Top Music News provided by Billboard©

• Alcover, IAmChino, Jorge Gomez, Motiff, Spiff TV & Justin Quiles Play '20 Questions': Watch
  After taking part in the Billboard Latin Week panel “How I Wrote That Song,” presented by BMI, Alcover, IAmChino, Jorge Gomez,...
• Nashville Musicians Raise Funds for Waffle House Shooting Victims
  Nashville’s musical community is raising money to benefit the victims of a shooting at a Tennessee Waffle House with a special T-shirt honoring...
• Late-Night Hosts Pick Apart Kanye West's Pro-Trump Tweets
  Late-night hosts took issues with Kanye West's pro-Donald Trump tweets on Wednesday (April 25). "You don't have to agree with trump but...
• Pitbull Announces 2019 Tour With Life Coach Tony Robbins: Exclusive
  Pitbull is adding a motivational tour to his résumé. The iconic rapper talked about having a back-to-basics approach when it comes to music, but it...
• Watch the 4 Best Moments From Maluma's Panel at Billboard Latin Music Conference
  Maluma never thought that his career would grow so quickly. But Billboard’s new cover co-star is now a Latin superstar and on Wednesday (April...
• Twitter Confirms That Kanye West Did Not Lose Millions of Followers After Pro-Trump Tweets
  Many Kanye West fans on Twitter were outraged over the hip hop mogul's pro-Trump thread Wednesday (April 25), so much so that it seemed...
• Watch Steve Aoki Play a Hilarious Game of '20 Questions'
  Steve Aoki had some fun with Billboard during Latin Music Week on Wednesday (April 25), playing a game of 20 questions to celebrate the 20th...
• John Legend Tweets About Racism in America After Kanye Said He Supports Donald Trump
  Kanye West started a massive social media conversation about racism on Wednesday (April 25) after he tweeted a slew of messages in support of...
• Here Are the Lyrics to The Weeknd's 'Call Out My Name'
  The Weeknd's "Call Out My Name" is from his six-song EP My Dear Melancholy, which the singer surprise-dropped in late March. Rumors...
• Here Are the Lyrics to XXXTentacion's 'Sad!'
  XXXTentacion's second album, ?, has been a monster hit, with its second single "Sad!" rocketing up to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot...
• Becky G Talks Importance of Her Heritage & Giving Back to the Next Generation: Watch
  Becky G participated in a Billboard Latin Music Week panel with Karol G and Yuridia on Wednesday (April 25), during which they discussed being Latino...
• Chance the Rapper Defends Kanye West on Twitter: 'He's in a Great Space'
  Kanye West received some backlash Wednesday (April 25) after showing support for President Donald Trump and posting a photo in a “Make America...
• Soul Sisters Podcast: Bettye LaVette, 5 Decades Later, Finally Enjoys the Respect She Deserves
  "I've got to be the oldest person in show business with a new record contract," Bettye LaVette tells Soul Sisters on the...
• Halsey Set to Star in a Movie Based on Her Life Story
  Sony Pictures has closed a life rights deal with Halsey with hopes to produce a film loosely based on her life store, Deadline reported Wednesday (...
• Neil Young & Crazy Horse Return to the Stage: A Crash Course on Their Legendary Collaboration
  Neil Young and Crazy Horse just announced two shows at Warnors Theatre in Fresno, California, May 1 and 2. This will be the first time the veteran...
• Beyonce's Mom Tina Knowles Shares a Pic With 'Talented' Tiffany Haddish
  There doesn't appear to be any drama between Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, and Tiffany Haddish after that whole #WhoBitBeyonce fiasco. [...
• Britney Spears Shares Fitness Routine Before Piece of Me Tour
  Britney Spears is gearing up for her upcoming Piece of Me tour, and is giving fans some insight on how she keeps her famous abs looking top notch....
• Watch 'Despacito' Director Carlos Perez Discuss Success of Video: 'We Reached the Globe in Spanish'
  Earlier this month, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” broke yet another record, with the music video amassing 5 billion...
• Watch Steve Aoki Discuss Working With BTS & Daddy Yankee: 'We're Trying to Do Something Different'
  Steve Aoki appeared as a guest at Billboard Latin Music Week 2018, contributing to the conversation during the Producing for the Global Market panel...
• Watch Steve Aoki, RedOne & More Discuss How to Produce a Global Song at Billboard Latin Music Conference
  What makes a song a global hit? That’s the question that initiated debate between producers Steve Aoki, RedOne and Mauricio Refigno &...
• Taylor Swift Celebrates Countdown to Reputation Stadium Tour With Fun Facts
  Taylor Swift’s lucky number 13 has a new meaning. The songstress took to Instagram on Wednesday (April 25) to note that there are only 13 days...
• Britney Spears & Bruno Mars Set to Perform at Formula 1 United States Grand Prix
  Bruno Mars and Britney Spears will perform at the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix event, which will take place at the Circuit of the Americas in...
• Publicity Veteran Kenneth Reynolds Dies
  A memorial celebration is being planned for longtime publicist Kenneth Reynolds. Reynolds, who collaborated with a who’s who in music,...
• 5 Things We Want From Nas' Album With Kanye West
  In the midst of a tsunami of controversial tweets, Kanye West revealed that he’s been working on Nas’ next album, due on June 15....
• Kim Kardashian Defends Kanye, Says He's 'Years Ahead of His Time'
  Kanye West returned to Twitter earlier this April after a months-long hiatus. While the rap mogul’s stream of thoughts has been filled with...

Rolling Stone©

• Booker T. Jones' New Memoir to Be Released This Fall
• Musicians to Raise Funds for Waffle House Shooting Victims
• Meek Mill: 'I Don't Feel Free' After Release from Prison on Bail
• House of Representatives Unanimously Passes Music Modernization Act
• Crazy Horse: Nils Lofgren In, 'Poncho' Sampedro Out as Neil Young Plots New Gigs
• Kim Gordon Joins Stephen Malkmus on Nashville-Inspired New Song 'Refute'
• Kali Uchis Dances Through Afterlife in 'Get Up' Video
• The Dreamer: Shamir Is Carving Out His Own Musical Independence
• The Last Poets, Rap Forefathers, Talk Black Lives Matter, Playing Basketball With Wu-Tang
• Russell Simmons: $5 Million Sexual Assault Lawsuit Dismissed
• Dave Matthews Band Prep First LP in Six Years, 'Come Tomorrow'
• Eddie Money: Rock's Rodney Dangerfield Endures
• Watch Chvrches Wander Through Riots in New 'Miracle' Video
• 'The Shining' Meets 'Hotel California' in Father John Misty's 'Mr. Tillman' Video
• Review: J. Cole's 'K.O.D' Is a Tough, Rewarding Meditation on Addiction
• 'Human Shazam' Questlove Identifies Prince Songs From Second-Long Clips
• Fleetwood Mac Detail New Tour and Talk Life After Lindsey Buckingham
• She & Him Unveil His, Hers Love Songs for 'Universal Love' Comp
• Janelle Monae Taps Brian Wilson, Pharrell for 'Dirty Computer'
• Jay-Z: 'Meek Mill Is a Free Man'

The New York Times©

• Diary of a Song: ‘The Middle’: Watch How a Pop Hit Is Made
  Using voice memos, demos, texts and interviews, we reconstruct the wild ride of how Zedd, Maren Morris and a 23-year-old songwriter turned a few chords into an enormous hit.
• 10 Treasures, Unearthed From the New York Philharmonic’s Archives
  As she prepares to retire, the orchestra’s archivist shares some favorites: a 1926 music video, the program from Leonard Bernstein’s debut and more.
• 5 ‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ Songs From Bob Dorough We’ll Never Forget
  The jazz musician was best known for his irresistible educational songs, which packed math and civics lessons into funky earworms.
• Review: Anna Netrebko Emerges as a Powerful New Tosca at the Met
  Ms. Netrebko sang the title role of Puccini’s “Tosca” for the first time anywhere at the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday, and proved magnificent.
• Trump and Kanye West Share Praise-Filled Tweets. And, Apparently, ‘Dragon Energy.’
  The president and the rapper share a history of unpredictable behavior — and a delight in dividing the public.
• Lawsuit Accusing Russell Simmons of Rape Is Dropped
  The suit, filed in January by Jennifer Jarosik, was dropped on Wednesday. She had said she was raped in 2016 and sought $5 million in damages.
• Album Review: On ‘KOD,’ J. Cole Speaks to the Generation That Spurned Him
  The rapper wrestles with various kinds of temptation on his new album, but the larger issue he addresses is how a new wave of renegade stars view his work.
• Popcast: Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar Break Boundaries
  A Coachella set stunning in scope and execution. The first Pulitzer Prize winner who isn’t from classical or jazz. Hear a conversation about the two artists’ triumphs.
• ‘I Could Barely Sing a High C’: Pretty Yende Finally Conquers Lucia
  The soprano, 33, once thought people were crazy for thinking she should sing Donizetti’s crazed heroine. Now she’s doing it at the Met Opera.
• San Francisco Conservatory of Music Gets $46 Million Gift
  The donation, one of the largest ever to an American music school, will help build a $185 million performing arts center and residential tower.
• Bob Dorough, Jazzman With a Hit Kid-Music Series, Dies at 94
  Mr. Dorough worked with Miles Davis and many others, but he’s best known for his songs for the educational cartoon series “Schoolhouse Rock!”
• Meek Mill Is Released From Prison on Bail
  Prosecutors had said the rapper’s conviction should be vacated because of questions about the credibility of the arresting officer.
• Street Style: Coachella
  Looks that walked the line between costume and fashion came with pattern, sparkle and color during the second weekend of the Coachella music festival.
• Van Morrison Would Rather Play Jazz Than Talk About It
  The musician’s new album, “You’re Driving Me Crazy,” is his second release fully steeped in jazz. His favorite thing about it: “the spontaneity.”
• Madonna Loses Legal Battle Over Tupac Shakur Breakup Letter
  A New York judge dismissed the singer’s attempt to prevent an auction of her intimate memorabilia.
• Review: Third Tenor’s Not Quite a Charm in the Met’s ‘Roméo’
  Two singers dropped out of the title role in the Metropolitan Opera’s shaky revival of “Roméo et Juliette,” with Plácido Domingo conducting.
• Review: Hot Stuff Turns Cold in ‘Summer: The Donna Summer Musical’
  The late Queen of Disco and pioneer of electronic dance music gets the Broadway jukebox treatment.
• Prince’s Family Sues Hospital That Treated His First Opioid Overdose
  Though Prince declined all testing at the Illinois hospital, the lawsuit contends the medical staff did not do enough to find the cause of the overdose.
• Jason Aldean Earns the First Country No. 1 of 2018
  “Rearview Town,” the Nashville star’s first album since the Las Vegas shooting, debuted at the top of the album chart, pushing Cardi B to No. 2.
• Critic’s Notebook: The New ‘American Idol’: Youth Gone Wild and an Understanding Dad
  The singing competition, back after a two-year hiatus, is focusing on the fireworks onstage, rather than between the judges. And Lionel Richie is its godfather.
• Review: Two U.S. Orchestras Get a Rare Chance at Carnegie
  The Pacific Symphony, in its hall debut, played Philip Glass and the Grand Rapids Symphony dove into Brazilian music in back-to-back concerts.
• Watch How a Pop Hit Is Made
  Using voice memos, demos, texts and interviews, we reconstruct the wild ride of how Zedd, Maren Morris and a 23-year-old songwriter turned a few chords into an enormous hit, “The Middle.”
• Prince’s Friends Fiercely Guarded His Privacy, Complicating Overdose Investigation
  The musician’s close associates, who were fiercely protective of him, said they had no inkling of his painkiller addiction until just before he died of an overdose in 2016.
• Popcast: Pop’s Category Killers, From Live Nation to Spotify, Under the Microscope
  In recent weeks, the businesses that present music to the public have undergone major shifts.
• Avicii, Electronic Dance Music Producer and D.J., Is Dead at 28
  Tim Bergling, who worked with pop stars like Madonna and Coldplay under the stage name Avicii, was found dead in Muscat, Oman.
• That Decisive Moment: Bristling Energy: The Best Classical Music Moments of the Week
  Mozart, “Candide” and the music Pulitzer were among the highlights.
• Playlist: The Playlist: Prince’s Own ‘Nothing Compares 2 U,’ and 12 More New Songs
  Ariana Grande’s first new music since the Manchester attack, Taylor Swift on a Sugarland tune and the other tracks that caught our critics’ attention this week.
• A Room-Size Painting Becomes a Cello Concerto About Versailles
  An 18th-century panoramic vision of Versailles at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the inspiration for a new work by the composer Timo Andres.
• Review: Two Masters Unite in a Meeting of Musical Minds
  The tenor Mark Padmore and the pianist Paul Lewis brought artful intensity to songs by Brahms and Schumann at Alice Tully Hall.
• Romancing the Horn: Opera Stars Record Like It’s 1900
  Listen and compare two Metropolitan Opera singers as they’re captured on both turn-of-the-20th-century wax cylinders and modern technology.
• Critic’s Notebook: Past and Present, the Orpheus Myth Makes Us Rethink Music
  Two productions in Italy made our critic wonder about the fate of the story of a perfect instrumentalist in a world where music is omnipresent.
• Critic’s Notebook: Two Downtown Luminaries, Still Blazing
  With a bit of hustle, it was possible on a single evening to see the composer-performers Eve Beglarian and Joan La Barbara, both New York stars.
• 7 Classical Music Concerts to See in NYC This Weekend
  Our guide to the city’s best classical music and opera happening this weekend and in the week ahead.
• 14 Pop, Rock and Jazz Concerts to Check Out in NYC This Weekend
  Our guide to pop and rock shows and the best of live jazz happening this weekend and in the week ahead.
• Kanye West Says He Is Returning With Two New Albums
  The rapper, who has been largely quiet since canceling the end of his 2016 tour, said on Twitter that he will release new music in June.
• 20 Years of Jazz Concerts, Heading to Harlem
  The Jazz and Blues Art Box collection, with 230 concerts and 96 interviews from the Bern jazz festival, is a gift to the Schomburg Center, a New York library branch.
• Prince’s Overdose Death Results in No Criminal Charges
  The authorities in Minnesota said that no one would be prosecuted in the musician’s 2016 death from a fentanyl overdose, though a doctor will pay a civil settlement.
• The Underworld Will Stop in London en Route to Broadway
  The musical “Hadestown,” a new take on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, will open on Broadway after a run at the National Theater in London.

Metacritic©

• Speak Your Mind by Anne-Marie
  The debut full-length release for the British pop artist features a guest appearance from Marshmello.Label: Warner Bros.Release Date: Apr 27, 2018
• Last Man Standing by Willie Nelson
  The latest full-length studio release for the legendary country singer-songwriter features 11 new songs co-written with producer Buddy Cannon.Label: LegacyRelease Date: Apr 27, 2018
• In the Rainbow Rain by Okkervil River
  The latest release for the rock band led by Will Sheff, who produced the album with Shawn Everett, was recorded with Benjamin Lazar Davis, Will Graefe, Sarah Pedinotti, and Cully Symington.Label: ATORelease Date: Apr 27, 2018
• Caer by Twin Shadow
  The fourth full-length release for George Lewis Jr. as Twin Shadow features guest appearances from Haim and Rainsford.Label: Warner Bros./RepriseRelease Date: Apr 27, 2018
• Twerp Verse by Speedy Ortiz
  The third full-length release for the Massachusetts indie rock band led by Sadie Dupuis was mixed by Mike Mogis.Label: Carpark RecordsRelease Date: Apr 27, 2018
• Grid of Points by Grouper
  The 11th full length release for Liz Harris was written and recorded in Wyoming over a week-and--a-half.Label: KrankyRelease Date: Apr 27, 2018
• Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing) by Derek Smalls
  The debut solo release for the Spinal Tap bass player features guest appearances from Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Gregg Bisonnette, Larry Carlton, David Crosby, Donald Fagen, Taylor Hawkins, Jim Keltner, Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Michael League, Steve Lukather, Jane Lynch, Judith Owen, Phil X, Joe Satriani, Paul Shaffer, Chad Smith, The Snarky Puppy Horns, Steve Vai, Richard Thompson, Waddy Wachtel, Rick Wakeman, and Dweezil Zappa.Label: BMGRelease Date: Apr 13, 2018
• Vide Noir by Lord Huron
  The third full-length release for the Los Angeles-based indie band led by Ben Schneider (who also produced the album) was mixed by Dave Fridmann.Label: RepublicRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• Eat the Elephant by A Perfect Circle
  The fourth full-length studio release for the rock supergroup is its first album of new material in 14 years.Label: BMGRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• Beautiful Thing by Alexis Taylor
  The latest full-length solo release for the Hot Chip co-founder was produced by Tim Goldsworthy.Label: DominoRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• Hippo Lite by Drinks
  The second full-length release for the collaboration between Cate Le Bon and White Fence's Tim Presley was produced by Stephen Black and recorded in a house in the south of France.Label: Drag CityRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• KOD by J. Cole
  The fifth full-length release for the North Carolina rap artist feature tracks about addiction and rap culture.Label: InterscopeRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• 44/876 by Sting
  The debut full-length collaboration between Sting and Shaggy features contributions from DJ Agent Sasco, Aidonia, Morgan Heritage, Dominic Miller, and Robbie Shakespeare.Label: InterscopeRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• Primal Heart by Kimbra
  The third full-length studio release for the New Zealand artist features contributions from such artists as Natasha Bedingfield, John Congleton, ex-Rhye's Robin Hannibal, Jaga Jazzist's Lars Horntveth, and Skrillex.Label: Warner Bros.Release Date: Apr 20, 2018
• Roxy: Tonight's the Night Live by Neil Young
  The 18-track collection of live tracks recorded in September 1973 at Los Angeles' The Roxy soon after the singer-songwriter and the Santa Monica Flyers had completed recording of 1975's Tonight's The Night.Label: RepriseRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• Mr. Jukebox by Joshua Hedley
  The debut full-length release for the Nashville-based country artist was produced by Skylar Wilson and Jordan Lehning.Label: Third Man RecordsRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine
  Produced by Dave Cobb, the first release of new songs in 13 years for the singer-songwriter features contributions from such artists as Dan Auerbach, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and Amanda Shires.Label: Oh BoyRelease Date: Apr 13, 2018
• Pinkus Abortion Technician by Melvins
  The latest release for the sludge band features both Steven McDonald and Jeff Pinkus of the Butthole Surfers on bass.Label: IpecacRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018
• Evil Spirits by The Damned
  The first release in a decade for the British punk rock band was recorded live over nine days by producer Tony Visconti.Label: Spinefarm RecordsRelease Date: Apr 13, 2018
• The Sciences by Sleep
  The fourth full-length surprise release for the Northern California stoner metal band is its first new album in nearly two decades.Label: Third Man RecordsRelease Date: Apr 20, 2018