Focus Music Notes. "Out of the Blues". Popular music through the decades

Weeks after Ariana Grande released the smash hit 'thank u, next', the hardest working woman in pop just dropped another song. Grammy Award®-nominated, multiplatinum, record-breaking superstar ARIANA GRANDE releases "Imagine", the new song lifted from her highly anticipated fifth studio album due to be released next year on Republic/Island Records . The brand-new song was produced by Happy Perez and Andrew "Pop" Wansel. Listen to "Imagine" below. After dropping the most anticipated video of the year 'thank u, next'. The noughties female-lead-movie inspired video moment has become the most viewed YouTube and VEVO video ever in 24 hours (with the premiere setting new record 829K viewers/ 427K Comments). The video now has over 170M views. 'thank u, next', spent the 6th week as the UK's Official #1 single and Ariana Grande has spent the longest time at #1 for a female artist in 2018. The track is still #1 on Spotify UK ...

Republic Records, in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, has released the Official Soundtrack Album for Spider-Man™: Into the Spider-Verse. The soundtrack features the previously released, RIAA Gold certified single “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” by Post Malone & Swae Lee as well as new music from Nicki Minaj and Anuel AA, a collaboration entitled “Familia (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” which also features Bantu. The full track listing can be found below. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man Universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind. Spider-Man™: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask. “It was important to the filmmakers to give Miles’s world a soundtrack that not only...

Today Sigrid announces her highly anticipated debut albumSucker Punch, set for release on 1 March 2019 on Island Records. The Norwegian pop star’s experience over the last year has been the backdrop for her debut record. From writing at the piano of the stunning Ocean Sound Recordings in her hometown of Alesund, to winning the BBC Sound of 2018, Sigrid’s epic songs are tales of the unexpected; fearless musical collages and shout-outs to human resilience. “I figured out early on that it’s gonna be difficult for me to try and be anything other than who I am. I always said if I’m gonna do this it’s easiest to be myself and look like myself, where I can recognise myself,” Says Sigrid. Sigrid’s defiant pop was catapulted into the public consciousness last year with the zeitgeist defining ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’; the certified-Gold ‘Strangers’, A-List record ‘High Five’, critically lauded RAW EP and new single ‘Sucker Punch’. The pop prodigy has also been chosen to perform at the Royal Va...

The Specials, one of the most electrifying, influential and important bands of all time, follow the announcement of ‘Encore’, their first new album in 37 years, with the release of their new single “Vote For Me’ via UMC /Island Records. ’Vote For Me’, the first new Specials single since the band’s era-defining 1981 no. 1 ‘Ghost Town’, was written and produced by founding members Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, Horace Panter together with long-time collaborator Torp Larsen and addresses the same social and political issues which were prevalent when the band formed in the late 70s 2019 marks the 40 th anniversary of the formation of The Specials and the legendary Two-Tone label in Coventry in 1979, and also marks 10 years since the band reformed to play some of the most vital and joyous live shows in recent memory. The Specials will take to the road in the UK and abroad throughout 2019 in support of the new album. The track-listing for ‘Encore’ is as follows: CD1 ...

Danish producer, songwriter and vocalist M.I.L.K releases the sun-soaked single ‘Time For Reinvention,’ featuring one of the rising stars in the French rap scene Nemir. Garnering almost 10M streams, M.I.L.K released his debut EP ‘A Memory of a Memory of a Postcard’ last year, followed by ‘Maybe I Love Kokomo’ in May. The track showcases the Danish artist’s talent in production which he expanded on from the original by adding his vocal for the chorus along with a verse from NEMIR. ‘Time for Reinvention’ is a remix of Nemir’s already released song ‘Des Heures’. Listen to ‘Time For Reinvention’ Ft. Nemir here: https://Milk.lnk.to/TimeForReinvention 👀👀👀 “This track is all about the groove and the good times. It’s an antithesis to the edm-infusion pop bangers that everyone seems to be making these days. It’s a beach-jam made up by real people with real instruments.” – M.I.L.K. ------------- Follow M.I.L.K.   Facebook     Instagram   Twitter ...

Mumford & Sons’ fourth album ‘Delta’ is out now on Gentlemen of the Road/Island Records. Watch Mumford & Sons performing Guiding Light on the Graham Norton Show HERE STREAM ‘DELTA’ HERE    -   BUY DELTA HERE ----------------------------- Mumford & Sons Live: 16th November - Dublin, 3 Arena 18th November - Belfast, SSE Arena 20th November - Glasgow, SSE Hydro 21st November - Manchester, Manchester Arena 23rd November - Birmingham, Genting Arena 24th November - Sheffield, Fly DSA Arena 25th November - Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena 27th November - Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena 28th November - Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena 29th November - London, O2 Arena 1st December - Leeds, First Direct Arena 2nd December - Liverpool, Echo Arena 7th December - Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center 9th December - Boston, TD Garden 10th December - New York, Madison Square Garden 11th December – New York, Madison Square Garden 14th December - Washington DC...

Produced by Paul Epworth at The Church Studios in London, ‘Delta’ finds the band in sparkling, experimental form. Coupling their penchant for the grandiose and the intimate, the British four-piece paint their sound with a broad range of colours and textures. It’s a record that they are immensely proud of and draws on their own individual and collective experiences over the past two years since the writing and recording process for ‘Delta’ commenced. On Thursday evening, fans connected around the world for a series of special album playback events, where ‘Delta’ was accompanied by visuals curated by, and in partnership with, National Geographic. It was an idea by the band, originally inspired by their own creation process of the album. Mumford & Sons: "While we were recording and mixing Delta, we watched a lot of films on silent including some pretty epic wildlife films by National Geographic -- like a vision-track to our soundtrack. So, we felt it would be a nice idea to ...

Easy Life have unveiled the video for latest single ‘Nightmares’, which is available now on Island Records. The idiosyncratic Leicester five-piece recently made their TV debut on ‘Later…with Jools Holland’, and continue their sold-out UK tour - featuring an intimate date at London’s Moth Club on November 21st – this week. Directed by Greg Barth (Blink Productions), ’Nightmares’ perfectly captures the confidence, charm and charisma of Easy Life (with the track also receiving a surprise shout-out from Emma Thompson when she was made a Dame this week). Blending hip-hop swing, jazzy horns and the band’s innate ear for pop hooks, ‘Nightmares’ itself originated– says lead-singer, Murray – “with a trumpet sample that we loved from Dionne Warwick’s version of Burt Bacharach’s ‘Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets’. This instantly gave us the feels, and the rest just kind of fell into place.” The result is a positive, uplifting take on a young generation – as the lyrics to ‘Nightm...

Metro Boomin has just released a surprise new album NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES LISTEN HERE - https://metroboomin.lnk.to/_NAHWC Tracklisting: 10AM/Save The World (Feat. Gucci Mane) Overdue (Feat. Travis Scott) Don’t Come Out The House (Feat. 21 Savage) Dream Catcher (Feat. Swae Lee & Travis Scott) Space Cadet (Feat. Gunna) 10 Freaky Girls (Feat. 21 Savage) Up To Something (Feat. Young Thug & Travis Scott) Only 1 (Interlude) (Feat. Travis Scott) Lesbian (Feat. Gunna & Young Thug) Borrowed Love (Feat. Swae Lee & WizKid) Only You (Feat. WizKid, Offset & J Balvin) No More (Feat. Travis Scott, Kodak Black & 21 Savage) No Complaints (Feat. Offset & Drake) (Bonus) --------------------

It’s simple. Really. JamesDavis is a band of three musician siblings who have now come together after separately deciding they needed a way to express the songs that were constantly forming in their heads. Comprised of fraternal twin sisters Jess and Rey along with their brother Auston, their music blends stripped-down soul with heartfelt rock,taking influence from music greats such as: Leon Ware, Curtis Mayfield, Tina Turner, Mary J. Blige, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Kings of Leon & Fleetwood Mac. What has essentially been a private project, James Davis has started performing live with a bare setup. Rey plays guitar and sings, Auston is on keyboards, and vocals & the pads, while Jess offers her voice. Until now JamesDavis has been very much under the radar, an anomaly in today’s musical landscape. They’ve held tightly to their songs, because they know they’re valuable. Now they’re ready, for you with their new EP “Lamplighter”. “SPEEDBOAT” SINGLE OUT NOW -: https...

‘Sucker Punch’ cements the Norwegian star Sigrid’s rise to pop prominence. The singer, songwriter and arranger today releases the colossal video to the single, working with acclaimed directors AB/CD/CD to create a confident, spontaneous, authentic pop-tastic visual. The 22-year-old progressive talent says: “The video is a bit mad, and that’s the whole point, as there’s a lot going on in the song. It’s filmed in London and the set design was so good, what a team. I hope people have fun watching it; and dance, sing and laugh. If you’re wondering if you can buy the Sigrid Tacos...we should make that happen!” Sigrid was catapulted into the public consciousness last year with the zeitgeist defining Don’t Kill My Vibe; with the certified-Gold Strangers, A-List record ‘High Five’ and critically lauded RAW EP following. The pop prodigy will now play her biggest sold-out headline to date on 12 November, as she takes on O2 Brixton Academy and tours the UK, as well as being chosen to perform at...

The Specials, one of the most electrifying, influential and important bands of all time, release “Encore”, their first new music for 37 years via UMC /Island Records on February 1st. 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of the formation of The Specials and the legendary Two-Tone label in Coventry in 1979, and also marks 10 years since the band reformed to play some of the most vital and joyous live shows in recent memory. The 10-song “Encore” was produced by Specials founding members Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Horace Panter alongside Danish musician/producer Torp Larsen and indeed is the first time Hall, Golding & Panter have recorded new material together since the band’s 1981 No.1 single Ghost Town. The Specials will take to the road in the UK and abroad throughout 2019 in support of the new album. HMV customers can pre-order ‘Encore’ on CD or vinyl before 11.59pm on Monday 29th October 2018 for first access to 2019 UK tour tickets. Fans who have pre-ordered the a...

Delivering the brash honesty of rap music, with her unique blend of soul and R&B spirit, Ray BLK weaves between genre boundaries borrowing the elements she requires to reach her goals. “I feel proud when my music connects with people,” says the 23-year-old, real name Rita Ekwere, who was born in Nigeria and raised in Catford, South London. Ray’s first experiences of music came at a very early age, when she recalls dancing to Missy Elliott and Timbaland on MTV Bass at the age of seven “From that age I thought, this is what I want to do,” she recalls. “I remember singing and dancing along to all of it and thinking ‘Oh my god, I'd love to be doing this.’” From the age of ten, Ray was already setting her dream in motion, filling her school notebooks with original song lyrics, prompting teachers to put her on a gifted and talented music programme. Despite her early experiments with music, it wasn’t until her final year of studying English Literature at university that she de...

Continuing his global domination, history-making multiplatinum Dallas, TX artist Post Malone touches down in Europe next year for a full-scale headline tour. The superstar will take over arenas throughout Europe as he brings his chart-crushing second full-length beerbongs & bentleys [Republic Records & Island Records] across the pond. Tickets go on sale October 12. Get them here. Post Malone stirs a mix of genres into his own sonic sound that’s both intoxicating and invigorating. His RIAA Platinum certified debut album, Stoney, led the genre-bending Dallas, TX artist to his first Top 10 Billboard 200 and first #1 R&B/Hip-Hop Album while being the “#1 Debut Hip-Hop Artist of 2016”. In 2018, his sophomore album, beerbongs & bentleys, debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #1 and achieved one the year’s “biggest streaming weeks ever”. Additionally, Post charted nine songs in the Top 20 of the Hot 100, notching “the most songs in the Top 20 of the Hot 10...

Today, groundbreaking Norwegian pop star Sigrid releases the highly-anticipated new single Sucker Punch, following her critically acclaimed RAW EP and incredible festival performances at Reading & Leeds and Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend. Highlighting the breadth of Sigrid’s maturing talent and aptitude for song writing, Sucker Punch cements the 22-year-old’s rise to pop prominence. Sigrid also drops an augmented reality lyric video using new technology, which has a ‘smartphone’ aesthetic mirroring the masses of social content that populates our life every day, with the augmented reality twist. “Sucker Punch is one of my favourite songs so far and I’ve been so excited for release day! Emily Warren, Martin Sjølie and I made it when we were in Ocean Sound Recordings in my hometown a while ago. The song is just a result of our usual way of working: talking, cooking, strolling, singing, dancing, experimenting...! Ugh it was so fun - just like the track itself.” Says Sigrid LISTEN T...

A few weeks ago, Kailee Morgue headed up NYLON's  Soundcheck . Now, she's premiering the video to her track "Siren" exclusively with NYLON. Morgue is a relative newcomer, first popping on our radars when she created a video for her song "Medusa" in her own bedroom, garnering 100,000 likes in a single night. "Siren" is the follow-up in which Morgue gets to play the villain. "The Greek mythology references picks up where my first single 'Medusa' left off," she explains. "But this one has a much more sinister tone. The balance between lofty vocal and the sexy, unsettling instrumental mirrors the temptation to do something forbidden or ill-advised." "Siren," which premiered on BBC Radio 1's Best New Pop, arrives hot on the heels of Morgue's viral hits,  "Do You Feel This Way" (feat. Whethan) , " F**k U " and last year's breakout track, " Medusa , " which catapulte...

Today Spring King share ‘The Hum’, the massive new single from their forthcoming album A Better Life. Taking the bands trademark choruses to the next level, ‘The Hum’ is a raucous chant-along roar of fight-for-your life invincibility. The track was premiered last night by Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1 and can be streamed/purchased now . Of the track, Spring King’s James Green says: “"The Hum’ is a song about returning to old haunts and old memories, and attempting to relive those visceral experiences and emotions, whilst realising that you've allowed yourself to slip into a life that wasn't necessarily what you'd planned. It also came to encompass all the broader themes that the album touches on - self-reflection, overcoming adversity and negativity, and a constant striving for something better.” A Better Life is released August 31 via Island Records. A stunning evolution from their 2016 debut, Tell Me If You Like To, the new album is a primal, joyous ...

Set to soundtrack the summer across the UK and beyond, London's Kai Jack gives Edie Brickell and the New Bohemian's nostalgia-inducing classic 'What I Am' a fresh spin for 2018 .   When Kai Jack plays, everyone is welcome to the party. Kai Jack captures the essence of the dance scene at its inception to create fun, accessible rhythmic music that works as well in your car as it does on the dance-floor. What I Am marks the beginning of a fun and friendly project, a push back at dance music that takes itself too seriously.   Kai Jack says "having been obsessed with MTV while at school, the original "What I Am" was a track that got played stacks. It was even featured in an episode of Beavis and Butthead which must have been on about 1000 times! The original has such an amazing groove to it, and Kai Jack is all about capturing the essence of quality music and delivering it to today's dance music loving audience." Kai Jack - What I Am Rel...

Dancehall legend, Grammy Award winner, and maker of some of the most memorable videos in pop, Sean Paul, unleashes the video for his brand new Major Lazer produced Island single “Tip Pon It”.  The video, shot on location in Paris, was d irected by l egendary French artist and director Alex Courtes, who also appears in the video, and who has worked with the likes of Daft Punk, Kylie Minogue and The White Stripes.  Tip Pon It comes hot in the heels of Sean’s latest single the David Guetta produced Mad Love which features rising Mexican / American star Becky G who has been enjoying massive success in the US with her huge hit single “Mayores”. Sean Paul, who was recently presented with a plaque from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling a staggering 26 million records, h as been enjoying an unbroken string of massive hit singles in the 2 years, most recently with the single  Body  featuring Atlanta superstars Migos which was...