has their popcorn ready because that is just diabolical. Like, honey, after you go to the Super Bowl and perform “Not Like Us” (that is gonna be wiiiiiiiild) for hundreds of thousands of individuals, are you going to do the identical thing at Drake Stadium? I do not even know what to say here. If Kendrick ever desired to make an announcement, performing “Not Like Us” in Toronto to a sold-out arena that screamed “A-minoooooooor” in unison and then screamed “MUSSSSTAAAAAAAAAARD” could be the stuff of legend.

I ponder who comes up with these schedules and locations. I assume LiveNation gave Kendrick a listing of places and he replied, “Yes, Toronto.” Now that I give it some thought, I’m really surprised he won’t stop in Toronto on June 16, which is Tupac’s birthday, considering what a distinguished (and weird) role Tupac played in all this. It almost looks as if an oversight on Kendrick’s part – either that or the room was booked that day.

Who knows what’s going to occur? It’s doubtful, but perhaps between now and the beginning of Kendrick’s tour, Kendrick and Drake will sit down with Farrakhan (or anyone this generation holds in high regard) and squash the meat and we’ll never hear “Not Like Us.” have performed again, with Kendrick safely traversing Canadian soil while Drake has been digging within the bag and actually releasing an album that shows some growth – or a minimum of real ambition. Once again, I doubt this can occur, so I’ll just patiently wait until June 12, 2025 is circled on my calendar.

BLACKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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It’s almost time for Spotify Wrapped. When can you expect the 2024 summary?

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NEW YORK (AP) – It’s almost that time of yr: Spotify is preparing to release an annual, personalized summary of users’ listening habits and the yr in the audio industry.

Spotify has been providing its listeners with data sheets since 2016. Year by yr it becomes an increasingly larger production and Internet sensation. Spotify said his yr 2023 is closed was “the largest ever created” by way of audience reach and sort of data provided.

So what is going to 2024 bring? Here’s what you have to know ahead of this yr’s edition of Spotify Wrapped.

What exactly is Spotify Wraped?

It’s an annual have a look at individual listening trends, in addition to trends around the world on the streaming service. Users discover their top artists, songs, genres, albums and podcasts, multi functional interactive presentation.

The campaign has turn into a social media sensation as people share and compare their Wrapped data with their friends and followers online.

Previous versions gave users all types of charts and facts, including whether or not they were amongst an artist’s hottest listeners, in addition to a personalised playlist of the yr’s 100 hottest songs that they may save, share, and take heed to each time they wanted. nostalgic.

Spotify also creates a series of playlists that reflect national and global listening trends, featuring the hottest artists and songs streamed. In 2023 Taylor Swift was the most streamed artist on Spotifyunseating Bad Bunny, who had held the title for three years in a row.

Every yr holds something latest. In 2019, Wrapped featured a decade-long summary of user trends in streaming. Last yr, Spotify matched listeners to City of Sound based on their artistic interests and the way this overlaps with those of artists from other parts of the world.

When is the expected release date?

So far, the streaming platform has kept the long-awaited release date of Wrapped under… hmm, under wraps.

In previous years, it was published after Thanksgiving, between November 30 and December 6.

Every yr, rumors spread on social media about when Spotify will stop collecting data to organize its summary results. This yr was no exception. Spotify He quickly debunked these assumptionsasserting on social media that “Spotify Wrapped doesn’t stop counting on October 31st.”

A Spotify representative didn’t reply to a request for comment on when the company will stop data tracking for Wrapped.

Where can I find my Spotify Wrapped?

Once Wrapped is released, each user’s Spotify account will prompt them to view an interactive data summary. It can be accessed through the Spotify smartphone app or via by logging in to Spotify. Wrapped is out there to users with and and not using a Premium subscription.

What else can I learn from my Spotify data?

There are several third-party sites you can connect your Spotify account to that can analyze your Wrapped data.

How bad is your Spotify is an AI bot that assesses your music taste. Reception shares the best songs in a shared graphic that appears like a receipt. Instafest gives you your individual personal music festival-style lineup, powered by your best artists. What sort of NPRCore are you rates how similar your music taste is to NPR Music.

Missed a black girl's day off? On December 2, celebrate National Black Women's Day of Rest

What if I haven’t got Spotify?

Other major streaming platforms like Apple Music and YouTube Music have developed their very own versions of Wrapped in recent times.

Apple Music Replay not only gives its subscribers an end-of-year summary of their listening habits, but additionally monthly summaries – a feature that helps differentiate itself from Spotify’s one-time summary. This is issued at the end of the calendar yr.

Meanwhile, YouTube Music offers its listeners similar year-end releases, in addition to periodic seasonal releases throughout the yr. Earlier this month, it published its annual summary for users.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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