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Luther Vandross’s niece talks about who inspired him to write love songs

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Luther Vandross was one among the best vocalists to ever step behind a microphone. The singer, who died in 2005 on the age of 54, sold greater than 40 million records worldwide, won eight Grammy Awards and released 11 consecutive platinum albums during his lifetime, according to Diversity.

Now his niece Seveda Williams has spoken about her profession and private life in a brand new interview with The Guardian. People. Williams told the publication that Vandross’ iconic love songs were inspired by his own life, but not necessarily his romantic relationships. The “Never Too Much” singer was known for being private about his personal relationships while in the general public eye.

“I think the depth of his love came from his own situations, and when you’re young, he was writing before he was in a relationship or anything,” Williams revealed in an interview published June 30. “So he wasn’t always singing about romantic love.”

“Most people assume that, but if you look at his lyrics, it’s not all romantic,” she continued. “So it’s about loving yourself, loving your mom, loving the situation you’re in. It’s not all autobiographical.”

Singer Luther Vandross performs on the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois, in 1987. (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

Williams added that Vandross rarely talked about his romantic relationships with anyone who wasn’t his close friend. “He had friends in his crew, and no one else had to be a part of it,” she explained. “If you’re not my friend, why are we talking about things? It’s not everyone’s business all the time.”

Williams is the pinnacle of Fandross, the Luther Vandross fan club. She is worked up about the brand new vinyl, CD and digital reissue of Vandross’s second album, This Close To You, which was recorded along with his previous group Luther. Williams said Vandross was “the consummate professional, a man who took an interest in his business and made sure his audience was happy and delighted.”

“I know he wanted to be known as the top singer of his time, and he definitely achieved that,” she shared. “They don’t like him anymore. He was the last, in my opinion, true king of romance. He had a great voice, but he also wrote lyrics, those honest lyrics.”

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Williams can also be celebrating the upcoming release of “Never Too Much,” a documentary that may delve deeper into Vandross’ life and profession. The film will probably be released in January 2025, 20 years after his death, according to People.

“I recently rewatched it and I really enjoyed it. I’m willing to endorse it,” Williams says. “It’s not going to be a movie for everyone. I think it’s a very well-rounded movie and you can watch it and form an opinion. It doesn’t hold anything back. It touches on so many layers of who he is or was, how he got there and what happened to him or to him.”

The film’s director, Dawn Porter, told The Guardian how she decided to discuss Vandross’s sexuality. Share.

“We tried to strike a balance between how Luther dealt with these questions in his life,” she explained. “But that was really, really important to me, and I hope the viewer will sense that I’m trying to pay homage to how he lived, because it’s important not to expose people when they don’t want to be exposed and when they didn’t choose to be exposed… I’ll let him have the final say.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Sade Ends 6-Year Hiatus to Lend Her Voice to Transgender People on ‘Transa’ Album

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Sade, Sade Adu, Sade Transa, Transa, Red Hot Transa, Andre 3000 Transa, transgender compilation album, transgender awareness, Sade son, Sade transgender son, trans visibility, theGrio.com

It’s been six years because the world was treated to recent music from Sade Adu, however the music legend is reportedly ending his recent hiatus to appear on a really special project. As reported Dazed The British-Nigerian singer-songwriter will contribute the track “Young Lion” to the compilation “Transa,” an upcoming album promoting awareness for transgender and non-binary people.

As Dazed notes, for Sade, 65, the project is personal because her only child, Isaacunderwent his own gender transition. Acknowledging the difficulties of his journey and people of many others, Sade’s recent song is devoted to Isaac, who now lives as a transgender man, and reportedly includes the lyric, “You must have felt so alone, I should have known.”

“It’s incredible to hear a legendary musician like Sade sing about her honest experiences as a parent of a transgender child,” model, transgender activist and album co-producer Massima Bell said, according to Dazed. “It’s incredibly powerful.”

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Produced by Red hotThe nearly 35-year-old nonprofit that released the platinum-selling, star-studded compilation “Red Hot + Blue” amid the AIDS epidemic, “Transa” will feature greater than 100 artists, including André 3000, Moses Sumney, Sam Smith, “Euphoria” star Hunter Schaefer and more. The first single is reportedly a canopy of the Prince classic “I Would Die 4 U,” created by former Prince and the Revolution members Wendy & Lisa with singer-songwriter Lauren Auder. The album, set for a vacation release on Nov. 22, features 46 tracks and eight “chapters” that make up the three-and-a-half-hour album, an “ode” to the unique eight stripes of the Pride flag.

“We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and nonbinary people as leaders in our society, as long as they do the deep inner work to validate who they are in our current climate. We felt like everyone should do that,” said Dust Reid, executive director of Red Hot, per Diversity“Whether you identify as transgender, non-binary, or other, if you took the time to explore your gender, to get in touch with the emotional side of yourself, perhaps we would have a future centered around the values ​​of community, collaboration, care, and healing.”


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Teedra Moses’ Classic Album ‘Complex Simplicity’ Turns 20: I’m So Happy My Worst Musical Take Ever Has Apparently Disappeared From The Internet

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Over the past twenty years of writing on various platforms—my first blog post was June 3, 2004—I’ve shared my thoughts and opinions 1000’s of times on a wide selection of topics. I’ve written about race, politics, culture, music, movies, family, etc. In fact, if I had access to all of my writings, I’m sure I’d find loads of passages that will make me wince and others where I’d be thrilled to know that my younger self had said something my older self still believes. What I also know of course is that I can’t recall the overwhelming majority of opinions I’ve had on any variety of things I’ve written about.

There are just a few exceptions to this rule, though. I remember just a few songs that I wrote that I wish I had never written. I believe the response to those songs has made them my go-to memories of my writing journey. And there are just a few musical opinions that I’ve had at different times that I just can’t consider I ever had. One of those opinions is one which I shared with people in 2004 about Teedra Moses’ debut album Complex Simplicity, released on August 10, 2004, making it 20 years old.

I vividly remember telling folks that I assumed this album was bad. I do know this because I remember having heated arguments with two specific individuals who loved it and couldn’t consider how absurd my opinion was. (They also remember the arguments and agreeing that my opinion was absurd.) Since this album got here out after I began blogging, and since I often drew inspiration from my personal conversations, I’m 90% certain that in some unspecified time in the future, somewhere, I wrote a blog post or something expressing my dislike of this album.

Younger me was an idiot.

Here’s how I do know my younger self was an idiot. At this point in my life, Complex Simplicity is considered one of my favorite albums, possibly ever. I’m undecided if it’s in my top ten, nevertheless it’s definitely in my top twenty. Any album that has a song (like “You will never find”) starting with the words “Ooooh cat daddy”, should be something I take seriously. The album’s opening track, “Be your own girl” might be considered one of my favorite album openers, partly because I really like the Ahmad Jamal sample “Awakening” but additionally because I really like how Teedra gets right to the purpose; she’s like, “Boo, what’s up with you and me…your girl’s gonna be okay!” Who hasn’t thought that about someone they didn’t know? Damn, Christina Milian must be glad social media wasn’t a thing after I had a crush on her, because otherwise I’d be texting her lyrics to this song daily. I’m a romantic. Or a stalker—it is a wonderful line.

And do not get me began “Care,” by far my favorite track on the album and literally the song I’ll be listening to until the nice Lord calls me to glory. And even then after I hit those pearly gates I’ll be asking if “Caution” is offered on whatever platform they use to stream music in heaven.

Look, I can try this with every song on this album. I really like all of them. I absolutely love Complex Simplicity. Along with How I Do, Res are two of probably the most defining R&B albums of my 2000s. Each of those records lived within the CD changer in my automotive. When I believe of Panama Jackson within the mid-2000s walking around New York or Washington, D.C., or traveling to Los Angeles or wherever, I actually have songs from each of those albums in my head. Complex Simplicity is just a beautiful and enjoyable singer to take heed to, and her voice is gorgeous.

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That’s why I’m so excited to know that I can not find written proof that I made profane and meaningless negative comments about this album. Now, I got into a little bit argument with Teedra Moses just a few years ago a couple of review I wrote about how she set the blueprint for 2010s R&B that was less subtle and more intrusive. While I believe my sentiment was spot on, I believe my approach was reckless in a way that got here across as insulting, which was my calling card — the goal was more essential than how I got there. I can also’t find that clip, mostly because while I remember writing it, I can not pinpoint after I did it, and a few of those older tracks are just about inconceivable to seek out and not using a date to assign them to. That works great for me, because I hate reading things I’ve written that I now think are silly. Cheers to growth. And do not be silly, Panama.

As a music lover and someone who would find albums that touch my soul, it makes me very sad to know and do not forget that I ever considered a Teedra album to be anything lower than a fantastic murals that makes the world a greater place. That’s how I feel now and I believe that is the suitable solution to feel about it. To know “Complex Simplicity” is to like “Complex Simplicity” and there is simply no other solution to perceive it. Even 20 years later, the music sounds as fresh and sonically jamtastic because it did within the 2000s, aside from in the future after I didn’t prefer it.

Today is just not that day because today is the day I admit that I really like “complex simplicity” and I’m so joyful that it continues to be a component of my life, 20 years later.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Megan Thee Stallion to Host, GloRilla, Lenny Kravitz to Perform: Here’s What You Need to Know About the 2024 MTV VMAs

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NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper, singer, songwriter, businesswoman, hot girl summer provider and now… an awards show host? Megan Thee Stallion to host in 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.

It’s her first time hosting an awards show, though she’s guest-hosted “Saturday Night Live” and co-hosted “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in the past. This time, she’s hosting a lineup of her musical peers.

The 2024 Awards Gala Announces Star-Studded Performances, Lots of Attractions people of the moon, and more Taylor Swift.

Here’s every little thing you would like to learn about the MTV VMAs.

When are the MTV Video Music Awards?

The VMAs will air survive September 11 at 8:00 PM ET from the UBS Arena on Long Island, New York.

Prize the show has been moved back day due to the upcoming US presidential debate. ABC News recently confirmed that each Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump’s campaigns have agreed to take part in the debate September 10.

Who is nominated for the VMA Awards?

Fast with 10 VMA nominations, he ranks first — eight for her “Fortnight” video and nominations for artist of the 12 months and best pop. She’s followed by her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone, who has nine nominations. He’s tied with Swift for eight nominations and earned a ninth nomination for his country hit “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen.

Also nominated for Artist of the Year are Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, Eminem, Sabrina Carpenter and SZA.

Grande, Carpenter and Eminem have six nominations each; Megan Thee Stallion and SZA have five nominations each. LISA, Olivia Rodrigo and Teddy Swims of Blackpink have 4 nominations each.

This 12 months, there have been 29 first-time nominees, including Wallen, Carpenter, and Swims, in addition to Benson Boone and Silence — the latter can boast three nominations each.

Who will receive the Video Vanguard Award?

Katy Perry will receive Video Vanguard Award. She may even perform.

Previous winners of the award include Shakira, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Missy Elliott.

Perry will return to the VMA stage for the first time since 2017, when she performed and hosted the awards show.

The pop singer has won five VMAs in her profession, taking home her first three in 2011: Video of the Year (“Firework”), Best Collaboration, and Best Visual Effects (each for “ET” featuring Kanye West).

Who will perform at the VMA Awards?

Featuring: Perry, Boone, Carpenter, Chappell Roan, GloRilla, Halsey, Lenny Kravitz, LISA, Rauw Alejandro, Anitta, Karol G, LL COOL J, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello.

What about voting?

Fan voting in 15 gender-neutral categories is underway now and can end on Friday.

Voting for Best New Artist will proceed throughout the exhibition.

___

For more information on this 12 months’s MTV Video Music Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/mtv-video-music-awards

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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