Tag Archives: Music

Choco Makes Lesbian Reggaeton Music for Feminists

Most people only know one Reggaeton song, which is Gasolina. But the genre is wide and diverse, and easily one of the most popular genres in Latin America.

Unfortunately, the genre is also dominated by men and misogyny. It’s nearly impossible to find a song that doesn’t mention using women as sex objects, or a music video that doesn’t twist women into compromising positions.

Choco is changing that.

Choco is the pioneer of lesbian reggaeton and the reggaetonera movement, which is taking the genre from men.

She initially started branding herself as a lesbian reggaeton artist as part of satire. She kept the trademark dembow rhythm and the perrero, a type of doggy-style dance, but changed the lyrics to reflect the pitfalls of male masculinity. In “Lo Que Las Mujeres Quieren” (What Women Want), she sings, “Hey macho reggaeton man, listen to what I say / You don’t know about women / A woman prefers two well-placed fingers.”

However, she also exploits women in her own way. In her music videos, she depicts women in sexual pleasure, albeit absent from men. She also sings, “I like cheaters / I like ugly girls,” and “I like women empoderada (empowered) / But I like it even better if she eats this empanada (slang for vagina).” Because of this, she’s received backlash from women who say she’s doing just as much harm to feminism as the men are. However, she sees her music as an opportunity to shrug off the taboos of sex and allow women to express their love of sex and consensual sexual powerplay.

She also sees herself as part of the reggaeton feminista – feminist reggaeton – movement, side-by-side with other female reggaetoneras like Ms. Nina los Santos (Argentina), Tomasa del Real (Chile), La Favi (San Francisco, US), Farina (Colombia), and Tremenda Jauría (Spain), among others. “Currently reggaeton is the most popular music at all the feminist parties.”

Her debut album is fittingly called Sátira (Satire), because she began the project as a satirical middle finger to the hypermasculine machismo culture. Listen to it here.

Ruby Rose Doesn’t Seem To Be A Fan Of Katy Perry’s New Music

The Orange Is The New Black star took to social media to criticise the Chained To The Rhythm hitmaker’s new song, which she dubbed a ‘sloppy mess’.

Following the release of Katy Perry’s new single ‘Swish Swish’, star took to social media to criticise the Chained To The Rhythm hitmaker’s new song, which she dubbed a ‘sloppy mess’.

Pose tweeted: “‘Purposeful poop’ to ‘bomb a petit’ to a sloppy mess of writing over the top of Funkagenda..stop trying to make ‘Wit..I mean ‘fetch’ happen.”

https://twitter.com/RubyRose/status/865422401244352513

https://twitter.com/RubyRose/status/865430407839219712

https://twitter.com/RubyRose/status/865470258299060224

Perry teamed up with Nicki Minaj on the song and Rose went on to praise the collaboration, which she says did the ‘only part that doesn’t sound a mess’.

https://twitter.com/RubyRose/status/865423626392158208

Fans have speculated that the new song is a response to Taylor Swift’s single Bad Blood, which many believe is about the feud between Katy and Taylor.

Rose is a close friend of Taylor’s, and the two are often seen at events together as part of Taylor’s infamous ‘squad’.

Lyrics to Swish Swish include:

A tiger don’t lose no sleep, don’t need opinions from a shellfish or a sheep, don’t you come for me.” In one of her most self-assured songs ever, Katy calls herself a “courtside killer queen” and tells her rivals to “kiss the ring”.

Is this a diss at Taylor? Listen for your self and decide.

Mary Lambert Opens Up About Past Trauma & Says Music Became A Form Self-Therapy.

In a new interview with Cosmopolitan, singer Mary Lambert has opened up about some traumatic parts of her past, including sexual assault, mental illness and suicidal ideation.

I was molested by my father at a really young age. You don’t know what’s happening, especially when you’re raised in that environment and your brain is forming, there’s a sense of what normal is,”

I was untreated with bipolar disorder. I was really living in extremes where I would have the best day ever and then I would come home and I would want to die. When I was 16, I snuck into an Army barracks and I was gang-raped. You kind of go into survival mode and are like, ‘OK, how do I navigate this situation?’”

At just 17, Lambert revealed to her church that she was gay. Just one year later, she attempted to take her own life.

She told Cosmopolitan.

Everything hurt so much. The fact that I was abused by my dad. Was raped. Was gay. Was bipolar. Not to mention always being a big girl in the world. Just existing in those spaces, of like, I don’t feel at home in my body, I don’t feel at home in this world. What options do I have left?”

Lambert says now she’s glad she didn’t die. Instead, she’s following a “journey of body love and self-love,” and her passion for music helped her get there.

I’m so glad I didn’t die—I’m so glad that I’m alive, that I didn’t give in—but it wasn’t easy. I feel like there is this canned way we talk about trauma, this canned way we talk about suicide. Like, you just go to Spain and you’re on a boat and you eat tapas—there’s your healing. Real healing is s—ty. It’s dirty and ugly and not easy.”

And even though healing is not easy, Lambert said she hopes other people who might be in a situation like she was know it’s possible.

It all works out in the end. If it hasn’t worked out, then it’s not the end. That’s something I tell myself. I wish I could have told myself that.”

Danielle LoPresti’s ‘Holy’ Proves That Sexuality Enhances Religion

Then there’s you, the holiest thing I could do.

Danielle LoPresti’s much-hyped single Holy has finally been released in visual form. The song takes you inside the mind of someone grappling with both religion and homosexuality. Is it a sin to be gay, or is loving someone the ultimate expression of religious faith?

The song is decades in the making. To write it, LoPresti drew on her own traumatizing experiences in the Catholic Church. Although LoPresti identified with the Church’s teachings, the congregants’ bigoted attitudes  toward homosexuality left her feeling ostracized.

On the song’s website, www.HolyMusicVideo.com, LoPresti discusses her relationship between her sexuality and her church:

This most pure act, choosing someone completely because of who they were on the INSIDE – ironically ended up pitting me opposite the most religious people in my community. Here I was loving someone for all the reasons I’d learned that God wanted us to choose our mate, and I was now hated by religious people near and far for it.

LoPresti’s pain became almost unbearable in 2008 when California voted on Proposition 8, a state constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage. Watching her neighbors support the homophobic bill, LoPresti struggled to comprehend how “such vitriolic rhetoric could be cast upon something so honest, so pure.”

LoPresti turned her testimony into the song Holy. The song is dedicated as much to her spouse as it is to every queer person who has been cast out of the church.

The video opens with LoPresti in the role of a well-meaning Christian ministering to several homosexual couples. She insists that although she loves the couples, they are living in sin. Over the course of the video, each couple speaks out about their experiences and why they believe that their sexuality epitomizes God’s love.

Eventually, as her voice scrapes the back of her throat and tears prick her eyes, LoPresti sings:

Then there’s you, the holiest thing I could do
They may not see it but I do
The holiest thing I could do is to love you

Watch the video below.

Pink To Release Her First Single In Three Years

So excited for this. Pink is set to release a new single later this month.

Just Like Fire will be her first single in three years.

https://twitter.com/Pink/status/717060520625315840

It’s in aid of Disney’s upcoming sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass, and marks the first time that Pink has written an original song for a live-action feature film.

The track will out April 15, with a music video landing in early May.

Just Like Fire was co-written by Pink with producers Max Martin, Shellback and Oscar Holter specifically for the film.

It follows a cover version of ‘White Rabbit’ that Pink recorded for the movie’s marketing campaign.

Just last month, Pink registered two new tracks with music rights organisation BMI, prompting rumours of a comeback.

Aside from a folk album released under the moniker You+Me in 2014, Pink’s last album was 2012’s The Truth About Love.

Halsey Talks About Her Public-Imposed “Tri-Bi” Tag: “I F*cking Hate It”

21-year-old singer/songwriter Halsey, is not a fan of the label “tri-bi”, which she’s been branded with recently.

Born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, Halsey happen to be biracial, bisexual and has bipolar disorder.

However, fans have been quick to hashtag her #tribi.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, she said

I fucking hate it. The idea that something like that would be trivialized down to a fucking hashtag. I mean, there’s a ton of biphobia—people refuse to accept bisexuality as an actual sexuality.” 

Halsey-Facts

And I’m biracial, but also white-passing, which is a unique perspective. So these kids say, like, “Oh, fucking tri-bi Halsey! She’ll never miss an opportunity to talk about it!” I want to sit them down like a mom and go, “Six months ago you were begging for an artist that would talk about this shit! But then I do, and you say, ‘Oh, not her. Someone else.'”

Halsey released her debut album, Badlands, in 2015.

Hear it First: Rihanna Releases New Single ‘Work’ featuring Drake

After two months of anticipation over Rihanna‘s new album, the wait is finally over.

Aired exclusively by BBC Radio 1, the latest track from Rihanna‘s brand new album was unveiled today.

Featuring Drake, Work comes little over three years since the pair’s last collaboration Take Care and five years after their first effort together What’s My Name?

Now available on Tidal, the track was revealed along with its visual accompaniment – which doesn’t actually feature Drake.

While nothing has yet been confirmed, Riri’s upcoming disc Anti, produced by Kanye West, seems to be just around the corner.

According to Billboard, we can “very probably” expect to get our ears around the rest of the album before Friday 29 January.

Good luck getting this out of your head.

Annie Clark Debuts Her New Custom Signature Ernie Ball Music Man Guitar (Video)

Annie Clark, who’s better known as St. Vincent has revealed her custom signature Ernie Ball Music Man guitar.

st.vincent-on-her-guitar5

Envisioned and designed by Clark with support from the engineering team at Ernie Ball Music Man, the guitar was crafted to perfectly fit her form, technique and style.

I’m extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to design a guitar this personal with this company, this family, in whom I believe so completely.

45e91a42

The entirety of my experience as a guitarist is invested in this instrument. I sought to create a tool that would help and inspire those who share my priorities in a guitar, namely that it be comfortable and lightweight and that it exhibit clean lines, all without sacrificing tone flexibility.

It is with pride that I present the St. Vincent Signature Ernie Ball Music Man Guitar.”

tumblr_static_tumblr_static_filename_640

It is now available in black or custom Vincent Blue, a colour hand-mixed by Clark.

Sia Shares New Song Co-Written With Adele And Tobias Jesso Jr (Listen)

Sia has just released a new track, and now our week is complete.

Alive is the new single off her new album This is Acting, and it is the kind of song you’ll listen to for days on end on repeat.

It was initially intended for Adele (Sia wrote it with Adele and Tobias Jesso). However, Adele passed at the last minute, but it’s still about Adele even if it’s now Sia’s lead single.

On the track Sia said.

It’s about [Adele’s] life, so I now sing a song from [Adele’s] perspective,”

This is the cool thing about Sia’s new album: All the songs were written for other artists.

Most of the songs, if not all of them, I wrote for other people and they were rejected. Generally, they’re songs that aren’t from my perspective, so it feels like acting. I have rejects from Rihanna, Shakira, Beyoncé [Knowles], Demi Lovato, all the good girls, [and] Katy [Perry]. I appreciate my music is famous, but I’d rather my face wasn’t so that I can just live a normal life. If I can’t, then I guess, maybe, I would end up just giving up and show my face.”

Sia is responsible for some of this past decade’s biggest pop hits, having written songs for Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Kylie Minogue. She also wrote Rihanna’s No 1 hit from 2012, Diamonds.

And the fact Adele passed on this is interesting, as she really could have released this as a single no problem, so it makes us think if she passed on this, whatever is on her album is incredible.

Listen to “Alive” (probably over and over) below.

Love is love: New Video Tom Goss Features Stunning Same-Sex Dance Sequence

LGBT advocate and award winning musician, Tom Goss has just released the video for his new song, ‘Breath and Sound’, that tells the story of three couples, who meet – and fall in love – through a moving dance sequence.

Screen Shot 2015-08-19 at 23.59.23

Talking to The Huffington Post Goss said that he wanted the LGBT community to feel as if the video was “telling their story.”

That’s why I’m doing this. There isn’t enough LGBT content being produced. Historically, people have been afraid to tell these stories – but I’m not. I will always use my voice to help tell the stories of those who cannot.”

However, he said that the video is not just for the LGBT community, saying he wants the video to help straight people “to understand the boundlessness of love.”

There’s a reason the first verse focuses on the straight couple alone – that’s what [straight people] are used to seeing. I want straight people to be drawn into a familiar story, one they understand and relate to. Once there, I want to show them that this exact same story is being lived by the LGBT community,”

He added.

As a gay man, I don’t want special privilege. I just want to love – passionately, fearlessly and completely.”

Watch the full video below.

Madonna Announces That She Will Never Perform in Russia, Due to The Country’s Treatment of the LGBT community.

Madonna has announced that it is unlikely she will ever perform in Russia, due to the country’s treatment of the LGBT community.

She made the comments in an interview to promote her upcoming tour, which begins in September.

Bitch I’m Madonna

The tour will involve concerts in 35 cities across North America, Europe and Australia.

However, the singer has stated that Russia will not be on that list.

I won’t appear in Moscow or St Petersburg anymore, because I don’t want to perform in places where being homosexual is tantamount to a crime.”

Madonna-03

The singer has previously accused Vladimir Putin’s regime of showing

… blatant intolerance of gay rights, artistic freedom, freedom of speech, and human rights in general.”

And back in 2012 the singer spoke out against the arrest of pro-gay band Pussy Riot:

I was shocked and outraged when I heard about this, and I spoke about it openly on stage [in Moscow] during my show. For this I received several death threats.

What I realised when I went to Russia, and saw what was going on with Pussy Riot, and what was going on with the gay community, was how lucky I was and am to live in a country where I can speak my mind.

It’s time for the rest of the world to be as brave as Pussy Riot, to stand up against people like President Putin that do not respect human rights, and perpetuate oppression, discrimination, and injustice of any kind.

We all have a moral obligation to stand up for anyone who’s being persecuted, whether it’s down the street from us, or on the other side of the world.”

Conservative St. Petersburg lawmaker Vitaly Milonov – infamous for his anti-LGBT views – was quick to responded to the singer’s statement.

In an interview to Russian News Agency, Milonov called the singer a “hypocritical old lady” and accused her of prioritising gay rights over the lives of children suffering because of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

‘Jagged Little Pill’ Turns 20

This month marks the twentieth anniversary of one of the most pivotal albums of the ’90s.

The ’90s were an era that launched grunge. The rules of rock and roll had changed, and suddenly music was more torridly soul bearing than ever.

If Kurt Cobain could wallow in sardonic boredom and blistering self-loathing, and Alice in Chains could simmer with harrowing and agonised epics, then why couldn’t Alanis Morissette revel in caustic retribution?

Anger and bitterness was part of the fabric of the decade, but Morissette’s ability to inject this turmoil into superbly produced and commercial songs of mass appeal proved an explosive combination that nobody else was able to match.

Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill debuted on June 13, and defined the genre we know today as alternative rock.

It was a piercingly emotional powerhouse that continues to resonate with millions of listeners worldwide.

Jagged Little Pill 01

Her pop album sold over 30 million copies, becoming the decade’s highest selling in America, and earned Morissette five Grammy Awards.

Jagged Little Pill is the culmination of a journey for Morissette that began when she entered show business in elementary school on the children’s show You Can’t Do This on Television.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Q55CLrTkg

As a teenager, she released two dance-pop albums for MCA Records in her native Canada — 1991’s Alanis and 1992’s This is the Time. Her debut was moderately successful, but the follow-up tanked and she was dropped from her label. Neither album was ever released outside of Canada, and Morissette has largely disowned them.

Morissette’s breakthrough came when she met up with Glen Ballard. He was able to help mould the young artist’s over-boiling emotions into commercial pop-rock that’s catchy enough to garner a wide audience but still intense and impactful.

Jagged Little Pill didn’t exactly fly off the shelves from day one. Several weeks after its release, the first single, You Oughta Know, hit airwaves. It first gained traction at alternative radio.

However, once MTV picked up the video, the song was suddenly everywhere.

Twenty years later, Jagged Little Pill still holds up as a landmark.

It’s the potently emotional travails of a young woman exploring the pain of broken relationships, and the wonder and promise of her burgeoning adulthood.

The album has aged well — it still sounds crisp and contemporary.

Heather Peace Postpones UK Tour to Spend More Time With Her New Daughter

Actress and musician Heather Peace has sadly announced that she will have to postpone part of her UK tour due to personal reasons.

Heather Peace and her wife Ellie welcomed their first daughter, Annie Mary Peace into the world in April.

https://twitter.com/ElliePeace01/status/589895050336800768

5 New Mega Remixes From Madonna to Make Your Weekend Complete

So our weekend warm-up is complete. Madonna has kindly shared five brand new remixes of ‘Bitch I’m Madonna’ on her personal YouTube channel.

Bitch I'm Madonna 02

All tracks feature the song’s guest artist, included Nicki Minaj.

This comes just a day after Madonna took to Twitter to tease an upcoming video.

Swoon Alert | Faith Hill Singing ‘Girl Crush’ with Little Big Town (Video)

Country superstar Faith Hill took to the stage at on Sunday nights 2015 Billboard Music Awards, where she joined Little Big Town to perform the band’s controversial single Girl Crush.

faith-hill-girl-crush-02

The four-member band sang behind mic stands as the song began. Cheers erupted from the audience as Hill, dressed in all black, joined the group onstage, singing the lyrics to the song’s second verse.

Girl Crush, the second single released from Little Big Town’s sixth album Pain Killer, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart despite being the center of controversy for its presumably lesbian themes. Several country radio stations pulled the song from air for the lyrics’ “gay agenda.”

Some of the lyrics in question include

I want to taste her lips, yeah cause they taste like you / I want to drown myself in a bottle of her perfume / I want her long blond hair, I want her magic touch / Yeah cause maybe then, you’d want me just as much … I got a girl crush.”

 

Madonna Makes Billboard’s Chart History With 45th No.1 and Gets Pink Tips

Madonna is not only the queen of pop, but also now unequaled chart royalty. She has made Billboard chart history, with her 45th number 1 chart hit.

Fuck Yeah! 💘#bitchimmadonna

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on

Madonna now passes another icon, George Strait, who’s logged 44 No. 1s on Hot Country Songs.

Madonna said in an exclusive statement to Billboard.

Thanks to all my fans on and off the dancefloor. I’ll (always) be your partner.”

The Queen of Pop, also took to Instagram earlier today with a sexy morning shot showing her new neon pink tips, courtesy of her stylist bestie Andy LeCompte. The pop icon posed in front of a New York City backdrop, wearing minimal makeup and a comfy printed tee.

“Rise and Shine NY!!!#bitchimmadonna,” she wrote alongside the snap.

 

Rise and Shine NY!!!#bitchimmadonna

 

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on

You Cant Touch This…..,……..#bitchimmadonna 🔥🔥🔥. Boom boom boom

A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on

Tegan and Sara Talk Fans in New Rolling Stone Documentary

In the new short documentary by Rolling Stone, “Dear Tegan and Sara: Inside The Band’s Bond With Fans,” addresses the evolution of their relationship with their fans: from their early days playing for friends in coffee shops, to their recent mega success sharing the stage with Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Macklemore.

We’d hang out all night talking to people. By the time we actually had real fans, that was how we thought you did a show. We created relationships with these people and they told us their stories.”

For 20 years, Tegan and Sara have been forging a unique relationship with their fans. The short video shows rare footage and photographs from the band’s earliest performances, the film also includes the voices of some of their biggest fans, who attest to the group’s profound influence on their lives.

tegan-sara-02

 

As much as we have felt like we never shut up about being gay, we’ve represented hope for a lot of these people because we do get embraced.”

Sia Debuts New Video ‘Big Girls Cry’

Sia’s latest video once again features dancer Maddie Ziegler, and is said to complete the trilogy.

The video for Big Girls Cry is more static than Sia’s previous videos, featuring the young dancer pictured from the waist up performing to the camera against a black background.

Sia-04

In this behind-the-scenes video, the elusive star discusses the film with the child star, the director and the choreographer

Sia’s recent videos have attracted nearly 900m views in total, controversy, and catapulted 12-year-old dance prodigy Maddie Ziegler into the spotlight.

Stripped of the elaborate routines in the previous two, the third and final instalment relies on just Ziegler’s hands and facial expressions to convey its message. The young dancer, who appears as an on-screen substitute for the camera shy artist.

Jay Z, Madonna, Rihanna and Beyonce Unite Music’s Biggest Stars to Launch Tidal

Some of the biggest names in music industry have joined forces to launch Tidal, an “artist-owned” music and video streaming service.

Rihanna, Madonna, Beyonce, Usher, Daft Punk, Arcade Fire, Jack White and Kanye West joined a host of other stars as they were revealed as co-owners of the subscription service, which is the brainchild of Jay Z.

The membership-based service will provide music and video content. However, unlike rivals Spotify, the service will not have a free tier – meaning the musicians stand to make more money from it.

Alicia Keys gave a presentation as the other artists stood side-by-side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=386&v=egShCjfvi9s

She said the artists hoped the new service would “forever change the course of music history” and ensure the viability of the industry.

“So we come together before you on this day, March 30th, 2015, with one voice in unity in the hopes that today will be another one of those moments in time, a moment that will forever change the course of music history. For today we announce of Tidal, the first ever artist-owned, global music and entertainment platform”

Alicia Keys

tidal-01 tidal-02 tidal-03

The membership-based service is being offered to U.S. users at two price points: about $9.95 for standard sound quality and $19.99 for ‘lossless high fidelity sound quality.’

In the United Kingdom the premium service will set users back £20.

Tidal streams at 1,411 kilobytes per second – well above the 320 for premium subscribers of Spotify, which offers lower levels for free users.

tidal-02 tidal-04

The difference means that Tidal offers higher sound quality for audiophiles with advanced sound systems – but that casual listeners using simple laptops or smartphones may face slower connections.

Jay Z’s company, Project Panther, took over Sweden-based Aspiro for a reported $56m (£37m) on 13 March. Coldplay’s Chris Martin and Calvin Harris, who both appeared via video, are also co-owners.

The firm owned WiMP – which rivals Spotify in some countries – and TIDAL (which streams music in HD).

Before the announcement, big names including Madonna, Rihanna, Coldplay, Usher and Jay Z’s wife Beyonce changed their Twitter profile pictures to the teal blue colour of Tidal’s website to show their support.

Tidal operates in 31 countries, including Britain, France and the US and is to be launched in six more including Australia and Germany.

Spotify is the industry leader and says it has 60 million users with 15 million of them paying for its services.

It has 30 million tracks available on its service and charges £9.99 per month.

Tidal streams at 1,411 kilobytes per second – well above the 320 for premium subscribers of Spotify, which offers lower levels for free users.

The difference means that Tidal offers higher sound quality for people listening on advanced sound systems.

Tidal offers users access to 25 million tracks, in addition to 75,000 music videos and other content including artist interviews.

There are two options: £9.99 for “standard sound quality”, and £19.99 per month for “Lossless High Fidelity sound quality”.

There is said to be no free version of Tidal beyond the initial 30-day trial period.

Tidal will compete with Spotify, Deezer and other streaming services.

Apple plans to relaunch its own Beats Music which was founded by Dr Dre.

 

Country Radio Stations Pull ‘Girl Crush’ Song from Airwaves Due to Assumed Lesbian Lyrics and ‘Gay Agenda’

Little Big Town’s latest single Girl Crush has been at the tops of the country charts on iTunes for several weeks. However, the ballad is being pulled from country radio stations in America, after audiences have complained the song’s lyrics “promot[es] the gay agenda.”

The lyrics these fans are upset over: “I want to taste her lips, yeah ’cause they taste like you/ I want to drown myself in a bottle of her perfume/ I want her long blond hair, I want her magic touch/ Yeah ’cause maybe then, you’d want me just as much/ I got a girl crush.”

According to the band, the song isn’t even about a woman in love with another woman. It’s about a scorned woman who is trying to understand why her man left her.

girl-crush-01

In an interview with Vevo; Little Big Town’s Phillip Sweet said

“Country music was built on songs about heartache and jealousy. This woman is just looking at the woman her man left her for and wondering, ‘What does she have that I don’t have? What am I missing? What is it that she’s giving you that I can’t give you?'” 

Fellow country artists and Nashville songwriters have chimed in on the controversy in support of Little Big Town.

Singer Charlie Worsham pointed out that fans should take more issue with the “boozy objectification of women” seen in many of today’s country tunes.

While interviewing the band, country radio host, Bobby Bones, expressed his frustration over the schism between what sells and what country radio airs.

“It shouldn’t even matter if it’s a lesbian song, is the first thing. Is it frustrating to you that here is your song — that is one of the Top 10 sellers for weeks and weeks and weeks — and people on the radio are still afraid to play it because they think it’s a ‘lesbian song?'”

The band agreed, with the lead vocalist Karen Fairchild saying,

“Just the fact that we’re still discussing that, number one, there’s so many problems with that whole issue.”

Texas And Sharleen Spiteri To Headline Manchester Pride

Manchester Pride organisers have announced that Texas, fronted by legendary singer Sharleen Spiteri, will headline this year’s event.

The singer is big LGBT ally and massive lesbian icon, with her songs have been featured in The L Word, and used as the title track to 90s US sitcom Ellen in which she made a cameo.

Chief Executive of Manchester Pride, Mark Fletcher, said:

“2015 marks the 25th anniversary of events celebrating LGBT life in Manchester across the August Bank Holiday weekend. It’s an incredibly special year and the Manchester Pride year-round events calendar will reflect this important anniversary.

“We look forward to welcoming thousands of people to the City over the Big Weekend as we continue with our fundraising aims to raise as much as possible for the various organisations that we support.”

Mark Fletcher

This year also marks Texas’ 25 years anniversary. They first burst onto the music scene in 1989 with I Don’t Want A Lover.

Awesome, Tegan and Sara To Perform At The Oscars

Its been announced that Tegan and Sara will be taking the stage at the Oscars. The duo has been added to the long list of performers, to sing hit song Everything Is Awesome, which is featured in The Lego Movie.

Although The Lego Movie may have been snubbed at the Oscars in the Best Animated Feature category, it did nab a Best Original Song nomination for the song, which was written by Shawn Patterson.

The awards show producers have now announced that the song will be performed live at the Academy Awards by The Lonely Island and Tegan & Sara, who performed the song for the end credits of the movie. The Lonely Island confirmed that they would be playing the song live via their Twitter.

The 87th annual Academy Awards will be held Sunday, February 22 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

Grammy Highlights | Sam Smith Won Everything, Kanye Pulled A Kanye & Sia Hair Arrived In Style

Just in case you didn’t have a chance to see the Grammys results, here’s a quick summary.

Out British singer Sam Smith made history tonight as the first openly gay winner of the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. It was one of four wins for Smith who also took home Grammys in Best New Artist, Song of the Year and Record of the Year for Stay With Me.

57th GRAMMY Awards - Press Room

“It was only until I started to be myself that the music started to flow and people started to listen. Just a quick one, I want to thank the man who this record is about who I fell in love with last year. Thank you so much for breaking my heart, because you got me four Grammys.”

Sam Smith

The evening included memorable numbers from LGBT artists including Sam Smith teaming with Mary J. Blige, Brandy Clark collaborating with Dwight Yoakam, Lady Gaga with Tony Bennett, and Sia. The show also included a video message from President Obama about domestic violence and the It’s On Us campaign to stop sexual assault.

Other highlights included everyone making Tom Petty jokes when he did online, and Iggy Azalea not winning much despite all the hype, and Kanye West rushing the stage just as Beck was accepting his win for album of the year, who he happened to win over a certain Beyonce Knowles.

KitschMix’s Tracks of The Week – Kimberly Anne, Fifth Harmony, BEA, & Raphael Saadiq

Kimberly Anne – Heartbroken Medley

UK-based folk singer Kimberly Anne’s ‘Heartbroken Medley’  is an acoustic Mash-Up, which has been playing over and over on my iPod. Love her vocals.

Fifth Harmony – BO$$ (BOSS)

After releasing two gold singles in the US, Miss Movin’ On and BO$$more, Fifth Harmony – comprised of Ally, Normani, Dinah, Camila, and Lauren – have set their sights on global domination.

BEA – We’re Like the Hard Born

Raphael Saadiq – Just Don’t

Saadiq has been making great music for years and continues to create melodies that will live forever.

Fatima Al Qadiri – Shanghai Freeway

KitschMix’s Tracks of The Week – Beyoncé, Raye, Girlpool and Meghan Trainor

Beyoncé – 7/11

This fun and playful video features Beyoncé dancing in her underwear, making a human pyramid and straight up playing around with friends in what looks like a hotel. It’s an impromptu party and we’re glad we got the invite.

 

Raye – Need Me

17 year old London teenager, RAYE, is the UK’s latest offering to the music industry and we love her. Releasing her first EP entitled ‘Welcome to the Winter’, this year – she credits Ella Fitzgerald, Lauryn Hill and Drake as some of her biggest inspirations. Having being compared to Lorde, RAYE ensures she injects enough depth into every one of her tracks.

https://soundcloud.com/arayeofcolours/need-me-1

Girlpool – Blah Blah Blah

Girlpool have just released a new track and video, which they shot with Sini Anderson, director of The Punk Singer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWqzp3JGrRY

Meghan Trainor – Lips Are Movin

‘Lips Are Movin’ is the follow up to Meghan Trainor mega hit ‘All About That Bass’. This video has had over 9 million hits in less than 10 days – POW!

KitschMix’s Tracks of The Week – Julia Vero, Little Dragon, Bastille ft Angel Haze, and Charli XCX

Julia Vero – ‘How Does It Feel?’

Totally in love with the track. The drums and synths build on this power-pop smash, with a euphoric chorus that continuously delivers each time it comes around. This is song which talks to you, gets caught up in your thoughts and gets your attention.

Charli XCX – ‘Gold Coins’

This single brings me back to my 90’s youth. ‘Gold Coins’ is the latest track from Charli XCX’s upcoming pop album SUCKER. Grungy guitars and vocals, plus tongue-in-cheek lyrics puts this track securely in the teen-movie soundtrack category.

Little Dragon – Underbart

Little Dragon have shared the video for ‘Underbart’, from this year’s Nabuma Rubberband. Directed by Grant Singer, it shows singer Yukimi Nagano exploring the city in a number of mental states—one of which features Don Bolles of the Germs wearing mermaid-green hair.

Bastille – Weapon (vs. Angel Haze vs. F*U*G*Z vs. Braque)

We are loving the stomping beat track from British pomp-rockers Bastille. Titled ‘Weapon’ the song features vivid lyrics from acid-tongued Angel Haze. “Watch all those dormant arise, and put all your palms in the sky,” Haze spits, speaking in grandiose terms befitting the stomping beat. “No more falling to pressure, no more villain acceptance.”

The song is not coming off a proper album, but rather a forthcoming mixtape called VS (Other People’s Heartache, Pt 3). In a release, Bastille frontman Dan Smith explains the difference:

“I love having the side lane of our mixtapes as a place where we can make music people might not expect. This mixtape is very much a reflection of our 2014. It’s always been really important to me to constantly make new music and also to collaborate with people, something we don’t really do on our proper albums.”

Dan Smith

 

 

South Korea Bans Music Video Because it Appears to Portray Very Vanilla Lesbian Relationship

A music video from the Chinese girl group SNH48, which features two women from 16-member group ‘caressing’ and ’embracing’, has been banned by South Korea.

SNH48 is the Chinese sister group of the hugely popular Japanese group AKB48. Their recent video for song ‘Uza’ was removed from South Korean digital channels after less than three days online.

Korean media is now speculating that a music video for has been banned in the country because of ‘intimate’ scenes between two of the women.

Something to note is the video was actually shot in South Korea and directed by popular music director Hong won-ki.

 

It is legal to be gay in South Korea, but the country does not offer same-sex marriage or civil partnerships for same-sex couples. Lesbian couples can not adopt and there is no anti-discrimination legislation to help protect LGBT people.

Efforts to include protection of sexual orientation in the Anti-Discrimination Act are opposed by religious groups and have been thus far unsuccessful.

At KitschMix we wonder if this video made it onto Korean screens…

Or this…

 

Keyshia Cole Premieres New Video, and Displays Both her Masculine and Feminine Self

Last month, Keyshia Cole made headlines when she released the song ‘She’, insinuating that she was singing about her lesbian lover just days after it was reported that she would soon be filing for divorce from her ex NBA player husband Daniel “Boobie” Gibson.

In her new video for the sensual track, the newly-single singer rolls around the bed in sexy lingerie in an attempt to seduce a “mysterious woman” who looks very familiar.

Regarding the song’s concept, Cole says it’s not about her playing for the other team.

“It’s about self love to me, and going through my divorce, you have to give yourself a little self love because you’re used to somebody being there every night and they’re not.”

Keyshia Cole

‘She’ is the first single from Cole’s sixth studio album Point of No Return (release date TBA), and feature collaborations with R. Kelly, Juicy J, Future and Wale, to name a few.

“There’s definitely more sexy songs on this album than I’ve ever done. I’m excited to see what the people think about that, so we’ll see how receptive they are to the album. I think it’s a great album and I feel like it’s one of my best albums to date.”

Keyshia Cole

Meet FKA twigs – East London’s Avant-pop Auteur

Over the last year, London-based artist FKA twigs has produced a series of excitingly original pieces of music, each of which featured an equally striking visual accompaniment. A mix of soaring vocals and trip-hop beats, she has become an industry darling.

Luckily for us she has been sharing a number of tunes all summer long from her upcoming debut album LP1 – the latest being ‘Pendulum’.

‘FKA twigs is unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard before. Meet the British avant-pop auteur rewriting the sound of modern music’

Dazed Magazine

‘Pendulum’ begins by focusing on Twig’s vocals as they drive the song. Then faraway rap beats starts to provide atmosphere.

“My hope for this record is that people will be able to identify my sound as a producer and understand how much of this I do myself. I’m being fearless and finding a strength in myself to be more confident, to make bolder moves. It’s a tough industry. People always belittle what you’re doing, your creativity. I’m not listening to the sly putdowns. 
I’m finding the strength and confidence within myself to ignore those voices, and do what I’m doing regardless.”

FKA twigs

‘Pendulum’ is out now and you can pre-order LP1, which comes out August 12 on Young Turks.