Archive for category: Music Business

Halsey: “I’m a person. Not a character in a music video.” 

Pop star Halsey has been showing her vulnerability in her new music, but the chart-topping singer appears to be getting backlash from people Halsey claims are fans.

“My own fans are hands down meaner to me than any other people on the planet,” the 29-year-old wrote in a Tumblr post.

“Not speaking for all of you, of course. But it used to be just a minority that were awful to me and now it seems like a majority have only stuck around to chime in occasionally with their opinion of how much they hate me or how awful I am,” Halsey continued. “It’s hard to want to engage in a space that is completely devoid of any kindness, sympathy, patience; or, to be honest, human decency. Especially after years of hiding from the interactions for fear that this EXACT thing would happen. I don’t know man. I almost lost my life. I am not gonna do anything that doesn’t make me happy anymore. I can’t spiritually afford it.”

Lupus diagnosed in June and captured her battle with the disease in a new song called “The End.”

Most recently, the “Without Me” singer released “Lucky”, which interpolates Britney Spears’ hit of the same name.

“I shaved my head four times because I wanted to/ And then I did it one more time ’cause I got sick,” Halsey sings on the song. “I left the doctor’s office full of tears/ Became a single mom at my premiere/ And I told everybody I was fine for a whole damn year/ And that’s the biggest lie of my career.”

Both of Halsey’s latest songs document her battle with Lupus SLE and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, which she was diagnosed with in 2022, the singer wrote in an Instagram post on June 5.

In the same post, Halsey said they “can’t wait to get back where I belong: With you all. Singing and screaming my heart out.”

But after getting this recent backlash from their fans, Halsey is unsure how excited they are about coming back to music.

“When I got sick all I could think about was getting better so I could come back and be a part of THIS again, but I don’t even know what *this* is anymore,” Halsey’s Tumblr post reads. “I want to crawl in a hole and I regret coming back.”

Hundreds of loyal Halsey fans expressed their love and support for the “Bad at Love” singer in the comments section of the Tumblr post.

“I’m so sorry about those people, please do what is best for you. We love you,” one comment reads.

“You owe nobody any explanation or apology,” another reads. “Love you always!!”

Halsey followed up with another Tumblr post that read, “Anyway. I’m on my way to a PET scan. And uploading lucky stripped. Because this is the insane irony my life has become. I’m a person. Not a character in a music video.”

Article by MASS Live/Entertainment, more here: bit.ly/3YqL0A0

Yes, Yes, Yes…”Playing Our Song”, it’s happening

This song and video are artfully sensual. It has that sexy, smooth jazz sound that relaxes and stimulates you all in the same moment. “Playing Our Song” is the perfect companion when cleaning your house, washing your car, at the beach, doing yoga and of course, when you’re in the mood, you know, ready to be romantic…

Play the video: I know you’ll be feelin’ it too.

“Playing Our Song”, written and co-produced by Felecia Harte for Hartecast Music.

Nia Archives, singer-songwriter, producer…Silence Is Loud

Judging by the cameraphone footage, Nia Archives’ support slot at the last of Beyonce’s  2023 London gigs was not an unqualified success. Archives has suggested she “got a lot of hate for playing jungle” at the show: the audience certainly look like it’s the last thing they want to hear. Then again, you could divine much from the fact that she was there at all: drum’n’bass producers from Bradford rarely attract the attention of US superstars.

Born Dehaney Nia Lishahn Hunt, Nia Archives counts Goldie among her mentors and currently seems to occupy a roughly equivalent position in the firmament of “next-gen junglists” – her phrase – as he did in the 90s drum’n’bass scene: a striking, charismatic figurehead for a genre traditionally lacking in striking, charismatic figures, dance producers seldom being as exciting or intriguing as the music they make.

Moreover, she clearly wants to do the thing that no 90s d’n’b producer did and become an actual pop star. Two EPs, 2021’s Forbidden Feelingz and last year’s Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against tha Wall, underlined her qualities as a producer well versed in her chosen genre’s past but not in thrall to it: the fantastic 18 & Over and Baianá’s skilful reboot of the samba-infused d’n’b style pioneered by Brazil’s DJ Marky were built to unite 20-something ravers and sniffy superannuated original junglists alike. But they also offered up tracks that posited Archives as a singer-songwriter, a weightier counterpoint to PinkPantheress’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it breakbeat pop.

Silence Is Loud takes the latter approach a stage further. Archives has mentioned Britpop as an inspiration, a reference that could give anyone with a long memory pause. The solitary conjoining of Britpop and d’n’b during the Britpop era was Goldie’s 1997 collaboration with Noel Gallagher, Temper Temper, the mere thought of which can still leave you grasping for a paper bag to breathe into: let’s just say it wasn’t either artist’s finest hour. She’s certainly dabbling in Britpop iconography: there’s a limited edition of Silence Is Loud pressed on “union jack vinyl”, matching the grill on her front tooth in the cover photo; the video for Unfinished Business featured the Fred Perry-clad producer in a greasy spoon cafe and drinking a pint in an ungentrified boozer. But its musical influence is less obviously pronounced.

In fact, it turns out merely to indicate a certain colloquial snottiness to the vocals (“all my friends hate you – to be fair, I do too”, opens the excellent Nightmares, addressing an ex who’s apparently “a tool”), and the presence of guitars. At its most straightforward, the alt-rock/jungle hybrid features a recumbent acoustic strum proceeding at half the speed of the beats beneath it, as on Cards on the Table, but it’s often far more artful than that. The opening title track is both melodic and ferociously noisy, the vocal melody and guitar figure poking through screaming electronics. On the superb Tell Me What It’s Like?, the two genres are tightly wound around each other: the lower end continually switches from dive-bombing sub-bass to bass guitar, an acoustic guitar playing a Kashmir-esque riff overlaid with bursts of white noise and poppy synths. The overall effect is not unlike a noticeably more wholesome version of the Prodigy, if you can imagine such a thing. And if you want evidence that Archives is a jungle producer not bound by tradition,

you might alight on the fact that she’s unafraid to tether her breakbeats to a pounding four-to-the-floor kick drum, a move that would have been absolutely verboten in 90s jungle: the lack of a 170bpm kick drum being one thing that traditionally separated d’n’b from its profoundly uncool, permanently gurning cousin happy hardcore.

Her voice is strong and appealingly unmannered, capable of cutting through the density of her productions. Meanwhile, the songwriting ranges from slightly undercooked – Unfinished Business clings doggedly to a melody too rinky-dink to bear that much repetition – to genuinely striking, even daring. The angsty Crowded Roomz implies that her party-starting DJ persona is often a facade masking personal loneliness. The album’s hookiest track, F.A.M.I.L.Y., manages to create a propulsive dancefloor anthem from the topic of long-term parental estrangement, which it seems fairly safe to say hasn’t been done previously.

That sensation of freshness, even innovation – that no one has put these ingredients together in this particular way before – strikes you more than once over the course of Silence Is Loud. The recipe doesn’t come off every time, but there’s something weirdly reassuring about that. It makes Archives seem like a work-in-progress rather than a perfectly polished finished article, which is exactly what an artist should be this early in their career: it’s impressive and bold enough to leave you wondering how she might develop, rather than worrying where she can go next.

Article by the Guardian; April 2024

A World of Wonderful Women…

Empowerment, resilience, achievement, and equality. These are just a few of the myriad attributes and goals associated with International Women’s Day. This special day champions the incredible contributions of women across the globe and rallies for gender equality and women’s rights.

What is International Women’s Day?

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Additionally, it’s a call to action for accelerating gender parity, recognizing the barriers women face, and celebrating the milestones in women’s rights and equality.

When is International Women’s Day?

When is International Women’s Day?

Held annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day is not just a day but a movement. Throughout the month, and indeed the year, various events, campaigns, and initiatives are organized in its spirit.

How to Get Involved

Engage with the core of International Women’s Day and make a difference with these suggestions:

• Attend Local Events: Many cities host marches, workshops, conferences, and more in honor of IWD.
• Support Women-Owned Businesses: Make an effort to purchase from businesses owned and operated by women.
• Educate and Raise Awareness: Share stories, articles, and resources about women’s achievements and the challenges they face.
• Wear Purple: Purple is the official color of International Women’s Day. Wearing it shows solidarity and support.
• Engage on Social Media: Use the official hashtags to join the conversation and amplify the voices of women worldwide.

History of the Event

The origins of International Women’s Day date back to the early 20th century, stemming from labor movements and women’s suffrage activism. Over the years, the United Nations began to adopt and promote the day, setting annual themes that highlight various aspects of women’s rights and equality. Today, IWD is recognized worldwide, drawing attention to issues like gender disparity, women’s rights, and celebrating the countless achievements of women throughout history.

Relevant Hashtags

Join the global conversation, share empowering stories, and uplift the spirit of International Women’s Day using these hashtags:

• #InternationalWomensDay2024
• #1WD2024
• #ChooseToChallenge
• #WomensRights
• #GenderEquality

Article by Awareness Says, March 2024