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Watch BTS Perform ‘Dynamite’ at the MTV VMAs 2020

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BTS gave their first English language single ‘Dynamite’ its live debut last night (August 30) at the MTV VMAs 2020. Marking their first-ever appearance at the VMAs, the K-pop superstars performed in front of a green screened backdrop depicting different New York locations, including the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Empire State Building. Towards the end of the performance, the septet was transported to Seoul as fireworks started going off in the background. Check it out below.

BTS were big winners during last night’s awards, taking home four trophies: Best Pop, Best K-Pop, and Best Choreography for their song ‘On’, as well as Best Group. They released their latest LP Map of the Soul: 7 in February, followed by a Japanese-language version in July. They’re also set to release of a new concert film, Break the Silence: the Movie, in September.

Watch Miley Cyrus Perform ‘Midnight Sky’ on a Disco Wrecking Ball at the MTV VMAs 2020

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Miley Cyrus performed her latest single ‘Midnight Sky’ for the first time at the MTV VMAs 2020, which took place last night (August 30). The pop singer performed the track in an empty room on a circular stage, and then went on to climb a staircase leading to a giant disco (wrecking) ball, a nod to her 2013 hit ‘Wrecking Ball’. Check out her performance below.

Miley Cyrus won two awards last night: Best Art Direction and Best Editing, both for her ‘Mother’s Daughter’ video. ‘Midnight Sky’ is taken from her upcoming album, She is Miley Cyrus.

Watch Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande Perform ‘Rain On Me’ at the MTV VMAs 2020

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Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande were among the performers on last night’s 2020 MTV Video Music Awards broadcast, where they gave their their collaborative single ‘Rain on Me’ its live debut.

The performance was part a larger medley of tracks from Lady Gaga’s latest album Chromatica. It started with Gaga emerging out of a bedroom set to perform ‘911’ alongside some dancers, before Ariana Grande joined for a performance of ‘Rain on Me’. When Grande was done with her part, she went into a portal with Gaga, which was followed by Gaga stepping up to perform ‘Stupid Love’ on a piano that looked like a brain. The medley also included parts of ‘Enigma’ and ‘Chromatica II’.

‘Rain On Me’ was nominated in seven categories, of which it won three: Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Cinematography. Lady Gaga also took home the Artist of the Year award as well as the inaugural Tricon Award.

Watch the performance below.

MTV VMAs 2020: The Full Winners List

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The 2020 MTV Video Music Video Awards took place last night (August 30), and despite the pandemic, the show still aired from different locations throughout New York. Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga led in nominations going into the event, with Lady Gaga taking home multiple awards including Artist of the Year and Song of the Year. The Weeknd won the top VMA, the Video of the Year award, while Taylor Swift, BTS, and Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, and Machine Gun Kelly were also among last night’s winners.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the VMAs featured two new categories: Best Music Video From Home and Best Quarantine Performance. The inaugural Tricon Award, which went to Lady Gaga, is seemingly a replacement for the annual Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Check out the full list of winners below.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Billie Eilish – ‘everything i wanted’

Eminem ft. Juice WRLD – ‘Godzilla’

Future ft. Drake – ‘Life Is Good’

Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – ‘Rain On Me’

Taylor Swift – ‘The Man’

WINNER: The Weeknd – ‘Blinding Lights’

TRICON AWARD

WINNER: Lady Gaga

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

DaBaby

Justin Bieber

WINNER: Lady Gaga

Megan Thee Stallion

Post Malone

The Weeknd

SONG OF THE YEAR

Billie Eilish – ‘Everything I Wanted’

Doja Cat – ‘Say So’

WINNER: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – ‘Rain On Me’

Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Savage’

Post Malone – ‘Circles’

Roddy Ricch – ‘The Box’

BEST COLLABORATION

Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – ‘Stuck with U’

Black Eyed Peas ft. J Balvin – ‘RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)’

Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid – ‘Beautiful People’

Future ft. Drake – ‘Life Is Good’

Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj – ‘Tusa’

WINNER: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – ‘Rain On Me’

PUSH BEST NEW ARTIST, Presented by Chime Banking

WINNER: Doja Cat

Jack Harlow

Lewis Capaldi

Roddy Ricch

Tate McRae

Yungblud

BEST POP

WINNER: BTS – ‘On’

Halsey – ‘You Should Be Sad’

Jonas Brothers – ‘What a Man Gotta Do’

Justin Bieber ft. Quavo – ‘Intentions’

Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – ‘Rain On Me’

Taylor Swift – ‘Lover’

BEST HIP-HOP

DaBaby – ‘Bop’

Eminem ft. Juice WRLD – ‘Godzilla’

Future ft. Drake – ‘Life Is Good’

WINNER: Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Savage’

Roddy Ricch – ‘The Box’

Travis Scott – ‘Highest in the Room’

BEST ROCK

Blink-182 – ‘Happy Days’

WINNER: Coldplay – ‘Orphans’

Evanescence – ‘Wasted On You’

Fall Out Boy ft. Wyclef Jean – ‘Dear Future Self (Hands Up)’

Green Day – ‘Oh Yeah!’

The Killers – ‘Caution’

BEST ALTERNATIVE

The 1975 – ‘If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)’

All Time Low – ‘Some Kind Of Disaster’

Finneas – ‘Let’s Fall in Love for the Night’

Lana Del Rey – ‘Doin’ Time’

WINNER: Machine Gun Kelly – ‘Bloody Valentine’

Twenty One Pilots – ‘Level of Concern’

BEST LATIN

Anuel AA ft. Daddy Yankee, Ozuna, Karol G & J Balvin – ‘China’

Bad Bunny – ‘Yo Perreo Sola’

Black Eyed Peas ft. Ozuna & J. Rey Soul – ‘Mamacita’

J Balvin – ‘Amarillo’

Karol G ft. Nicki Minaj – ‘Tusa’

WINNER: Maluma ft. J Balvin – ‘Qué Pena’

BEST R&B

Alicia Keys – ‘Underdog’

Chloe x Halle – ‘Do It’

H.E.R. ft. YG – ‘Slide’

Khalid ft. Summer Walker – ‘Eleven’

Lizzo – ‘Cuz I Love You’

WINNER: The Weeknd – ‘Blinding Lights’

BEST K-POP

(G)I-DLE – ‘Oh My God’

WINNER: BTS – ‘On’

EXO – ‘Obsession’

Monsta X – ‘Someone’s Someone’

Tomorrow X Together – ‘9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)’

Red Velvet – ‘Psycho’

VIDEO FOR GOOD

Anderson .Paak – ‘Lockdown’

Billie Eilish – ‘All the Good Girls Go to Hell’

Demi Lovato – ‘I Love Me’

WINNER: H.E.R. – ‘I Can’t Breathe’

Lil Baby – ‘The Bigger Picture’

Taylor Swift – ‘The Man’

BEST MUSIC VIDEO FROM HOME

5 Seconds of Summer – ‘Wildflower’

WINNER: Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber – ‘Stuck with U’

Blink-182 – ‘Happy Days’

Drake – ‘Toosie Slide’

John Legend – ‘Bigger Love’

Twenty One Pilots – ‘Level of Concern’

BEST QUARANTINE PERFORMANCE

Chloe x Halle – ‘Do It’ from MTV’s Prom-athon

WINNER: CNCO – Unplugged At Home

DJ D-Nice – Club MTV presents #DanceTogether

John Legend – #togetherathome Concert Series

Lady Gaga – ‘Smile’ from One World: Together At Home

Post Malone – Nirvana Tribute

BEST DIRECTION

Billie Eilish – ‘xanny’ – Directed by Billie Eilish

Doja Cat – ‘Say So’ – Directed by Hannah Lux Davis

Dua Lipa – ‘Don’t Start Now’ – Directed by Nabil

Harry Styles – ‘Adore You’ – Directed by Dave Meyers

WINNER: Taylor Swift – ‘The Man’ – Directed by Taylor Swift

The Weeknd – ‘Blinding Lights’ – Directed by Anton Tammi

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

5 Seconds of Summer – ‘Old Me’ – Cinematography by Kieran Fowler

Camila Cabello ft. DaBaby – ‘My Oh My’ – Cinematography by Dave Meyers

Billie Eilish – ‘all the good girls go to hell’ – Cinematography by Christopher Probst

Katy Perry – ‘Harleys In Hawaii’ – Cinematography by Arnau Valls

WINNER: Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – ‘Rain On Me’ – Cinematography by Thomas Kloss

The Weeknd – ‘Blinding Lights’ – Cinematography by Oliver Millar

BEST ART DIRECTION

A$AP Rocky – ‘Babushka Boi’ – Art Direction by A$AP Rocky & Nadia Lee Cohen

Dua Lipa – ‘Physical’ – Art Direction by Anna Colomé Nogu ́

Harry Styles – ‘Adore You’ – Art Direction by Laura Ellis Cricks

WINNER: Miley Cyrus – ‘Mother’s Daughter’ – Art Direction by Christian Stone

Selena Gomez – ‘Boyfriend’ – Art Direction by Tatiana Van Sauter

Taylor Swift – ‘Lover’ – Art Direction by Ethan Tobman

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Billie Eilish – ‘all the good girls go to hell’ – Visual Effects by Drive Studios

Demi Lovato – ‘I Love Me’ – Visual Effects by Hoody FX

WINNER: Dua Lipa – ‘Physical’ – Visual Effects by EIGHTY4

Harry Styles – ‘Adore You’ – Visual Effects by Mathematic

Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – ‘Rain On Me’ – Visual Effects by Ingenuity Studios

Travis Scott – ‘Highest in the Room’ – Visual Effects by ARTJAIL, SCISSOR FILMS & FRENDER

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

WINNER: BTS – ‘On’ – Choreography by Son Sung Deuk, Lee Ga Hun, Lee Byung Eun

CNCO & Natti Natasha – ‘Honey Boo’ – Choreography by Kyle Hanagami

DaBaby – ‘Bop’ – Choreography by Dani Leigh and Cherry

Dua Lipa – ‘Physical’ – Choreography by Charm La’Donna

Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande – ‘Rain On Me’ – Choreography by Richy Jackson

Normani – ‘Motivation’ – Choreography by Sean Bankhead

BEST EDITING

Halsey – ‘Graveyard’ – Edited by Emilie Aubry, Janne Vartia & Tim Montana

James Blake – ‘Can’t Believe the Way We Flow’ – Edited by Frank Lebon

Lizzo – ‘Good As Hell’ – Edited by Russell Santos & Sofia Kerpan

WINNER: Miley Cyrus – ‘Mother’s Daughter’ – Edited by Alexandre Moors, Nuno Xico

Rosalía – ‘A Palé’ – Edited by Andre Jones

The Weeknd – ‘Blinding Lights’ – Edited by Janne Vartia & Tim Montana

BEST GROUP

5 Seconds of Summer

The 1975

BLACKPINK

WINNER: BTS

Chloe x Halle

CNCO

Little Mix

MONSTA X

Now United

twenty one pilots

Album Review: Samia, ‘The Baby’

Throughout her debut album, The Baby, Samia delivers songs that brim with personality. The New York-based singer-songwriter captures the complicated process of coming-of-age with a unique mix of assurance and vulnerability, painting scenes that can be at once intimate and surreal as they unpack the emotional weight of a particular moment or place. The album opens with the last voice message the artist’s grandmother left her before passing away, singing Samia’s name in Arabic against a lush, stirring musical backdrop of ambient synths that are reminiscent of Bon Iver. It’s a testament to what she does best throughout the record: taking something ephemeral and locking it in time through music.

Beyond the emotional honesty of Samia’s lyricism, it also often has that strange quality of  reflecting the nature of the songs themselves: later during the opening track, which is titled ‘Pool’, she sings of breathing underwater and wonders “How long do you think we can sit here/ Before we have to move?” before a subtle beat enters the mix as if to replicate that motion, drenched in the liquid tones of the instrumentation. Later, on ‘Stellate’, she sings “I wanna get you sedated/ Like when it all began”, and the slow, slumbering rhythm of the track seems tailor-made to achieve exactly that effect. Samia has a knack for evoking the intricacies of a specific emotion with more than just the right choice of words, leading to an indie rock album that’s not just affecting but also stunningly constructed, coated in rich, layered textures that never feel superfluous or decorative.

Samia’s versatility is on full display on The Baby. The heart-wrenching earnestness of ‘Pool’ lends its way to the playfully self-aware commentary on the toxicity of diet culture that is ‘Fit N Full’ (“Phasing out of this old fairy tale/ Apple cider vinegar and kale”) and the equally infectious ‘Big Wheel’, in which she casually lists out all the things she has to deal with, big and small. “God, I’m really gonna blow/ With all this empathetic shit,” she laments, addressing a lover directly, “I understand the thing you did/ And every reason you did it/ But I’m so mad, dude/ And I wanna cry.” Her tone can sometimes be biting, but as she suggests in an entirely different context later on ‘Does Not Heal’, she’s only “gonna bite however much I can chew.” Though she covers a wide emotional spectrum throughout the album, her songwriting is always anchored by a sense of sincerity, never straying too far from her musical strengths.

One of those strengths happens to be her voice – though subtle, she knows exactly when it needs to be most expressive: “I’ll be good to you,” she sings on ‘Triptych’, stretching out the final syllable as if it’s the only way of keeping that promise. ‘Pool’ is one of the few songs where the vocals become noticeably distorted, reverberating with all the pent-up frustration that’s conveyed in the lyrics: “Is it too much to ask?” she repeats over and over. It’s that same desire for something you can’t have that powers ‘Winnebago’, which features what might be her strongest vocal performance as she belts out “I wanna be your poetry”. But the album’s emotional peak doesn’t arrive until the very end with ‘Is There Something in the Movies?’, a soul-crushing tribute to the late actress Brittany Murphy, in which she offers an explanation for the uncertainty that permeates her music: “I only write songs about things that I’m scared of.” It’s not so much an admission of weakness, though, but a recognition of her greatest weapon: “So here, now you’re deathless in art.”

Leonard Cohen Estate Exploring Legal Actions Against RNC Over Unauthorized Use of ‘Hallelujah’

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Leonard Cohen‘s estate is “exploring legal options” following the unauthorised use of ‘Hallelujah’ during the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.

The hit song was featured twice: first, after Donald Trump’s acceptance speech for the Republican nomination, where Tori Kelly’s recorded cover version played during a fireworks display, followed by a live operatic version performed by American tenor Christopher Macchio later in the night.

According to Sony/ATV Music Publishing president and global chief marketing officer Brian J. Monaco, the Republican National Committee sought and was denied permission for use of the song the night before the event: “On the eve of the finale of the convention, representatives from the Republican National Committee contacted us regarding obtaining permission for a live performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. We declined their request,” he said.

Michelle L. Rice, a legal representative of the Cohen estate, added: “We are surprised and dismayed that the RNC would proceed knowing that the Cohen Estate had specifically declined the RNC’s use request, and their rather brazen attempt to politicize and exploit in such an egregious manner “Hallelujah”, one of the most important songs in the Cohen song catalogue. We are exploring our legal options. Had the RNC requested another song, “You Want it Darker,” for which Leonard won a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have considered approval of that song.”

The estate of Leonard Cohen released the posthumous album Thanks for the Dance last November.

Björk Postpones Reykjavík Concert Series Until 2021

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Björk has postponed her upcoming Björk Orkestral concert series, in which the Icelandic artist will play four livestreamed unplugged shows in front of an actual audience at Reykjavík’s Harpa Hall. Originally set to take place on August 9, 15, and 23, the performances were then postponed to late August and early September due to increasing coronavirus restrictions and are now set to happen in January and February of next year.

“The concert series Björk Orkestral – Live from Reykjavík in Harpa which had recently been rescheduled, has been postponed to 2021,” the series’ promoters, Iceland Airwaves, said in a statement. “The new dates are January 17th, 24th, 31st and February 7th. This is because we can’t trust that the newly imposed restrictions will be be lifted in time for the shows and we always want to prioritize the health and safety of our guests and staff.”

Tickets for the original shows will be valid for the corresponding new dates. Buyers have 13 days from today (August 30) to claim a refund, which can be obtained by contacting midasala@harpa.is or help@dice.fm. As originally planned, a portion of the proceeds from the shows will be donated to Kvennaathvarfid, a charity supporting women and immigrants of different origin within Iceland.

For the first show, Björk will be accompanied by a 15-piece chamber ensemble from the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and conductor Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason, while the following performances will feature the Hamrahlíð Choir, harpist Katie Buckley, pianist Jónas Sen, and conductor Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir, as well as the flute septet Viibra.

Check out the rescheduled dates below and purchase livestream tickets here.

Sunday, January 17th 17:00 GMT – With 15 piece chamber ensemble from Iceland Symphony Orchestra, conductor – Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason – FORMERLY AUGUST 29TH

Sunday, January 24th at 17:00 GMT – with Hamrahlíð choir, conductor – Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir – FORMERLY SEPTEMBER 19TH

Sunday, January 31st at 17:00 GMT – With brass from the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and flute septet Viibra, Katie Buckley – harp, Jónas Sen – pianó – FORMERLY SEPTEMBER 13TH

Sunday, February 7th at 17:00 GMT – Strings from Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Katie Buckley – harp, conductor – Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason – FORMERLY SEPTEMBER 28TH

India Shawn and Anderson .Paak Join Forces for New Song ‘Movin’ On’

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India Shawn has unveiled a new song featuring Anderson .Paak titled ‘Movin’ On’. Produced by D’Mile, it arrives with an accompanying music video directed by .Paak, marking his directorial debut. Check it out below.

In a press release, Shawn explained that the track is about “moving away from a toxic situation.” She continued: “‘Movin’ On’ is the magic that happens when you get your dream producer D’Mile and dream collaborator Anderson .Paak on the same track! It’s good energy all around, which helps to anchor the message of moving away from a toxic situation into a space that feels GOOD.”

Back in April, Shawn released ‘Not Too Deep’ featuring 6lack. According to her page at Universal Music Group, the LA artist is currently working on a new solo album. Her last LP was 2015’s Outer Limits.

Anderon .Paak recently shared a new single tackling police brutality called ‘Lockdown’.  Earlier this month, he teamed up with Rick Ross for the Madden NFL track ‘CUT THEM IN’ and was featured on Nas’ new album King’s Disease.

The Flaming Lips Share New Track ‘Mother Please Don’t Be Sad’

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The Flaming Lips have released a new track called ‘Mother Please Don’t Be Sad’, taken from the psych rock outift’s upcoming album, American Head. Check it out below, alongside a video directed by George Salisbury.

The song tells the story of a near-death experience, as frontman Wayne Coyne recalls being held at gunpoint as a young man. “Well, until then, I could probably say I didn’t realise I was really alive,” he recently told Rolling Stone. “I never really thought about it. We were living such an insane, healthy, wonderful, happy life – my brothers and all of our friends just running around doing the craziest shit ever. But then I’m laying on the floor thinking: ‘This is how I’m going to die’.”

“Mother please don’t be sad/ I didn’t mean to die tonight,” Coyne sings during the first verse. “But those robbers were so fast/ Their guns and their anger comes and I lost the fight.”

American Head is set to arrive on September 11 via Warner. It includes the previously released tracks  ‘Will You Return / When You Come Down’‘You n Me Sellin’ Weed’‘Dinosaurs On The Mountain’‘My Religion Is You’, and the Kacey Musgraves-featuring ‘Flowers of Neptune 6′.

Post Malone, DaBaby, and Jack Harlow Join Saweetie on New ‘Tap In’ Remix

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Santa Clara rapper Saweetie has shared new remix of her hit single ‘Tap In’. It features appearances from Post Malone, DaBaby, and Jack Harlow. Check it out below.

‘Tap In’ is expected to appear on Saweetie’s upcoming LP Pretty Bitch Music, which will feature production from Timbaland and Danja. When it debuted back in June, the Too Short-sampling track rose to the top the U.S. and Global Thriller charts, where it stayed for two weeks. It also earned Saweetie a Song of the Summer nomination at the 2020 VMAs, which are to set to air this weekend.

Harlow and DaBaby previously linked up for the remix of Harlow’s own smash hit ‘What’s Hopping?’, which also featured Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne.