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Beyoncé releases new album, COWBOY CARTER

The eighth studio album, from the world’s most innovative artist, arrives after a monumental two-song release as a no-holds-barred, multi-genre nod to Americana country culture

 

 

Beyoncé’s eighth studio album, COWBOY CARTER is taking the world by storm with its top-notch songwriting and production, as well as incredible commercial success. The critically acclaimed record is expected to land at No. 1 on several countries for the tracking week, particularly in major markets worldwide.

The album arrives following the successful release of two lead singles, “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” and “16 CARRIAGES.”

“TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” landed across nine different genres on US music charts including Pop, Hot AC, Country, Rhythmic, Urban, and R&B, and making history with Beyoncé becoming the first Black female artist to reach No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart and No. 1 on the Hot 100 Chart with a Country song.  It also spent four weeks at the top of the UK music charts.

COWBOY CARTER, executive produced by Beyoncé, is about genres, all of them, while deeply rooted in Country. This is the work of an artist who thrives in her freedom to grow, expand, and create limitlessly. It makes no apologies, and seeks no permission in elevating, amplifying, and redefining the sounds of music, while dismantling accepted false norms about Americana culture. It pays homage to the past, honoring musical pioneers in Country, Rock, Classical, and Opera.

The album is a cornucopia of sounds that Beyoncé loves, and grew up listening to, between visits and eventually performances at the Houston Rodeo – Country, original Rhythm & Blues, Blues, Zydeco, and Black Folk.  The album wraps itself in pure instrumentation in a celebratory authentic gumbo of sounds using among others, the accordion, harmonica, washboard, acoustic guitar, bass ukulele, pedal steel guitar, a Vibra-Slap, the mandolin, fiddle, Hammond B3 organ, tack piano, and the banjo. There’s also plenty of handclaps, horseshoe steps, boot stomps on hardwood floors and yes, those are Beyoncé’s nails as percussion.

“The joy of creating music is that there are no rules,” says Beyoncé.  “The more I see the world evolving the more I felt a deeper connection to purity. With artificial intelligence and digital filters and programming, I wanted to go back to real instruments, and I used very old ones. I didn’t want some layers of instruments like strings, especially guitars, and organs perfectly in tune. I kept some songs raw and leaned into folk. All the sounds were so organic and human, everyday things like the wind, snaps and even the sound of birds and chickens, the sounds of nature.”

And the inspiration further takes into account Southern and Western culture beyond music, the Rodeo, Western films, and the stories of the original cowboys of the West. It was at the Rodeo where she first saw diversity and camaraderie among people who love Country music and an Americana lifestyle, steeped in community, culinary offerings, grills, and Western gear. And it was for everyone. Among the crowds were Black, Hispanic and Native American Cowboys, who made their valuable, authentic allowances to the culture. Their stories are synonymous with American history.

The music is wrapped around an outpouring of passionate, bold storytelling that captivates the listener with Beyoncé’s familiar, powerful voice at the center.  Her vocals shine a blinding light on a narrative steeped in truth-telling, revealing hidden histories, and reveling in all the magic you seek when you take an intentional journey back to your roots.  Beyoncé is a student of history, and she continues the American music masterclass that started with act i RENAISSANCE in 2022, that was a deep dive into dance music and its creators, and the celebration of those who lived in joy despite being made to feel like outliers.

On COWBOY CARTER the work of an artist who created on her own terms, in the absence of rules, persists boldly.  The songs caress, cradle, and encourage the listener’s curiosity through 27 gifts of revolutionary surprises, erasing the limitations placed on genre-based music.  As a producer, Beyoncé explores and experiments with chord and key changes effortlessly mixing genres, bending, and blending the unexpected to break down every wall of musical confinement. It is a rare body of work that could so seamlessly hosts remakes of classics like “BLACKBIIRD” by The Beatles and “JOLENE” by Dolly Parton with sonically diverse creations like “SWEET HONEY BUCKIN,” “RIIVER DANCE” and “II MOST WANTED.”

“My process is that I typically have to experiment,” Beyoncé says.  “I enjoy being open to have the freedom to get all aspects of things I love out and so I worked on many songs.  I recorded probably 100 songs.  Once that is done, I am able to put the puzzle together and realize the consistencies and the common themes, and then create a solid body of work.”

The album is an experiment indeed.  Each song is its own version of a reimagined Western film. She took inspiration from films like “Five Fingers For Marseilles,” “Urban Cowboy,” “The Hateful Eight, “Space Cowboys,” “The Harder They Fall” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” often having the films playing on a screen during the recording process. Some aspects of the percussion were inspired by the ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ soundtrack, where it was more Bluegrass. This body of work undulates from singing cowboy and Blaxploitation to Spaghetti westerns and fantasy with Beyoncé weaving between personal experiences, honoring Black history, to exaggerated character building. The limited-edition vinyl depicts a microphone in the shape of a gun ala Thelma and Louise running from the law, but the gun is invisible, hyper exaggerated reality.

The character, Cowboy Carter was birth from these experiences and inspired by the original Black cowboys of the American West.  The word cowboy itself was used in a derogatory way to describe the former slaves as “boys,” who were the most skilled and had the hardest jobs of handling horses and cattle, alike. In destroying the negative connotation, what remains is the strength and resiliency of these men who were the true definition of Western fortitude.

While RENAISSANCE was a stated rebirth after the Pandemic, COWBOY CARTER is a declarative frequency and academic shift, as the world prepares to shift again, that redefines and rebuilds what is Country and Americana, and who gets to be included. The album opens with “AMERIICAN REQUIEM,” a hymn-like alarm that incinerates old ideas about art and the people who create it.  

Beyoncé ensconced herself with a stellar group of collaborators, including The-Dream, Pharrell, NO I.D., Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Tedder, Ryan Beatty, Swizz Beatz, Khirye Tyler, Derek Dixie, Ink, Nova Wav, Mamii, Cam, Tyler Johnson, Dave Hamelin, and Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter to find the secret gems in each song.  The process, sometimes years in the making, often meant combining pieces of different recordings, changing the instrumentation here, adding a snare there, to land at the perfect spot in the right time.

“This album took over five years,” she says. “It’s been really great to have the time and the grace to be able to take my time with it. I was initially going to put COWBOY CARTER out first, but with the pandemic, there was too much heaviness in the world.  We wanted to dance.  We deserved to dance.  But I had to trust God’s timing.”

And the musical alliance here includes contributions from an impressive list of artists as vocalists, musicians, and orators, including Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Linda Martell, Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, Mylie Cyrus, Post Malone, Jon Batiste, Rhiannon Giddens, Nile Rodgers, Robert Randolph, Gary Clark, Jr., Willie Jones, Brittney Spencer, Shaboozey, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell and Tiera Kennedy.

COWBOY CARTER is the musical concoction you did not expect from the world’s most innovative artist and producer, who has made it the norm to push the boundaries in delivering art that challenges the senses. It’s about culture, legacy, and a critical addition to the American songbook from the most important and creative talent in a Century.

“I think people are going to be surprised because I don’t think this music is what everyone expects,” Beyoncé says, “but it’s the best music I’ve ever made.”

Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER is available now via Parkwood Entertainment, Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment.

COWBOY CARTER TRACK LIST:

1.            AMERIICAN REQUIEM

2.            BLACKBIIRD

3.            16 CARRIAGES

4.            PROTECTOR

5.            MY ROSE

6.            SMOKE HOUR ★ WILLIE NELSON

7.            TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

8.            BODYGUARD

9.            DOLLY P

10.          JOLENE

11.          DAUGHTER

12.          SPAGHETTII

13.          ALLIIGATOR TEARS

14.          SMOKE HOUR II

15.          JUST FOR FUN

16.          II MOST WANTED

17.          LEVII’S JEANS

18.          FLAMENCO

19.          The LINDA MARTELL SHOW

20.          YA YA

21.          OH LOUISIANA

22.          DESERT EAGLE

23.          RIIVER DANCE

24.          II HANDS II HEAVEN

25.           TYRANT

26.           SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN’

27.           AMEN

 

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Note to editors: For a complete list of credits log on Here

Click Here for the COWBOY CARTER media toolkit.

Album cover photo photographed by Blair Caldwell

Available here: https://beyonce.lnk.to/cowboycarter

 

#COWBOYCARTER

#TEXASHOLDEM

#16CARRIAGES

#RODEOCHITLINCIRCUIT

#BEYONCE

 

About Parkwood Entertainment 

Parkwood Entertainment is a film and production company, record label and management firm founded by entertainer and entrepreneur, Beyoncé in 2010.  With offices in Los Angeles and New York City, the company houses departments in music, film, video, live performances and concert production, management, business development, marketing, digital, creative, philanthropy, and publicity.  Under its original name, Parkwood Pictures, the company released the film Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also released the films Obsessed (2009), with Beyoncé as star and executive producer, the winner of the Peabody Award for Entertainment, Lemonade (2017), the Emmy®-nominated Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé (2019), which documents Beyoncé’s history-making performance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in 2018, and the Emmy®-winning Black Is King (2020). Parkwood Entertainment produced The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013-2014), The Formation World Tour (2016), and the aforementioned “Homecoming” performances at Coachella (2018) and co-produced the ON THE RUN Tour (2014) and ON THE RUN II (2018), and the RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR (2023).

Source: Nyou

Tothapi joins Sony Music Entertainment family, releases new single “Kutsinta”

The seven-piece band recently went viral on TikTokand received praise from Asia’s Songbird, Ms. Regine Velasquez

 

Breakthrough Bicol-based band Tothapi is the newest addition to the Sony Music Entertainment family, which includes some of the biggest OPM acts in the country such as Ben&Ben, SB19, Denise Julia, Clara Benin, Ace Banzuelo, O Side Mafia, NOBITA, Demi, The Itchyworms, Sponge Cola, Any Name’s Okay, and more.

“It has been an amazing ride with Sony Music Entertainment,” shares the band in the press statement. “The constant support we get from them to pursue our endeavors and visions for Tothapi has been unending. They also help us navigate our way through the music industry by giving us advice and letting us grow and discover new things.”

The rising jazz-influenced pop band recently went viral with their song “Celeste” and even received praise from veteran superstars like Regine Velasquez.

Now armed with a growing fanbase and a bigger reach, there’s no stopping Tothapi from taking the local shores by storm with the release of their first official single, “Kutsinta.”

The mellow crossover tune, which was written and produced by the band themselves, explores the beauty of being in a healthy relationship that sees love as more than just a feeling, but a manifestation of commitment and sacrifice.

The seven-piece act explains, “It is basically created through the lens of normal events in our relationships that matter the most: situations in a relationship that make it unknowingly stronger and ties both lovers more. The song also emphasizes how partners got each other’s back,especially at times of vulnerability.”

Totaphi adds, “Our band wanted to produce a pop-style genre that emits good-vibe energy and is love-driven. With this, we wanted our listeners to feel that they were in a state where they were content and happily in love while listening to Kutsinta.”

When asked about some of the recent developments in their career, Tothapi reveals that they’re in the process of writing more songs and performing more shows across the country.

“Future collaborations and new adventures are definitely at the back of our minds,” the promising newcomersshare. “Overall, we hope to keep spreading happy thoughts to our listeners.”

Tothapi’s “Kutsinta” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.

Source: Nyou

Bradley Simpson drops debut single “Cry At The Moon”

Bradley Simpson has released his highly anticipated debut single “Cry At The Moon”- available everywhere today via Insanity UK and Sony Music Entertainment.

“Cry At The Moon” was cowritten by Bradley, Andrew Wells, Anthony Rossomando, and Jordan Asher Cruz aka “BOOTS”.

“Cry At The Moon started in LA early on in the writing process for the album with Anthony and Andrew. I knew I wanted to draw on influences I grew up on, we spent the first 2 hours of the session listening through bands we loved, lots of Queens of the Stone Age and Raconteurs. As the melody for the chorus came together, we built around that.  It was exactly how I wanted to move forward with the sound of the album, and it opened the writing process for me. CATM became the catalyst for that sound as it went on a bit of a journey. I met Boots a few months after, and we decided to do the entire album together. We went back in on CATM, made some tweaks to really pull it in line with the rest of the album as CATM always felt like the song to introduce everyone into the world with, I genuinely can’t wait to play it live!”

Watch the Wiz directed music video for “Cry At The Moon” HERE.

Bradley, best known for his role as singer, songwriter, and front man of British band The Vamps, commands a massive fanbase, already with multiple chart-topping albums in the UK. At just 28, Bradley's transition from band front man to solo artist is driven by his personal song collection, signaling an exciting new chapter in his career.

Bradley will preview songs from the upcoming album and make his solo performance debut of “Cry At The Moon” on a sold-out run of headline shows this Spring in the UK, Europe, New York and Los Angeles.

Bradley is currently working his debut album to be released soon.

 FOLLOW BRADLEY SIMPSON
TikToks | Instagram 
 

Bradley Simpson’s “Cry At The Moon” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment/Insanity UK.

Source: Nyou

Grammy-winning Amapiano Pop-R&B sensation Tyla arrives with her self-titled debut album, TYLA

‘TYLA’ is now available

Featuring Travis Scott, Tems, Gunna, Becky G, Skillibeng, and more

 

 

A record-setting finish to 2023 set the stage for Grammy award-winning Amapiano pop-R&B superstar Tyla to step firmly into her stardom in 2024, and today the South African superstar makes it official.

Tyla’s self-titled debut album, "TYLA", featuring guest appearances by Travis Scott, Tems, Gunna, Becky G, Skillibeng, and Kelvin Momo is now available.

Along with her debut album, Tyla releases the brand-new music video for the remix of her chart-topping single, “Water,” featuring Travis Scott. The original music video saw its dance choreography garner viral success globally, spawning over 5.6 billion views and 4 million creations just on TikTok in the Southeast Asian region.

In the Philippines alone, “Water” has amassed 3.1 million creations and 3.3 billion views on TikTok, making it the top contributor on the platform. The “Pop-piano” sensation also went viral in Philippine mainstream media late last year, with Filipino superstars Sarah Geronimo and Kathryn Bernardo attracting headlines with their cover performances of “Water.”

Tyla is a 15-track affair and the first full-length offering from the singer, who struck gold (and platinum) with her hit single, “Water,” one of 2023’s biggest hits that has accomplished 766 Million Streams worldwide to date. Across Southeast Asia, the single achieved 4X Platinum certification in Singapore and Malaysia, and Goldcertification in the Philippines.

On her debut album, Tyla introduces her supporters to the full scope of the African pop star within, taking each listener on a journey driven by Amapiano and interpolated with a multitude of the genres that have inspired Tyla throughout her young life, including Hip Hop, Pop, and R&B.

Tracks like “Safer,” “Truth Or Dare,” and the Becky G-featured “On My Body” will recall the timeless energy of “Water,” while elsewhere, Tyla expands her range. Gunna and Skillibeng join her for a high-octane Hip Hop anthem, and “Butterflies” is a viscous R&B ballad devoid of Tyla’s customary upbeat tempos.

“When I listen to the album, I’m so proud of it,” Tyla told Rolling Stone last week. “I just see our sound going so far: the culture, the words, the slang. Even just Joburg — the thought of people now singing about Joburg.”

The release of Tyla follows a historic second half of 2023 for Tyla, who became the highest-charting female soloist in African history on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 when “Water” peaked as the #7 song in the nation. Along with this accolade came an RIAA Platinum certification and Tyla’s first GRAMMY nomination. In February, that became a GRAMMY victory, for “Best African Music Performance,” in a crowded field that included Davido, WizKid, and Burna Boy.

“The Tyla story is one that has already inspired millions of people,” says Ezekiel Lewis, President of Epic Records. “Her young star is on the rise, and this project marks one more step towards the achievement of a global music fan base rooted in the touch and feel of Amapiano, R&B, and Pop. Her music is an export of African music and culture “The Tyla Way”, and we are eager to share this amazing body of work with the world. Stay Tuned.” Fans in search of the full suite of the TYLA album experience are encouraged to check out the singer’s merch bundle, which includes autographed vinyl options, streetwear and, in true pop star fashion, an album poster. Shop the TYLA capsule here.

 

Photo Credit: Jeremy Soma

 

Follow Tyla:

Instagram / TikTok / Twitter / Facebook

 

 

Tyla’s self-titled album, TYLA is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment/Epic.

Source: Nyou

SB19's Josh Cullen teams up with Al James in “Yoko Na”

P-Pop star Josh Cullen and prolific rapper Al Jamescome together in “Yoko Na,” their collaborative new single released under Sony Music Entertainment.

Lyrics-wise, “Yoko Na” expresses the words left unsaid in the middle of a relationship fallout. It acknowledges how a kind of love that was once full of life and promises could suddenly fall apart even after trying one’s best to stick it out until the very end.

The song bears the hallmarks of a summer anthem, thanks to its infectious rap verses from both artists, an inescapable chorus, and a vibrant arrangement that blends modern hip-hop and R&B sensibilities with emotional flair.

Brian Lotho, who co-produced the track with Josh, captures the essence of the lyrics with steely defiance, adding an extra layer of authenticity by injecting unique elements such as the sound of bottles shattering, tables flipping, and other little sonic details that evoke irreparable brokenness.

“Well, Yoko Na is like the product of a soul-baring session with my producer, Brian Lotho,” Josh Cullen explains. “For this particular jam, we traded cliched love stories with messy, real-life situations that ordinary people encounter on a daily basis: the frustrations and struggles from past relationships, and somehow confronted it with a more mature take. It's a song that's raw, honest, and straight from the heart.”

The partnership came to fruition after realizing that Al James’ style of laid-back rapping somehow fits the demo that Brian and Josh have been working on for months. Josh admits that he mustered the courage to ask the viral hitmaker to be part of the track despite the short notice. Luckily, Al James said yes and sent his verse a few days ahead of the deadline.

When asked about how Al James is as a collaborator, he said nothing but praise for the Pa-umaga act.

“He’s very chill. He submitted the reworked track ahead of time and recorded his parts in less than an hour. I really admire his level of professionalism. After that, we just bonded instantly and went on a food trip.”

Josh Cullen and Al James’ “Yoko Na” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.

Source: Nyou

PORTER ROBINSON DEBUTS NEW SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO “CHEERLEADER”

WWW.PORTERROBINSON.COM



 Grammy-nominated artist Porter Robinson returns with new single and music video, “Cheerleader.” Video directed by Hugh Mulhern (winner, 2023 UKMVA Best New Director) and creative-directed by Bradley & Pablo (Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Rosalía) (via Mom+Pop)—watch it here. The action packed music video is an outburst of vibrancy and emotion scene after scene, and presents Porter front-and-center, realizing his truest, most gripping performance to date. 
 
"When I got back in the studio for 'Cheerleader', I asked: what would be something that people could love with zero context — just instantaneous, universal, explosive connection? 'Cheerleader' is my take on bottling that feeling," says Robinson. 
 
Sung, written, recorded, and produced by Robinson, “Cheerleader” is a buzzy pop anthem with a blistering synth line and shout-along chorus that will entice day-one fans and new audiences alike. 
It is the latest addition to Porter’s decade-plus prestige catalog that includes 2014 debut album Worlds, and The FADER’s #1 best album of 2021 Nurture. 
 
 
"Porter Robinson is no stranger to reinvention," - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY 
“Euphoric pop,” - PITCHFORK
 

VIDEO STILLS
 
Directed by Hugh Mulhern 
 
DOWNLOADABLE PRESS PHOTOS

Photo credit: Michael Wolever


Photo credit: Michael Wolever 

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About Porter Robinson:
At age 18, the North Carolina-based producer and songwriter burst onto the scene with a complex, bombastic brand of electro-house. Following the major success of his 2014 debut album Worlds, Porter released the RIAA Gold single "Shelter" with Madeon in 2016, followed by a Shelter Live Tour spanning 43 dates and four continents. The following year, Porter began releasing music under a new alias, Virtual Self, which led to his first Grammy nomination for the BBC Radio 1 hit single "Ghost Voices." In 2019, Porter put on the first Second Sky Festival, which sold out all 30,000 tickets for the two-day festival in a single day. In both 2020 and 2021, Porter Robinson hosted editions of his virtual festival Secret Sky, amassing over 6 million viewers combined, and which came to be regarded as the most sophisticated virtual festivals of its time. Later in 2021, following the release of sophomore album Nurture, Second Sky Festival made its return to the Bay Area, selling out 40,000 tickets in a single day. Immediately following, the Nurture Live North American Tour sold over 150,000 concert tickets and was the highest grossing electronic tour of 2021. In 2022, in partnership with Riot Games, Robinson released “Everything Goes On” surpassing 100 million global streams. Later that year was his debut of one of two exclusive full live band performances, first at Second Sky 2022 and again in 2023 at the Coachella Main Stage.  
 
About MOM + POP: 
In their 16th year, Mom+Pop Music has curated a critically acclaimed list of artists including  Courtney Barnett, MGMT, Beach Bunny, Caamp, Ashe, Orion Sun, Porter Robinson, SEB, Tom Morello, and many others. Solely owned and operated by Founder/co-owner Michael Goldstone and co-owner Thaddeus Rudd, M+P has a global team of 25 people and is self-distributed. Known for their artist-first ethos, M+P continues to amass industry accolades from artists, media, and colleagues including Billboard’s Independent Label Power Lists, A2IM’s Libera Award for Label of the Year, and other recognition. They have received consistent media acclaim featured in Forbes, Variety, Billboard and HITS among other outlets. Mom+Pop Music is located in New York City and has offices in Los Angeles

Source: Blackstar

Luke Conde, Rain Matienzo Star as Pandemic Lovers in CBN Asia’s Holy Week Special, “Tugon”

CBN Asia will once again captivate audiences with its much-anticipated Holy Week special, Tanikala presents “Tugon,” airing this Good Friday, March 29, at 5:30 p.m. on GMA.

 

Starring Luke Conde and Rain Matienzo, Tugon tells the story of real-life couple, Nolo and Jasmine Lopez, who met online and found love and healing in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Luke plays Nolo, a young man scarred by childhood abuse and struggles to reconcile his faith in God. As a man with big dreams like Nolo, Luke reveals that he felt a deep connection to his role when his career was put to a halt during the pandemic.

 

“I wanted my career as an actor to continue. I had work with my previous network but because of the pandemic, I somehow lost my chance to continue that dream,” Luke recalled.

 

He continued, “Actually, when we were shooting this special, that feeling I had during the pandemic came back to me. It was like a rewind of what I experienced during that time.

 

Meanwhile, Rain breathes life into the character of Jasmine, who is haunted by her past traumas and the pressures of being a breadwinner. Despite their differing personalities, the actress sees herself in Jasmine, appreciating their shared courage in facing life's challenges.

 

“I can relate to her fighting spirit. I am a fighter in my own way, but with Jasmine, you see it in her steadfastness. I am inspired by how she does it,” Rain shared.

 

Drawn together by a TikTok video, their characters find solace in music and faith. However, Nolo’s dark past resurfaces, testing their bond, while Jasmine confronts her fears about the future.

 

Tugon is directed by Timmy Yee and written by Seth Blanco and Shekinah Gram.

 

“Viewers can learn so many lessons in this film. One of them is the art of waiting for the right person,” the telecine’s director said. “It proves that love isn’t bound by unplanned circumstances. It proves that even in uncertain times, love can be victorious.”

 

See how their story unfolds. Watch CBN Asia’s Holy Week special, Tugon, on Good Friday, March 29, at 5:30 p.m. on GMA.

Source: CBN Asia