#Chart‑Topping Hitmaker

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Jessie J – Empowered Pop Soulstress & Fearless Storyteller

Jessie J (born Jessica Ellen Cornish, 27 March 1988 in London) is an acclaimed English singer-songwriter and dynamic performer whose potent vocals span pop, soul, R&B, and electropop . Launching her career at age 11 in musical theatre, she later honed her craft at the BRIT School before breaking through as a top songwriter—co-writing “Party in the U.S.A.” for Miley Cyrus .

Her debut single “Do It Like a Dude” (2010) and smash hit “Price Tag” (2011) set the stage for her first album, Who You Are, which spawned several UK top‑10 singles . Subsequent albums Alive (2013) and Sweet Talker (2014) featured global successes like “Bang Bang” (with Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj)—a diamond-certified anthem over 10 million US sales .

Aside from her chart accolades, including a Critics’ Choice Brit Award and Grammy nomination, Jessie has been a powerful presence on television as a coach on The Voice UK/Australia and as the first non‑Asian winner of China’s Singer in 2018 .

In recent years, she’s embraced independence—leaving Republic Records in 2023—and channeled personal triumphs and health revelations (OCD, ADHD, early breast cancer) into her music. Her 2025 single “No Secrets,” co-written with Ryan Tedder, marks a soulful new chapter reflective of resilience, motherhood, and raw authenticity 

[jazzthatonewriterchick]

I'll Make You A Star, Baby (Toji x F!Reader 18+ One Shot)

Pairing: Sleazy Music Producer!Toji Fushiguro x Popstar!Reader

Synopsis: You are an up-and-coming pop girl who has dominated the charts with your hit song and is quickly moving into the world of stardom. As your popularity in the music industry grows, your manager and fans are foaming at the mouth for a new hit single. So you pair up with Toji Fushiguro, a hitmaker and a playboy in the industry, well known for his beats AND his dick game. And despite your resistance to Toji's seduction, you quickly learn that becoming a household name in the music world isn't that easy. Maybe fucking this man can make you a star...or is that just what he slipped in your drink talking?

Warnings: Smutty Smut; 18+ (MINORS DNI); No Curse AU; Music Industry AU; Celeb!Toji x Celeb!Reader; Sexual Tension; Coercion; Drugging; Rape/Noncon; Dubcon; Drug Use (Marijuana + Cocaine); DILF!Toji x Younger!Reader (Early 20s); Sex on Camera; Slutification; Objectification; Oral (Giving & Receiving); Spit Play; Degradation + Praise; Snorting Coke Off Toji's Dick; Facefucking; Face Slapping; Daddy Kink; Multiple Positions (Missionary + Doggy); Reader Cums 2x; Creampie

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!

Writer's Note: I hate The Idol with all my fucking heart...but "Popular" is a BOP. I can't believe I'm just now hearing it lmaoo! As soon as I heard it, I got this idea. Originally, this was one for Gojo but I haven't written about my broke ass DILF Toji in a minute lol. I hope you enjoy! PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS. -Jazz

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Since you've been a little girl, you always wanted to be a star. And you know the man sitting across from you is capable of helping you with that. "So," Toji asks, taking a drag of his cigarette, "you wanna be famous, huh?"

You sit across from him on one of the comfortable leather couches he put in his studio in one of your "low maintenance" outfits: a white bralette, bra free, a cropped zip-up hoodie, low-riding jeans tight on your ass, and your favorite pair of pink furry slippers, your French manicure peeking out from the openings.

"I thought I was already famous," you chuckle. You sit-cross legged on the couch, a red solo cup in your lap. You've only taken three sips since you've been here for over 20 minutes now. It is some concoction of tropical fruit punch and vodka that explodes on your tongue with its sweetness and tastiness.

Toji Fushiguro, a single father and the top music producer in the game, sits across from you in his chair that he likes to wheel himself around on. He is a huge guy, taller than you even sitting down, sitting with his jeans spread eagle in his gray sweats. You advert your eyes from it.

"Well, yeah, but famous-er," he retorts. "Way more popular than you are now. You're still an upcoming artist after all." He smiles with his dark eyes, his lips curling up into a light smirk that causes the faint scar on his lip to become a bit more noticeable.

He is joking with you, you know, but even the mention of still being upcoming makes you want to bash your head into a wall. Hence while you're here. "Don't remind me," you sigh, taking another sip of the drink Toji whipped up for you. "My manager is on my ass about getting another song out for the summer." You grin at the man sitting across from you. "That's where you come in."

Toji raises his pierced eyebrow at you, giving him a very attractive look. He is truly a handsome man. He can make even the black hoodie and sweats combo he is wearing look like designer with his sexy features, dark eyes, and muscular robust. If he wasn't a producer, he would make a killing as a model.

If you are to Google him, Toji Fushiguro would come up as a top producer worth millions gracing magazine covers, a five-time Grammy winner, and someone who has worked with the top singers and rappers in the industry right now, including Megan Thee Stallion, The Weeknd, Rihanna, and Sexy Redd.

Everything he touches turns to gold. You knew that he would be able to give you what you want...and need. Your manager has been breathing down your neck for a new hit to knock your first one out of the water, but so far, his efforts have been failing. Every producer he has called can't give you what you're looking for.

So you took matters into your own hands. You hit Toji up on Twitter on a whim, asking him to do a beat for you. He responded to you a day later, apologizing for his lateness and agreeing to meet up while he was in town. You felt giddy, excited for this chance to possibly gain more popularity and get closer to your goal.

Since you've been a child, you always wanted to be famous. Watching Beyoncé and Michael Jackson on your mom's TV, you knew that your dream was to get on a stage and perform. Make a million dollars. Tour the world. See the sights that your small-town parents never have.

So in your teens, you started doing YouTube videos where you'd dance and sing covers. Before the fresh age of twenty, you were discovered by a talent agent who flew you out to sunny California to audition for your manager's agency. He adored your pretty face, powerful vocals, and moves, deciding that you would be perfect.

A year later, you popped out with your first single 'Rev Your Engines' which was a mixture of bubblegum pop and hip hop that woke the industry and general public up. Everyone suddenly started noticing you in public and inviting you to award shows. You were performing on TV and gracing magazine covers.

The thrust into stardom was a weird and intense one, like taking too many drugs...yet like a drug, you can't get enough. You need more. More money. More fame. More recognition. And you know for a fact that Toji is capable of all of that. "Me?" he asks, acting shocked.

"Well, you are one of the top producers in the game," you giggle, taking another sip of the cocktail. "You'll be my secret weapon."

The producer's smirk grows, widening on his cheeks where two dimple piercing glitter back at you. "Oh, I know." You suck your teeth, rolling your eyes. "Nah, I'm fuckin' witchu," he cackles. "But seriously, with your vocals and my beats, any song we put out is sure to be a hit."

You laugh, giddy and slightly tipsy. "I like that energy!" you exclaim. "Mmm, and this drink! It's loosenin' me up." Plus the red glow coming from a lava lamp sitting next to you and the soft R&B music he has playing from his Alexa Orb in the corner of the room with your Hello Kitty duffle bag. The ambiance is very seductive.

You are the only one in the studio with Toji right now. You are sure there will be other people coming in soon despite the late hour. Despite this being the first time you and Toji are officially meeting each other, you don't mind other people interrupting your studio session. He is a very busy man after all.

Your eyes flutter closed as the vodka begins to talk, your head tilting back against the couch. Unbeknownst to you, Toji's eyes trail up your body, stopping short on your stomach where a belly button ring glitters at him. "Just how I need you," he murmurs. "'Specially for the song ya had in mind. What'd you say? Somethin' sexy for the hot girls?"

You open your eyes to give him a playful wink, unaware of the hidden meaning behind his hot gaze. "And the gays," you giggle, swishing your ice around in your cup. "I want somethin' that made the same noise as 'Rev Your Engine', but bigger. I got the lyrics for it here."

You take a final sip of your drink and leave it on a coaster before strutting over to your duffle to retrieve your songwriting journal. You don't feel the producer's eyes on your shapely, heart-shaped ass as it jiggles and bounces in your Region jeans.

"Oh?" Toji asks, interested. "Lemme see. I didn't know you wrote too." You hand your strawberry-printed journal over to him, rolling your eyes when he snickers at the cover. He turns the pages to your new song and begins to read.

Sweating slightly, you stand there in suspense, watching his smile fade and his eyes widen an inch. You feel your body flush with embarrassment and anticipation. You know that your lyrics are more risqué and, quite frankly, slutty here: talking about bouncing on it at the club so everyone sees; being put on a leash; teasing him and his friend through a FaceTime call so they come over and cum in you.

Your lyrics aren't THAT blunt, but they are very "on the nose". And you know Toji knows that as he continues to read, silent. "C'mon, don't keep me in suspense, Toji!" you whine, wanting to snatch the journal away. "What'd you think?"

He finally turns to you, his face playfully deadpan. "I think you're a fuckin' freak," he replies, deadass. "Damn, girl, what do you do behind the scenes when you're not on stage or red carpets?" He passes the journal back to you, his eyes aglow with mirth.

"Wouldn't you like to know," you playfully murmur. You go to take your journal back, but Toji holds onto it, his calloused fingers nearly touching yours. The playful glint in his eyes fades, replaced with something hotter. More...personal. "Yeah, I would."

And it doesn't sound like a joke. His tone is too raspy and too serious for that. Your smile fades and your body feels like it has been put in a sauna, the temperature in the room spiking into the nineties now. The air between you throbs with tension and something that should not be transpiring the more Toji stares you down, almost as if he is trying to get you out of your panties.

Ding!

The sound of Toji’s phone pinging in his pocket cuts through the tension and stops whatever was about to happen from happening….which it wasn’t.

Toji, looking irritated, digs his phone out and puffs on his cigarette as he reads the message. “Oh, that's my plug," he announces, breaking out into a toothy grin. "Stick around. I'll be right back. Go in the booth when you're ready."

You nod and cradle your journal to your chest before he gets up and leaves you alone in the studio to recuperate and calm yourself.

Other than being a renowned and talented producer, Toji is also a total playboy. A whore, if you will. Always has a different girlfriend or fuck buddy every month. A model or stripper on his arm. Always photographed coming out of a sneaky link’s crib or a hotel. He gets around.

You have no time for any of that. Men like him will get you in trouble...though dating him would definitely up your popularity and boost your publicity. But you want to be famous for your talent, not being a famous man's girlfriend or side piece. No matter how hot Toji is...or how could he smells...or how wet his eyes make you feel.

When he returns, you've put down your cup and ventured into the recording booth. He smiles at you from behind the plexiglass, jiggling a baggie of weed around. "Ya want some?" he asks. He looks perturbed when you shake your head. "What, you don't smoke? In this industry?"

You scoffingly laugh, taking the headphones hanging off the mic. "I don't wanna fuck up my throat." Toji raises an eyebrow at this, catching onto the unintended sexual connotation. "You know what I mean!" you exclaim.

"Weed doesn't do that, sweetheart," he chuckles, sitting down in his chair with his legs spread once again. "Just say you're scared! It's fine!" You give him the middle finger, your French tips each printed with a gem. You always loved a good, cute set.

"Ya may need some of this green to sing lyrics like those," he whistles, giving you a wink. "I thought 'WAP' was nasty, but this takes the cake. Is your dad okay with his pretty little pop star singin' dirty shit like this?" He gives you a humored smirk through the booth.

You give him a tense stare, earning a raucous laugh in reply to the shots fired at your manager. It is public knowledge that your manager is very strict about who you involve yourself with...if he knows who you involve yourself with. He will never know about your meeting with Toji until the song is finished.

"My manager is fine with it," you reply. "He wants a hit, so I'm giving it to him. Now turn me up."

When you put the headphones over your head and hear the first threads of the beat, you already know what you want and how you want to sound. The best part of being an artist is recording. You love losing yourself in the music, closing your eyes and taking yourself away to a place where there is nothing but your voice, the beat, and the feeling you feel while singing.

But with this particular song, it doesn't go that way. At first, you feel sensational. Sexy. Liberated. The vodka runs through you and Toji's laser vision on you make you sing the salacious lyrics with conviction and all the heart you have in your body.

But after a while, when Toji asks you to do different cuts and you pause to get your mind right, you start to feel that self doubt creep in. That thought that you look and sound stupid saying all of this shit. At some point during recording, you stop, the words dying in your throat and the vodka's magic wearing off.

Toji wrinkles in brows in confusion, cutting the music in your headphones. "Hey, what's up, doll?" he questions. "You good? You stopped right at the chorus."

You slide the headphones off your head, biting your lip. "I-I don't know," you lamely admit. "I'm sorta second-guessing these lyrics. Maybe you're right: they're too dirty."

But Toji scoffs, waving a passive hand at your negative talk. "Nah, nah, nah," he protests. "Don't fuckin' do that. Don't get in that head. You're an artist, Y/N, and this is what artists do."

"Yeah, but..." You stare off to the side, still chewing on your bottom lip. Maybe this isn't a good idea. What if you lose your fanbase? What if people start to see you as a sexy gimmick and not a true artist?

Seeing you battle with yourself, Toji crooks a finger at you. "Here, come on out here and let me help ya out." He then gets up and walks over to the mini fridge sitting by his fish tank filled with aquatic wonders sitting adjacent to the other couch on the other side of the room.

You do as he says, leaving the booth to sit back on the couch next to it. As you get comfortable, he pours you another cup of the fruity concoction that you've come to love. "Sip on your drink a little," he encourages. "The vodka will help you." He gives you an encouraging smile, silently telling you to drink it.

You take a long sip, letting the sweetness explode over your tastebuds. "Mmm," you pleasantly hum. He nods in agreement, clinking his red cup with yours. "See? Nice and sweet, like you." He takes a sip of his, licking the red residue from his plump top lip. You ignore the way his tongue glitters with a piercing.

He then gives you some space and takes a seat in the couch across from you where he begins rolling himself a blunt. Maybe it's the vodka creeping into your brain crevices, but suddenly, Toji's veiny, calloused, and inked hands are very attractive. They seduce you with every twist, bend, roll, and pinch that his fingers make as he sprinkles in some shavings of marijuana and prepares his blunt.

He is an expert at this, focused and highly intriguing the more you watch him. Especially when his pink, pierced tongue slides along the brown paper to close the blunt, successfully rolling it. He then takes his lighter out and fights it, the flickering flame illuminating his son's name tattooed on his right collarbone: Megumi.

His plump lips wrap around the blunt and he takes a puff, smoke billowing in the air like tiny ghosts. You feel hot suddenly, like your entire body is throbbing, and your veins itch with some weird anticipation. Is it the vodka? It's making you feel so reckless.

"Can I have a hit?" you softly ask. The producer raises a brow, smoke billowing out of his nostrils. He blows an O in the air, bringing your attention to his mouth. He smirks and saunters over to you with the blunt, telling Alexa to play his 'Hotbox Playlist' as he does.

The sound of a Giveon song enters the air as he takes a seat beside you, nearly dipping the cushions because of how big he is. "You ever done it before?" You shake your head, making him laugh. "Don't worry, doll, I've got you. Start off slow when you inhale."

He passes you the blunt, instructing you to hold it between your forefinger and thumb. Trembling with nerves, you slowly wrap your lips around the blunt and inhale, the end of the blunt glowing red like a firefly in the summer night sky.

As soon as the weed hits your lungs, you're coughing, your throat burning. Toji stifles a laugh. "Easy, easy, baby," he chuckles, patting you on the back. "I said take it slow. Try again."

You take another sip of your cocktail and do it again, being extra careful to not inhale so hard. This time, it is easier and when the weed hits, it hits big time. You feel a warmth in your lungs and your chest, causing you to press a hand against your beating heart. "Ooh," you sigh. "Wow."

Toji grins at you, nodding. "Uh-uh," he agrees. "It'll kick in soon. Wanna get back in the booth?"

You lazily nod, feeling good and as light as a feather. So you take your cup into the booth and do another cut of the song. This time, your vocals are slow and sensual. Your eyes flutter closed as the vodka and weed take over, making your body feel heavy and light at the same time.

As you sing, you focus on Toji and he focuses dead on you, barely taking his eyes off of your face and body. They trail over you like you're a dessert plate...and for some reason, you like that. You enjoy him watching. It makes your body throb more and your breath come out short.

Not to mention the wetness in your panties. When did that happen?

After your session, Toji gives you a thumbs up and you sway out of the booth, holding onto the wall for support. Maybe you need to back up off of the cup for a while. The vodka is obviously hitting you, but you can't remember the last time you felt so disoriented and aroused. Could it be the weed too? You only took two puffs!

"We got a good take," Toji says, giving you a smile that illuminates his handsome face. "You're a natural at this, doll." His gaze is full of so much admiration that it makes you flush. You shyly giggle, unaware that your hand resting on the chair is close to his forearm. "I learned from the best."

You're not quite sure what that means, but Toji doesn't question it. Instead, he takes another puff of his blunt and taps it into the ashtray sitting next to him. His smile widens, a secretive playfulness in it. "Now let's celebrate."

And so you do. You drink more and you watch Toji puff on his blunt, becoming more aroused by the way he forms those smoke Os and wondering what his tongue piercing feels like. At some point, when the edges of your vision become blurrier and your panties grow tighter, Toji pulls another bag out of his pocket.

He sits next to you on the couch, the smell of his cologne and body wash smelling like ocean waves engulfing your senses. You watch intently as he takes a magazine and sprinkles white powder onto it. He also whips out a $100 bill and a Black Card from his wallet, no doubt flashing his wealth at you.

You stare at the white substance, your fuzzy mind processing things slowly but processing nonetheless. Cocaine. Toji notices your perturbed expression and gently nudges you. "Don't be so scared, baby," he chuckles. "We're havin' a little party, ain't we? I'm sure you've done it with the girls at the club before."

You only did it once at an industry party and vowed to never do it again after waking up in someone else's bed with no recollection of how you got there. But when you see Toji begin to cut straight lines with his Black Card and roll up the dollar bill, you start to wonder.

When he bends down to snort a line, he grunts slightly and sniffles, leaning his head back with his eyes closed and his throat exposed. He swallows roughly, his Adam's Apple bobbing. Then the expression on his face softens and he shudders, a look of euphoria on his face. Now you really start to wonder just how it feels.

He slowly turns to you, his smile lazy. "Wanna try?" he asks, passing you the bill. The alcohol and weed fumes make you more susceptible and reckless. More willing to try anything. Everything sounds like a good idea now.

So you lean down, stick the dollar bill up your right nostril, close the left with your fingertips, and tentatively snort a line of the coke. You can only explain it as a rush of fire going up your nose, leaving you to only do half a line. You gasp and grunt at the pain, pinching your sinuses. "Easy, mama," Toji coos, stroking your hair. "It'll pass. Once it hits, it'll feel real good."

And it does. A warm feeling spreads throughout your body like you are washed in light and you feel tingly. Your heart beats like a hummingbird's wings and everything seems sharper. You break into a smile, giggling. A weird light glints in Toji's eyes. "Yeah, it's workin'," he chuckles.

You lean back against the couch, the ceiling spinning slightly. Your body throbs with heat, your skin feeling as if lava has replaced your blood. "Mmm," you hum uncomfortably, wriggling slightly in your hoodie. Toji leans back against the couch too, his head just inches from yours. "Hot?" he chortles. "Yeah, it'll do that."

His fingers pinch the zipper of your hoodie, not unzipping it but not moving either. "Why don't you take it off if you're hot?" he suggests. So you do, letting the tiny piece of clothing fall from your arms and reveal the hard nipples under your thin bralette.

Now your limbs itch to move. You need to stand. So you suddenly stand, damn near scaring Toji, and your favorite Kehlani song begins to play. You hum in delight and start to sway to the music.

"Feelin' good, baby?" Toji asks. His voice sounds far away yet so close at the same time.

"Mmm-hmm," you hum. "I love this song." You begin to wind your hips to the slow beat, envisioning yourself as a wave. As your hips begin to gyrate in a circle to the beat, Toji watches from his spot on the couch, wanting you to get out of more of your clothes. You stick your hands out for his, giggling. "Dance with me, Toji," you request.

Toji's slick, slightly-red eyes stare at your dainty, manicured hands before he gives in and stands. Your heart lurches at the sheer size and height of him looming over you, though you don't feel intimated. If anything, it is all a major turn on. He takes his hand in yours and begins to sway with you to the music, the two of you in your own little world hazed with weed smoke and booze.

He then snakes one muscular arm around your waist and uses the other to turn you around so you're facing away from him. You breathe sharply through your nose as he presses himself against you...or are you pressing back into him? Either way, suddenly, your ass is brushing against the undeniable stiffness of his hard-on in his sweats.

"Dance for me," he whispers to you. He then takes a seat again and watches you as you begin to wind your hips to the music, flipping your hair and staring him down so seductively that his hard-on twitches in his sweats. He is but a fan in your audience as you glide along the stage.

You then place a hand by his shoulder to grasp the couch and hook a leg over his thigh. Then the other. And suddenly, with one yank from his hands snaking up your hips, you are straddling him. "This could be the single cover right here," he murmurs, eyes roaming up your body.

You shake your head, humming "mm-mm" is disagreement. His brows wrinkle. "Why not?" he questions, his hands still snaking along your hips and up your spine. "You'd make a million on a single if ya did, just sayin'. Maybe even with less clothes."

You remember when you were first starting out that a photographer in charge of snapping photos of you for your press tour tried to pressure you into posing topless. You refused. But now, sitting here with Toji, feeling his hot muscles under your fingertips and his even hotter cock throbbing underneath you, you think that maybe you were mistaken.

"Really?" you softly ask. The producer crookedly smiles at you, making himself look even more dangerously attractive. "Hell yeah. You have a beautiful body, Y/N. The talent is just a plus."

His hands trail up to grasp your breasts in your bralette, his palms pressing against your hard nipples through the thin fabric. "I can see these goin' viral on IG already," he dreamily sighs. "Goddamn, you're perfect."

In the back of your head, you are fully aware that your producer is groping you and this situation is very inappropriate...but you also don't care. Caring isn't even in the room with you right now. "You sure this would make me go viral?" you giggle, but you secretly mean it. Your back arches, pushing your chest farther into Toji's hold. "Wanna find out?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at you.

And so, Toji gets his phone out, the bright light of his camera washing over you, while you slip off your top. As you do, your pussy gushes in your panties and your nipples grow harder, hardening to peaks once the barrier of your top is gone.

You sit there on top of him, your heart accelerating and your blood pressure reaching the ceiling. Toji gapes at you, his large hands gently brushing your skin. "Shit," he swears. "Look at you, baby. The hottest girl ever."

He snaps a photo of you with your tits out, the flash making your eyes flutter and tear. One of his hands reaches out to gently fondle one of your pretty titties, the light touch making you tingle. "Toji," you whimper.

"Yeah?" he asks. "What is it, baby doll? You like posin' for me?" He takes another photo, this one catching the way your bottom lip catches between your teeth. Finally sick of taking photos, Toji tosses his phone asides and latches his lips to your neck.

You gasp as his soft lips latch onto your tender skin and throat, his inked hands groping your breasts, rolling and fondling them in his big palms. "W-We shouldn't...oh," you moan. You instinctively tilt your head back to allow more of his touch. His kiss. His everything. "What if someone comes in?" you weakly ask.

Toji looks up at you, giving you a rather irritated expression at the mention of a stranger interrupting your moment. "Nobody's comin', baby. It's 1 AM, plus I've got the key." He continues to kiss your neck, each one like a trail of fire licking across your skin. "Just relax for me. You'll love this."

"Toji," you mutter. "We shouldn't..." But your reasoning dies as soon as his tongue juts out to lick your neck and earlobe, his piercing cool against your hot, clammy skin. You moan again, wrapping your arms around his broad shoulders and neck, feeling his muscles underneath his hoodie.

He pulls away and gazes longingly at your tits in his hands, squeezing them gently. "Look at these tits," he groans. "So perfect. You can be a star with this body, baby." One of his hands snake down to your ass, creeping underneath your jeans to grasp your cheeks. Your moan is louder this time, leading Toji to swallow it with his mouth.

His lips are soft and taste of fruit punch, his tongue wetly sliding against yours. His kiss is just as addictive and dangerous as he is. You share moans and gasps as you continue to heatedly make out in Toji's studio, your body drawn to his like a moth to a flame. With every second of his lips locked with yours, you grow more impatient and aroused. Every part of you screams 'I am horny'.

As if sensing this, Toji wraps his arms around your waist and picks you up, standing up with you in his arms. He then lays you down on the couch and hovers over you, his handsome face swallowing up your sight of the ceiling. His hands, quick and skillful, reach for the fly on your jeans. You don't stop him when he starts to unzip them.

"I can make you a star, y'know," he continues as he peels off your pants. "You don't have to worry. With me, I can make you big." Your pants slide down your legs, revealing the pink G-string you're wearing underneath.

Toji smirks at this, pinching the thin waistband of the thong between his fingers and pulling it back to snap against your skin. Once your pants are off of you, he goes back to sucking on your nipples while one hand sneaks down to rub your pussy through your thong. You gasp at his touch, his thick fingers rubbing circles around the wet spot of your panties. "Oh, Toji!" you whine. "F-Fuck!"

"So pretty," he murmurs against your tits. He nuzzles them. Inhales your scent. Presses kisses to your chest as his hand continues to move in semi-circles against your soddened panties, feeling how puffy your pussy lips are sticking to your thong.

"So wet for me," he sighs. "Guess that little pill I slipped in your drink kicked in."

Suddenly, the world tilts on is axis and everything feels sharper now. You gaze down at him, confused and alarmed. "W-What?" you gasp.

He slipped you something? When? How? Why? Is that why you're feeling so weird?

Toji tilts his chin up to heavily kiss you, his stubble rubbing against your cheek. "Relax, doll. It's just an aphrodisiac." He smirks against your open mouth as you moan in his face, his fingers slipping between your slit. "Somethin' to get this body ready...somethin' make this little pussy wet for me."

He tears himself away from your tits, opting instead to be between your thighs. With his hands around your ankles, he yanks you down the couch so your legs are hanging off of the couch and he is kneeling between them. You watch helplessly as he drags your wet thong down your creamy, soft legs and places the tiny, soaked panties in his back pocket.

His eyes, laced with weed and lust, stare into yours, illuminating by the red glow of the lava lamp. "Just do what I want and I'll make you the brightest star in this fuckin' world," he softly growls. "Now open up for me."

You have no choice in the matter anymore once he is diving between your thighs and pressing them apart with his strong hands to get better access to you. Toji Munch Fushiguro should be his new government name because the man knows a thing or two about eating pussy.

"Toji!" you gasp, your hands grasping his black hair. "Oh, fuck! Oh, my God, yes!" You can't keep quiet as his tongue slithers inside of your wet hole, his pillowy-soft lips sucking on your puffy pussy lips drenched in your juices and his spit.

Speaking of spit, he likes to do that. He pauses a few times from tongue fucking you to spit copious amounts of saliva onto your pussy, letting it drip down your asscrack, and slurping it back up, making your throbbing clit hum and sing with pleasure.

You have never been eaten out in such a possessive, dominating, and eager way. His mouth is like Heaven and Hell mixed into one, each stroke of his tongue sending you further down the rabbit hole like little Alice. As he eats, you grip your titties, tweaking your nipples and fondling them in an effort to give yourself more stimulation.

"Oh, Toji, please," you whimper. "Please make me cum."

Your cute moans seem to awaken something in Toji because suddenly, he is roughly yanking you up and scooping you up into his arms. You gasp, wrapping your arms and legs around him. "You wanna cum, slutty girl?" he murmurs against your mouth. "Fine...I'll make ya cum."

You can only squeal when he kneels down with you hooks his hands under your ass to press your pussy against his face. You stay as still as a statue when he walks over to the nearest wall and presses you against it, still slurping your pussy like a starving man.

"Oh, fuck!" you moan, tossing your head back against the wall. You grasp his scalp, pushing him farther into your gushing cunt, your feet dangling off of his shoulders. "Fuck, Daddy, yes!" The name just slips out of you the tighter Toji holds you, the power in his fingertips making you gush and pour more honey into his mouth.

"I'm gonna cum!" you whine, your voice bouncing off of the studio walls. "Please, Daddy, make me cum!" Toji hums agreeably into your pussy, his licking growing more vigorous and eager, wanting you to cum all over his face.

And with a loud moan that could break glass, you finally come undone in his arms, your pussy quivering and shaking around his mouth. It could just be the cocaine paired with Toji's mouth, but it is an intense orgasm that leaves you shaking and your head fuzzy, not a single coherent thought in it.

When you finally come down from your orgasmic high, Toji carefully places you down on the couch and unwinds your jelly-like legs from his shoulders. He stares at you, his chin slick with your cum and his lips dripping in it. "That felt good, right?" he coos. He licks away your honey, keeping his eyes locked on you.

Slowly, you nod, still at a loss for words. His big hand shoots out to grip your chin, forcing you to keep looking at him. "Say thank you," he growls. You roughly swallow, doing your best to please him despite your mental being so fucked up. "T-Thank you, Daddy," you stammer.

Toji smirks, pressing a chaste, wet kiss to your lips. "Mmm, good girl. You listen so well."

Yes, you are a good girl. And as a good girl, you know you need more. So when you see Toji's hard cock outlined by his sweats twitching and throbbing, you crawl to him. He watches in awe as you press your cheek against his dick print and begin nuzzling it, your eyes fluttered closed.

"Watchu want?" he chuckles. "You want this here?" He takes a handful of his cock, gnawing on his bottom lip. You slowly nod, oozing wetness from your pussy that throbs insistently despite your recent orgasm. "Then come and get it," he demands. "Take my cock out if you want it, doll."

He watches you slink forward, your back arched and pretty ass tooted in the air for him. You eagerly untie his sweats, delighted to find that he isn't wearing underwear, and pull them down to reveal the long, hard, thick, throbbing, veiny cock dangling between his muscular thighs sinewy with hair.

You ogle at his hard dick and his lickable happy trail as he strips his hoodie off, revealing his tattoos and broad chest littered in black chest hair. You salivate at all of him, but especially his cock. The desire to feel it stretch out your mouth and throat fills you with a buzz.

"Nice, right?" he chuckles, a cocky smile on his face. "Needs a little bump though." He takes the baggie of coke off the coffee table and you watch, entranced, as he sprinkles some white powder onto his shaft.

Now you cannot hide your hunger anymore. Greedily, you wrap a hand around the base and take a lick of his cock, licking up the coke in the process. Toji moans at the sight, tilting his head back as you slurp up his pre-cum bubbling from his tip, moaning as you do. The coke sinks into your tastebuds and gums, giving you a zing that hits in a way the first line didn't. You feel alive, like you can walk on the moon.

It gives you the urge to swallow every inch of Toji's cock, taking him deep into your wet mouth and sloppily sucking on him. White residue from the coke sticks to your nose and the corners of your spit-covered lips as you greedily suck, hollowing your cheeks and bobbing your head up and down, up and down, your throat sliding around him.

"Ngh," he grunts, squeezing his eyes tight. "Fuck, that's fuckin' hot!" His face is flushed red, his Adam's Apple bobbing roughly as your throat flexes around him. "Go 'head, baby girl. Take me in that throat and suck me good."

Feening from the encouragement and praise, you wrap two hands around the base and suck what you can, sliding your sloppy, wet, tight throat around Toji's cock. As you do, a blinding light washes over you as Toji watches you from his phone, the camera shining on you.

"Thaaaat's my little star," he encourages, staring at you through the lense of his phone. "My good lil' cock slut. You take dick as good as you sing, baby girl."

His hand wraps around the back of your head and he pushes you deeper onto it, causing you to sightly gag as his bulbous tip brushes against the back of your throat. He begins to fuck your face, ruining your makeup and your throat, grunting as he does so. Your head feels fuzzy and dizzy, your eyes rolling to the back of your head as he uses your mouth like a toy.

A buzz, indeed. Especially the way the man attached to the delicious dick in your mouth talks to you. "Such a pretty little bitch I've got," Toji murmurs. "You love this shit, don't you, slut?" His words are degrading and nasty, but his voice is sugary sweet, sending shivers down your spine.

You try to speak around his cock, but he stops you by pushing deeper, filling your nostrils with the scent of him. He is pressed flush against you, his heavy balls pressed against your chin. "Don't talk with your mouth full," he grunts. "Just keep suckin'. I want the perfect angle of you."

He turns his phone horizontal so he records in landscape. Your eyes, glassy with tears, stare up into his phone. “And don't worry; nobody's seein' this but me." He gives you a smirk riddled in sin and red-hot lust as he continues to fuck your throat off its hinges.

You have no choice but to sit on your knees and take it, breathing through your nose and letting spit drip from your chin down your tits, much to Toji's satisfaction. You place your hands on his hips, indulging in his firm ass and thighs as he thrusts into your mouth, groaning at the feeling of your tight-as-a-vice throat.

He then pulls away, dragging his cock out of your mouth and letting the saliva string stretch from his tip to your lips. “Open your mouth.” His tone is firm, serious. You do as you're told, opening your mouth wide and sticking your tongue out.

He leans towards you, tilting your face up by your hair, and spits a wad of saliva into your mouth. “Now put it back on my cock." You do just that, going back to sucking him dry as his spit drips from your mouth onto his shaft, drizzling down his balls. “Yeah, slurp it up, baby,” he groans. “Such a good fuckin’ girl!"

He watches you with an expression close to anguish as if he can't take the sight of you gagging on his dick. As he begins to throb and swell in your mouth, a guttural sound escapes him as if he is resisting. “No,” he growls. “If I’m gonna cum, I need to fuck you first.”

So he pulls out of your mouth and taps the wet tip against your lips, putting his phone away. “Do you want me to fill that pussy up, doll?” You feel your body tingle with excitement and need, the desire to be fucked, filled, and ruined taking over. “Yes,” you whisper.

A light flickers in Toji's eyes, exciting you further. “Then grab onto me.” You reach up and wrap your arms around his neck, allowing him to scoop you up so your legs dangle from his waist. He sticks his tongue in your mouth, sloppily kissing you as he walks you over to the control panel.

He plops you down on the edge of the panel, accidentally switching the 'ON' button for recording. Neither of you notice, even as Toji's voice echos throughout the studio as he speaks. “Up ya go,” he chuckles. “You’re so wet for me, baby.”

He slides his tip down to your pussy, gently prying your lips apart and swirling it around in your juices. You softly gasp as he nudges your clit, sending sparks of electricity throughout your body. “Toji,” you whimper. “Fuck me please.”

Between the way your eyes grow slick with unshed tears, your cute little French tips dig into his shoulders, and your simpering begging, Toji is helpless to resist you. He sticks his mouth to yours as he slides himself home inside of you, causing you both to gasp at the new sensations.

Sex off cocaine, vodka, and aphrodisiac pills is something you have never experienced before. There is nothing quite like it.

Toji must feel it too because his entire body is tense as if he can't take the pleasure. "Fuck, you're tight, baby," he grunts. "And so wet." He begins to thrust, rough and unrelenting, each word punctuated by a stroke that makes you gasp and your thighs shake.

"Such. A good. Fuckin'. Girl for me," Toji groans, driving his cock into you again and again. Your mouth falls agape on each moan and gasp that rattles your bones and drags unnatural sounds from you, each stroke of his cock taking you to a world far beyond this one (plus the cocaine helps).

Toji grabs your chin, mushing your cheeks together. "Say it!" he demands. "Say you're my good fuckin' girl!" He thrusts a little harder, making your pussy throb and tighten around his merciful cock.

"I'm your good fuckin' girl!" you sob, gripping him for dear life. Your feet dangle from his waist, your body wrapped around him like a koala bear as he fucks you dumb. "Yeah?" he chuckles. "You love this? You love bein' my little slut?"

Your desperate moans answer for him. Your head lulls against his shoulder, each thrust exhausting you. It is too much. Too intense. The sheer ecstasy is almost agonizing. "Such a tease," he growls. "Always teasin' me with this fuckin' body. I've been wanting you for so long, baby."

He leans you back against the buttons on the control panel, giving him a good view of your body. He fondles one of your tits as he fucks you, his eyes lecherously sliding across every curve of your frame. "Toji," you whine. "Harder."

The producer chuckles, his cock throbbing inside of you. "Harder?" he parrots. "You've got it, babydoll. You know why?" He begins to drive his hips harder against you, the sound of his thighs slapping against yours permeating the air. "'Cause you're mine now," he moans. "You're my little pop girl and I'm gonna give you everything you want and more."

And with every thrust, he does. He sends you on a rocket trip than you don't want to get off. You see stars as he fucks you, knocking all common sense and reason out of your pretty brain. You begin to deliriously smile as you moan, your pussy squelching lewdly around his cock. You love being his little slut. His little dancer. His whatever he wants you to be.

"C'mere," he demands in his deep, sultry voice. You sit up for him, eagerly staring at him as he you wait for his next request. "Tilt your head up." You do so and he leans forward, open his pretty lips for you...and drooling a string of spit into your mouth. "Give it back to me," he sultrily orders.

Wrapping a hand around the back of his neck, you grip him to you as you sloppily kiss him, serving his saliva back to him as you kiss. You begin to suck on his big, fat tongue, moaning wantonly as his cock massages your pussy walls.

Your moans and the sound of skin slapping against skin fills the air, leaving nothing to the imagination, especially when you start to get close. Your body crackles with fire, your core tightening like a balloon filled with too much air. "T-Toji," you whimper, your toes curling against his ass. "Daddy, I'm gonna cum again!"

Toji frantically nods, slowing his pistoning thrusts down to slow, deep strokes. "I can feel it," he hisses. But then he stops and slowly pulls away, moaning at the sight of his cock slick and shiny with your juices. You gape at him, confused and desperate.

Why the fuck did he stop?

But the heated look in his eyes stops you short. "Turn around and bend over." He doesn't look like he's up for any protests. Though your legs feel like jelly, you slide off of the control panel and whisk yourself around, bracing yourself against the panel for more.

And Toji gives you so much more when he taps his cock against your pussy and glides in again, causing you to gasp. He is so much deeper in this position, his balls gliding against your clit as he begins to give you shallow thrusts. Pressing his lips to your ear, he nibbles on the lobe, sending you careening deeper into bliss.

"I'm gonna fuck this pussy until you cum all over me," he whispers. "And then you're gonna lick all of it off me when I'm done."

As you shudder, he grips your hips and begins to piston into you, pulling in and out, in and out, stroking your walls and stimulating your clit with his balls slapping against them every second. Your eyes roll back and your mouth lewdly hangs open as Toji fucks your pussy like it is his, drawing his throbbing cock into you with every intention of making you cum.

With every thrust, your ass bounces into his pelvis, creating a symphony of slapping sounds that mix with the music playing from Toji's playlist. You feel one of his big hands paw at one of your cheeks, roughly groping your behind. "Look at this fuckin' ass," he growls. "You drive me crazy, you little slut."

SPANK!

SPANK!

You moan at each harsh spank, his calloused hand causing your asscheeks to catch fire. "Nice little tattoo of my name would look good here," he chuckles, sliding his finger along the top of your ass. "Then you'd really be mine. Nobody could touch you but me."

His hand wraps around your throat, nice and tight, slightly restricting your airways and making you feel lightheaded. It makes his thrusts feel that more intense; that more good. Your mind is totally blank. You are thinking of nothing but the pleasure and the way your pussy feels being filled up and pounded senseless.

You are not a singer. You are not a dancer. You are not a star. All you are right now is Toji Fushiguro's slut and you are totally okay with that.

You can feel yourself tensing up as your core tightens, causing your moans to grow louder and your grip on the panel to get tighter. Toji's thrusts get faster and rougher, nearly causing you to fall into the panel and accidentally press buttons that you shouldn't.

His tongue licks at your earlobe, his piercing cool against your hot skin. "Just a little more, sugar," he groans into your ear. "Take a little more. C'mon, you've been doin' so well takin' this dick so far."

You whine in response, your pussy squelching and quivering with need. "Daddy, please!" you beg. "I'm gonna cum! I-I can't...can't..." Your body begins to give out on you, your limbs turning to mush. Toji wraps an arm around your waist and grips you to him, his other hand still tight around your neck as he draws himself into your cunt.

"You'd better cum for me now then," he demands, his voice rough and raspy. It makes you peak that much higher. "Cum for me, baby doll. Cum all around that fuckin' cock. Give it all to me."

And you do. With his voice in your ear and his tight, possessive grip on you, your moans and whines grow louder as that invisible string gets tighter and tighter...until it snaps. "Oh, sh-sh-shit!" you shudderingly whine, cumming all around Toji's cock.

This orgasm is just as intense as the first one. It leaves you shaking in Toji's arms, especially when he keeps thrusting into you so roughly. Your pussy has no choice but to continue cumming, all of your cream leaking out down Toji's shaft and your inner thighs. You start to feel the aftershocks like you're standing in the middle of an earthquake, your body shuddering and jerking through your orgasm.

This triggers Toji because he roughly bends you over so your ass is sticking out and proceeds to pummel your pussy as if you are a toy. A fleshlight. Nothing but something for his pleasure.

You grip the control panel for dear life, gasping as he draws himself into you, pounding into your hole over and over again. Your eyes weakly tilt up to look in the booth glass, watching Toji's jaw tighten and his muscles tense, each vein in his neck popping with restraint and concentration.

Finally, he stills, gripping your hips hard enough to leave bruises. You feel his cock swell inside of you, warning you of his orgasm. Quickly, he pulls out and begins to furiously stroke his cock, his grunts and wet sounds the only things loud enough for you to hear through the blood pounding in your head.

"Fuck!" he bellows as a stream of cum escapes his cock and slaps across your ass. Strings of swears and moans drip from his lips as he sprays your ass with spunk, the warm, wet droplets making you gasp as they hit your skin.

With a sigh, Toji slightly stumbles away, whistling to himself. "Hold up," he tells you. You do so, making no effort to move. Your limbs are too tired and you feel the high from the coke and the pill he slipped you start to wear off. You just feel tired and used. You need a hot shower.

Click!

You blink at the flash of light from Toji's phone as he snaps a pic of you bent over naked with his cum coating your ass. "Such a dirty little girl," he sighs, giving your ass a feeble grab. "You'll look so good on my lock screen."

You say nothing in response. You know that tomorrow you won't even remember this night.

Toji sighs, taking a seat in his chair and scooping you up to sit in his lap. Your sweaty bodies press against one another, sharing in your lost highs and exhaustion. He suddenly laughs, his chest rumbling under your ear. "Oh, look, doll," he chuckles.

You weakly turn your head to where he points, blinking tiredly at the red light on the recording button. 'ON', it says to you. Toji smirks down at you, his hand possessively gripping your ass as he snuggles you in his lap. "We got a hit on our hands."

THE END.

[ourpickwickclub]

The Retropop review of Bouquet is so nice and objectively fair. He gets it.

https://retropopmagazine.com/gwen-stefani-bouquet-album-review/

On 2020’s Let Me Reintroduce Myself, Gwen Stefani declared she’s ‘still the original me’, but four years later the singer – who scored a run of hits with No Doubt before launching a chart-topping solo career – reemerges as a ‘70s yacht rock siren on her fifth LP, ‘Bouquet’.

A collaboration with country producer Scott Hendricks, the 10-song LP sees the hitmaker ditch the ska, electro-pop and hip-hop sounds of her previous releases in favour of a more organic direction, resulting in her most personal body of work to date.

It’s only fitting that first single Purple Irises features Gwen’s husband, Blake Shelton, as her duet partner. Not only one of the earliest songs to emerge from the album sessions, the autobiographical track journeys through her early relationship insecurities to the pair’s life together on their Oklahoma ranch.

Lead single Somebody Else’s is something of an outlier on the record, with the storming anthem bidding farewell to the past with no uncertainty. A sure-fire radio hit, it stands out as one of the strongest tracks in her repertoire and a line in the sand as she proclaims: ‘Leaving you saved me, my God / Look at me blossom.’

The botanical theme runs through the record, with the title song and Marigolds early highlights that celebrate their connection, as she sings on the former: ‘Look at the life we made / We’re makin’ our own bouquet.’

It’s a metaphor for the album as a whole, with each song reflecting a particular moment, mood or emotion; Empty Vase is a tribute to Shelton filling her world with life and colour, while Pretty sees Gwen compare her inner glow and contentment to a dazzling diamond ring.

The understated Reminders is among the singer-songwriter’s most poignant lyrics, as she reflects upon the moments of happiness that enrich her day-to-day life, as the slow-burning Swallow My Tears sees her set aside past heartbreaks and embrace the present wholeheartedly.

"No doubt a jarring listen for longtime fans who have come to expect a signature sound from Gwen, it’s nonetheless one of the strongest releases of her career to date and further proof of the diva’s versatility in tackling a spectrum of genres with ease. It may not be her most commercial offering, but ‘Bouquet’ will surely be remembered as an essential chapter in Gwen Stefani’s decades-spanning and ever-evolving career."

A great review! Thanks for sharing it.

— M

[cliperry]

(x)

THIS CHARMING MAN

Variety's Grammy-nominated Hitmaker of the Year goes deep on the music industry, the great pause and finding his own muses

"WELL DANCE AGAIN," Harry Styles coos, the Los Angeles sunshine peeking through his pandemic-shaggy hair just so. The singer, songwriter and actor - beloved and critically acclaimed thanks to his life-affirming year-old album, "Fine Line" - is lamenting that his Variety Hitmaker of the Year cover conversation has to be conducted over Zoom rather than in person. Even via video-conference, the Brit is effortlessly charming, as anyone who's come within earshot of him would attest, but it quickly becomes clear that beneath that genial smile is a well-honed media strategy. | To wit: In an interview that appears a few days later announcing his investment in a new arena in his native Manchester (more on that in a bit), he repeats the refrain - "There will be a time we dance again"- referencing a much-needed return to live music and the promise of some 4,000 jobs for residents. | None of which is to suggest that Styles, 26, phones it in for interviews. Quite the opposite: He does very few, conceivably to give more of himself and not cheapen what is out there and also to use the publicity opportunity to indulge his other interests, like fashion. (Last month Styles became the first male to grace the cover of Vogue solo.) Still, it stings a little that a waltz with the former One Direction member may not come to pass on this album cycle - curse you, coronavirus. K Styles' isolation has coincided with his maturation as an artist, a thespian and a person. With "Fine Line," he's proved himself a skilled lyricist with a tremendous ear for harmony and melody. In preparing for his role in Olivia Wilde's period thriller "Don't Worry Darling," which is shooting outside Palm Springs, he found an outlet for expression in interpreting words on a page. And for the first time, he's using his megaphone to speak out about social justice - inspired by the outpouring of support for Black people around the world following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May

Styles has spent much of the past nine months at home in London, where life has slowed considerably. The time has allowed him to ponder such heady issues as his purpose on the earth. "It's been a pause that I don't know if I would have otherwise taken," says Styles. "I think it's been pretty good for me to have a kind of stop, to look and think about what it actually means to be an artist, what it means to do what we do and why we do it. I lean into moments like this - moments of uncertainty."

In truth, while Styles has largely been keeping a low profile - his Love On world tour, due to kick off on April 15, was postponed in late March and is now scheduled to launch in February 2021 (whether it actually will remains to be seen) - his music has not. This is especially true in the U.S., where he's notched two hit singles, "Adore You," the second-most-played song at radio in 2020, and "Watermelon Sugar" (No. 22 on Variety's year-end Hitmakers chart), with a third, "Golden," already cresting the top 20 on the pop format. The massive cross-platform success of these songs means Styles has finally and decisively broken into the American market, maneuvering its web of gatekeepers to accumulate 6.2 million consumption units and rising.

Why do these particular songs resonate in 2020? Styles doesn't have the faintest idea. While he acknowledges a "nursery rhyme" feel to "Watermelon Sugar" with its earwormy loop of a chorus, that's about as much insight as he can offer. His longtime collaborator and friend Tom Hull, also known as the producer Kid Harpoon, offers this take: "There's a lot of amazing things about that song, but what really stands out is the lyric. It's not trying to hide or be clever. The simplicity of watermelon ... there's such a joy in it, [which] is a massive part of that song's success." Also, his kids love it. "I've never had a song connect with children in this way," says Hull, whose credits include tunes by Shawn Mendes, Florence and the Machine and Calvin Harris. "I get sent videos all the time from friends of their kids singing. I have a 3-year-old and an 8-year-old, and they listen to it."

Styles is quick to note that he doesn't chase pop appeal when crafting songs. In fact, the times when he pondered or approved a purposeful tweak, like on his self-titled 2017 debut, still gnaw at him. "I love that album so much because it represents such a time in my life, but when I listen to it - sonically and lyrically, especially - I can hear places where I was playing it safe," he says. "I was scared to get it wrong."

Contemporary effects and on-trend beats hardly factor into Styles' decision-making. He likes to focus on feelings - his own and his followers' - and see himelf on the other side of the velvet rope, an important distinction in his view. "People within [the industry] feel like they operate on a higher level of listening, and I like to make music from the point of being a fan of music," Styles says. "Fans are the best A&R."

This from someone who's had free rein to pursue every musical whim, and hand in the album of his dreams in the form of "Fine Line." Chart success makes it all the sweeter, but Styles insists that writing "for the right reasons" supersedes any commercial considerations. "There's no part that feels, eh, icky - like it was made in the lab," he says.

Styles has experience in this realm. As a graduate of the U.K. competition series "The X Factor," where he and four other auditionees - Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson - were singled out by show creator and star judge Simon Cowell to conjoin as One Direction, he's seen how the prefab pop machine works up close. The One Direction oeuvre, which counts some 42 million albums sold worldwide, includes songs written with such established hitmakers as Ryan Tedder, Savan Kotecha and Teddy Geiger. Being a studious, insatiable observer, Styles took it all in.

"I learned so much," he says of the experience. "When we were in the band, I used to try and write with as many different people as I could. I wanted to practice - and I wrote a lot of bad shit."

His bandmates also benefited from the pop star boot camp. The proof is in the relatively seamless solo transitions of at least three of its members - Styles, Malik and Horan - each of whom has landed hit singles on charts in the U.K., the U.S. and beyond.

This departs from the typical trajectories of boy bands including New Kids on the Block and 'N Sync, which have all proffered a star frontman. The thinking for decades was that a record company would be lucky to have one breakout solo career among the bunch.

Styles has plainly thought about this. "When you look at the history of people coming out of bands and starting solo careers, they feel this need to apologize for being in the band. 'Don't worry, everyone, that wasn't me! Now I get to do what I re ally want to do.' But we loved being in the band," he says. "I think there's a wont to pit people against each other. And I think it's never been about that for us. It's about a next step in evolution. The fact that we've all achieved different things outside of the band says a lot about how hard we worked in it." Indeed, during the five-ish years that One Direction existed, Styles' schedule involved the sort of nonstop international jet-setting that few get to see in a lifetime, never mind their teenage years. Between 2011 and 2015, One Direction's tours pulled in north of $631 million in gross ticket sales, according to concert trade Pollstar, and the band was selling out stadiums worldwide by the time it entered its extended hiatus. Styles, too, had built up to playing arenas as a solo artist, engaging audiences with his colorful stage wear and banter and left-of-center choices for opening acts (a pre-Grammy-haul Kacey Musgraves in 2018; indie darlings King Princess and Jenny Lewis for his rescheduled 2021 run).

Stages of all sizes feel like home to Styles. He grew up in a suburb of Manchester, ground zero for some of the biggest British acts of the 1980s and '90s, including Joy Division, New Order, the Smiths and Oasis, the latter of which broke the same year Styles was born. His parents were also music lovers. Styles' father fed him a balanced diet of the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones and Queen, while Mum was a fan of Shania Twain, Norah Jones and Savage Garden. "They're all great melody writers," says Styles of the acts' musical throughline.

Stevie Nicks, who in the past has described "Fine Line" as Styles' "Rumours," referencing the Fleetwood Mac 1977 classic, sees him as a kindred spirit. "Harry writes and sings his songs about real experiences that seemingly happened yesterday," she tells Variety. "He taps into real life. He doesn't make up stories. He tells the truth, and that is what I do. 'Fine Line' has been my favorite record since it came out."

Also shaping his musical DNA was Manchester itself, the site of a 23,500-seat arena, dubbed Co-op Live, for which Styles is an investor and adviser. Oak View Group, a company specializing in live entertainment and global sports that was founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015 (Jeffrey Azoff, Irving's son, represents Styles at Full Stop Management), is leading the effort to construct the venue. The project gained planning approval in September and is set to open in 2023, with its arrival representing a £350 million ($455 million) investment in the city. (Worth noting Manchester is already home to an arena - the site of a 2017 bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert - and a football stadium, where One Love Manchester, an all-star benefit show to raise money for victims of the terrorist attack, took place.)

"I went to my first shows in Manchester," Styles says of concerts paid for with money earned delivering newspapers for a supermarket called the Co-op. "My friends and I would go in on weekends. There's so many amazing small venues, and music is such a massive part of the city. I think Manchester deserves it. It feels like a full-circle, coming-home thing to be doing this and to be able to give any kind of input. I'm incredibly proud. Hopefully they'll let me play there at some point."

Though Styles has owned properties in Los Angeles, his base for the foreseeable future is London. "I feel like my relationship with L.A. has changed a lot," he explains. "I've kind of accepted that I don't have to live here anymore; for a while I felt like I was supposed to. Like it meant things were going well. This happened, then you move to L.A.! But I don't really want to."

Is it any wonder? Between COVID and the turmoil in the U.S. spurred by the presidential election, Styles, like some 79 million American voters, is recovering from sticker shock over the bill of goods sold to them by the concept of democracy. "In general, as people, there's a lack of empathy," he observes. "We found this place that's so divisive. We just don't listen to each other anymore. And that's quite scary."

That belief prompted Styles to speak out publicly in the wake of George Floyd's death. As protests in support of Black Lives Matter took to streets all over the world, for Styles, it triggered a period of introspection, as marked by an Instagram message (liked by 2.7 million users and counting) in which he declared: "I do things every day without fear, because I am privileged, and I am privileged every day because I am white.... Being not racist is not enough, we must be anti racist. Social change is enacted when a society mobilizes. I stand in solidarity with all of those protesting. I'm donating to help post bail for arrested organizers. Look inwards, educate yourself and others. LISTEN, READ, SHARE, DONATE and VOTE. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. BLACK LIVES MATTER."

"Talking about race can be really uncomfortable for everyone," Styles elaborates. "I had a realization that my own comfort in the conversation has nothing to do with the problem - like that's not enough of a reason to not have a conversation. Looking back, I don't think I've been outspoken enough in the past. Using that feeling has pushed me forward to being open and ready to learn.... How can I ensure from my side that in 20 years, the right things are still being done and the right people are getting the right opportunities? That it's not a passing thing?"

His own record company - and corporate parent Sony Music, whose CEO, Rob Stringer, signed Styles in 2016 - has been struggling with these same questions as the industry has faced its own reckoning with race. At issue: inequality among the upper ranks (an oft-cited statistic: popular music is 80% Black, but the music business is 80% white); contracts rooted in a decades-old system that many say is set up to take advantage of artists, Black artists more unfairly than white; and the call for a return of master rights, an ownership model that is at the core of the business.

Styles acknowledges the fundamental imbalance in how a major label deal is structured - the record company takes on the financial risk while the artist is made to recoup money spent on the project before the act is considered profitable and earning royalties (typically at a 15% to 18% rate for the artist, while the label keeps and disburses the rest). "Historically, I can't think of any industry that's benefited more off of Black culture than music," he says. "There are discussions that need to happen about this long history of not being paid fairly. It's a time for listening, and hopefully, people will come out humbled, educated and willing to learn and change."

By all accounts, Styles is a voracious reader, a movie lover and an aesthete. He stays in shape by adhering to a strict daily exercise routine. "I tried to keep up but didn't last more than two weeks," says Hull, Styles' producer, with a laugh. "The discipline is terrifying."

Of course, with the fashion world beckoning- Styles recently appeared in a film series for Gucci's new collection that was co-directed by the fashion house's creative director, Ales-sandro Michele, and Oscar winner Gus Van Sant - and a movie that's set in the 1950s, maintaining that physique is part of the job. And he's no stranger to visual continuity after appearing in Christopher Nolan's epic "Dunkirk" and having to return to set for reshoots; his hair, which needed to be cut back to its circa 1940 form, is a constant topic of conversation among fans. This time, it's the ink that poses a challenge. By Styles' tally, he's up to 60 tattoos, which require an hour in the makeup chair to cover up. "It's the only time I really regret getting tattooed," he says.

He shows no regret, however, when it comes to stylistic choices overall, and takes pride in his gender-agnostic portfolio, which includes wearing a Gucci dress on that Vogue cover- an image that incited conservative pundit Can-dace Owens to plead publicly to "bring back manly men." In Styles' view: "To not wear [something] because it's females' clothing, you shut off a whole world of great clothes. And I think what's exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn't have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred."

But acclaim, if you can believe it, is not top of mind for Styles. He couldn't care less about the Grammys, though his team and longtime label Columbia Records feel otherwise. Their investment in Styles has been substantial - not just monetarily but in carefully crafting his career in the wake of such icons as David Bowie, who released his final albums with the label. Hope at the company and in many fans' hearts that Styles would receive an album of the year nomination did not come to pass. However, he was recognized in three categories, including best pop vocal album. Grammy winners will be revealed at the Jan. 31 ceremony.

"It's always nice to know that people like what you're doing, but ultimately - and especially working in a subjective field - I don't put too much weight on that stuff," Styles says. "I think it's important when making any kind of art to remove the ego from it." Citing the painter Matisse, he adds: "It's about the work that you do when you're not expecting any applause."

Sidebar

"IT'S A TIME FOR LISTENING, AND HOPEFULLY, PEOPLE WILL COME OUT HUMBLED, AND EDUCATED, AND WILLING TO LEARN AND CHANGE."

Styles for Miles

It's been a banner consumption year for the Brit

2m

U.S. sales of "Fine Line" since December 2019 in album-adjusted units

1.7m

U.S. radio spins of "Adore You"and "Watermelon Sugar" year to date

1.6b

Total U.S. audio streams of songs from "Fine Line"

7 Number of weeks "Watermelon Sugar" stayed at No. 1 on U.S. Top 40, the longest consecutive chart-topper of the format in 2020

Format No. Is at radio for "Adore You" - Top 40, Hot AC, AC

Sources: Mediabase, Alpha Data, Columbia Records

"I LEAN INTO MOMENTS LIKE THIS-MOMENTS OF UNCERTAINTY."

Made to Order

Determining the perfect song sequence for 'Fine Line' was no easy task

Sequencing has become somewhat of a lost art in the age of shuffle, but for Harry Styles, an album's cohesion relies on getting the track list right. How many variations did the singer consider before deciding the final order of "Fine Line's" 12 tracks? Just under a hundred, he confesses. Styles explains the method to his madness:

* "How do you want people to hear your work? Because I do sit down and listen to albums, and I care about the way that things run - how that makes me feel and the story that it tells. It's only natural that I would put emphasis on that."

* "I like starting with the bookends so if you have the album on repeat, it can be a circular thing. And then it's just building it out. You'll have a song and think, 'This feels like a track six. I don't know why; it just does.' You listen all the way through and figure out: There's too much of this, or I get bored here, or this comes too fast."

* "Patience is so much of it, and the sequencing on this one definitely took a lot longer than the first album."

"IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN MAKING ANY KIND OF ART TO REMOVE THE ECO FROM IT."

[savebylou]

World Music Awards tweet it about Harry's birthday and talk about his achievements, it's long but worth the read.

Happy 31st Birthday to the gorgeous, mega-talented, chart-topping, record-breaking, history-making, genre defying singer, songwriter, producer, multiple Grammy Award winner and Fashion & Global Icon, the One & Only #HarryStyles! 👏🎂🎉🌟🐐👑💚Harry is one of the top-selling, most successful and influential Artists of the Era! He found fame as part of the legendary Band #OneDirection, one of the best-selling Boy Bands in history who sold 70 Million records worldwide! But Harry became an even bigger Superstar as a Solo artist, with his amazing voice and incredible charisma onstage! Harry began to break many global records as solo artist! His 'Love on Tour' is the 7th highest-grossing tour of All Time! He is the first Artist in history to have every song certified Gold or higher in the US! His best-selling single, "As It Was" (2022) broke the record for longest run at #1 (22 wks) in United World chart history at the time, and is the 4th most successful song in history on the United World All Time Chart! "As It Was" also broke the record for longest Run at #1 for a Solo song in US Hot 100 history (15 wks) at the time, and is the 7th longest running song at #1 in Hot 100 history! It is also the 4th longest-running #1 song of the Decade in the UK (10 wks)! "As It Was" received 4 Grammy nominations and won Favorite Pop Song at the 2022 AMAs, Song of the Year at the 2023 Brit Awards and the IFPI Award for Best Selling Single of 2022!

Harry has won 3 Grammy Awards including Album of the Year Award & Best Pop Vocal Album in 2023 for his top-selling masterpiece 'Harry's House', 6 Brit Awards including Album of the year (Harry's House) in 2023, 3 American Music Awards, 4 MTV Video Awards including Album of the year in 2022, 3 MTV Europe Awards, 9 iHeartRadio Music Awards and 3 iHeartRadio Titanium Awards, 1 Billboard Music Award, 3 ARIA Awards, 3 people's Choice Awards, 3 BMI awards, 2 Juno Awards, 9 Teen Choice Awards, 1 Variety Hitmakers Award and an Ivor Novello Award!

Harry is also a very talented actor, having starred in the film Dunkirk (2017) for which he received 2 acting ensemble nominations at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards and the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards! 'Don't Worry Darling' (2022) won him a 'Best Villain' nomination at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and 'My Policeman' (2022) won the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance as part of the acting ensemble for the film.

Harry is also a Fashion Icon, famous for his flamboyant style for which he won a Fashion Award and 2 Teen Choice Awards for Style Icon. In 2017 he became the Global Ambassador for Gucci, designing his own capsule collection in 2022, and was the first man to appear solo on the cover of Vogue magazine, rocking a Gucci dress!

[01.02.25].

[louisupdates]

The hitmaker, 32, has made a name for himself since releasing his debut solo album Walls, in 2020. In the years following the record hitting Number 4 on the Official UK Charts and being certified Silver, Tomlinson has gone on to tour the globe and bagged two Top Ten singles.

But it appears his solo career is receiving industry recognition with the Doncaster, South Yorks, star bagging Artist of the Year, having gone up against fellow South Yorkshire-born singer, Self Esteem and Newcastle's Sam Fender. The star was awarded the gong at the Northern Music Awards, appearing via videolink to celebrate his award.

Sitting in a hotel room, the singer said: "Hi, I'm Louis Tomlinson and I'm really sorry I can't be with you tonight at the Nordoff and Robbins Northern Music Awards, I'm currently on tour. But I just want to say, it means the world to win Artist of the Year. Thank you, thank you and thanks for doing such an incredible thing for charity."

Although Tomlinson burst onto the scene singing pop songs, in recent years, he has branched out into punk rock, indie pop, soft rock and EDM, proving to be one of the most versatile artists in the industry. The musician is currently preparing for the final shows of his Faith In The Future World Tour which he kicked off on May 26, 2023, with his final show being on September 8, 2024, as part of Superbloom Festival.

The Mirror UK [23.4.2024]

[therecordconnection]

Playlist: Aboard a Tidal Wave - An Ode to The Beach Boys in the Seventies

Youtube Version (For Non-Spotify Users) Can Be Found Here!

Cover Photo: "Peachy Wave" by Heidi Heiser // Record Border Created By: @saradika-graphics

Playlist Description: An exploration of The Beach Boys' work in the 70s. While they were no longer hitmakers starting with this decade, they were still a creatively ambitious and wildly interesting group.

I watched that new Beach Boys documentary on Disney+. I thought it was alright, but it was definitely made for people who have no knowledge about who the Beach Boys are. I ended up being disappointed by it because most of the documentary covered their beginnings and hitmaking years in the sixties. There wasn't much talk about their career in the seventies, which is the period of their career I find the most fascinating.

Brian Wilson's mental breakdown and subsequent mental health issues left him M.I.A. through most of the decade, which meant that the other Beach Boys were left without their captain. Also, the boys were hit by the tidal wave of being strangers in a strange land. The California that the band had immortalized in song had changed and moved on without them in the mid-sixties, with their stomping ground first being dominated by the likes of hippy rock bands like the Grateful Dead, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix, then the rock bands of the seventies like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. The Beach Boys were written off and considered nothing more an old nostalgia act and a relic of another time.

Despite Brian Wilson no longer being at the helm of the songwriting, the Beach Boys weren't completely out of the water. If the downside was that they were probably never gonna be chart topping hitmakers again no matter what they did, then the positive was that they were free to do whatever the hell they wanted to try. There are no real expectations if everyone thinks you're gonna fail anyway.

Here, you will find thirty songs pulled from the eight albums they made throughout the seventies (from 1970's Sunflower to 1979's L.A. (Light Album). I initially just had them in chronological order, but eventually decided that it would be more interesting to shuffle them all and present it that way. No matter how I organized it, none of them really fit nice and clean into common themes. The boys all went in wildly different directions during the decade and you'll hear all of that here.

To give you an idea of some of the things you'll find here, I'll give you a short list:

The Beach Boys doing Steely Dan months before Steely Dan released their debut ("Here She Comes")

The Beach Boys more-or-less inventing Shoegaze/dream pop before it became a thing ("All I Wanna Do")

The first few seconds of "Deirdre," a very happy and lovely song, later being used as a sample to create the creepiest music piece from Earthbound ("The Place")

Carl Wilson getting psychedelic and other-worldly ("Feel Flows")

Brian Wilson getting their at-the-time-manager Jack Rieley to sing the lead vocal for "A Day in the Life of a Tree" because he thought Jack's voice sounded the closest to what a tree would sound like.

Brian Wilson strange lines, "Neptune is god of the sea-ea-ea / Pluto is too far to see-ee-ee" and "If Mars has life on it, I might find my wife on it" ("Solar System")

Mike Love singing a verse in Japanese ("Sumahama")

The Beach Boys attempting (and honestly kinda nailing) disco ("Here Comes the Night")

The Beach Boys were so so SO much more than songs about surf, sun, cars, and girls and this playlist is in honor of that beautiful and delightfully strange decade of creativity where they were just trying anything they thought would work. They were, as Frank Reynolds would say, "gettin' weird with it." They did what Mike Love hated and fucked with the formula. We're all better for it. If you've ever wondered if there's more to the Beach Boys than "Fun, Fun, Fun" or "Wouldn't It Be Nice," or you're just discovering them for the first time, then I hope this playlist gives you some new songs to enjoy. :)

Track Listing:

Sail On, Sailor

Funky Pretty

You Need a Mess of Help To Stand Alone

Here She Comes

The Trader

All I Wanna Do

Deirdre

At My Window

Disney Girls (1957)

Long Promised Road

Feel Flows

A Day in the Life of a Tree

'Til I Die

Cool, Cool Water

All This Is That

Surf's Up

Solar System

The Night Was So Young

I'll Bet He's Nice

Let's Put Our Hearts Together

She's Got Rhythm

Rock and Roll Music

Wontcha Come Out Tonight?

Susie Cincinnati

Match Point Of Our Love

Lady Lynda

Full Sail

Angel Come Home

Sumahama

Here Comes the Night

Bonus: The greatest and weirdest Beach Boys song ever recorded: "Ding Dang." It wasn't included in the playlist because it would've been unfair to the other songs. You wouldn't have wanted to listen to anything else.

[tomorrowxtogether]

TOMORROW X TOGETHER Reflect on the ‘Sense of Pride’ Collaborating With Jonas Brothers for ‘Do It Like That’

The fast-rising pop collab connected two superstar boy bands, as well as OneRepublic hitmaker Ryan Tedder, in ways that go beyond music.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER‘s highly anticipated entrance into the music industry in 2019 generated immense interest as the latest addition to the esteemed roster of Big Hit Entertainment (now BIGHIT MUSIC), whose strong music history was laid by chart-toppers BTS and innovative singer-songwriter Lee Hyun. 

Meanwhile, a cornerstone of TXT’s musical story has been the array of worldwide collaborators including global hip-hop stars (Coi Leray, iann dior, pH-1, Woodie Gochild), rising singer-songwriters (Salem Ilese, Seori, Lilas Ikuta), punk-rock icons (ModSun), EDM heavy-hitters (Alan Walker) and more. With TXT’s prime-for-pop-crossover smash “Do It Like That” alongside the Jonas Brothers, fans saw how the process goes beyond music.

Ahead of the July 7 release of “Do It Like That,” the K-pop stars shared a series of teaser videos to piece together their biggest Top 40 moment yet. Amid the U.S. leg of TXT’s Act: Sweet Mirage world tour, the quintet jetted off to meet OneRepublicfrontman Ryan Tedder in the studio. While the super-producer behind multiple Hot 100No. 1s already pumped some mainstream magic into the track, adding TXT’s Republic Records label mates in the JoBros expanded the song’s appeal to a broader generation of boy-band fans for maximum pop appeal.

With nearly 20 million views on YouTube since its release, the song is beginning to connect worldwide in its quest to become—as TXT’s eldest member Yeonjundescribes it—”the perfect summer track” for 2023.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai‘s took a moment to delve into the collaboration with Billboard to share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, aspirations for the song, who would make the best TXT/JoBros sub-unit and the latest message to their fans, affectionately known as MOAs.

Billboard: Tell us more about how TOMORROW X TOGETHER and the Jonas Brothers came together for “Do It Like That.” Have you ever previously connected with Jonas Brothers, or was anyone a longtime fan?

YEONJUN: It was our first time meeting Jonas Brothers for this collaboration and I had personally been a fan of their music growing up and even practiced with their music as a trainee, so it felt surreal to be working with them. “Do It Like That” seemed like the perfect summer track and when Jonas Brothers also expressed their interest in the single, we met up in the States during the U.S. leg of our world tour in May to make this collaboration happen.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER has collaborated with several artists, but we got to see you meet, interact and record fun content before the song release. What was the vibe like? Any fun stories from the day?

TAEHYUN: From recording the track to shooting content, this collaboration was such a fun project. Jonas Brothers were even cooler in person and their friendliness helped us work together in a chill environment. 

BEOMGYU: Jonas Brothers were incredibly welcoming from the moment we met. They were just as enthusiastic as we were about shooting content, which we really appreciated.

YEONJUN: We gifted Jonas Brothers our most recent album The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION! We shot a lot of content together, and I remember being pleasantly surprised by how good they were at filming TikTok videos. 

Do you want fans to look out for anything specific in the music video?

HUENINGKAI: Viewers will be able to see how much fun we had on the set if they pay attention to TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers’ facial expressions and gestures within the music video!

Fans loved Jonas Brothers’ sharing “concept photos” in the style of TOMORROW X TOGETHER on social media. Did you enjoy?

HUENINGKAI: We thought their concept photos turned out really well and felt a sense of pride seeing the positive reactions from fans. 

In what ways do TXT and Jonas Brothers have similarities, and in what ways are they different? 

TAEHYUN: I’d say TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Jonas Brothers are both artists who have a jam-packed discography with quality music. We, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, are not related by blood like Jonas Brothers, but the five of us are a band of brothers too and a family nonetheless. 

What are your personal and professional goals with this single?

SOOBIN: It would be amazing to achieve good results on the Billboard charts with “Do It Like That,” but more importantly we hope that this single acts as a window for more people to discover TOMORROW X TOGETHER and get to know us.

Sometimes K-pop groups split into “sub-units” for certain performances or albums. What would be the best combination if one member of TXT and Jonas Brothers formed a duo?

BEOMGYU: I think HUENINGKAI and Nick Jonas would make the perfect duo because their vocals complement each other very well. 

TOMORROW X TOGETHER has a lot of big things coming up: Headlining Lollapalooza 2023, a Disney+ documentary, of course this new single. What’s your message to fans as you roll it all out?

SOOBIN: We can’t spoil too much, but including our new single, we have a lot of exciting plans coming up for the rest of the year beyond what you mentioned. It’s a busy time for us, but we’re thankful and working hard to put our best foot forward for the many opportunities to meet our MOA. As always, we would appreciate our MOAs’ excitement and support every step of the way!

[thestylesindependent]

Harry Styles is back on top. Styles closed his Love On Tour with a bang on July 22, but the month before proved to be history-making for the star. In June alone, Styles’ tour raked in a whopping $105 million and sold nearly one million tickets, according to Billboard.

This places Styles second behind Bad Bunny, who also earned nine figures in one month with his World’s Hottest Tour in September 2022, earning north of $123 million. This also makes the first time the “Watermelon Sugar” hitmaker has topped Billboard‘s Top Tours chart.

Coming in at No. 2 for June is Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour, followed by Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour and Dead & Company’s Final Tour, with Ed Sheeran’s The Mathematics Tour rounding out the Top 5.

“Thank you for the way you’ve supported me over the last 13 years,” Styles told the crowd at his final show in Italy. “I couldn’t have done it without you and for loving me in the way that you have. Thank you so much.”

After launching in September 2021, Love On Tour crossed five continents and had a total gross of more than $400 million in ticket sales. He set a record at Madison Square Garden when he performed 15 sold-out shows in August and September 2022.

The tour was in support of his two latest albums, Fine Line and Harry’s House. The latter project was a commercial and critical success, spewing such hits as “Late Night Talking” and “As It Was.” Harry’s House won multiple Grammy Awards in 2023, including the coveted Album of the Year.

“One year of Harry’s House,’” Styles wrote on Instagram in May 2023 celebrating the one-year anniversary of the album’s release. “I’ve never been happier than making this album, thank you for everything.”

[black-arcana]

The Pretty Reckless to Support AC/DC on Upcoming European Tour

The Power Up Tour launches in May

The Pretty Reckless [Matt Bishop/The Rock Revival]

This summer, AC/DC are returning to the road for the first since 2016. The massive run is a celebration of the hard rock hitmakers’ 50th anniversary, and their first time supporting their latest album on tour. The global trek begins with a run across Europe this summer, starting at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on 17 May. The Power Up Tour will see the group performing in Spain, Austria, Belgium, France, the UK, and more. Very special guests for the run will be American rockers The Pretty Reckless.

Due to overwhelming demand, second shows were added in Seville, Spain, Dresden, Germany, and Hannover, Germany. Check out the full tour itinerary below. More dates around the world are expected to be announced very soon.

The Pretty Reckless are not strangers to the big stage, having supported Shinedown on their Revolutions Live Tour in 2022, and the Foo Fighters last year. The Pretty Reckless released their acclaimed fourth album, Death by Rock and Roll, back in 2021. The album features special guest appearances by Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron on “Only Love Can Save Me Now,” and Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello on the hit single, “And So It Went.” The album peaked at No. 5 in Germany and No. 6 in the UK. It topped the UK Rock & Metal Albums chart, and scored Top 5 notches on Billboard’s Top Rock and Top Hard Rock Albums charts.

Back in January, The Pretty Reckless entered the studio to begin work on their fifth album.

Last October, AC/DC made their triumphant return to the stage after a seven year hiatus. The band performed after Judas Priest with previously retired bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Matt Laug sitting behind the kit. While they didn’t scratch any songs off this list, they did debut two tracks from their 2020 album, Power Up – “Demon Fire” and “Shot in the Dark.” The band’s seventeenth studio album, Power Up peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and topped the charts in several other countries around the world.

The rest of the set was filled with some of the band’s biggest hits, and several rare gems that haven’t seen the lights of a stage in decades.

AC/DC kicked off their set with their 1979 fan favorite, “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It).” It was the first time the band opened with the song in 20 years. From there, they launched into their massive hit, “Back in Black.” The played “Dog Eat Dog” for the first time with frontman Brian Johnson since 1996, and “Riff Raff” for the first time with Johnson on the mic since 2009. AC/DC played both songs back in 2016 when Axl Rose of fellow Power Trip performers Guns N’ Roses was filling in for Johnson on vocals. Johnson was forced to step away from the band while dealing with hearing loss. Axl played the final 22 shows of AC/DC’s Rock or Bust Tour.

AC/DC also pulled out “Stiff Upper Lip” for the first time since 2003. Other highlights included “Shot Down in Flames,” “Thunderstruck,” “Have a Drink on Me,” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” “Shoot to Thrill,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train,” “Highway to Hell,” “Whole Lotta Rosie,” and many more. 

While bassist Cliff Williams has retired from touring, the band has confirmed that Chris Chaney (ex-Jane’s Addiction, Alanis Morissette) will be joining them on tour. Another alumnus of Alanis’s band – drummer Matt Laug – will once again be performing with AC/DC on the upcoming run of dates. Laug made his debut with AC/DC at Power Trip back in October.

“We are thrilled to finally announce the Power Up European Tour,” AC/DC said. “Angus [Young], Brian [Johnson], Stevie [Young], and Matt [Laug] will be joined by Chris Chaney to carry the torch for Cliff. The tour will see us play shows across Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, England, Slovakia, Belgium, France & Ireland this Summer. We can’t wait to see you all out there.”

AC/DC [Winslow Townson/Invision/AP]

AC/DC’s performance at Power Trip a few months ago saw the band take the stage with frontman Brian Johnson, lead guitarist Angus Young, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, bassist Cliff Williams, and drummer Matt Laug. In July of 2016, Williams announced that he would be retiring after the completion of the band’s Rock or Bust World Tour. He returned to the fold, however, in 2018 to record bass on the band’s new album, Power Up. 

The confirmation of Laug’s involvement with the band for the Power Trip was most likely connected to legal issues stemming from original drummer Phil Rudd’s 2014 arrest. Rudd was charged with attempting to procure the murder of two men, according to New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty Police District representative Kim Perks at the time. He was also charged with threatening to kill, possession of cannabis, and possession of methamphetamine. A day after he was arrested, one of the charges for attempting to procure a murder was dropped. In April of 2015, Rudd pleaded guilty to the remaining charges at the Tauranga District Court (New Zealand). In July of 2015, he was sentenced to eight months of home detention plus a $120,000 USD fine.

Laug is a storied rock music drummer, having done stints with Alice Cooper, Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs, Slash’s Snakepit, and Alanis Morissette, as previously mentioned.

At the time of his arrest, Rudd had already completed recording drums for AC/DC’s sixteenth studio album, Rock or Bust, which came out just days later on November 28. Despite Rudd playing on the record, AC/DC recruited former Shogun drummer Bob Richards to fill in for Rudd in two music videos the band shot for the album amid Rudd’s ongoing legal issues at the time. In February of 2015, AC/DC recruited former drummer Chris Slade to play with them at the 57th Annual GRAMMY® Awards. Slade was a member of AC/DC from 1989-1994 and played drums on their 1990 album The Razor’s Edge. The album hit #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and contains some of the band’s biggest hits. To date, the disc has sold over 5 million copies in the U.S. alone. Slade also appears on the band’s 1992 live effort, AC/DC Live. Slade would then join the band for their massive Rock or Bust World Tour, which began on May 5 at the Gelredome in Arnhem, Netherlands.

While best known for his stints with AC/DC, Slade has also performed with the likes of Asia, Gary Numan, Manfred Man’s Earth Band, Terra Nova, Bloodstock, David Gilmore, Uriah Heep, Gary Moore, Tom Jones, The Firm, Damage Control, and others.

In 2020, AC/DC released their seventeenth studio album, Power Up. The record peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and topped the charts in several other countries around the world. Once again, Angus and Malcolm Young’s nephew Stevie Young, who took over rhythm guitar duties for Malcolm after he stepped away from the band in 2014 due to his declining health, played on the record. Malcolm Young passed away back in 2017.

17 May – Gelsenkirchen, Germany – Veltins Arena 21 May – Gelsenkirchen, Germany – Veltins Arena 25 May – Reggio Emilia, Italy – RCF Arena 29 May – Seville, Spain – La Cartuja Stadium 1 June – Seville, Spain – La Cartuja Stadium 5 June – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Johan Cruyff Arena 9 June – Munich, Germany – Olympic Stadium 12 June – Munich, Germany – Olympic Stadium 16 June – Dresden, Germany – Messe 19 June – Dresden, Germany – Messe 23 June – Vienna, Austria – Ernst Happel Stadium 26 June – Vienna, Austria – Ernst Happel Stadium 29 June – Zurich, Switzerland – Letzigrund Stadium 3 July – London, England – Wembley Stadium 7 July – London, England – Wembley Stadium 13 July – Hockenheim, Germany – Ring 17 July – Stuttgart, Germany – Wasen 21 July – Bratislava, Slovakia – Old Airport 27 July – Nuremberg, Germany – Zeppelinfeld 31 July – Hannover, Germany – Messe 4 August – Hannover, Germany – Messe 9 August – Dessel, Belgium – Festivalpark Stenehei 13 August – Paris, France – Hippodrome Paris Longchamp 17 August – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park

[alovelywaytospendanevening]

Revisiting the Charts #1: January 18, 1956 (Billboard Top 100)

Revisiting the Charts is a new long-term series of posts I’m doing, analyzing the top 10 from random old music charts.

This edition's chosen chart is from Billboard's Top 100, a short-lived predecessor of the current Hot 100. One of the main peculiarities of this early model is the possibility of a tie in positions, and that's why this top 10 has eleven songs.

1. Memories Are Made of This — Dean Martin Current Spotify stats: 35.621.197 plays

You can tell Dean tried his best with it, but I don't think this a strong song. I’m surprised its streaming numbers are actually quite decent.

2. Sixteen Tons — Tennesse Ernie Ford Current Spotify stats: 63.291.047 plays

A catchy folk song with some interesting lyrics. Lots of singers recorded it, and while Tennesse Ernie Ford's version remains the most popular, I’m more fond of the B.B. King and Johnny Cash ones.

3. The Great Pretender — The Platters Current Spotify stats: 182.481.930 plays (this one seems bugged)

Some skilled songwriting here, far above the work we found in an average 1950s pop hit. A great song, and yes, better than "Only You".

4. Rock and Roll Waltz — Kay Starr Current Spotify stats: 1.895.825 plays

A novelty song that nowadays works better as a historical curiosity.

5. Band of Gold — Don Cherry Current Spotify stats: 2.654.982 plays

Generic enough to avoid being bad, but not really memorable.

6. I Hear You Knockin’ — Gale Storm Current Spotify stats: 199.334 plays

A weak version of a decent-if-not-outstanding song. Give Wynonna Judd’s version a try.

7. Moments to Remember — The Four Lads Current Spotify stats: 916.611 plays

It tries a little, but ultimately settles as another average 1950s ballad.

8. Dungaree Doll — Eddie Fisher Current Spotify stats: 122.969 plays

A very silly teen song. It’s catchy enough, I guess.

9. It’s Almost Tomorrow — The Dream Weavers Current Spotify stats: 174.694 plays

Lovely ballad. Stylistically speaking, it's quite typical of the period, but in a charming and sweet way. My favorite from this bunch! (Jo Stafford and Snooky Lanson’s versions also charted in 1955, and both are worth a listen too.)

10. (tie) Lisbon Antigua — Nelson Riddle Current Spotify stats: 1.363.535 plays

A (mostly) instrumental number. Sounds like generic lounge music to me.

10. (tie) Teen-Age Prayer — Gale Storm Current Spotify stats: 225.128 plays

For just a couple of years, Mrs. Storm managed to be an actual hitmaker, as evidenced by her double presence in this top 10. This one is yet more typical fluff, and I have to say her vocals leave a lot to be desired.

[ausetkmt]

Sean Paul has been running reggae and dancehall since the early 2000s, charting with hits like “Get Busy” and “Temperature” while solidifying his spot as one of the best artists of his era. After numerous accomplishments like winning a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, the renowned hitmaker continues to create bodies of work for the world to enjoy. 

In a conversation with REVOLT, Sean Paul spoke about his love for dancehall and reggae, and how today’s artists can show respect to the genres. The Kingston, Jamaica native also talked in depth about his relationship with Beenie Man and reigning together as the top dancehall artists.

Check out the exclusive Black Music Month chat below.

What do you think about the current era of reggae and dancehall? Which artists are doing a good job of carrying the genres? 

I’m very proud of the genre and the many influences it has had on many different forms of popular music, and popular names who do utilize it – from reggaeton to Afrobeats, as it lives on in those people and genres as well, not just the people from Jamaica. It’s bigger than us now, which is sometimes a bit nerve-racking or overwhelming. But at the same time, there are some players who are hot right now like Skillibeng and Skeng. Also, the ladies are doing their thing right now like Jada Kingdom, Stalk Ashley, and Shenseea. I’m happy to be a part of it, and I’m loving the vibe of the young kids doing their thing. 

How would you describe your relationship with dancehall and reggae? 

It’s a very big part of my life, my self-expression, my ego, and my day-to-day thoughts. As a kid, we didn’t have circuses or Nintendo to play – we had football on the road, cricket, and songs. It’s one of Jamaica’s best pastimes, so for us, it’s a part of our DNA. Similar to people in Middle America who have country and Westerns that explain their ways, or hip hop music for somebody who comes from The Bronx. That form of expression with hip hop, dancehall, and Afrobeats is us telling the world who we are. 

How have you been able to maintain your connection to these two genres while also tapping into the pop world and exploring other musical stylings? 

Even though I have hit songs that are more pop-oriented or a hybrid of what dancehall’s hardcore elements are, I’ll never say I’m not a dancehall artist. I’ll always look for the hot riddims that are out there and listen to what the culture is saying whether I like it or not. As someone who has accomplished so much for the genre and myself, I would say my word counts and [it holds] more weight now. My opinion, even if I don’t put out songs every year, is taking part in the culture while shaping it as well. 

Is there a dancehall/reggae artist you still want to work with? 

Last year, I released an album called Life We Living, where I collaborated with 19 different dancehall and reggae artists from the old school and new school – it was a wishlist I had. Me and Gyptian have always talked about doing a song and we’ve done demos together, so that’s one I’ll lean to say I would love to collaborate with. Also, I would say Stalk Ashley as well. 

Some artists have been met with scrutiny after dabbling in dancehall. What’s the best way creators can show love to the genre without appropriating it?

I think just the mere fact they put out singles and don’t say this is my dancehall single – they have the upperhand, while we have the influential soup we serve to everybody. We are the net that holds a lot of the popular music together. Coming here to work with some of our legendary producers is a way to do so and also saying, “This isn’t my latest single” because younger people who are 12 years old only knew “Baby Shark” about four or five years ago — they didn’t really know in-depth about music from artists. They hear a new song by an artist and it’s dance-oriented — the kids will say, “This is innovative” and receive it like it’s new. If I put out a country and Western album and say, “This is my latest music,” but I do dancehall and reggae, I think Willie Nelson would call it silly for you to be saying that’s dancehall music. Maybe they won’t be as petty as me or maybe they will say, “This guy thinks he’s doing his own version of the music, but it’s really ours.” I have a very small and weakly respected genre to represent, and I want to fly the flag as best as I can, and be a defender of the culture. 

You and Beenie Man were holding down reggae and dancehall during the 2000s and even collaborated. What was that reign like? 

[Beenie Man] and I have done many songs that didn’t get released – the last song with me and him came out in 2015. As dancehall artists, we record a lot of music, and some of them hit in certain areas while some hit all over the world. It’s a living, evolving relationship that you have with these producers and artists. Beenie Man is a consummate performer and a legend out here performing for people at 9 years old. There’s been times where he was heavily booed and has now become the king of the space.

Tell us about your Captain Morgan campaign for Vita Coco Spiked and why the collab was a good fit for you.

I’m always down for collabs and this one seemed like a great fit because it tastes good (laughs). The thing in Jamaica has been “The rum is something to sample,” so while I’m used to it, mixing it up with coconut water is something people don’t know about. When we have beach parties in Jamaica, and you’re drinking the rum, but the sun is dealing you, having a Vita Coco is essential. I’m loving the vibe of it. 

[cyarskaren52]

There's no disputing Snoop Dogg's iconic status.

From that lanky kid from Long Beach in the early 1990s who shot to stardom (and infamy) as the biggest star on Death Row Records, to the venerated elder statesman who might be the most famous rapper in the world; Calvin Broadus is a blueprint for how to do rap stardom the right way. 

His early hits set the standard for G-Funk, as Snoop's charisma and laconic drawl made him a superstar and took that Cali-based sound to the top of the charts. He took a turn down South in the late 1990s, signing with No Limit Records for what turned out to be a strong stretch to close the millennium, and he became a pop culture mainstay in the 2000s, scoring monster hits with everyone from Dr. Dre to Timbaland to, perhaps most notably, Pharrell and The Neptunes. 

Through it all, he's maintained his near-universal appeal, he's a West Coast icon who isn't bound to any coast; a 90s veteran who transcends era, and a brand and movement unto himself. Snoop is everywhere. We picked 25 of his greatest songs. Believe us—it wasn't easy. 

#26

"THAT GIRL" - PHARRELL FEAT. SNOOP DOGG [BONUS SONG]

Our BONUS SONG pick is a celebrated classic guest spot! There are certain artists the superproducer Pharrell just has great chemistry with, and one is the legendary Doggfather. One of the breeziest tunes he ever crafted.

#25

"CALIFORNIA ROLL" FEAT. STEVIE WONDER

Snoop re-embraced AutoTune on this breezy song that sounds like it could be a lost track from Stevie's classic 70s period. The legendary singer/songwriter provides vocals and harmonica to the track.

#24

"LIFE OF DA PARTY"

A West Coast anthem that perfectly captures the club sound of the early 2000s. That specific period after crunk, but before trap found AutoTune and percocets. Too $hort and Mistah FAB do their thing over production from Scoop DeVille.

#23

"SIGNS" FEAT. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE AND CHARLIE WILSON

Snoop's shift to romantic odes was fairly seamless, and he made it look easy. Grown man Snoop was in full effect on this hit single from R&G: RHYTHM & GANGSTA. 

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#22

"YOUNG, WILD & FREE" FEAT. BRUNO MARS, WIZ KHALIFA

Snoop has mastered cross-generational appeal, and nowhere is that more evident than his work with Wiz Khalifa. With an assist from Bruno Mars, Snoop proved he's forever young with this single from MAC AND DEVIN GO TO HIGH SCHOOL.

#21

"G'Z UP, HOES DOWN"

This "lost" track was a standout on the immaculate DOGGY STYLE, but only showed up on early pressings of the album. Because of difficulties getting the Isaac Hayes sample cleared (that's "The Look Of Love"), it was removed from the album.

#20

"UPS & DOWNS/BANG OUT"

Over a flip of the Bee Gees' "Love You Inside Out," Snoop gets real about loyalty. R&G: RHYTHM & GANGSTA is one of Snoop's best efforts, and this single is one of the more underappreciated releases from that period. 

#19

"SENSUAL SEDUCTION/SEXUAL ERUPTION"

Produced by Shawty Redd, this monster hit single remains one of the biggest smashes Snoop ever released, and featured the Long Beach legend fully embracing AutoTune. One part parody, one part outside-the-box musicality, it's still Snoop being Snoop.

#18

"LET'S GET BLOWN" FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS

Snoop and The Neptunes were locked in by the time they dropped this follow-up to one of the rapper's biggest hits. The coolass vibe is perfect for latter-period, grown man Snoop.

#17

"LODI DODI"

Snoop almost single-handedly legitimized making outright covers in Hip-Hop, with this remake of the Slick Rick/Doug E. Fresh classic "Ladi Dadi." Snoop takes the famous tale straight to Long Beach, and shows just how much he reveres MC Ricky D.

#16

"FROM THA CHUUUCH TO DA PALACE" FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS

The first single from the hit album PAID THE COST TO BE THE BO$$ featured Snoop's first high-profile collaboration with the hitmaking Neptunes. The song wouldn't smash the charts like the single that followed (more on that later), but is one of Snoop's most recognized early 00s tracks.

#15

"STILL A G THANG"

Snoop had landed on No Limit Records in the late 1990s, and he blended with the NOLA label's rat-a-tat bounce better than expected. But this single made it clear that he was keeping his West Coast G-Funk sound, even at his new digs. 

#14

"VAPORS"

After his cover of Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's "La Di, Da Di," Snoop set his sights on a Juice Crew classic. Snoop reworked Biz Markie's beloved "Vapors," showcasing just how well the Golden Age sample of James Brown's "Papa Don't Take No Mess" melded with G-Funk's groove. 

#13

"WOOF!" FEAT. C-MURDER, MYSTIKAL

As Death Row seemed to be in a state of collapse circa 1998, Snoop (no longer "Doggy") Dogg resurfaced as a soldier for the No Limit tank. Master P's house welcomed the West Coast superstars with open arms, and this is the kind of posse cut only Beats By The Pound could deliver.

#12

"MURDER WAS THE CASE"

One of the darkest entries on Snoop's classic debut album, this tale finds the protagonist facing death and slipping into his own, personal hell. Part cautionary tale, part reference to the rapper's own real-life drama playing out at the time, it's one of the greatest songs in his catalog.

#11

"DOGGY DOGG WORLD" FEAT. THA DOGG POUND, THE DRAMATICS

The pimptastic video is one of the most memorable of the 90s; and the groove is pure 70s funk, highlighting how deeply indebted to that era G-funk had been.

#10

"DROP IT LIKE IT'S HOT"

Again: Pharrell and Snoop's chemistry has always been undeniable. When you put the VA kid and the D-O-Double G in the studio together, you're likely to get summer classics. It's just a given.

#9

"B*TCH, PLEASE"

A new millennium banger that made it clear to everyone that there was still no more potent combination that Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, this smash single was a precursor to Dre's stellar 2001.

#8

"G'Z & HUSTLAZ"

Opening with that classic classroom skit, and carried by a winning sample from the late, great Bernard Wright, this coulda-been-a-single is one of the best album cuts on DOGGY STYLE. 

#7

"WHAT'S MY NAME, PT. 2"

Snoop teamed up with Timbaland for this lead single from his acclaimed final No Limit Records album, THA LAST MEAL. Another song that became one of Snoop's most recognized of the period.

#6

"LAY LOW" FEAT. MASTER P, BUTCH CASSIDY, NATE DOGG, THA EASTSIDAZ

The second single from THE LAST MEAL was another heater featuring Snoop teaming up with Dr. Dre. This time he brought along No Limit boss Master P, as well as his Eastsidaz homies and Butch Cassidy.

#5

"AIN'T NO FUN" FEAT. NATE DOGG, THA DOGG POUND, WARREN G

A classic Death Row posse cut that would probably get banned if it was released today. Yes, it's one of the most problematic songs of all time. But what a banger! Daz ghost-produced this G-funk staple.

#4

"THE SHIZNIT"

It flips the chorus from Billy Joel's "The Stranger" into something new entirely, and this classic track from Snoop's debut album DOGGY STYLE has one of the most sinister grooves in all of G-Funk. 

#3

"BEAUTIFUL"

Forever a vibe! It just sounds like warm beaches and cool drinks, surrounded by your favorite people, soaking up the sun. If that doesn't fit your scene, just enjoy the ambience, homie. It works no matter where you are.

#2

"WHO AM I (WHAT'S MY NAME?)"

It's so P-Funk-like, it's like you can hear George Clinton sitting in the room. Nobody would ever have trouble remembering his name again. Shoutout to "Atomic Dog."

#1

"GIN & JUICE"

Another ode to getting drunk as hell, Snoop's second single cemented him as the most unique new voice in the game back in 1994. All these years later, it's a staple of the sound and era, a true G-Funk classic.

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[sheetmusiclibrarypdf]

Happy birthday, Barry Manilow, born on this in 1943.

Happy birthday, Barry Manilow, born on this in 1943.

Barry Manilow: More Than Just the Songs – The Enduring Legacy of a Pop Icon

Barry Manilow. The name evokes an immediate sensory experience: lush orchestration, soaring melodies, heartfelt (sometimes heart-wrenching) lyrics, and that unmistakable voice – a blend of Broadway bravado and intimate croon, capable of both belting anthems and whispering confessions. For over five decades, Manilow has been a fixture in the pop culture landscape, a songwriter's songwriter turned superstar performer whose journey from Brooklyn background musician to global icon is a testament to talent, perseverance, and an uncanny ability to connect with audiences on a deeply emotional level. From Jingles to Stardom: The Formative Years (1943-1974) Born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York, Manilow's musical journey began early. Classically trained on piano, he attended Juilliard and the New York College of Music. His initial career path wasn't center stage, but behind the scenes. He worked tirelessly as a jingle writer and arranger, crafting catchy tunes for brands like McDonald's ("You Deserve a Break Today"), State Farm, Dr. Pepper, and Band-Aid. This period honed his skills in melody writing and understanding what made a hook stick – a talent that would later define his own hits. Simultaneously, he worked as a musical director and arranger, most notably for a young Bette Midler in her early, groundbreaking Bathhouse performances. This collaboration was pivotal. He co-produced her first two albums, arranging her signature hits like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," and absorbed the theatricality and showmanship that would become integral to his own stage persona. The Breakthrough: "Mandy" and the Rise of the Hitmaker (1974-1980) Manilow's solo career began modestly in the early 70s. His self-titled debut album (1973) garnered some attention, particularly for the ballad "Could It Be Magic," adapted from a Chopin prelude. But it was his second album, "Barry Manilow II" (1974), that catapulted him to superstardom. The lead single, a cover of Scott English's "Brandy," re-titled "Mandy", became his first #1 hit. Its sweeping strings, dramatic key change, and Manilow's vulnerable yet powerful vocal delivery struck a chord, establishing the template for his signature sound. What followed was an unprecedented run of chart dominance. Manilow became a hit factory: - "It's a Miracle" (1975): Upbeat, optimistic pop showcasing his flair for arrangement. - "Could It Be Magic" (1975 - re-release): Cemented as a classic, showcasing his classical roots. - "I Write the Songs" (1975): Though written by Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, Manilow made it his own anthem, winning him his first Grammy (Best Pop Male Vocal). It became synonymous with his artistry, despite the irony he didn't write it. - "Tryin' to Get the Feeling" (1975): A masterclass in blue-eyed soul and yearning. - "This One's For You" (1976): A sophisticated, jazzy ballad. - "Weekend in New England" (1976): Perhaps his quintessential power ballad, defined by its breathtaking key change and emotional crescendo. - "Looks Like We Made It" (1977): Another #1 hit, a bittersweet ode to a love that endured separation. - "Can't Smile Without You" (1978): Infectious pop, demonstrating his knack for pure, joyful melody. - "Copacabana (At the Copa)" (1978): His most theatrical hit. This disco-tinged story-song about showgirl Lola and her doomed love became a cultural phenomenon, winning a Grammy, spawning a TV movie, and remaining his most instantly recognizable track. It showcased his narrative songwriting and flair for the dramatic. Albums like "Tryin' to Get the Feeling" (1975), "This One's For You" (1976), and "Even Now" (1978) topped the charts, packed with hits. Manilow wasn't just a singer; he was often the songwriter, arranger, and producer – a rare level of control in the pop world. His concerts became legendary spectacles, blending musical virtuosity with theatrical staging and an almost evangelical connection with his audience. Beyond the Ballads: Versatility and Endurance (1980s-Present) The 1980s brought shifts in musical taste, but Manilow adapted and endured. While the sheer chart dominance of the mid-70s eased, he continued to produce significant work: - Broadway & Film: He composed the score for the musical adaptation of "Copacabana" (1994). Later, his deeply personal musical "Harmony" (co-written with Bruce Sussman), based on the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, finally reached Broadway in 2022 after decades in development, earning critical acclaim. - Concept Albums: He explored jazz standards with "2:00 AM Paradise Cafe" (1984), big band music on "Swing Street" (1987), and revisited the 50s on "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" (2006) – the latter becoming his first #1 album in decades, sparking a successful series covering subsequent decades. - Continued Hits: Songs like "Read 'Em and Weep" (1983), "Somewhere Down the Road" (1981), the duet "I Made It Through the Rain" with his background singers (1981), and "Some Kind of Friend" (1982) kept him on radio and in the hearts of fans. - Las Vegas Residency: Starting in 2005, his residency at the Las Vegas Hilton (later moving to the International Theater at Westgate Las Vegas) became one of the most successful in the city's history, running for years and solidifying his status as a premier live entertainer. He later moved his residency to the Westgate. - Philanthropy: Deeply committed to music education, he donated pianos to public schools across the US and established the Manilow Music Project. He also supported numerous health charities. The Fanilows and Cultural Impact Manilow's fanbase, affectionately dubbed "Fanilows," is legendary for its devotion, longevity, and diversity. He cultivated an intimate rapport with his audience, making them feel seen and valued. This connection transcended generations; parents who swooned to "Mandy" introduced their children to "Copacabana," creating a multi-generational appeal. While sometimes dismissed by critics for being overly sentimental or middle-of-the-road, Manilow's craftsmanship is undeniable. His understanding of melody, harmony, and orchestration is sophisticated. His songs are meticulously constructed, often featuring complex chord progressions and key changes disguised beneath accessible pop hooks. He bridged the gap between Brill Building pop, Broadway, adult contemporary, and disco with remarkable fluidity. Personal Life and Legacy Manilow was famously private about his personal life for many years. In 2017, he publicly came out as gay and announced his marriage to his longtime manager, Garry Kief, whom he married in 2014. He has spoken openly about overcoming health challenges, including hip replacements and a painful facial nerve disorder. Barry Manilow's legacy is immense: - Commercial Juggernaut: Over 85 million records sold worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. - Chart Dominance: An astonishing 50 Top 40 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart, including 13 #1s. 12 consecutive Top 40 albums in the 70s/80s. - Awards: Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Awards, along with countless other honors. - The Showman: One of the most successful and enduring live performers in history, particularly renowned for his Las Vegas residencies. - The Songwriter: A master craftsman whose compositions, even beyond his own hits (like "Even Now," "Somewhere in the Night," "Ships" recorded by Ian Hunter), have been covered by countless artists. - The Voice: An instrument of remarkable range, expressiveness, and instantly recognizable character. - The Connector: His greatest gift may be his ability to tap into universal emotions – love, loss, hope, joy – and deliver them with a sincerity that resonates deeply. The Final Cadence? Even well into his seventies, Manilow continues to perform with remarkable energy, his voice retaining its power and warmth. His 2023-2024 "A Very Barry Christmas" tour and continued performances prove his enduring appeal. The long-awaited arrival of "Harmony" on Broadway added a significant new chapter to his artistic narrative. Barry Manilow is more than just the songs he wrote or sang. He is an era, a feeling, a masterclass in pop craftsmanship, and a testament to the enduring power of melody and emotion. From the jingles of Madison Avenue to the glittering marquees of Broadway and Las Vegas, his journey is uniquely American. He may have sung "I Write the Songs," but Barry Manilow's true legacy is that he lived the music, pouring his heart into every note and creating a soundtrack for millions that continues to play on. He is, without question, an icon whose music truly did "make the whole world sing."

Barry Manilow - Even Now - Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvsaZO3y9rE

Barry Manilow - The Best of Me - Live in Indianapolis, IN (1994)

Barry Manilow - Copacabana (At the Copa)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKR2n-G-wdM Official video for "Copacabana (At the Copa) (Remix)" by Barry Manilow Chorus: At the copa (CO!) Copacabana (Copacabana) The hottest spot north of Havana (here) At the copa (CO!) Copacabana Music and passion were always in fashion At the copa.... they fell in love

Discography

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[10bmnews]

Sabrina Carpenter new album cover sparks anger online

Sabrina Carpenter new album cover sparks anger online Sabrina Carpenter may be topping charts, but her latest album reveal has struck a nerve with fans. On Wednesday, June 11, the Please Please Please hitmaker unveiled the cover art for her upcoming seventh album, Man’s Best Friend, and announced its release date. While some fans celebrated the announcement, especially following the success of…

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Drake breaks all-time Billboard Chart record, Rema promises “Summer banger,” Kevin De Bruyne agrees two-year deal with Napoli. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix. Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics…1. Drake breaks all-time Billboard Chart record.@Drake becomes the first artist in history to spend 400 cumulative weeks in the Hot 100’s top 10. pic.twitter.com/SOcEpPHZlt— chart data (@chartdata) June 9, 2025Drake has officially made music history with another Billboard Chart record. With his hit single “Nokia” from the collaborative album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U still sitting in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 after 16 weeks, the Canadian rapper has become the first artist ever to log a combined 400 weeks in the chart’s top 10. This milestone underscores Drake’s dominance over the past decade and a half, with a run of massive hits like “God’s Plan,” “In My Feelings,” and “First Person Shooter” propelling him to unprecedented chart success.The record-breaking news comes as Drake gears up for his first European tour in six years, which has been expanded due to overwhelming fan demand. Alongside existing UK dates in Birmingham and Manchester, he has added two more shows, July 23 in Birmingham and July 28 in Manchester, before continuing to major cities across Europe, including Paris, Milan, and Berlin, this fall. With the 6 God also set to headline all three nights of Wireless Festival’s 20th anniversary edition in London, and featuring special guests like PARTYNEXTDOOR, Summer Walker, and Burna Boy, this summer is shaping up to be another landmark chapter in Drake’s storied career.2. Rema promises a “Summer banger”Still owe y’all that summer Banger.— REMA (@heisrema) June 10, 2025Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Rema has ignited a wave of excitement after hinting at an upcoming release that could become this summer’s hottest track. On Tuesday, June 10, the “Calm Down“ hitmaker took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account with a cryptic yet thrilling message: “Still owe y’all that summer Banger.” The brief post has since sparked widespread speculation and enthusiasm among fans, eager to see what the chart-topping star will bring to the season’s soundtrack.Although Rema has yet to reveal details about the new song or a release date, his reputation for crafting global hits has only heightened anticipation. With previous tracks dominating charts and playlists worldwide, listeners are expecting another infectious tune that blends his signature Afrobeats sound with summer-ready energy. As the season heats up, all eyes are on Rema to deliver a new anthem that could define summer 2025.3. More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas warBREAKING: More than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, the Gaza Health Ministry said. https://t.co/7pDUXEXHKX— The Associated Press (@AP) June 11, 2025The death toll in Gaza has climbed past 55,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, marking a grim milestone in the 20-month-long Israel-Hamas war. The ministry, which is part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government but staffed by medical professionals, reported on Wednesday that 55,104 Palestinians have been killed and over 127,000 wounded since the current conflict began following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. More than half of the dead are women and children. The war has devastated much of Gaza, displacing around 90% of the population and turning vast stretches of the territory into military buffer zones. The region’s health infrastructure is in collapse, overwhelmed by constant airstrikes and a worsening humanitarian crisis. Civilians have also been killed while trying to access humanitarian aid amid chaotic distribution efforts. With little progress toward a ceasefire and deep disagreements over the terms of peace, the conflict shows no sign of abating.4. Kanye West has changed his name again🚨 @kanyewest has changed his name AGAIN this time to Ye Ye pic.twitter.com/rmilrTSOrB— burst (@burstdotmeme) June 10, 2025Kanye West has changed his name once again, this time adopting the moniker “Ye Ye,” according to business documents circulating the media. The rapper and designer, who legally shortened his name to “Ye” in 2021, has now updated the name across several of his business entities. Filings submitted by his chief financial officer, Hussain Lalani, show “Ye Ye” listed as the manager or member tied to companies including Yeezy Apparel, Yeezy Record Label, and Getting Out Our Dreams Inc., replacing previous references to “Ye West.”Despite the formal change, the artist has yet to publicly acknowledge the new name on social media. Earlier this month, he announced he would stop using his @kanyewest X account, affirming his preference for “Ye.” This latest shift follows a pattern for the Donda creator, who first declared his intent to be known simply as “Ye” in 2018 for personal and spiritual reasons. While the new name hasn’t been reflected in his public branding yet, insiders suggest the move signals yet another evolution in Ye Ye’s ever-shifting identity.5. Kevin De Bruyne agrees two-year deal with Napoli🚨💣 BREAKING: Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli, here we go! Final green light arrives from Belgian star to join Italian champions.Two year deal + option agreed, medical and formal steps to follow for KDB to become Napoli player.Massive signing for Napoli, planning for more to come. pic.twitter.com/BNPQzai26r— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 11, 2025Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne is set for a new chapter in Serie A after agreeing to a two-year deal with Italian champions Napoli. The Belgium international, who departs City on a free transfer, will undergo a medical in Naples before finalizing the move, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The deal includes an option for a third year, marking a significant coup for Napoli as they bolster their midfield ahead of their title defense. De Bruyne will join forces with former Manchester United star Scott McTominay, who was instrumental in Napoli’s 2024-25 title-winning campaign.Despite reported interest from MLS clubs, De Bruyne has opted to stay in European football, bringing his elite playmaking to Antonio Conte’s side. The 33-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, recorded 170 assists in 422 appearances during his time at City, the most in Europe’s top five leagues over that period. His signing is expected to inject further quality into an already formidable Napoli squad as they aim to retain the Scudetto and make a deeper push in European competition.Featured Image: @champagnepapi/InstagramOur Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2025.For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_— Read also!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView');!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link