A voice can spark a dance craze. A dance can change who feels welcome on a floor. Chubby Checker did both. With a grin in his tone and a director’s sense of pacing, he turned three chords into instruction manuals that every age could understand. Horns punch like handclaps. Drums hop with trampoline bounce. Guitars […]
While Erykah Badu gears up for her Mama’s Gun 30th Anniversary tour, she has also been working on a joint album with The Alchemist. Today, she revealed the release date for Abi & Alan, which will land on August 29th. It’s Badu’s first album in over 15 years, as New Amerykah Part Two (Return of […]
The only woman charged for the 2024 murder of Florida rapper Foolio is set to stand trial next week. First Foolio Murder Trial Looms Jury selection for murder suspect Alicia Andrews’ trial is expected to begin in Hillsborough County, Fla., on Monday (Aug. 18), according to court documents obtained by XXL on Thursday (Aug. 14). Andrews […]
Some bands play at urgency. The Stranglers made urgency feel elegant. Jean Jacques Burnel’s bass growled like a motorbike at idle, then launched like a racing cat. Dave Greenfield’s keyboards stitched baroque lines through alleyway riffs. Hugh Cornwell’s vocal turned cool observation into stagecraft, while Jet Black’s drums moved like a very precise storm. The […]
Rich Brian returns with his first album in six years, Where Is My Head? After prefacing the album with the single “Little Ray Of Light,” the Indonesian rapper followed up today with a new single, “She.” The video for the song is simple and straightforward, with Brian rapping in front of a monitor hooked up […]
Some singers visit a feeling. Patsy Cline built a house in it and left the porch light on. Her voice carried satin and gravel in the same breath, with phrasing that made everyday words sound like confidences. Arranger Owen Bradley set her inside warm rooms where steel guitar glowed, piano murmured, and the Jordanaires folded […]
Week in and week out, there are plenty of brand-new rap songs, no matter the time of year. It can be really difficult to stay aware of what’s out and also what’s hot, so XXL decided to make things much easier for you. Instead of sorting out nearly everything that was released this week, we’ve […]
Pop can be bubblegum and brass knuckles at the same time. Few artists have danced on that line with the confidence of Britney Spears. A whispered ad lib becomes a national catchphrase. A snare that hits like a camera flash turns a hook into a memory you can dance to forever. She bends vowels so […]
SZA is expanding her creative portfolio with an unexpected new role. After conquering music with her record-shattering albums CTRL and SOS and breaking into film with One Of Them Days, the multihyphenate adds another hyphen, announcing her appointment as the first-ever Artistic Director for skate shoe brand Vans. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the brand […]
Some bands chase the spotlight. Bad Company sounded like they walked in with the lights already warm. Paul Rodgers sang with church pew soul and barroom grit. Mick Ralphs carved riffs that could be scrawled on a jacket and still make sense at sunrise. Boz Burrell’s bass drew smooth lines under storms, and Simon Kirke’s […]