Blige, Mary J

Subterms

    Latest story

    175 Shares199 Views

    Cher, Dave Matthews Band and Others Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

    by

    Gratitude flowed at the 39th induction ceremony in Cleveland, where Mary J. Blige, Peter Frampton, Ozzy Osbourne and the bands Foreigner and Kool & the Gang were honored.Superstar power arrived early at the 39th Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland on Saturday night, as Cher strode onstage and joined Dua Lipa, who opened the show with “Believe,” the 1998 dance-pop smash that revitalized the singer’s career.In a candid, conversational acceptance speech, Cher joked about her long wait to induction (she was first eligible more than three decades ago), telling the crowd at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and those streaming the show online, “It was easier getting divorced from two men than it was getting in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.” She assessed her own vocal abilities (“I’m a good singer. I’m not a great singer,” she decided, but added, “I changed the sound of music forever”), and reflected on the many reinventions that have sustained her career across 60 years.“My life has been a roller coaster, and the one thing that I have never done is I never give up,” Cher, 78, said, addressing women directly: “We’ve been down and out, and we keep striving, and we keep going, and we keep building, and we are somebody. We are special.”Perseverance was a recurring theme across the five-and-a-half-hour ceremony, which also honored two mainstays of the ’70s and ’80s: the funk and disco powerhouse Kool & the Gang and the pop-rock band Foreigner. Peter Frampton, 74, who is battling the degenerative muscle disease inclusion body myositis, thanked David Bowie for rescuing him from a low point — “I had no idea what a huge gift David was giving me” — and performed a short set from a chair. Mary J. Blige, 53, spoke about having faith throughout her ups and downs (“You don’t have to wait until you’re perfect to feel worthy. You are worthy”) before a sterling three-song performance.And Ozzy Osbourne, 75, who has paused touring because of health challenges, appeared onstage in a suitably sinister black throne adorned with skulls and bat wings to offer a brief collection of thank yous and introduce a rendition of his de facto theme song “Crazy Train” with a raucous shout of his famed intro line, “All abooooard!”Jack Black, left, gave a passionate speech for Ozzy Osbourne, who attended the event in an appropriately sinister throne.Chris Pizzello/Invision, via Associated PressWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    More stories

    • 88 Shares189 Views

      in Music

      7 New Collaborations You Should Hear Now

      by

      Hear music from pairings that include Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, and Post Malone and Chris Stapleton.Post MaloneThea Traff for The New York TimesDear listeners,It’s time once again for your monthly digest of recommended new music, culled from the Friday Playlists that Jon Pareles and I compile each week. This month’s collection has a twist: It’s composed entirely of collaborations.I try to keep these new music compilations relatively brief, so you can stay up-to-date on recent releases without investing too much time. Consider today’s playlist especially efficient. Over just 7 tracks, you’ll get to hear 14 different artists.Some pairings are like peanut butter and jelly, in that they make perfect sense: Of course Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars sound good together. Chloe and Anderson .Paak? I can absolutely hear that in my head before I even press play. But I’d categorize a few of these collaborations as peanut butter and bacon: Unexpected, a bit of a head-scratcher on paper, but surprisingly enjoyable in execution. I never thought I’d hear, say, the rapper ASAP Rocky and the folk singer Jessica Pratt on a song together, but now I have and you know what? That’s a tasty sandwich.You wanna guess if we’re serious about this song,LindsayListen along while you read.1. Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars: “Die With a Smile”Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars each have the sort of highly adaptable talent that transcends genre and trend; they also pride themselves on professionalism sprinkled with a healthy dose of pizazz. (For what it’s worth, they’re also the exact same age: 38.) Each brings the appropriate amount of firepower to “Die With a Smile,” a romantic torch song accentuated by dreamy guitars. It’s likely a one-off, but Gaga did reference a forthcoming seventh album when she announced this single. Little Monsters, you’ve been warned.▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTubeWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 150 Shares139 Views

      in Music

      Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’s Throwback Duet, and 8 More New Songs

      by

      Hear tracks by the Linda Lindas featuring Weird Al Yankovic, Chlöe and Anderson .Paak, Lou Reed’s early band and others.Every Friday, pop critics for The New York Times weigh in on the week’s most notable new tracks. Listen to the Playlist on Spotify here (or find our profile: nytimes) and at Apple Music here, and sign up for The Amplifier, a twice-weekly guide to new and old songs.Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, ‘Die With a Smile’Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars — two superstars who have been relatively quiet on the music front in recent years — team up for the first time on “Die With a Smile,” a romantic, lightly apocalyptic slow-dance that offers both the opportunity to belt to the rafters. Despite the music video’s George & Tammy cosplay, there’s not much of that ever-so-trendy twang to be heard on the actual track. Instead, “Die With a Smile” is a lush, soft-rock torch song accentuated by weightless, trebly guitar. “If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you,” they sing together on an anthemic chorus, striking the right balance between grit and polish — just two consummate professionals doing their thing. LINDSAY ZOLADZPost Malone featuring Chris Stapleton, ‘California Sober’Post Malone and Chris Stapleton sound like they’re having a blast on the rollicking “California Sober,” one of many country duets featured on Posty’s new album “F-1 Trillion.” The twangy foot-stomper spins a classic country yarn: picking up a good-looking hitchhiker who drinks all your whiskey, picks your pockets and leaves you with a lingering kiss goodbye. “Damn bottle was dry,” Post Malone croons in a voice that blends well with Stapleton’s gravely drawl. “Kinda wanted to cry.” ZOLADZThe Primitives, ‘The Ostrich’We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 163 Shares199 Views

      in Music

      8 Songs From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024

      by

      Listen to soon-to-be inductees Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest and more.Cher.Mario Anzuoni/ReutersDear listeners,On Sunday night, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2024 inductees. And while I find this year’s class a tad less exciting than last year’s, there are still quite a few names I was pleased to see: A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Mary J. Blige and the artist who would have been at the top of my ballot, if I were a Rock Hall voter: Cher.*In recent years, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been in something of a transitional period, as it expands its definition of “rock & roll” to include country legends (last year’s inductees included Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson) and hip-hop stars (like Eminem in 2022, and Missy Elliott, who in 2023 became the first-ever female rapper inducted). Last September, the Rock Hall co-founder Jann Wenner made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he espoused sexist and racist comments in a New York Times Magazine interview; shortly after, he was removed from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s board.The Billboard writer Andrew Unterberger took stock of all this in an astute column about this year’s inductees, which he believes strike a balance between the hall’s more old-fashioned view of rock and a fresher, wider definition that is less beholden to tradition. Artists like Tribe, Cher and Blige are in step with the institution’s drift toward becoming “a less hemmed-in, genre-specific institution,” but the presence of acts like Foreigner, Peter Frampton and the Dave Matthews Band also suggest that “there are still plenty of voters primarily concerned with rock representation.”All of this variety, though, means that this year’s inductees make for a thrillingly eclectic playlist. Check it out below, featuring some recognizable hits, a few rollicking live cuts and in my humble opinion, a very underrated Cher single.Allllll aboard!,Lindsay*Last month, the hosts of the excellent podcast “Who Cares About the Rock Hall?” had me on to discuss why I believe Cher belongs in the pantheon, as well as my obsession with the outrageous cover of her 1979 album “Take Me Home.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 175 Shares119 Views

      in Music

      Cher, Dave Matthews Band and A Tribe Called Quest Join Rock Hall of Fame

      by

      Mary J. Blige and Ozzy Osbourne were also voted in, but Sinead O’Connor, who died last year at 56, did not make the cut.Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Frampton and Mary J. Blige are part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2024, along with Dave Matthews Band, Kool & the Gang, Foreigner and A Tribe Called Quest, the hall announced on Sunday.The latest crop of stars will officially join the pantheon in a ceremony on Oct. 19 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, where the hall’s affiliated museum is also located.The 39th annual group of inductees matches the hall’s genre and demographic spread of recent years, with a pop diva (Cher), a metal idol (Osbourne), a top funk band of 1970s and ’80s vintage (Kool & the Gang), a couple of ’90s hip-hop and R&B heroes (Blige, Tribe) and rock mainstays from the boomer (Frampton, Foreigner) and Gen X (Matthews) eras.Of those artists, four were elevated to the hall on their first nomination: Cher, Foreigner, Frampton and Kool & the Gang. Osbourne was nominated for the first time as a solo act, though he had joined the hall as part of Black Sabbath in 2006. The Rock Hall has come under increasing pressure in recent years to diversify its ranks with more women and artists of color, and has made progress in that regard, though some critics say it is not enough.“Rock ’n’ roll is an ever-evolving amalgam of sounds that impacts culture and moves generations,” John Sykes, chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “This diverse group of inductees each broke down musical barriers and influenced countless artists that followed in their footsteps.”Seven acts that were nominated in February did not make the cut: Mariah Carey, Jane’s Addiction, Oasis, Sade, Eric B. & Rakim, Lenny Kravitz and, perhaps most surprisingly, Sinead O’Connor, whose death last year, at age 56, elicited a global outpouring of grief and a reconsideration of her place in rock history.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 163 Shares129 Views

      in Music

      Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Include Cher, Mariah Carey and More

      by

      Oasis and Sade will appear on the ballot for the first time, alongside Dave Matthews Band, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige and others.Cher, Mariah Carey, Sinead O’Connor, Oasis and Sade are among the first-time nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2024, which were revealed Saturday.Other new names on the hall’s short list include Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang and Lenny Kravitz. Also on the list are Dave Matthews Band, Mary J. Blige, Jane’s Addiction, A Tribe Called Quest and Eric B. & Rakim, each of whom has been nominated at least once before. Ozzy Osbourne, who is already part of the pantheon as a member of Black Sabbath, has gotten the nod as a solo artist for the first time.“This remarkable list of nominees reflects the diverse artists and music that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame honors and celebrates,” John Sykes, the chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “Continuing in the true spirit of rock ’n’ roll, these artists have created their own sounds that have impacted generations and influenced countless others that have followed in their footsteps.”The 15 cited artists are the first batch of nominees since the abrupt departure last year of Jann Wenner, the Rolling Stone editor and co-founder of the Rock Hall, who had long held a powerful sway over the awards process.In September, Wenner was ejected from the hall’s governing board just one day after the publication of an interview in The New York Times in which he justified the subjects for his interview collection “The Masters” — all of them white and male — with comments that were widely condemned as racist and misogynistic. Female artists like Joni Mitchell, he said, were not “philosophers of rock,” and Black performers like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye “just didn’t articulate at that level.”It is also a little more than a year after Jon Landau, the former Rolling Stone critic who became Bruce Springsteen’s producer and manager, stepped down from his longtime perch as the chairman of the hall’s deliberately secretive nominating committee.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 88 Shares189 Views

      in Music

      The Songs That Get Us Through It

      by

      Mitski moved to Nashville. She’s not quite sure why, because she didn’t really know anyone there, but she liked how specifically weird it was — a town with stories. A local businessman had recently died and left his substantial estate to his Border collie. Bachelorette parties were a surreal and ever-present cottage industry: “There’s always a woman crying on the street and five other women in matching T-shirts comforting her,” as Mitski put it to me. “It feels like such a good place to observe the human condition.” More

    • 100 Shares119 Views

      in Music

      Mary J. Blige on the Beauty of Vulnerability

      by

      Mitski moved to Nashville. She’s not quite sure why, because she didn’t really know anyone there, but she liked how specifically weird it was — a town with stories. A local businessman had recently died and left his substantial estate to his Border collie. Bachelorette parties were a surreal and ever-present cottage industry: “There’s always a woman crying on the street and five other women in matching T-shirts comforting her,” as Mitski put it to me. “It feels like such a good place to observe the human condition.” More