SUMMER WALKER ANNOUNCES LIFE ON EARTH EP OUT JULY 10
FOLLOWING STUNNING BET AWARDS PERFORMANCE
29 JUNE 2020 (TORONTO, ON) - During the BET Awards, Summer Walker who was nominated for Best Female R&B/Pop as well as Best New Artist also performed her songs “Session 32” and “Come Thru” with Usher. The intimate set and performance which was directed and creative directed by Lacey Duke, was brought to life by an all-female production crew. Vulture described the two-song set “made you feel like having your heart broken is a visit to a tranquil, pastel oasis.” On the tail of her passionate and social media trending performance, Summer Walker is ready to announce her new EP Life On Earth which is set to release July 10 via LVRN/Interscope Records/Universal Music Canada, the country's leading music company. You can pre-save the EP now, which is also executive produced by Summer Walker.
Pre-save Life On Earth EP HERE
Summer Walker’s critically acclaimed and record-breaking debut album Over It is available worldwide via LVRN/Interscope Records. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recently handed out a Gold certification for Over It’s single “Come Thru” featuring Usher and double Platinum for the album’s lead single, “Playing Games.” Meanwhile, Walker’s breakout smash, “Girls Need Love,” from 2018’s Last Day of Summer project, is also certified 2x Platinum. Collectively, the 23-year-old singer’s catalog has been streamed a whopping 4.5 billion times globally.
Walker successfully wrapped her First and Last Tour in support of Over It in late December. The six-week jaunt kicked off with a trio of sold-out dates in London, followed by a string of sold-out shows across the United States. The artist recently won her first Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist.
Toronto’s newest up-and-coming R&B artist MALACHI reveals the striking new music video for his standout single, “Out Of My Reach.” The track was featured on his debut EP, Right Now released last month.
Growing up on the outskirts of Toronto, 22-year-old rising artist MALACHI, spent his childhood surrounded by music of all genres. From his Trinidadian-born father’s reggae career to his mother’s favourite R&B singers like Mary J. Blige, Aaliyah and Destiny’s Child, music was always part of his environment. At the age of four, he began grounding himself in music when his grandmother had him join their church's gospel choir.
The video release of "Out Of My Reach" solidifies MALACHI’s upward trajectory, as he continues to set his sights on breaking through to the R&B music scene and beyond.
Spending the last three years in the studio, Malachi took his songwriting, arranging, and vocal work to the next level, readying for the right moment to release the outpouring of their creativity. Malachi has done just that. It's killer!
On the new EP, MALACHI notes: “This is the first body of work I ever created so these songs will always feel special to me. I poured my life experiences from that time into these songs. I’ve been sharing pieces of it up until now. This is the bookend to the first chapter. And I’m most excited for ‘Out Of My Reach’ to finally be released. It’s my most different song sonically and one of my personal favourites.”
Right Now arrives as a genre bending collection of songs that showcase MALACHI’s undeniable vocal strength and songwriting abilities. From the incredible piano ballad, “Soul Is Mine,” to the upbeat “I Got You,” each track draws on the diverse range of musical influences that lead to MALACHI’s distinct sound and style.
Canadian Artist Emanuel Debuts New Single with Help from Idris Elba
Emanuel
Debut Single
''Need You''
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Idris Elba-curated video for rising Canadian artist Emanuel's debut single "Need You"
Rising Canadian R&B star Emanuel shares the video for his debut single “Need You” today. Hours after the track’s release last week, Golden Globe-winning actor, musician and producer—and friend and supporter of Emanuel—Idris Elba OBE started the collaborative social media campaign #NeedYou2020, encouraging people to send in imagery documenting how they were coping with self-isolation with the intention to create an “inspirational collage.”
Within 24 hours, over 3,000 submissions for the collaborative video had been sent in from people around the globe with a final total of over 4,500 entries from over 20 countries. By creating this collaborative call to action, Elba and Emanuel let the world direct: a moving, honest expression of humanity’s deep need for connection. Emanuel’s stirring vocals and the compelling images create a sense of union in a distanced world.
“Need You” is the first single from Emanuel’s forthcoming debut EP, ALT THERAPY—Session 1: Disillusion, set for release this spring via Universal Music Canada. Writing from the perspective of a first-generation Canadian, Emanuel celebrates freedom, hope, and love through the ancient tradition of songwriting. With four generations of musicians in his family history, Emanuel has a deep respect for the connection and therapeutic power of music. Like his grandfather and great-grandfathers before him, he uses the medium of music to share his stories.
Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige feat. The Harlem Boys Choir
''Never Gonna Break My Faith''
Aretha Franklin’s “Never Gonna Break My Faith” has dropped as a solo version via RCA Records, RCA Inspiration, and Legacy Recordings. The previously unreleased track features the Boys Choir of Harlem.
The spiritually uplifting and soulful track inspires hope and to remain resolute in the world’s uprising against systemic racism and police brutality. The lyrics ring as true today as they did more than a decade ago when it was written.
“You can lie to a child with a smiling face/Tell me that color ain’t about a race,” the late Queen of Soul belts on the chorus. “You can cast the first stone, you can break my bones/But you’re never gonna break/You’re never gonna break my/Faith and hope ain’t yours to give/Truth and liberty are mine to live/Steal a crown from a king, break an angel’s wings/But you’re never gonna break, never gonna break my faith.”
."Never Gonna Break My Faith" originally was released as a duet with Mary J. Blige on the soundtrack to 2006's "Bobby," about the life of Robert F. Kennedy. It earned Franklin a Grammy for Best Gospel Performance — her 18th and final win.
In a statement, Clive Davis called Franklin's vocals "chilling" and said the song deserves to become an anthem.
“The world is very different now. Change is everywhere and each of us, hopefully, is doing the best he or she can to move forward and make the change as positive as possible,” said Davis, whose history with Franklin dated back decades. "Everyone should hear this record."
Franklin died in August 2018 at 76. "Respect," a biopic about the Detroit icon starring Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, is currently due out Dec. 25.
The #Canadian #R&B star (real name Abel Tesfaye) dropped “Heartless” overnight, his first new music since the EP My Dear Melancholy arrived in March 2018 and his 2016 full-length LP Starboy.
On it, he's looking to climb out a personal hole. "Why? 'Cause I'm heartless/ And I'm back to my ways 'cause I'm heartless/ All this money and this pain got me heartless/ Low life for life 'cause I'm heartless," he sings.
There's more music on the way. Earlier this week, The Weeknd posted a message on Twitter which explained he's in "album mode full effect." Since that post, the Toronto native teased a new song "Blinding Lights" in a Mercedes-Benz commercial.
One of Canada's most special voices both inside the studio producing/singing and outside reaching so many with his heart and faith, ''Carlos Morgan'' has joined the fantastic list of artists who are performing at the benefit concert #FIGHTINGCANCERW/FRIENDS held at the Purple Hill Country Hall, 20903 Purple Hill Rd., Thorndale, ON. Tickets are on sale for $25 at 519-461-0538.
Multi Award-winning artist, 'Carlos Morgan' has a very special connection to this benefit and we couldn't be happier to have him come to share his soulful, moving voice that will connect and speak to everyone sitting in the audience, the words that this event is all about. #Whatloveandfriendshipreallylookslike
Rhythm and blues artist Carlos Morgan's first audiences were from the Church of God of Prophecy in his native Canada. When he was a teen he moved on to perform with a number of R&B groups before going solo. His musical career has been one as a singer, songwriter, session artist, and even producer. After his first album was released in the '90s, he earned a number of awards, including a Canadian Urban Music Award for Best R&B Male Vocalist, a Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording, and a MuchMusic Video Award for Best R&B Video.
Carlos Morgan grew up listening to artists like Nat "King" Cole and Stevie Wonder. Morgan's taste for music was versatile, moving freely between gospel, jazz, pop, rock, and even classical. A couple of the early R&B groups he worked with were Blue Zone and Lypstick.
In 1996, Morgan completed his debut album, Feelin' Alright. The recording was released under the D-Tone Records label -- a record label that Morgan formed with two friends. The independent album sold well, and music reviewers took notice; so did Universal Music Canada. Feelin' Alright was soon released again, this time under the Universal label. Some of the tracks on the debut are "Give It to Me," "Baby C'mon," "Whatcha Got," "Forever for You," and "April Flower."
After a break from solo recording for a few years, Morgan entered the studio again in 2001 to work on a long-awaited sophomore offering titled We're Gonna Make It. ~ Charlotte Dillon
In 2001 & 2002 Morgan was inducted into the “Canadian Who’s Who”. Individuals are inducted into the Who’s Who publication based on their contribution to life in Canada. “Those included are selected based on merit alone, judged on the contribution they have made to life in Canada.” – Elizabeth Lumley, Editor.
Morgan released his album, “The Compilation”, on his label, Solroc Music. On the album, Morgan brings high energy R&B/Soul & Pop music with such songs as “Something ‘Bout You”, “Fascinated” and “Forever For You” (Soul Mix). Known to be a balladeer, Morgan sings romantic songs like “Sweet As You Are” and “Just Jane”. Morgan is releasing his new album, “Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going” Fall 2018.
Soulful, sexy, and determined, Morgan draws the listener in. With “The Compilation” the culmination of years of having kept faith that all obstacles can be overcome and dreams are realized every day, Carlos Morgan will not only have you “Feelin’ Alright”, but will also show you “The Compilation” of good music as he shares his journey of “Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going”.
In 2013, The John Lennon “Gots 2 Luv U” Songwriting Contest. In 2014, Morgan won the “Best R&B Male Act” and “Role Model” Winner @ The “2014 Black Canadian Awards” for his album, “The Compilation”. In 2015, Morgan received the Akademia Award f/ Best Song & Video for his single, “Just Jane”. In 2016, Morgan won the Global Music Award f/ Best Male Vocalist for his single, “Sweet As You Are” and in 2017, Morgan was honored by the City of Toronto for his musical contributions.
New Single, “Have A Little Faith”, Reaches TOP 10.
Carlos Morgan's new single, “Have A Little Faith”, has reached the TOP 10 on the “Euro Indie Music Charts”. My song is No. 9. More news to come about the single.
An R&B innovator wonders what it all means on the follow-up to his great debut.
Khalid tries to tackle one of the most difficult tasks in love, defining the relationship, on his infectious new song, “Talk,” which features production from the British duo Disclosure.
“Talk” boasts a bouncy beat of crisp drums and elastic synths that spring between Khalid’s tender croon. “I’ve never felt like this before,” Khalid sings, “I apologize if I’m moving too far/Can’t we just talk? Can’t we just talk?/Figure out where we’re going.”
Per Billboard, “Talk” is the first song from Khalid’s next record, which is expected to arrive in April. In a statement, Khalid said, “This album is the culmination of all of the growth and experiences I have gathered over the past two remarkable years. I have been in the studio pouring my soul and spirit to create a body of work that I hope speaks to each and every one of you.”
Hearing a lonely American teen sing softly and sweetly about coming of age — barely out of high school, with his adolescent weed-booze-and romance fantasia freshly intact — is what made Khalid Robinson a crucial fire-starter of the new R&B movement.
His rough voice and its melancholy ache were the vocal equivalent of a furrowed brow; his breezy, surprisingly lo-fi music provided a mix of ’80s synth-soul and blissful beats. Khalid’s debut album, 2017’s “American Teen,” was an exquisite vision of the same “quiet storm” Smokey Robinson sang about in 1975. Replace Smokey’s pillow talk with Khalid’s obsession with immediate connection, Internet camaraderie, cellphone photo albums and Uber hookups, then add in the folly, frolic and fragility of what it means to be a teen, and you got a modern, multi-platinum artist hinting at the past but racing into the future.
A gifted artist with a searching voice that can suggest a stoner Sam Cooke, Khalid further developed his pop chops on last year’s Suncity EP, nodding to reggaeton and Coldplay-esque melody. That wide-ranging talent is on display all over his second LP. The best moments recall American Teen’s airy feel and warm charisma. “Talk,” produced by U.K. house duo -Disclosure, is a gorgeously bloopy synth-soul strut; on “Right Back,” Khalid extends an invitation to hang at the beach, over a sparkling track that smoothly interpolates Big Pun’s Nineties classic “Still Not a Player.”
The credits to Free Spirit include Norse hitmakers Stargate, and Portugal. The Man producer John Hill. Yet despite some noteworthy cameos — John Mayer on the feathery disco tune “Outta My Head,” Father John Misty assisting on production for the maudlin “Heaven” — the LP isn’t overly burdened by the bold-faced guest spots you’d expect on a follow-up by an artist coming off a Top 10 debut. Instead, it gets tripped up by a different sophomore pitfall: Now that he isn’t an underdog, Khalid lapses into a little too much new-star introspection, exploring an ivory-tower aloneness that can recall the Weeknd’s goth-‘n’-B. On “My Bad,” he tries to stir some drama out of missing your texts because he was working too late at the studio, with nothing to ease his angst but some limpid George Benson guitar flicks. Elsewhere, why-me reflections like “Alive” and “Hundred” feel like solo late-night Uber rides into the dark heart of the soul.
The self-examining gloom gets thicker as the record proceeds. But Khalid remains a sympathetic guy; see “Self,”where he shifts from bluesy grumble to flighty falsetto as he observes, “My raw emotion make me less of a man?” turning self-doubt into a critique of phony masculinity.
That openness also comes through on the bonus track “Saturday Nights,” also on Suncity; Khalid’s voice vaults beautifully as he sings to a girl with a rough home life and a job she hates. It’s a sweet song with a classic message: Growing up is hard to do. Free Spirit reminds us just how weird it can be.
Multi-instrumentalist and producer lophiile returns to share his new single, "You've Changed", out today via No Tricks/Blue Note Records/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. The song follows his work as a member of contemporary R&B trio Radiant Children, who released their debut EP, TRYIN', in 2018, and his single collaborations with Freddie Gibbs, Vic Mensa and Nick Grant. The new track is another prime example of lophiile's ability to create genre-bending tracks that seamlessly capture his influences based in Hip-Hop, R&B, and Jazz. Listen to “You’ve Changed” HERE.
To coincide with the new single, lophiile is also announcing his new EP. To Forgive will arrive on February 21 via historic Jazz label Blue Note Records/Universal Music Canada, with campaign creative direction by Brooklyn-based creative label No Tricks. The EP enlists vocal contributions from Jamaican-American artist Jesse Boykins III, UK-based artist Sophie Faith, and American R&B singer NSTASIA, and delves deeper into the spirit of lophiile as an artist, offering a distinct tangible experience with each song in the form of accompanying visual art pieces. In addition to being a torchbearer for a generation of producers melding jazz, hip-hop and R&B sounds, To Forgiveopens the door to the next stage of lophiile's career as a fully-realized artist.
Iophiile - To Forgive:
You've Changed
One Hand feat. Sophie Faith
Late Ass
You're Gonna Need It feat. Jesse Boykins III
My Side feat. NSTASIA
Known for bringing hip-hop energy into electro-funk and R&B, lophiile (real name: Tyler Acord) made a name for himself as a go-to producer for breaking artists. Now, he's showing fans a fuller portrait of his diverse musical vision with a debut EP on Blue Note Records. Titled To Forgive, it's a forward-thinking, open-minded portrait of contemporary jazz.
Born into a deeply musical family - his mother was a gospel singer and his father was a trumpet player and sound engineer - Acord had early introductions to Motown and soul, from classics like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye to contemporary artists like Jill Scott and India Arie. He fell in love with hip-hop as a teenager, studied jazz in college, and spent three years touring with his twin brother's hardcore band, Issues, as their drummer/keyboardist and traveling DJ. But his dream was always to make his own music. In 2015, he returned to Los Angeles and wrote and produced for some of indie and electronic music's most promising artists: GoldLink, H.E.R., Gallant, Ray Blk, Moss Kena, Nick Grant, Freddie Gibbs, Skrillex and Zedd. It was through these sessions that he met Marco Bernardis and Fabienne Holloway, two London musicians who shared his vision for jazz as the ultimate musical hybrid. Together, they formed Radiant Children, a contemporary R&B band that uses slick electronics, imaginative samples, and live instrumentation to breathe new life into funk and soul.
In 2018, Acord relocated to London full-time. It was there that he put the finishing touches on To Forgive (out February 21), a thorough, thoughtful commentary on the duality of forgiveness: rage and release, bitterness and love, darkness and light. His single, "You've Changed", is a mesmerizing journey of jazz motifs, hip-hop rhythms, chopped-up vocal samples and soulful piano. It's a perfect introduction to his musical vision in which instrumentation and flow are front and centre. "lophiile represents the search for my sound, my independence," he says. "It's who I am as an artist."
Eddie Levert Sr., Walter Williams Sr., and Eric Nolan Grant are having the final say with April 19’s The Last Word, the first new O’Jays album in more than two decades. Why now? “We’ve waited long enough,” Levert tells EW, with a chuckle. And from the sound of the trio’s newest track, “I Got You,” the group will be bringing the love train along with them.
“’I Got You’ has a really old school vibe,” adds Levert. “It reminds me of a song we did a long time ago called ‘I Dig Your Act’ — a light, happy feeling going on there. It touches on some tough topics but it’s a happy song.”
“I Got You” is the second single off LastWord, following the scathing but soulful “Above the Law.” Written by fellow soul legend Betty Wright and Angelo Morris, “Law” tackles the abuse of power, and is “a commentary about what’s going on in the world,” says Williams. He and Levert also promise that The Last Word will include a mix of classic O’Jays soul and contemporary pop freshness. But will this really be the last word from the revered crew? “You never know,” adds Williams, laughing.
