#french hitmaker

[thelensofyashunews]

G-EAZY RELEASES SEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM "FREAK SHOW" 

Today, multi-platinum selling superstar G-Eazy releases his 7th studio album, Freak Show.  The album marks an explosive return for the artist as his first full-length project in nearly three years and ushers him into a brand-new musical era as a creative.

Freak Show sees G-Eazy return with abundance, following a three-year hiatus to creatively refresh and process the devastating loss of his mother. The album spans the many musical sensibilities of his artistry, leaning into his roots with “Lady Killers III,” a reimagined version of his viral hit “Lady Killers II,” and a softer vulnerability in songs such as “Love You Forever,” in which he opens up regarding his grief of losing a parent. In “Love You Forever,” he shares “some days I try to ignore it/some days I’m not strong enough for it/I knew I’d have to write this/knew it’d be hard to record it/without breaking down in the moment.” The album title track “Freak Show” features hitmaker MC, French Montana and encapsulates the sound so many have grown to love G on. 

Last week, G released his newest single off the project, “Anxiety,” an upbeat track in which he addresses the ups and downs of his mental state. “Some days I’m high/Throw my pain away/Just to get by/It’s easier that way,” he confesses in the song’s chorus, going on to detail some of his most personal demons and the voice he battles in his own head. “Anxiety” serves as a poignant moment of self-reflection and honesty for G, giving fans a glimpse into his inner world.

In May, G-Eazy surprised fans with “Lady Killers III,” a brand-new version of his explosive viral hit, breathing new life into the much-loved track that has been taking the internet by storm in recent months. The original “Lady Killers Remix” experienced a major surge in viral popularity, rising to #2 on the Billboard TikTok chart, #4 on the Shazam U.S. Chart and #7 on the Shazam Global Chart. The song has broken into the Top 100 of Spotify’s Global Daily Streaming Chart and has led to record-setting engagement and total views on Tiktok after it was posted on his account. 

Earlier this Spring, G-Eazy released his brand-new single “Femme Fatale” featuring two-time GRAMMY nominated and multiplatinum artist Coi Leray and rap sensation Kaliii. Released via RCA Records, “Femme Fatale” is the first new music from the artist in over a year. Highlighting G-Eazy’s expansive musical influences, the track features a classic sample from legendary Caribbean reggae funk group 20th Century Steel Band song “Heaven and Hell Is On Earth.”  The single arrived alongside an artistically styled lyric video that introduces fans to a new creative era for G-Eazy. SPIN said the song was  “easily on track to be one of the year’s most-played summer jams, with feminist power lyrics marbled into a signature Bay Area-style, womp-filled, with a hyphy-sounding beat.”

G-Eazy has also announced his “Freak Show” world tour across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.Kicking off in Berkeley, CA on October 24th, the 41-date tour will stop in major markets across North America including Los Angeles, New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and more. The tour’s international leg will begin in Europe in 2025, including stops in Germany, France, Ireland and the UK before continuing on to dates in Australia and New Zealand. 

Presale tickets and VIP Package sales will begin Wednesday, June 12th at 10:00AM local time with tickets for general onsale starting Friday, June 14th at 10:00AM local time. For more information and to sign up for early access to US presale tickets, visit https://g-eazy.com/pages/tour.

[90363462]

Kanye is heading towards a road called self destruction and it’s all his fault

Kanye West is DROPPED by fashion house Balenciaga

has lost a major business deal with fashion house Balenciaga.

On Friday  reported that Balenciaga had dropped the troubled rapper who has been on a tirade lately calling for death to Jews who have wronged him and also calling President Biden the 'r' word.

Meanwhile, his ex wife , 42, still models for the French brand.

Parent company Kering said the French fashion house would no longer be working on projects with the rapper and fashion designer who has legally changed his name to Ye.

'Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,'  Kering told WWD.   

Earlier this month West made his surprise modelling debut at Paris Fashion Week.

The 45-year-old singer opened Balenciaga's SS23 show, walking down a muddy catwalk. 

Demna, creative director of the luxury fashion brand, explained that the mud is 'a metaphor for digging for truth and being down to earth'.

The Georgian fashion designer explained: 'Individualism in fashion is downgraded to pseudo trends dictated by a post in stories of some celebrity of the moment… fashion in its best-case scenario should not need a story to be sold to someone… let us let everyone be anyone.'

The 'Good Morning' hitmaker wore an oversized jacket, leather trousers, a baseball cap, and his hoodie over the top.

Among those in the audience was Kanye's former sister-in-law Kylie Jenner, while Kanye and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's brood - North, Chicago, Psalm, and Saint West - were seen arriving to the event with their father.

Kanye follows in the footsteps of SKIMS founder Kim, 41, in modelling for Balenciaga.

Earlier this year, the reality star turned heads wrapped in layers of yellow and black tape emblazoned with the Balenciaga name.

German sportswear giant Adidas on October 7 said it was reconsidering its partnership with West after the US rap star publicly criticized the brand. 'After repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation, we have taken the decision to place the partnership under review,' the company said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, Ye has had trouble with Gap as well.

He accused Gap of 'copying' his work.

The rapper claimed the retailer ripped off ideas from his Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collaboration with their own designs.

He shared a message exchange with an unknown person, in which the texter had sent a link to a photo of a navy T-shirt with the Gap logo on the front along with the message: 'This is Gap copying — YGEEB.'

Kanye replied: 'Exactly.

'Do you want me to post this text message?'

The 'Stronger' star used the caption of the post to air another grievance about the company, claiming they had axed a planned photoshoot with his kids without him knowing.

He wrote: 'But they canceled the photo shoot with my kids in Japan without me knowing. (sic)'

In a separate post, Kanye claimed he had been cut out of meetings by Gap.

He shared a photo of some Yeezy Gap sunglasses and wrote: 'Gap held a meeting about me without me?'

The 'Bound 2' hitmaker also shared a video in which he addressed a group, possibly of Gap staff.

He declared: 'This is not celebrity marketing. This is not a collaboration. This is a life mission.'

And in a later post, Kanye hit out at both Gap and another of his collaborators, Adidas, for failing to fulfil a promise to build 'permanent stores' for their ventures.

Sharing his plan to open independent Yeezy stores around the world, beginning with Atlanta, he wrote: 'I'll buy the land and or building.

Then we gonna open up in every state and then internationally.

'Anyone who has over 10 years retail experience and is ready to change the world post your instagram handle or store location in the comments and we'll find you.

'I signed with both Adidas and Gap because it contractually stated they would build permanent stores which neither company has done even though I saved both of those companies at the same time.'

[discoverybody]

‘Muscle spasm’ symptoms that Celine Dion experienced prior to her declining health

Celine Dion has had numerous challenges throughout the years, most recently being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, which she first addressed in December 2022.

The My Heart Will Go On hitmaker has stepped away from the spotlight, having to postpone and reschedule planned engagements in order to prioritize her health; however, her sister, Claudette, has been keeping fans up to date on her sister's progress through regular interviews.

According to the French website Tele 2 Semaines, the 74-year-old recently opened up about Celine's troubles and how she first sensed something was wrong in the summer of 2021.

[mywifeleftme]

319: Gilbert Bécaud // Incroyablement

Incroyablement Gilbert Bécaud 1959, Pathé

The first clip that came up when I searched “Gilbert Bécaud 1950s” opens with the pomaded chanteur in the midst of hurling himself down a curved marble banister. He narrates the slide with a high-pitched grunt of exertion, like Mario nailing a wall jump, hits the floor, bounces, and trots without pause over to a piano in the adjoining room where he begins miming his motormouthed hit “Incroyablement.” It’s clear from the closeups that he really can play the hell out of a piano, but he also gets so caught up in mugging for the camera that he just starts gesticulating with both hands, leaving the instrument to fend for itself. The clip (from 1959’s Croquemitoufle) ends with Bécaud taking a blind leap backwards and landing in the arms of a puzzled dude in a pompous hat who’s walked in on the end of the performance. In the next one I clicked, Bécaud hurriedly tramps through the snow with the cadence of a vintage windup toy and jumps over a stone wall. In the next, he wanders on stage whipping his head worriedly left and right until he locks onto the camera and zooms toward it, a grin of dog-like relief splitting his face. I go on: Bécaud playing air-violin. Bécaud looking much more comfortable dancing like a marionette than embracing Brigitte Bardot.

When I asked girlfriend of the podcast and intrepid French-language correspondent Mea to give me one of her capsule reads on Bécaud (see my Félix Leclerc review), she demurred, saying she didn’t know enough about him, and that relative to contemporaries like Aznavour, Gainsbourg, Brel, et al he’d been “left behind in his era” as she put it. As to why that was, she didn’t exactly know either, but passed along a quote from a La Presse writeup on his career: “Next to tortured geniuses happy men look like imbeciles.” Elton John is proof enough that it doesn’t take an intellectual to write great tunes on the piano, but it must be said: for a man who seemed most comfortable playing the lovable goofball, Bécaud and his various lyricists composed a body of classic songs that compares well to that of any of his contemporaries, much of it imaginative, sophisticated, and touched with genuine poetry.

Incroyablement is a 1959 Canadian compilation that captures a young Bécaud already established as a reliable hitmaker and one of France’s premiere live attractions (hence his nickname, “Monsieur 100,000 volts”), yet still on the cusp of his greatest successes. In some ways Bécaud’s zany physicality anticipated the vibrant energy of rock music, but it also hearkened back to the way singers approached the stage before the advent of the electric microphone. In vaudeville and music hall performers were free to roam, but the microphone rooted them in place, forcing them to narrow the focus of their energy into the temperamental metal appliance mounted to its pole. To paraphrase the aforementioned La Presse article, other singers of Bécaud’s generation stood like trees, but he was a bird in constant motion. He was forever darting away from the mic, like a child who notices his guardian’s attention has wandered, to pound away at his piano or goof with the band or clasp hands with his audience.

I prefer Incroyablement to the later Bécaud compilation in my collection (1968’s Les titres d’or de Gilbert Bécaud) because youth suits him. On “La cruche” he raps about drunken scenes at a bar over zippy hot jazz chords; on “Alors raconte” (“So, Tell Me”) it’s Bécaud who sounds tipsy, telling a shaggy dog story about a woman to an impetuous chorus of whistling oglers; on “Marie, Marie,” a dreamy acoustic ballad, he plays the role of a nebbishy librarian pining over a girl among the stacks. And could he suffer? He could suffer! On “Les croix,” his first hit, he plucks at the heart strings like a master, enumerating the crosses of ruins, convents, and hope chests before revealing his own burden:

And me, poor me I have my cross in my head The immense lead cross Vast as love I hang the wind there I hold back the storm I spend the evening there And I hide the day there And me, poor me I have my cross in my head A word is engraved there Which sounds like “suffering” But this familiar word Let my lips repeat Is so heavy to carry That I think I'll die

Hell yeah man. All of these poses, the melodramatic and the comedic, are ones he’d continue to play till the very end, but it’s all a bit cuter before the cigarettes put a rasp in his voice and he gets that Engelbert Humperdinck bouffant thing going on that makes his head look as wide as it is tall.

If you’re an Anglophone like me, you’re not going to pick up these lyrical specifics without doing some research, but the thing about Bécaud is that he’s so expressive, an artist of such broad gesture, that you really can kinda get the gist of what he’s up on vibes alone. If you’ve any fondness for chanson, or even your Tony Bennett / Dean Martin / Sammy Davis Jr. type crooners, you’ll have a blast with this guy. To quote La Presse’s Stéphane Laporte one more time, “Suffering does not have a monopoly on life: happiness also has its share.” Gilbert had plenty of it on offer.

319/365

[doc-jota]

Los mejores albums y EPs de 2023 ( III ).

Lo que dije en la anterior entrada lo podría repetir aquí, el nivel de rap español ha excedido anteriores cotas y no sólo en albums, diría que hay más EPs que albums notables, se podría hacer fácil un top 20 y algunos de ellos los metería incluso en un top 10 spanish rap en general. Yo he seleccionado 15 en español y en inglés, me he tomado la libertad de incluir albums cortos que rondan los 20 minutos de duración, últimamente algunos artistas los sacan bajo ese formato y la barrera entre estos y el EP es más fina que nunca, como puede ser el de Dellafuente, que incluso hizo consulta popular sobre el tema en sus redes.

Al igual que el año pasado, he vuelto a preguntar a DJs, nerds, divulgadores, músicos y demás gente de buen paladar y gusto contrastado por sus trabajos favoritos, así que se os abren varias y diversas puertas más para descubrir buenas músicas, ver listas en internet también es diggin'. Aquí termina mi repaso a lo mejor del año, Feliz Navidad y no dejéis que os cuenten la versión trucha de la movida. Quality Control siempre.

1. James Fauntleroy & Terrace Martin - Nova

6 años después de su último trabajo, el EP Dojo, vuelve uno de los GOATs y a la vez uno de los enigmas del R&B, el huidizo hitmaker detrás de tus cantantes favoritos, multi Grammy winner etc, googlea a este cabrón. En la producción está el bueno de Terrace que ha estado inmerso en un run memorable y el trabajo está muy en la línea de la anterior colaboración entre los 2 en Fine Tune, estas 6 canciones son una relectura de bossa nova con jazz y R&B marca Crenshaw como ya se podía intuir en ese poco agraciado artwork y en el propio título. Una jodida delicia. 

2. Monroe Flow & DVME - The Players Retreat  

De los 5 trabajos que ha sacado este 2023 me quedo con este que fue el primero aunque os recomiendo escucharlos todos. 8 temas que son todo bangers, sonido Bay Area perfecto para bumpear. Es uno de los protegidos de Larry June ( para mí este año ha superado al maestro ) y su sello The FreeMinded así ya sabéis lo que hay, melódico y duro, produs riquísimas. Muy disfrutón.

3. Sabio Sport & mb Casablanca - Marina Grande

Tras el EP Port Vauban, lanzado en 2022, volvió la dupla con otros 7 temas para poner la banda sonora a lo que quedaba de verano. Yatch rap que rebosa musicalidad y gusto fino, esta vez dando un paso adelante en la propuesta, contando con arreglos y canciones completamente tocadas por banda como 'Stella' y 'French Blue' sin perder la esencia de samples wavy. Huele a mediterráneo, para montarse y no bajar, este dúo ha logrado crear un sonido único en España y se espera con ganas el salto al formato largo para completar la trilogía.

4. Cashus King & Blu - The Blu(e) Tape

Que pena que dure sólo 13 minutos porque tiene algunos beats bastante guapos a cargo del para mí desconocido CinemaTaGraffiti y la química entre los rappers es increíble, se nota que son colegas de siempre. Funciona como un tiro front to back y no os perdáis el bonus 'Anghellic Book 777', de los mejores temas del año.

5. Nicholas Craven, Raz Fresco & Estee Nack - Gia...À La Carte

El beatmaker de Montreal se deja aquí toda la grasa soulera y se lo pone en bandeja a los rappers que no dejan ni las sobras. 'Whirlwind' es insana, that raw shit y 'Born King' bien podría ser el posse cut del año. Una barbaridad de principio a fin, en mi top 3 del Cravenverso. Clase.

6. Carmona & Zekie - Plátanos De Sombra 

Nadie esperaba algo de ellos y menos aún este junte. 22 minutos de rap super chill e introspectivo en el que Zekie se saca un sonido más pulido y mejorado y Carmona se abre volcando todas sus inquietudes, vivencias y lúcidas reflexiones. 'Pies De Laberinto' o 'Cefaleas' con su cambio de beat son algunos de los highlights . 2 veteranos trayéndolo fresco, grown man rap, queremos más de esta dupla.

7. JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - SCARING THE HOES: DLC PACK

Menos abrasivo, más cálido y soulful que el album, abriendo el abanico hasta unos puntos insospechables. Peggy es un digger de primera y lo que hace en 'Hermanos' es precioso, ha puesto a los music nerds de yankilandia a buscar un bolero de Hugo Enríquez ( Ecuador stand up ) y lo que hace con la outro es una locura, on some Kanye shit.

8. Johnny Doc & Allan Parrish - Expectedly Unexpected

Me gusta como encaja temas más soulful con otros más duros/trap, en la outro de 'JuJu' convergen ambos sonidos y te deja con ganas de que el tema se hubiese alargado por ahí. Buen ejercicio de estilo y curaduría. Gran año el del rapper valenciano, podría haber metido aquí también el Eight Ballers junto a Da Basement pero preferí dejar sitio a otros.

9. Dellafuente - Lágrimas Pa Otro Día

Dellafuente es en cierta manera nuestro Frank Ocean: tiene una multitudinaria fanbase de auténticos pesados y teenagers intensos, da pocos conciertos, se gusta demasiado haciéndose el enigmático y el exclusivo....pero el cabrón es muy bueno haciendo música. Que listo ha sido al juntarse con artistas emergentes de la new wave española como Ralphie Choo y Rusowsky para producir este trabajo, le han llevado a un terreno más luminoso y pop que antes no había explorado, con incursión en ritmos latinos y folklóricos ( ahora se entiende mejor que nunca su eslogan ). 5 de los 8 tracks de este album corto de 20 minutos están firmados por ellos entre tantos otros, fruto del music camp en el que también estuvo el mexicano Vatocholo y su inseparable Antonio Narváez. Algunas canciones tienen encima 6 manos distintas. Un corrido por aquí ( 'Ni Soy Santo') una bossa nova por allá ( magnífica 'Cuando La Cosa No Funciona' ) sin dejar de lado los lugares comunes de su obra como el cierre 'Pa Llorar' llena de rumba y flamenco. Algo así como su respuesta a El Madrileño, un "sujétame el cubata que yo también lo puedo hacer", de hecho él lo lleva haciendo más tiempo pero nunca lo vendió como tal. Es lo más festivalero y festivo que ha sacado y la primera vez que su rostro aparece en el artwork, sonriendo además.

Se nota que está probando cosas, ampliando catálogo e intentando mostrar ser versátil. Y por ello hay aciertos, como 'El Camino', pero también hay fallos, como la mencionada anteriormente 'Ni Soy Santo' que no me termina de cuajar o el exceso modernito de la lánguida 'Carameloraro'. Se agradece que explore nuevas rutas y salga de su zona de comfort, es lo que un artista debe hacer, más aún cuando ha lanzado tanto material y se encuentra en el momento de carrera en el que está el granadino. El bolero que es la maravillosa 'Sharila' demuestra que cuando se pone es el mejor de España escribiendo canciones de amor y 'Algarabia' es ya otro de esos grandes singles de su catálogo que no está incluido en ningún trabajo, me gustó mucho ese toque dance medio oscuro y entiendo que no encaje aquí. Si bien su anterior EP Tanteo no me terminó de triunfar porque lo vi más de lo mismo y no tan acertado como otras veces, esta nueva entrega si que es más satisfactoria, dando salida a un puñado de buenas canciones fresquitas que pusieron banda sonora a nuestra primavera y a los meses de verano. Aunque su fanbase sea la más devota y cansina del país me tengo que poner Dellafuenter para reafirmar lo que llevo pensando los últimos años: estamos viviendo en directo los pasos de una leyenda de la música española. A seguir.

10. No Guidnce - Is It A Crime? / Spicy

El R&B de UK sigue en un estado de forma increíble. Si el año pasado nos presentaron a Flo este 2023 han despegado estos 4 pibitos con 8 canciones muy disfrutonas y cuidadas desde la producción repartidas en 2 EP's. Los singles homónimos son 2 himnos, teniendo en cuenta que es lo primero que sacan habrá que seguirles la pista. Parece que vuelven las boy/girl band.

11. New Jeans - Get Up

Solo hay un divulgador de rap que además te descubra grupos de K-Pop con canciones muy pegadizas que se acercan al R&B-UKG, que suenan del carajo con influencias 2 Step y jersey club y que tienen una hit que se llama ETA. Soy yo.

12. Juicy BAE & PMP - Antes De Conocerte (Parte 1: Premonición)

Uno de los trabajos mejor producidos del año en Spain, PMP lo volvió a hacer y consigue que la sevillana brille de nuevo gracias a las armonías, los tratamientos vocales y una armadura sonora muy potente. 'DAMN' es el banger.

13. LeBleu, Johnny Doc & Rapp Gotti - Blue Magic

Un junte idóneo el de estos 3, te deja con ganas de más, los estilos de los rappers se complementan muy bien. Mapa sonoro que remite a OST de peli 70s de Blaxploitation. El back and forth de 'Uncut Raw' es un arte perdido en esta rap shit y el artwork a cargo de Le Bleu es brutal, os recomiendo seguir su curro de diseño en Instagram.

14. Smoke DZA & Flying Lotus - Flying Objects

Ya iba tocando ver a Flying Lotus producirle a un rapper ( 2018-Mac Miller, 2019-Danny Brown, un tema a ambos ). A Smoke DZA le perdí la pista en los mid 2010s pero el tío no ha parado al igual que Young Roddy y Trademark Da SkyDiver, no da tiempo a seguirlo todo, pero esta gente ama rapear y sigue dándole duro. Colabos de Conway, Black Thought y, ojo, Estelle ( si, la de American Boy ). Te deja con ganas de album.

15. Kinix Ahau & Stxners Music - SPIT NOW, SPEAK LATER 

Al escuchar el primer track pensaba que iba a ser más left field pero no tira tanto por ahi. 7 tracks en 15 minutos, entra bien y te deja servido y satisfecho de buena rap shit. Esta gente es de morro fino y hay que seguirles la pista. Classy.

10 EN LA CONSULTA

El Top de Andrae Durden

1. Rainy Miller & Space Afrika - A Grisaille Wedding

2. Blomfelt & Narby - Several Decent Days Together

3. Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Maps

4. V.A. (Woozy) - WZY3.5

5. Chrizpy Chriz - The Lost and The Unfound

6. KYNE - Sad & Horny

7. LCY - He Hymns

8. No Human Sound (ecco records) - Liminal

9. V.A. (unknown - untitled) - derailed EP

10. KOI - Ángel Caído

El Top de Chef Cheeza

Lo primero gracias a Doc Jota por la invitación para hacer un top 10 internacional de este año 2023. He de decir que Doc me invitó a hacer un top nacional 2023 y me negué por varias razones, pero la principal es que no creo que sea objetivo y mi labor en España se centra en crear música, no en valorarla. Aun así, diré que me ha parecido un buen ejercicio musical a nivel nacional en el que, para mi gusto, cada vez nos acercamos más a los estándares de calidad internacionales. Creo que cada vez hay más público y más visión y eso resulta prometedor. Resalto el buen año de Canarias y el buen estado de forma general de los artistas. Sin enrollarme mucho, os dejo aquí mi top 10 completamente sesgado por mis gustos. Muchos de ellos, más que buenos discos, me parecen representativos de cosas interesantes que están pasando en el mundo. Me dejo casi todas fuera con rabia e intentando representar países y géneros más allá de lo típico. Los números no son un ranking, es una lista. Aquí van:

1. Varnish La Piscine - This Lake Is Successful

El suizo del colectivo Súper Wak me ha impresionado con este EP súper bien cuidado. No controlo francés a un nivel heavy pero desprende estilo, groove y storytelling a un nivel muy tocho. Desde la intro me ha dejado muy loco y creo que es mi recomendación menos esperada pero que creo que va a rentar darle al play. Su disco anterior no tiene desperdicio.

2. KAYTRAMINÉ - KAYTRAMINE

No creo que vaya a decir nada que no se haya dicho ya de este disco, pero creo que un top 2023 sin el sería un poco raro. Aminé on steroids y Kaytra haciendo lo suyo en un disco para bailar que ha hecho clic a muchísima gente. London backyard party vibes es cómo lo imagino en mi cabeza. Resalto el cacho de Amaraae en ‘Sossaup’. No le veo ninguna pega, para mi es un 10.

3. Tuerie - Papillon Monarque

Descubrí a Tuerie en uno de mis viajes a Toulouse para grabar mi último disco. Mi colega Dax Santos siempre me pone al día de lo que pasa según aterrizo. La intro de su anterior disco, Bleu Gospel, ya me dejó lo suficientemente loco como para no perderle la pista. En este último, Papillon Monarque, que sale por Foufone Palace Bonjour no me ha dejado indiferente. En la estela de la familia musical de Luidji, temas muy musicales y duros a partes iguales, flows muy Kendrick y mucho sentimiento. Los vídeos son espectaculares y la presentación exquisita. De mis artistas favoritos de momento sin duda.

4. Killer Mike - MICHAEL

Creo que el 2023 ha sido un año de culminación para la carrera de Killer Mike. Siempre ha rapeado espectacularmente bien y además resalto su labor como figura pública más allá del hip hop. Lo que se ha marcado a nivel mensaje, flows, arreglos, colaboraciones, a nivel visual y humano en MIKE es una pasada. Viniendo de la Dungeon Family, el de ATL tiene un pedigree que ya lo quisieran muchos ya de por si. Me quedo con el conjunto de todo, la portada y el ejercicio de apertura a nivel emocional que admiro en él como artista.

5. Bishop Snow - Gangsta's Paradise

En la costa oeste siempre se ha tenido una identidad muy marcada y un sonido que te engancha al segundo, pero siempre he tenido la sensación de que tristemente muchos artistas no llegan a petarlo muchísimo a nivel mundial más allá de nombres aislados. Bien, parece que el 2023 ha cambiado eso o esa es la sensación que tengo. Nombres como Larry June, Blxst, Jay Worthy, Kamaiyah y un largo etc han pegado un buen testarazo en la mesa y no paran de salir pepinos. Uno de los nombres de la West que ha salido en estos dos últimos años de la nada es Bishop Snow. El MC Blackxican lleva dos años rapeando en serio y dejando su vida turbulenta atrás y este último álbum es una buena culminación de lo que viene haciendo en cuanto a referencias. La elección de beats es brutal, los rapeos cada vez mejores y las melodías como tu ex novia: no se te van de la cabeza. Pongo este título con expectación de que va a ocurrir y como representante de un sonido brutal del que no se por quién o por qué decidirme.

6. Hitboy - Surf Or Drown Vol.2

Qué decir de Hitboy que no digan sus créditos. Me llama la atención cómo en su aparentemente humilde estudio comparado a las megaconstrucciones en las que parece que a veces se tienen que grabar los discos, este señor no para de sacar palos. Increíble lo que está haciendo con su padre Big Hit, uno de mis raperos preferidos últimamente contra todo pronóstico. Echo de menos a Nip musicalmente y lo que estaba haciendo. Hitboy es un as en todo lo que hace y aunque sus discos parezcan un poco recopilatorios de temas, personalmente me gana y además meter tus beats en tu disco en plan “ahora hazlo tú” me parece el ultImate flex. Gracias y por muchos años más Hitboy.

7 Ragz Originale - Bare Sugar

Oliver Kei me pasó esto y me dejó loco desde el segundo 1. Resulta que este señor es el productor de Skepta y FKA twigs. No soy demasiado conocedor de la escena británica, pero creo que Ragz es un buen ejemplo de que UK en la música urbana es Dominance. Rnb brutal y si no te apetece escucharte el disco, que deberías, mírate lo que hizo en COLORS con el tema Troublin.

8. Lyrivelli - The Feeling

No se si meter a Lyrivelli en un top o en una lista de artistas a los que no deberías perder de vista, pero allá va. El artista de origen dominicano del sello All Money In me ha dejado muy contento de que artistas de origen hispano estén haciendo vainas a este nivel. La intro dedicada a su hija es una pasada y aprovechando que ahora hay contenido en español sobre estos álbumes, invito a todo el mundo a ver el análisis de Don't Hate The Playa que hicieron porque está currado.

9. Amaarae - Fountain Baby

Seamos sinceros: no puede haber un top internacional sin mencionar la explosión del afrobeats a nivel mundial. Es la dominancia personificada y yo sinceramente no manejo lo suficiente para poner ningún top acerca de esto ni a recomendar ningún disco de Amapiano ni nada por el estilo. Esta entrada en este top es más una reivindicación que un ranking. Artistas como Naira Marley, Zinoleesky, Burna Boy e incluso nombres como en España PLM merecen ser escuchados y estudiados como nuestra generación estudió a USA o la nueva estudia a PR y en género urbano en español. Pongo este disco porque es una guapada y me apetecía meter algo que hiciera que la gente se interesase por África a nivel musical.

10. NAFTA - NAFTA II

Por qué no meter un grupo en español en un top internacional si el español es una lengua que hablan 500 millones de seres humanos. Este disco me lo pasó Adri Dela de DHTP y me gustó muchísimo. Me parece distinto, muy bien ornamentado y creo que encarna la manera de los argentinos de hacer las cosas bien. Me quedo con el tema de 'A Mi Lado'.

Fuera de este top se han quedado discos como:

Lil Wayne & 2Chainz - collegroove

Blxst & Bino Rideaux - Sixtape 3

Dinner party - enigmatic society

Yussef Dayes - black classical music

Elevator Jay - Summer rooster

LAYA - Bet that

Mahalia - IRL

Pale Jay - bewilderment

Luidji - Saison 00

Por nombrar unos cuantos. Gracias Doc Jota por la oportunidad y espero que os rente.

Los 10 de Drizzy Clare

Kali Uchis - Red Moon In Venus

Jordan Ward - FORWARD

Cruz Cafuné - Me Muevo Con Dios

Kyne - Sad & Horny

Amaarae - Fountain Baby

Phabo - Don't Get Too Coozy

Ralphie Choo - SUPERNOVA

Jorja Smith - Falling Or Flying

Abhir Hathi - Brown Boy

Pink Pantheress - Heaven Knows

Los 10 de Dj Fönk

Sampha - Lahai

Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!

Billy Woods & Kenny Segal - Maps

Amaarae - Fountain Baby

Maria José Llergó - Ultrabelleza

Dellafuente - Lágrimas Pa Otro Dia

Raye - My 21st Century Blues

Ralphie Choo - Supernova

Nas - Magic 3

Kelela - Raven

El Top de Erik Urano

1. Loraine James - Gentle Confrontation

2. Dj Ramon Sucesso - Sexta dos crías 

3. Chase & Status - Baddadan (feat. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga & Takura)

4. Caroline Polacheck - DANG

5. Marina Herlop - Nekkuja

6. Ralphie Choo - Supernova

7. HiTech - Dewát

8. Jordan Ward - Forward

9. Vera Fauna - Los años mejores

10. Jim Legxacy - homeless n*gga pop music  

Mención honorífica a Andre 3000 por el maravilloso disco que ha sacado pero sobretodo por ser una persona maravillosa.

Los 10 de Franco Carter

Chicoes3 & Dj Taktel & Cómodo - Safary

Guerrita & Ciclo - Metropoli

Chef Cheeza - Y Soñaré Contigo

Sue Dama - Candidato

Rapp Gotti & Jay Trama - Guaranteed Fresh

Luis7Lunes & Sison Beats - El Milagro

Jeke Mamoneos - Bola 8

Erick Herve - Kendall Syndrome

Elphomega - The F2eelance

CKGK & Miguel Grimaldo - The Handyman EP

El Top de Gonzalo Oya

Internacional

Phabo - Don't Get To Cozy

Jordan Ward - FORWARD

Jim Legxacy - homeless n*gga Pop Music

DaBoii X The Mekanix - Soakin Game

Big Sad 1900 - The Reason

Westside Webb - Player Games Pt 2

Bigg the Plugg - The Biggest

Le$ - Bigger In Texas

Steven G - Showgreat 4

Eric Bellinger - 1(800) HIT-EAZY :LINE 2

Seyi Vibez - The Kingdom Come

XL Middleton - The 2 Tight EP

Ralfy The Plugg - No Bloopers

Cash Cobain - Pretty Girls Love Slizzy

Jozzy - Songs for Women, Free Game for Niggas

Nacional

Yung Beef - A.D.R.O.M.I.C.F.M.S 4 1/2

Chef Cheeza - Y Soñaré Contigo

Priteo x Ochoa - Santería

Space Surimi - Surimi Total X

Los 10 de Lauren Nine

Larussell - Family Business

LaRussell es uno de los artistas independientes que he descubierto este año y que realmente está causando sensación en la escena de LA. Su sonido y sus letras vulnerables, combinadas con mucha actitud y autenticidad, junto con las instrumentales que elige, hacen que sus proyectos sean dignos de ser escuchados.

Cleo Sol - Heaven

Hace años que conozco a Cleo Sol; su voz aterciopelada y las instrumentales suaves me acompañan en cualquier momento del día. A nivel de composición y mensaje, el álbum "Heaven" es uno de mis favoritos, y sin duda, su vulnerabilidad como madre ha acentuado su creatividad como artista.

Naomi Sharon - Obsidian

Naomi Sharon es una joya en bruto. Su música es atemporal y me recuerda mucho al aura que desprende Sade, elegante y moderna a la vez. "Obsidian" no tiene pérdida, y "Definition of Love" es la joya de la corona.

Elmiene - Marking My Time

'Marking My Time' fue la primera canción que conocí de Elmiene. A pesar de tener poca trayectoria musical, su mensaje, el R&B moderno mezclado con su estética, hacen que sea una joven promesa en la escena de LA. Este EP ha estado en repetición desde que salió. Imprescindible.

NAFTA - NAFTA II

Para mí, no podía faltar Nafta con su nuevo álbum. El funk, el groove, el soul que tienen me transporta a las bandas de los años 70 y 80 fácilmente. Su música sazona cualquier velada, y las líneas de bajo siguen siendo increíbles.

Jordan Ward - MOREWARD (FORWARD)

Si te gusta "Soulection", habrás oído hablar de Jordan Ward. Su Neo-Soul minimalista con melodías y armonías totalmente impredecibles, y las instrumentales perfectamente creadas, te llevan a un viaje sonoro único. Sin duda, una gran promesa para el futuro.

Noname - Sundial

Noname no deja de sorprenderme. Sus letras reivindicativas, su manera deliberada de rapear y las composiciones me llevan a conectar con una joven Lauryn Hill dispuesta a comerse el mundo. La sigo desde que se llamaba "Noname Gypsy" y sigue siendo una de mis grandes referentes.

Uncle Waffles - Asylum

En la nueva ola de música Afro y Amapiano, Uncle Waffles se lleva uno de los grandes premios por mi parte. La progresión electrónica de sus instrumentales hace que entres en trance y te energiza. Si le sumas la peculiaridad de su imagen, es indiscutiblemente una nueva referencia en el Amapiano.

B.Cool-Aid - Leather Blvd

No dejo de escuchar a Pink Siifu desde que lo conocí musicalmente. Si te gustan los clásicos de rap alternativo, old-school y Neo-Soul, él es el hombre. Pongo mucha fe en su creación y en su arte.

Kali Uchis - Red Moon In Venus

Es indiscutible la ejecución del nuevo trabajo de Kali Uchis, atemporal, comercial y aún así con toques alternativos. Sin duda, fue uno de los discos que más marcó mi 2023.

El Top de L. Warlock

Internacional

Kaytraminé - Kaytraminé

Andre 3000 - New Blue Sun

Dj Muggs & Sun Ra - Notes & Tones

Alien Tango - Kinda Happy, Kinda Sad

Jpeg Mafia & Danny Brown - Scaring The Hoes

Tony Allen & Adrian Younge - Jazz Is Dead 18

Aja Monet - When The Poems Do What They Do

Ekiti Sound - Drum Money

Capcom Sound Team - Resident Evil 4 Remake OST

Kyle Eastwood - Eastwood Symphonic

Nacional

Space Surimi - Surimi Total X

Sr. Wilson & Griffi - Rutas Interestelares

Cruz Cafuné - Me Muevo Con Dios

Elphomega - The F2eelance

lxsyeyestribe - Wabi sabi ep (samaya uno)

Glue Kids & Edu Omega - Gluemega

Chef Cheeza - Y Soñaré Contigo

R de rumba & Kami - Cosas Simples

Gustavo Gill - Recetas Para Sobrevivir A Este Universo OST

Chacho Brodas - Sta. Mandanga

Los 10 de Sabio Sport

Riber & Rober - Bottega Altriana

Estee Nack & V Don - BRAP

Lana Del Rey - Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

YL - Don’t Feed The Pigeons

Roper Williams - Infinite Victory Loop

Papo2oo4 & Subjxct 5 - PAP on P.E.D’s

Kinix Ahau & Stxners Music - SPIT NOW, SPEAK LATER

Franco Carter & Esse Delgado - Sunday Truce

Kinix Ahau & Steezy B - Ukiyo Soul

Rober Il Direttore - 41XXXB¥$ La Costa e Nostra

[eazy-group]

Fenty Hair? Fans Are Excited About Rihanna’s Expanding Fenty Empire

New Post has been published on https://eazybeauty.net/fenty-hair-fans-are-excited-about-rihannas-expanding-fenty-empire/

Fenty Hair? Fans Are Excited About Rihanna’s Expanding Fenty Empire

Amid the hiatus of her Fenty ready-to-wear with conglomerate LVMH, it seems like Rihanna is expanding her Fenty empire to a whole new level. 

Following the booming success of her Fenty Beauty, Savage X Fenty lingerie line, and Fenty Skin, rumors sparked that the nine-time Grammy winner is launching a brand catering for hair care products. 

Is Rihanna Releasing Fenty Hair Soon?

In a report obtained by Harper’s Bazaar, the “Where Have You Been” songstress might be launching Fenty Hair soon.  

It came after the iconic singer’s company, Roraj Trade LLC, has filed a new trademark application for “Fenty Hair.” 

This would cover a wide array of hair care products, including hairstyling, hair coloring, hair care preparation, straightening, relaxing, dandruff shampoo, and more. 

With reports surrounding her upcoming project, Rihanna’s team is tight-lipped about the possible Fenty expansion. 

READ MORE: See How Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Is Reshaping the Cosmetic Industry

Fans are Thrilled for Rihanna’s Fenty Hair

It’s no surprise that fans are excited for the forthcoming release of Fenty Hair as fans expressed their enthusiasm towards Riri’s haircare brand. 

“Now why is Rihanna bout to release “Fenty hair” hereeeeeeeee just take my money,” one fan wrote. 

The second Twitter user pointed out how Rihanna’s net worth would be now that she has an upcoming new beauty line. 

“If @rihanna gets into the Hair Industry. Shouldn’t we start calling her Billion$GyalRiri #Fenty,” while someone mentioned how the Barbadian singer is working hard despite her multi-million empire. 

“Fenty hair? At this point, Rihanna hustling y’all lol,” one tweeted. 

Unfortunately, there are some who were dismayed over the singer’s business venture and questioned her music comeback. 

“Rihanna trademarked Fenty Hair? Oh yeah, she’s never making music again,” one tweeted. 

The same goes for an individual who expressed the same sentiment and pointed out her successful business but no new album. 

“Can’t wait to be around the house in my Fenty furnitures, fenty skin on, in my savageXfenty, doing my Fenty hair, wearing fentyXpuma, while listening to absolutely NOTHING.”

Why Rihanna’s Fenty Fashion Label is Shutting Down

The buzz about Rihanna’s Fenty Hair comes after her Fenty Fashion line would be “put on hold,” as announced by LVMH. 

In a statement, the parent company mentioned that it was a “mutual decision” between then and the iconic singer.

Moreover, both LVMH and the “Rude Boy” hitmaker, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, vowed to focus on the long-term development of the “Fenty ecosystem.”

While Fenty’s ready-to-wear will be on hiatus, the French conglomerate, who runs Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora, and more, will still be supporting Riri’s brands such as Fenty Skin, Fenty Beauty, and her intimate apparel brand Savage X Fenty.

In a previous report cited by the BBC, fashion analysts think that the closure of her fashion label is due to the “steep” price tags compared to other brands. 

Following her clothing line launch in spring 2019, Rihanna made history after she became the first black woman to head a luxury house with LVMH. 

READ MORE: Rihanna Lingerie Supports Young Women with Breast Cancer

Source

[the-active-news]

Rihanna 1st Child: Does She Not Care About The Haters?

Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is a Barbadian pop and rhythm-and-blues (R&B) singer who rose to fame in the early 21st century. She is renowned for her distinctive and versatile vocals as well as her stylish style. She was renowned for her fashion and beauty lines. Hurry and get the scoop on Rihanna's first child! Don't miss

Rihanna 1st Child

Many watchers thought Rihanna, the creator of Fenty Beauty, was showing a baby belly during her halftime show performance, and a spokesman for the singer confirmed the pregnancy rumours in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. When Rihanna confirmed in a picture last year that she was having her first child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky, she once again astonished her fans. The musician-turned-mogul had her baby boy in May, a few odd months later. Possibly of interest to you: - Christina Milian Kids: Is She Amplified Her Blazer And Minidress With Crystal-Encrusted Mules? - Adam Sandler Kids: The 25th Anniversary Of The Wedding Singer

After Paying Homage To Her Wonderful Friend, Kanye West, Does Rihanna Not Care About The Haters?

After paying appreciation to Kanye West despite his cancellation due to his contentious remarks about Jews, Rihanna showed her unfazed ness towards her detractors. The rapper, now going by Ye, to whom The Diamonds hitmaker paid tribute in her powerful performance at the Super Bowl Halftime show, is still "great pals" with her. Kanye's costume from the Donda listening party in 2021 served as inspiration for RiRi's all-red ensemble for the concert, which allowed her to flaunt her growing baby bulge. Regarding the tribute, a source informed The Sun, "Ye and Rihanna remain close friends. Rocky is too. "She doesn't care whether she pays him tribute at the Super Bowl offends people, the insider continued. Even though she doesn't always agree with what he has to say or his political ideas, she still supports him. Fans of the musician anticipated Kanye making an appearance during the performance, but to everyone's surprise, he did not go on stage with Rihanna. Because it was her moment and she wanted to announce her pregnancy without a visitor, the insider said, "She would never have dragged him out on stage." "All of the Lights was one of Rihanna's biggest songs as a feature, and she's never going to take it out of her set. Now, as a result of the show, it's performing well again on iTunes."

FAQs

Did Rihanna Have A Baby? Rihanna welcomed her first child, a baby boy with boyfriend A$AP Rocky in May 2022. The couple had announced that they were expecting a child together in January 2022 with photos on social media revealing the singer's baby bump. How Many Kids Does Rihanna Have? Rihanna welcomed her first child, a baby boy, with rapper A$AP Rocky last May, People and Entertainment Tonight reported at the time. The couple announced they were expecting in January 2022 with photos that showed off the singer's baby bump. How Did Rihanna Get So Rich? She became America's youngest self-made female billionaire in 2022. Much of Rihanna's wealth has been attributed to her successful makeup company, Fenty Beauty, which she co-owns with French luxury retailer LVMH. Who Was The Father Of Rihanna's Baby? Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's first child, a boy whose name the couple has yet to disclose to the public, was born in May of 2022. Stay up to date by checking out the latest news on The Active News. Get the inside scoop and stay informed! Read the full article

[investingoo]

French singer, actress and model Vanessa Paradis, more stars turning 50 in 2022 | Gallery -electrov

French singer, actress and model Vanessa Paradis, more stars turning 50 in 2022 | Gallery -electrov

Neia Barao December 22, 2022 at 1:30 PM PST _ Join Wonderwall.com to see all celebrities, from actors and actresses turning 50 in 2022 to reality stars and hitmakers… On December 22, French actress, model and singer Vanessa Paradis, who has two children with actor Johnny Depp, who was her partner from 1998 to 2012, turns 50. Keep reading for more stars born in 1972… more: Stars turning 60 in…

[petnews2day]

India Is Like My Second Home, Would Love To Do A Track With Jacqueline Fernandez

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/sm71

India Is Like My Second Home, Would Love To Do A Track With Jacqueline Fernandez

French Algerian record producer, DJ and songwriter William Sami Étienne Grigahcine, known by his stage name DJ Snake, this year, announced a massive six city India tour with Sunburn Arena.  The ‘Turn Down For What’ hitmaker is currently in India. He started off the India tour with Ahmedabad on November 18, followed by a show […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/sm71 #ReptileNews

[90363462]

Balenciaga Confirms They’ve Cut Ties With Kanye West

Oct 21 2022 10:26 am

It came as no surprise to many when rumours of the end of Kanye West’s partnership with renowned fashion house Balenciaga began circulating around earlier this week, and now, the brand’s parent company has officially confirmed the news, telling Women’s Wear Daily that there are no planned future projects with Ye.

Buzz first began to build when internet sleuths realized that Balenciaga had removed the official Vogue Runway photo of the 45-year-old strutting down the very muddy runway as he made his modelling debut at the most recent Paris Fashion Week.

Not long after that, products from West’s Yeezy Gap Engineered By Balenciaga collection were removed from the company’s website, as well as the pages of other retailers where they were previously sold. These two things together lead many to believe that the partnership between the two industry behemoths had wrapped up following the father of four’s most recent anti-Semitic comments.

For several weeks now, the “Runaway” hitmaker has been using social media to vent about his often strong feelings, whether that finds him lashing out at old friends like Kid Cudi and Diddy, or trashing the style of Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. 

While his early comments earned him the label of “bully” from stars like Gigi Hadid, it wasn’t until Ye wrote on Twitter that he planned to “go Death Con 3” on Jewish people that he really stepped in it, earning himself a berating from countless media personalities and celebrities.

The Yeezy founder has offered up some remorse for his actions – most recently during an interview with Piers Morgan – though he seems reluctant to fully admit any wrongdoing, which has landed several of his business deals on the rocks.

Kering, the French fashion house and parent company to Ye’s former collaborators confirmed the end of their relationship in a statement on Friday (October 21), writing, “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist.”

The message didn’t provide any further information about the situation, and it comes as Ye’s multi-billion dollar deal with Adidasremains “under review” – read more about that here, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

[Via] [Via]

[glitzempireofficial]

Black Sherif Loses Out On BET Hip Hop Awards

Black Sherif Loses Out On BET Hip Hop Awards

  Black Sherif has lost out on this year’s BET award’s ‘Best International Flow’ award to French rapper, Benjamin Epps. The ‘Kwaku The Traveller’ hitmaker is the second Ghanaian act to be nominated for the category after rapper Sarkodie who won in 2019. Black competed with equally good acts such as Blxckie from South Africa, Nadia Nakai from Zimbabwe, Benjamin Epps and Le Juiice from France,…

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Men on the verge of a breakdown: Inside one of Florian Zeller's tormented minds

Angel Coulby and Paul McGann in rehearsal for The Forest at Hampstead Theatre - Credit: Marc Brenner

He was one half of a memorable double act in Withnail and I – now, in a very different duo, Paul McGann is one of two actors playing the same tormented man in Florian Zeller's nightmarish new play.

The French hitmaker's plays have been described as unsettling and disorienting, with a habit of wrong-footing audiences and making them question what they've just seen. He turned The Father, his play about dementia, into a film which won Anthony Hopkins an Oscar, and is completing a screen version of The Son, starring Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern.

So it's a coup for Hampstead Theatre to stage the world premiere of The Forest, in which the titular wood turns out to be metaphorical – the midlife crisis of successful surgeon Pierre, whose life unravels after an affair.

"There are differing realities within this piece. It's a challenge," agrees McGann, who alongside Toby Stephens plays out Pierre's anxiety, lies and guilt, enacting subtly different variations of the same scene with their wife (Gina McKee).

Like The Mother, which dealt with obsessive love, and The Son with a depressed child, The Forest draws on familial bonds and a mind under extreme strain. Channelling the spirit of his hero David Lynch, Zeller often uses fragmentary, non linear, blurred timelines to suggest mental anguish.

"Sometimes you go and watch a play and think 'this is an experience'," says Angel Coulby, who plays Pierre's mistress.

"This is definitely experiential. Each section has it's own back story and reality. It's almost lots of plays within one. The challenge is working out what's happening right now."

She thinks the surreal element is a physical manifestation of Pierre's dual, compartmentalised life breaking down.

"That kind of wrong footing is a metaphor for the messiness of life. If this a breakdown, Florian is interested in trying to make you feel in it, to feel the character's confusion as Pierre loses his bearings."

McGann agrees the "whole energy" of Zeller's plays is audience immersion.

"I know from watching The Father, as an audience member you are following the story, wrapped in it, making your mind up about things. It's important the audience throw themselves in. It's subjective storytelling, we see Pierre's breakdown at different stages, it sometimes repeats or appears not to be there. Part of the dynamic is about him trying to do the next thing well. When he tries to address his problems we don't know if he's dreaming the solution. The audience has to accept that different versions of Pierre come home to the wife in the same clothes in the same room, and as far as any truth goes they are free to make up their minds about what's true, what's not and whose truth is it?"

Toby Stephens and Finbar Lynch in rehearsal for The Forest - Credit: Marc Brenner

It's directed by Jonathan Kent who previously directed Zeller's The Height of The Storm, and regular translator Christopher Hampton, has captured the subtleties of a play in which characters lie about their feelings.

Coulby, who grew up in Finsbury Park and whose TV work includes The Tunnel, and Merlin, feels the spectacle of an eminent man whose life is out of control, has a feminist edge.

"This is no glowing review of men. He's mostly not facing up to anything and his decisions are all about saving his own skin. The women all stay relatively constant in their agenda, the men shift reality, which I think is a comment on masculinity as opposed to how (Zeller) may view women."

For McGann it's not just about seeing how this "clever fellow who makes speeches to government" is corrupted by his own failures and the competing forces in his life.

"For me what makes the play so poignant is it's about the love that women pour into this man and what if anything they get back."

The Forest runs at Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue until March 12. Get tickets here.

Source: Ham & High

[inthemoodofmusiclover]

Je t’aime encore de Yelle.

French dance-pop group Yelle were founded in 2005 when longtime friends Julie Budet (who took the stage name Yelle) and Jean-François Perrier (known as GrandMarnier) decided it was time to start a band. Their first single, "Short Dick Cuizi," a rather obvious slam of French rapper Cuizinier, was posted on MySpace in 2005 and became a minor sensation. After some lyrical adjustments and a title change to "Je Veux Te Voir", the song became the duo's first official single in 2006 and became a Top Five hit in France and an indie sensation song internationally. After adding Tanguy Destable, also known as Tepr, the trio began work on their debut album. Pop Up was released by Source Records in 2007. The band then spent time touring the world over before work on its second album began. They also found time to work with Robyn and Crookers, and to remix Katy Perry's "Hot & Cold." After working virtually nonstop for two years on album number two, Safari Disco Club was released in the spring of 2011 on Cooperative Music and was followed by extensive international touring. On their third album, Yelle slimmed down to the duo of Budet and Perrier, while signing to pop hitmaker Dr. Luke's Kemosabe label. Though it was a little more focused than previous efforts, 2014's Complètement Fou was still imbued with a fun-loving, anything-goes left-field pop outlook. It is hard to think of another current artist who has managed to go global the way Yelle has. Having released three albums in the last decade and performed countless live shows around the world, all the while singing in her native French language.  Yelle's beautifully melodic compositions translate regardless if fans have any idea what she is actually singing about.

[worldwidejoonie]

Bts as...

... their perfume scents

A visual representation of their perfume from the VTxBTS collaboration feat. headcanons. 

Check out my masterlist for more like this~

a/n: I’ve had this in my drafts for a very long time, and the writing style changes halfway lmao

Namjoon - Eau de Bois

Bois translates to wood in french (if I’m not completely wrong)

With Namjoon’s resent interest in George Nakashima’s designs it doesn’t surprise me

But it’s a scent that fits him: robust and natural.

I imagine that he has gone on walks in different woods (bamboo forest, pine forests etc.)

Not only literal woods but also concrete jungles. He’s almost always surrounded by the city (and that’s a kind of forest too)

I also imagine it could be the smell of books, because he’s the resident bookworm (sexy brain *wink*)

It’s hard to explain but I really believe this is scent is a true representation of Namjoon as a smell

Seokjin - Eau de Cotton

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think “cotton” is softness

Jin is worldwide handsome (you’ve seen him right???)

And what’s striking about him is that his looks are actually soft, yet so evidently striking

His features are effortlessly beautiful and so soft to look at (I wanna touchhh)

It’s not only his looks but also his personality

Humble, kind and caring, but can also be extra and versatile

Just like cotton can become everything from clothes to towels

Yoongi - Eau de Vert

Vert means green in french

It’s simple but at the same time not, just like Yoongi

You know what green looks like, but can you imagine what it smells like?

Such a straight forward thing, yet hard to explain

Just like Yoongi is the kind of guy who seems to prefer simplicity, but is a a complex person

Green is a fresh and lush scent and isn’t too loud (...and cats like catnip)

(I actually smelt this one at Sephora in Paris, unfortunately they were sold out for everything else. It was after I wrote this tho)

Hoseok - Eau de Citrus

Citrus is fresh and a classic for everything (candy, soap, clothing print etc.)

Fruits that soak up all that beautiful sunshine. What scent could represent our Hobi better?

It’s summery, fresh and easy to use for any occasion  

I imagine that the perfume smells like liquid sunshine 

A scent that instantly makes you feel better 

Citrus does have a kind of duality: it could be sweet or sour 

It just fits Hoseok really well (think of that airplane from hope world vibe)

Jimin - Eau de Poudre

When I see Jimin I think squish and soft

So this perfume feels like his personality in liquid scent form

I imagine that it’s a light and subtle smell

Not overpowering or very noticeable, but comforting and mild

He also have a soft beauty, but not at the same way as Jin

Jimin’s personality is mellow, and understanding 

So a scent that isn’t demanding or overpowering fits him well

I have no idea what this would smell like in person, but something vanilla-ish?

Taehyung - Eau de Musk

When I heard about Tae’s perfume scent for the first time I thought “so what all men smell like in fanfics?”

Musk sounds suave and gentleman-esque 

Like if Stigma and Singularity had a smell 

It fits Tae because it’s a subtile but striking scent (I can’t imagine him with a mellow perfume)

For some reason all I can think of visually is him in a suit (042419 Taehyung is still haunting me till this day)

Or that one picture with him on the sofa from the hitmakers brunch

Smooth and effortlessly elegant

Jungkook - Eau de Ocean

Kook has an energetic and joyful personality 

So the fresh and salty so this scent fits him perfectly 

I imagine it smells like ocean breeze, it feels like it clears your airways and skin 

The beach is also a very active place: swimming, diving, playing volleyball, build sandcastles (all activities jk excels at)

And that line in Euphoria “I hear the far-away ocean, Across the dream, over the horizon”

Since Jungkook is sensitive to smell I think it’s fitting that he chose a simple and not too extreme scent 

Also, crabs like the ocean 

[6hillgrove]

Week Ahead In The News

Richard Hillgrove Founder of 6 Hillgrove PR takes a look at the week ahead.

News diary 9-15 March:

Chinese firm Jingye Group’s acquisition of British Steel is expected to complete on Monday in a deal that could save thousands of steelmaking jobs in the north of England. Jingye has committed to investing £1.2bn at its new sites in Scunthorpe and Teesside, and the deal marks a significant boost for an industry that has been hit hard in recent years by plant closures and the US-led tariff wars.

Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond is due to go on trial at Edinburgh’s High Court after being charged with multiple sex offences. Salmond faces a total of 14 counts including attempted rape and sexual assault, with all offences alleged to have taken place over a six-year period during his time in office. Salmond denied the charges during a preliminary hearing in November and the trial is expected to wrap up in the first week of April.

A royal reunion takes place at Westminster Abbey when the departing Duke and Duchess of Sussex join The Queen and family at the annual Commonwealth Service. The event, expected to be the couple’s final public engagement as senior royals, features an address from boxer Anthony Joshua and performances from Rewind hitmaker Craig David and X Factor winner Alexandra Burke.

Former House of Commons speaker John Bercow delivers a keynote speech on Tuesday at a conference to discuss Parliament and Brexit hosted by UK in a Changing Europe. The speech follows the release of Bercow’s autobiography Unspeakable, which details the thinking behind the controversial adjudications he made as Speaker during Parliament’s debates and votes on Brexit.

Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Washington and North Dakota hold primaries to choose their state’s Democratic presidential nominee. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders fell into second place following Joe Biden’s surprise resurgence on Super Tuesday; this week’s contests will see whether the former Vice President can sustain his newfound “joementum”.

Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren have both dropped out following a series of disappointing performances, making it now a two-man race to the convention.

On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak presents his first Budget just 27 days after replacing Sajid Javid as Chancellor with a less-than-ringing endorsement from his former boss.]

Sunak’s task of delivering on Conservative manifesto pledges within existing fiscal rules, which the influential IFS think tank has suggested would be impossible without tax rises, has been illustrated in recent days by a row over fuel duty. Some of the more difficult choices may therefore be saved for later in the year, with this Budget expected to be the first in a trio of fiscal events for the Chancellor.

Alongside the Budget, the Office for Budget Responsibility publishes a forecast for the UK’s public finances which was delayed from last year by Boris Johnson’s decision to hold an election. The forecast is likely to repeat last year’s notes of caution around weak growth and Brexit-related uncertainty, and may also factor in the potential impact of a global coronavirus outbreak, all of which could leave the Chancellor with little wriggle room in future fiscal statements. To comply with its statutory requirement to produce two forecasts each year, the OBR also releases a second, updated forecast on Friday in something of a double swansong for the departing Robert Chote.

Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison at his sentencing in New York, after being found guilty of third-degree rape and a criminal sex act at the conclusion of a lengthy trial last month. The hearing won’t mark the end of the Weinstein saga: he reportedly plans to appeal the conviction, despite being found not guilty of the more severe charges brought against him, and he also faces multiple sexual assault charges in Los Angeles.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse publishes its report on the nature and extent of the use of the internet to facilitate abuse on Thursday.

Tech giants including Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and Google all gave evidence to the inquiry in secret as part of its internet investigation strand, amid concerns that public evidence could help offenders evade detection as well as criticism over the platforms’ abilities to protect children.

In Parliament, members of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee grill outgoing BBC director-general Tony Hall (pictured) and chairman David Clementi at an evidence session on the licence fee. The executives are expected to face questions about Hall’s decision to step down early, the planned overhaul of the BBC’s workforce and changes to the licence fee payments for over-75s, as well as the corporation’s recent equal pay tribunals. A Government consultation into decriminalising the non-payment of the licence fee is ongoing.

The European Central Bank’s monetary policy committee meets in Frankfurt, with speculation rife that the ECB will follow the US Federal Reserve’s lead from last week and announce measures to counteract the economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak in the eurozone. ECB President Christine Lagarde has signalled potential actions, and the issue is sure to be addressed at her post-meeting press conference.

Friday sees the publication of findings from Northern Ireland’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) inquiry. The inquiry was established by the Northern Ireland Executive in January 2017 and investigated its design, governance, implementation, and operation. Furore surrounding the scheme’s management prompted the resignation that same month of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and the subsequent collapse of the Stormont government, which wasn’t restored until this January, ultimately allowing both abortion and same-sex marriage to be decriminalised in the country.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch publishes a final report into the January 2019 plane crash that killed Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson. A preliminary report last year found that Ibbotson was not licensed to carry paying passengers, sparking calls for a clampdown on celebrities using so-called “grey” charter flights as unlicensed air taxis.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson speaks at the party’s Spring Conference on Saturday. The conference is the first major gathering of members since the Lib Dems’ heavy defeat in the December election, and follows the resignation of former leader Lord Steel following the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s accusation that he had “turned a blind eye” to accusations of child abuse against late MP Cyril Smith in the 1970s.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is, at time of writing, scheduled to speak at the South by South West Festival, where she is likely to address the Democratic presidential primary. SXSW organisers are insisting the festival will go ahead, despite several high-profile tech and media companies – including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Netflix – withdrawing from the event, and an online petition to have it cancelled over concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

French voters go to the polls on Sunday for the first round of municipal and mayoral elections, despite government efforts to limit large gatherings in another attempt at coronavirus containment. President Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche party is steeling itself for disappointing results, after the government pushed through controversial pension reforms despite widespread protests. The party’s hopes of taking the powerful Paris mayoralty from incumbent Socialist Anne Hidalgo were dented when they had to replace their candidate, Benjamin Griveaux, over a sex scandal a month before the vote.

The 2020 Formula One season gets underway as Melbourne hosts the Australian Grand Prix. The new season could see Lewis Hamilton draw level with Michael Schumacher’s seven world championship wins, but, as with most current events, faces disruption from the coronavirus outbreak. The Chinese Grand Prix scheduled for April has already been postponed and there are growing concerns that races in Vietnam, Italy, and Bahrain could follow suit. Organisers are determined for the Australian GP to go ahead, despite concerns over whether travel restrictions could end up blocking Ferrari’s team from entering the country.

This information is provided in association with Foresight News.