When they were making Celebrity, ‘NSYNC weren’t fretting about how to follow up a sales record – they were too busy staking out a new sound to carry them into a future far beyond first-week figures, says Justin Timberlake. And besides, he said, it’s just the economy that’s to blame if the album’s opening week comes shy of the 2.4 million copies No Strings Attached sold last year in its first week on shelves. “People probably don’t think we think about this kind of stuff, but if you really wanna get technical about it, the whole country, the economy, is… Read more »
Alicia Keys says her expectations for her debut album, “Songs in A Minor,” never had anything to do with how well it sold. “Being connected with people, that’s what I hope for,” the 20-year-old Manhattan native says. “Numbers I leave for everyone else to count and calculate.” Well, everyone else has had a lot of calculating to do. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart after its release June 26. “We were stunned by the sales,” said Clive Davis, the music-industry veteran who heads up Keys’ label, J records. “Stunned” pretty much sums up the music world’s… Read more »
When the superstar pop vocal group ‘N Sync sat down to pick the songs for its upcoming album, the quintet found itself at odds with its record company. The Florida-based group, which has sold more than 25 million records worldwide since debuting in 1997, wanted to rock the boat with “Celebrity,” which is due in stores July 24. But Jive Records executives worried that too much change might make fans disinclined to buy, buy, buy like they have in the past. “They were like, ‘I don’t know. I don’t like that song. I don’t think you should go there. It’s… Read more »
Celebrating its 80th year of bringing music to the famed leafy glade in the Cahuenga Pass, the Hollywood Bowl filled itself to the brim with big time talent Friday to salute that feat and open the season. As tribute shows go, this one certainly seemed exemplary. Each of the five performers inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame knew exactly how to score, and each one of them did. The diverse list of honorees for the Hall’s second year included Marilyn Horne, Bonnie and John Raitt, Stevie Wonder and Eric Idle, who stood in for the Monty Python team… Read more »
Pop veterans Steely Dan had a surprising run Wednesday night at the 43rd annual Grammy Awards, taking home three awards for “Two Against Nature” and the single “Cousin Dupree.” Steely Dan’s first album of new material in two decades earned album of the year trophy, besting Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers LP” and albums by Paul Simon, Radiohead and Beck. Released by the Warner-distributed Giant, it also earned prizes for pop vocal album and for best engineered album. U2, whose “Beautiful Day” single was released at the very end of the eligibility period of Oct. 1999 to Sept. 30, 2000, walked… Read more »
Perennial award-winner Paul Simon and teen rapper Lil Bow Wow will perform at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences announced Monday. Simon is nominated for album of the year for “You’re the One.” He has previously won album of the year three times and already owns 16 Grammys. Lil Bow Wow, a 13-year-old rapper from Columbus, Ohio, is best known for his hit single “Bounce with Me.” Performers scheduled to present awards on Wednesday include Melissa Etheridge, Bette Midler, Kid Rock, Shakira, Lee Ann Womack, Joe, Robbie Robertson, Stevie Wonder, Mya and Jimmy… Read more »
“Are We Having Fun Yet?” is what Definitely Maybe is asking everyone. The Chicago act has debuted their new music video for the track, which features a bubblegum pink and black motif throughout. Much like those colors complement each other, the chemistry between the band is undeniable while watching the energetic performance. “This video wrestles with the question ‘Is it more fun to actually do the thing or to watch someone else do the thing?’” the band explains. They pose the question of being content and voyeuristic to others doing work or living the life you want to live: “The… Read more »
Today marked a stunning Monday for pop-punk and country fans alike. For a Consequence Of Sound cover story, Paramore‘s Hayley Williams sat down with legend Dolly Parton ahead of her forthcoming album Rockstar. The “Jolene” singer is switching things up and heading for the electric guitar-laden sounds of authentic rock ‘n’ roll. Across 30 tracks, Parton is collaborating with myriad artists on cover tracks, including “I Hate Myself for Loving You” featuring Joan Jett And The Blackhearts and “Let It Be” featuring Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr with special guests Peter Frampton and Mick Fleetwood. Beyond these collabs, Parton released… Read more »
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I think about what influences artists a lot. That might seem like a “well, yeah,” from the guy who does a show dissecting metal and hardcore artists’ musical inspirations, but the reason I do that is because it’s how I think. I often wonder about what inspires the artists as people. Not so much where they get ideas; as Neil Gaiman said, “I make them up, out of my head.” No, it’s a step before that. What gets artists into that space where they can create? “Inside, I was angry as fuck at the world, obviously, so that’s where the… Read more »
