J. Cole is back with a new song called ‘Heaven’s EP’, his first as lead artist since dropping The Off-Season earlier this year. The single uses the beat from ‘Pipe Down’, from Drake’s new album Certified Lover Boy, which itself sampled Lil Wayne’s 2007 track ‘Pussy Money Weed’. ‘Heaven’s EP’ arrives with an accompanying video directed by Simon Chasalow and featuring Cole in Las Vegas. Check it out below.
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Being mindful is an easy way to help grow your happiness, reduce stress and anxiety, learn to let go of what you can’t change, become more productive, feel calmer and improve your wellbeing.
Mindfulness is the act of being actively aware of what’s happening right now around you, within you, and within others. The challenge is that the mind is constantly wandering off – thinking about the past or imagining the future – so people often miss out on what is happening in real-time.
But mindfulness isn’t just about stopping yourself from daydreaming; it’s about learning to pay attention to how you’re feeling moment by moment without wishing things were different or trying to change things that can’t be changed (and this includes other people). In doing so, you can learn to cope better with any problems that arise in your life and ultimately become a more self-aware person.
There are plenty of ways you can bring mindfulness into your everyday life. However, if you want a gentle way to get started, meditation is one of the most powerful tools. When practiced regularly, it’s been shown to help with both physical and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, stress, high blood pressure, and insomnia.
Here Are The Best Ways That Meditation Helps Improve Physical And Mental Wellbeing:
In recent years, there has been a rising scientific interest in how mindfulness practices and going monk mode may affect your psychological well-being and your physical health.
For example, research has shown that mindfulness meditation can help with pain control by changing the way a person’s brains process pain signals and reducing how much people feel these signals as painful.
A key feature of most mindfulness-based therapies is the emphasis on learning to pay attention to the immediate moment in a nonjudgmental way (without thinking that something is right or wrong, good or bad).
People who are regularly mindful tend to have lower levels of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and other negative emotional states, such as stress.
Indeed, mindfulness meditation has been shown to be effective for the treatment of anxiety and depression when used alongside other therapies or with medication.
It’s all too easy to get coiled up in ruminating about the past or worrying about the future – after all, most people spend more time planning dinner than they do planning for their own death. But while coming face-to-face with your mortality isn’t pleasant, it can help you learn to let go of what you can’t change and take life one day at a time.
Being mindful can be a great tool for helping give yourself a healthier mind as well as a healthier body.
Mindfulness has been shown to have infinite benefits for people suffering from common mental health problems, such as depression. It’s also been linked to less stress, better focus and concentration, increased empathy, and improved relationships.
And it seems that meditation isn’t the only technique that can achieve these things – there is increasing evidence that mindfulness-based approaches are helpful for dealing with many kinds of long-standing pain conditions, including chronic back pain and arthritis.
How You Can Incorporate Mindfulness Into Your Daily Routine:
It seems that everything is moving faster these days, and that includes all lives. People live in a world where everyone expects immediate results with very little effort on their part, and they are constantly being pushed from one thing right into another.
It’s hard not to go along with this mindset when everyone else around you is doing it since they don’t want to be left behind. This busyness and lack of time cause stress, and it’s one of the biggest detriments to mindfulness.
You have no choice but to be mindful when you take your time with everything you do, so start small. For example, don’t check your email or Facebook messages right away when you get up in the morning; give yourself some breakfast first and enjoy every bite.
Don’t answer every phone call either; allow yourself a moment of peace between each ring while you sit down at the table for a meal or drink a cup of coffee while reading the news on your tablet.
After taking your time, begin putting more focus on your surroundings. Whether at home or out in the world, you can never be too connected to what’s going on around you.
Even if it seems like a mundane thing at the time, give yourself a few minutes to smell the roses or watch how people walk by on the street.
Take notice of your surroundings every day, and soon enough, you’ll find that these are things that are always there but don’t get paid attention to unless you make an effort to do so.
What’s more, there are plenty of other ways you can bring mindfulness into your everyday life – so being mindful doesn’t have to mean spending time sitting motionless on the floor, eyes closed. For example, try putting down the phone during a conversation, focusing on what’s happening around you right now, or savoring a piece of food.
Richard H. Kirk, a founding member of the pioneering UK industrial group Cabaret Voltaire, has died at the age of 65. His label, Mute Records, confirmed the news, describing him as “a towering creative genius who led a singular & driven path throughout his life & musical career.” No cause of death was disclosed.
Born in 1956, Kirk formed Cabaret Voltaire with Chris Watson and Stephen Mallinder in Sheffield in the early ’70s, taking their name from a Zurich club that helped birth the Dadaist movement. Combining music and technology, their experimental approach involved creating sound collages out of tapes loops and often using cut-up techniques inspired by William S. Burroughs. The band became associated with the emerging post-punk movement, often sharing the bill with Joy Division, and their provocative and unconventional live shows sometimes ended in fights between the band and the audience.
Cabaret Voltaire founded their own recording studio, Western Works, and signed with Rough Trade in 1978. Following the release of their first two albums, 1979’s Mix-Up and 1980’s The Voice of America, Chris Watson left the band, and Richard H. Kirk and Stephen Mallinder went on as a duo. After securing a licensing deal with Virgin, they explored a more pop-oriented direction with a series of singles before landing a deal with EMI and releasing their 1987 album Code.
In the late ’80s, Kirk began working on solo music and experimented with house and techno, leading the band to record 1990’s Groovy, Laidback and Nasty with Chicago house producer Marshall Jefferson. The group was soon dropped by EMI, and Kirk focused on solo projects, including Sandoz and Sweet Exorcist. In 2009, Kirk resurrected Cabaret Voltaire as a solo project, releasing Shadow of Fear, the first new album under the Cabaret Voltaire name in 26 years, last year. Two more Cabaret Voltaire albums, Dekadrone and BN9Drone, arrived on Mute earlier this year.
Sub Pop has signed Aeon Station, the new project of The Wrens’ Kevin Whelan, whose debut album, Observatory, is set for release on December 10, 2021. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the new single ‘Queen’, which you can hear below.
According to a press release, the 10-track LP came together over the course of 14 years and consists of demos and sketches that were assembled and recorded largely by Whelan himself, with help from his Wrens bandmates Jerry MacDonald and Greg Whelan, as well as co-producer Tom Beaujour. His wife Mary Ann provided backup vocals on the record, too.
“It’s the best I’ve done and may ever do frankly,” Whelan stated. “It’s written over such a long period of my life. Music I did in the past was tinged with expectations or presumptions, but this time, it was just for me.”
The title of the album was inspired by Whelan’s relationship with his now eight-year-old son. “The moment you’re told your child is not ‘neurotypical,’ your whole world expands in ways you never imagined,” he explained. “Even though he doesn’t speak much at all, or look at anyone directly, you can see him observing everything around him. The album title reflects upon the stories within the songs — each one observing a certain situation or feeling.”
Of the new single, he said, “This song was inspired by one of my all-time favorite songs, ‘The Winner Takes it All’ by ABBA. It’s about betting on the real you. Like a game of high-stakes poker, you push all your chips to the center of the table and aren’t afraid to go “all in.” It starts with a solo vocal, framing the story to come, the drums then propel the song forward, with a force working its way to a climax of a repeating line – “You said it was all in.”
After forming in the late ’80s, The Wrens released two critically acclaimed albums, 1994’s Silver and 1996’s Secaucus, which were followed by 2003’s The Meadowlands. In a New York Times profile published yesterday, Whelan said Observatory resulted from the protracted process of making the follow-up to that album. Earlier this year, the group’s Charles Bissell said the album was finished, but no album materialized.
Observatory does not feature contributions from Bissell. “Charles wanted to feel more understood, more heard about what he contributed,” Whelan told NYT. “I was never against that, but when we started talking about how to do it, it got very drawn out and complicated.”
Observatory Cover Artwork:
Observatory Tracklist:
1. Hold On
2. Leaves
3. Fade
4. Everything at Once
5. Move
6. Queens
7. Empty Rooms
8. Air
9. Better Love
10. Alpine Drive
Fugees have announced a global reunion tour to celebrate 25 years of their classic album The Score. The trio of Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel are set to play their first shows together in 15 years, starting with a secret pop-up show in New York tomorrow (September 22) and followed by 12 dates spread across three continents in November and December. Find the list of dates below.
“The Fugees have a complex but impactful history,” Hill said in a statement. “I wasn’t even aware the 25th anniversary had arrived until someone brought it to my attention. I decided to honour this significant project, its anniversary, and the fans who appreciated the music by creating a peaceful platform where we could unite, perform the music we loved, and set an example of reconciliation for the world.”
Jean added: “As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement. We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.”
Fugees 2021 Reunion Tour Dates:
Sep 22 – New York, secret pop-up show
Nov 2 – Chicago – United Center
Nov 7 – Oakland – Oakland Arena
Nov 12 – Los Angeles – The Forum
Nov 18 – Atlanta – State Farm Arena
Nov 21 – Miami – FTX Arena
Nov 26 – Newark – Prudential Center
Nov 28 – Washington DC – Capital One Arena
Dec 4 – Paris – La Defense Arena
Dec 6 – London – The O2
Dec 18 – Ghana – TBC
Dec TBC – Nigeria – TBC
Let’s Eat Grandma, the duo of Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, have returned with their first new single in three years. ‘Hall of Mirrors’ arrives alongside an accomapanying video directed by El Hardwick. Check it out below.
Walton said in a statement about the song and video: “I wanted to use the setting of a fairground at night to describe the dizziness, intensity and excitement of being with a woman I had strong feelings for, and the hall of mirrors as a metaphor for discovering and exploring parts of myself that I was bringing to life. In some ways it’s reflective and almost secretive, journeying through confusing and difficult emotions, but I also wanted ‘Hall of Mirrors’ to be a euphoric song that conveys clarity, confidence, and ultimately joy.”
‘Hall of Mirrors’ marks Let’s Eat Granda’s first new music since releasing their sophomore album, I’m All Ears, in 2018. The record followed their 2016 debut I, Gemini.
Courtney Barnett recently released the video for ‘Before You Gotta Go’, a single from her forthcoming album Things Take Time, Take Time. The singer-songwriter has now taken to Twitter to acknowledge the similarities between her visual and the video for fellow Australian band Quivers’ ‘You’re Not Always on My Mind’. Check out the tweet thread and watch both videos below.
“I thought I had come up with a beautiful, original idea for a video, but it seems like I was wrong!” Barnett wrote. “I’d like to introduce you to Melbourne band Quivers and director, Nina Renee, who had the same idea way before me. Any similarities are completely coincidental and if I had seen this clip when I was making mine I would have completely changed my concept or the way we explored it.”
A note on the YouTube description for ‘Before You Gotta Go’ also reads: “It has been pointed out to us that this video bears remarkable similarities to the video for ‘You’re Not Always On My Mind’ by Melbourne band Quivers, directed by Nina Renee. The resemblance is uncanny, but it’s entirely coincedental. We respect and admire Quivers and Nina Renee and we appreciate them reaching out and having the conversation with us.”
In a statement to Pitchfork, a representative for Quivers said: “We appreciate Courtney acknowledging this situation. We are happy to see Nina’s work being recognised.”
Any similarities are completely coincidental and if I had seen this clip when I was making mine I would have completely changed my concept or the way we explored it.https://t.co/m2INhIA9pVhttps://t.co/VUFCHio1zJhttps://t.co/1cvItZc8Q3
— courtney barnett (@courtneymelba) September 20, 2021
Sarah Dash, the singer and founder of the groundbreaking R&B group Labelle, has passed away. She was 76.
Dash was born on August 18, 1945 in Trenton, New Jersey. The daughter of a pastor, she got her start singing gospel music before moving to Philadelphia in the ’60s. After jumping between different girl groups and lineups, she joined Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Cindy Birdsong in the doo-wop quartet the Bluebelles in 1962. In 1967, Birdsong left to join the Supremes and the trio changed their name to Labelle, pivoting to funk and finding mainstream success with a series of albums released through Warner Bros. Records in the mid-’70s: Nightbirds, Phoenix, and Chameleon. Their biggest hit was ‘Lady Marmalade’, a single from Nightbirds that was recorded with Allen Toussaint in New Orleans and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
After Labelle disbanded in 1976, Dash pursued a solo career that began with her eponymous 1978 debut, which was led by the disco hit ‘Sinner Man’. She would go on to release three more solo albums before establishing herself as a session musician, recording with the O’Jays, Nile Rodgers, the Marshall Tucker Band, and David Johansen. In the late ’80s, Dash toured and wrote music with Keith Richards, which also led to her singing on the Rolling Stones’ 1989 album Steel Wheels.
In the ’90s, Dash developed a one-woman show called Dash of Diva. After reuniting with Labelle in 1995 for the dance hit ‘Turn It Out’, the group reunited once again to release one more album, Back to Now, in 2008. Dash was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.
“We were just on-stage together on Saturday and it was such a powerful and special moment,” Patti LaBelle wrote on Twitter. “Sarah Dash was an awesomely talented, beautiful, and loving soul who blessed my life and the lives of so many others in more ways than I can say. And I could always count on her to have my back! That’s who Sarah was … loyal friend and a voice for those who didn’t have one.”
— Patti LaBelle (@MsPattiPatti) September 20, 2021
Netflix, the giant of streaming services, has unveiled the official trailer for Luna Park. The series begins with the discovery of the bond between two lost sisters separated at birth. Following a succession of intrigues and mysteries, the two protagonists will attempt to shed light on why, still in their infancy, they were separated and destined to live two distinct lives, unaware of the strong bond that bound them.
Luna Park will be available on Netflix from the 30th of September.
Watch the trailer for Luna Park below.
Several UK TV formats and shows have captured global attention. As a result, some period dramas, reality series, game shows, and comedies have remained internationally. Here are a few categories of UK shows that have gained global variants
Series, dramas, and sitcoms are classified under this category. Some of the most popular UK shows that have global variants include:
Most of these shows have achieved astounding success on streaming services and broadcast TV. However, this is not always the case for all shows. Renowned UK shows such as Broadchurch, Skins, and Inbetweeners were unable to gain the same success in the United States as in the United Kingdom. This difference in success could be explained by the fact that these shows did not resonate with the viewers. Another aspect could be due to the unchanged scripts for the shows.
This particular category includes everything ranging from talent competitions to reality dating shows. Some of the unscripted formats that have made it to worldwide markets include:
Though UK scripted drama is the leading source of revenue for TV export sales, unscripted formats have also contributed significantly. Based on research from online casino Betway, the UK unscripted format made up 42% of the international export sale in 2020.
The UK media and entertainment revenue is expected to increase in the coming years. By 2025, the revenue will reach £ 87.9 billion from the current £71.3 billion. This will mean an increase in the TV export sales as well as the quantity and quality of UK shows.
Also, there is a projected increase in SVOD (subscription video on demand). In fact, by 2026, the worldwide subscription will reach 1.495 billion. Since these on-demand avenues make up 38% of the global sales, the UK industry is likely to benefit from the increased subscriptions.
Although Europe is currently the second-largest UK TV export market, this may take a different turn in the future. This will likely happen as the Brexit ramifications take effect. It is a well-known fact that the EU is keeping a check on the UK TV dominance throughout Europe. In doing so, there is a chance for smaller shows made by other nations to succeed in the region. This will also help promote cultural diversity.
However, this provides a chance for the UK to work on its partnerships with other exports markets including Asia, Latin America, and its current export market US. In 2021, GloboPlay from Brazil has agreed to a landmark contract with ITV Studios for over 400 hours of UK TV shows.
More than ever, UK TV shows are recognized globally as world-class. UK producers are working on unparalleled quality. This could explain why audiences even from non-English speaking nations are quick to embrace this content.
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