beyonce sisters |
- Advertisers putting Black models front and center - Morning Call
- A family affair: Bandmates are easier to find than you think - The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines
- Less than 1% of music producers are Black women. With Beyoncé co-sign, Nova Wav defy the odds - Los Angeles Times
- Album review: 'Ungodly Hour' by Chloe x Halle - Brookhaven Courier
- Jacob Blake shooting: Cardi B, Beyoncé, other stars outraged - Los Angeles Times
| Advertisers putting Black models front and center - Morning Call Posted: 31 Aug 2020 06:24 PM PDT  Diversity in casting has, not incidentally, spawned a roster of newcomers being actively groomed for the kind of celebrity once enjoyed almost exclusively by Tyra Banks, Campbell, Tyson Beckford and their high-profile ilk. Maty Fall, a 19-year-old Senegalese Italian university student, caught marketers' attention after appearing on the cover of Vogue Italia last year. But Fall, who has since starred in campaigns for Pat McGrath Labs, Etro and Dior, views her success with a gimlet eye.  |
| Posted: 31 Aug 2020 03:22 PM PDT  Lots of iconic musicians partnered with their family members to make it big. Follow their lead and start your own family band! • The Knowles-Carters: Back before they were parents, Beyonce and Jay-Z were featured in several of each other's hit singles. These days, the queen invites her three kids to appear in visual albums like "Black is King" on Disney Plus, and their oldest, Blue Ivy's, voice first appeared in a Jay-Z song when she was just two days old. • The Jonas Brothers: Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas first became famous for starring as a fictional band in Disney Channel's Camp Rock movies in 2008 and 2010. After a yearslong break, the JoBros were back in the charts last year. No word yet on what the fourth bro, Frankie, is up to. • The Jackson 5: This Motown group started out as five brothers, who were between just 9 and 14 years old when their first album was released. It launched the career of Michael Jackson, who became one of the greatest performers of the century. Decades later, Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Marlo still perform the band's 18 #1 hits together. • Haim: Este, Danielle and Alana Haim started their band when they were about 21, 18 and 16 after listening to a lot of their parents' 1970s music. Watch any live video of the sisters performing together and you're sure to see some strange facial expressions — a mark of any committed musician.  |
| Posted: 18 Aug 2020 12:00 AM PDT  Brittany "Chi" Coney wouldn't necessarily use the phrase "Black girl magic." But she and her songwriting and production partner Denisia "Blu June" Andrews are both Black women in an industry dominated by white men. And it might take some magic to win a couple of Grammys and top the Billboard 200 album chart. Chi and Blu constitute the hitmaking duo Nova Wav. In a typical session, Blu's on the mic humming melodies and words and Chi's at the computer stitching the pieces together, but the longtime friends trust each other to trade places. The L.A.-based pair has worked on hits for Rihanna, Kehlani, Ariana Grande and DJ Khaled, but they're perhaps best known for their work with Beyoncé. All told, they've collaborated with the superstar on nine songs, including her Juneteenth "Black Parade" single and the "Mood 4 Eva" and "My Power" tracks off of "The Lion King: The Gift," which eventually helped form the aesthetically rich "Black Is King" visual album. Last week, Blu's 80-something-year-old grandma caught a "Black Is King" video on Facebook and gave her a call. "She said, 'Oh, my God, baby I'm so proud of you,'" Andrews told The Times. "She was like, 'I saw the video. I saw the people dancing to the song that you helped write.' And I was like oh, so now she gets it. Yeah, Grandma, I help write the songs that the artists that you see on TV perform." There aren't a lot of Black women who do what Nova does. Eight out of 1,093 total producing credits went to women of color between 2012 and 2019, according to the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Brandra Ringo, senior director of A&R at Warner Chappell Music, has been in the industry for almost a decade. She doesn't know of any Black female producer writing teams other than Nova. "They have to carry a heavy burden," said Ringo. "They have to deal with the oppression of being Black female writers and producers, when they just want to be creative in the studio." Nova have worked with everyone from Grande to Jason Derulo, but as Black producers, they're still sometimes typecast into doing R&B and hip-hop. "There have been times where there will be a pop session, and they'll only bring us in to give it an 'urban flair,'" Blu said. "So it's like, OK, why can't we just come into pop sessions? Because we can write pop records as well." "It's been a lot of people not wanting to give us any room," Chi said. "Walking into studio sessions, the guys just assume that we're only there to write and not to produce. It's been super tough." Blu and Chi hail from Tallahassee and Tampa, respectively, but Nova Wav began as a partnership nine years ago in Atlanta, where "the brewing of the culture" happens, Chi said. Their first big break came in 2012, when they got the call to co-write Rihanna's "Loveeeeeee Song." "It almost felt like, uh-oh, this is where the pressure begins," Blu said. After moving to L.A. in 2014, they worked on hits for Ariana Grande ("Best Mistake") and Kehlani ("CRZY"). Not long after, they found themselves in the court of music royalty: at the home of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, sipping wine and listening to music over the course of a five-hour session for what would eventually become the Carters' Grammy-winning "Everything Is Love" album. "In that moment, you realize how bold you have to be and how confident you have to be," Blu said. "'Cause Jay says, 'No, I think the lyrics should say 'Someday, somehow,' and I'm like, 'No, I think it should say, 'Someday, whenever.'" "It's super dope to work with another female producer and artist and A&R in her own right," Chi said of Beyoncé. "I remember being in the middle of working on 'The Gift' and hearing the different records. And then the way that she put it together at the end? She's such a genius, man." "Working with my sisters is always a pleasure," Teyana Taylor told The Times in an email. Nova Wav wrote and produced multiple songs on Taylor's latest, "The Album," which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. "We have real convos when we collab, leaving our hearts in the booth. Nova gets it." Now that Nova has come into their own (they just dropped "What U Need" with JoJo last week), they're looking to give other young women a leg up — whether that means an open inbox or supporting a studio intern. "I'm always looking for somebody to mentor, especially young women," Chi said. "There aren't a lot of women that do what we do. Just being an example is the most important aspect of it: To really just put your head down and say, 'I want to wear the crown.'"  |
| Album review: 'Ungodly Hour' by Chloe x Halle - Brookhaven Courier Posted: 17 Aug 2020 12:00 AM PDT  Eriana Ruiz Mykel's rendition of "Ungodly Hour" album cover.
It has been five years since rhythm and blues sister duo Chloe and Halle Bailey signed a joint deal with Beyonce's Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Beyonce stumbled upon the pair's cover of her song "Pretty Hurts." Since the release of their 2018 debut album, "The Kids Are Alright," the duo has kept busy. The duo has starred in three seasons of Freeform's sitcom "Grown-ish," sung at the Super Bowl and won two Grammy nominations. Despite a hefty schedule, they managed to carve out time to record their latest LP, "Ungodly Hour." Their debut LP plays with coming-of-age themes such as relationships and growing up. Now aged 20 and 22, the duo has decided to show a more mature side. The album opens with the sisters' voices weaving between each other in an operatic fashion. They then transition to the song "Forgive Me," a haunting R&B banger, where the sisters assert their dominance in moving on from a relationship. They elevate the song's eerie vibe with whistle tones parading in and out of the background. "Baby Girl," which was penned by the duo and produced by Chloe, is a love letter to themselves and today's girls. "Baby girl, it's your world," they recite. Though sometimes anthems dedicated to women can sound contrived, the song carries authenticity. "Busy Boy" takes a page from the male condemning songs of the late '90s and early aughts that were popularized by girl groups such as TLC and Destiny's Child. The song aims at taking down a player who is "busy" talking to several women at once. One unanticipated element of the track is a line at the top of the second verse. "It's four o'clock. You're sending me too many pictures of your… (Laughs)" This line, in particular, stands out from their earlier work and with the sisters insinuating the word at the end. Before the release of "Ungodly Hour," the sisters shied away from using swear words in lyrics and interviews. They told USA Today that line shocked their Dad. "Dad would be like, 'What?' Mom would be like, 'Oh, really?' Dad would listen to the song a few more times and be like, 'OK, I like it,'" Chloe said. Motown tinged mid-tempo "Don't Make It Harder On Me" is a stand-out track. The song's nostalgic R&B/Doo-Wop vibe feels like an homage to '60s girl groups such as Martha and the Vandellas and The Supremes. The only bust on the project is "Catch Up," featuring popular guest rapper Swae Lee. This song sounds like typical radio fodder and is generic compared to the rest of the LP. The track's saving grace lies within the duo's unique vocal styling which is too exceptional to be commercialized. The album concludes with "ROYL" where the girls passionately chant "won't you live tonight for the rest of your life" in an anthemic way. In a pre-pandemic world, this is the song you would play in the car before a night out with your friends. The biggest takeaway from "Ungodly Hour" is the duo can explore adult themes without it sounding forceful and contrived. The album feels like a natural progression of themes and sounds. It does a terrific job at highlighting the duo's songwriting and producing skills. Chloe and Halle's voices complement each other so effortlessly on some tracks that it is hard to fathom them pursuing musical careers without one another. If the musical growth and material on "Ungodly Hour" is an indication of what the sisters could accomplish on their next project, I am waiting with bated breath.  |
| Jacob Blake shooting: Cardi B, Beyoncé, other stars outraged - Los Angeles Times Posted: 25 Aug 2020 01:29 PM PDT  Celebrities and athletes voiced their collective frustration and anger over the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man who was shot multiple times from behind by Wisconsin police on Sunday and who is now paralyzed from the waist down. The shooting in Kenosha, Wis., which was caught on video, reignited national outrage over police brutality and the mistreatment of Black people as racial tensions continue to run high following the May killing of George Floyd. New details continue to emerge. But on Monday, Ben Crump, the civil rights and personal injury attorney representing the families of Floyd and Breonna Taylor, said that Blake "was helping deescalate a domestic incident when police drew their weapons and tasered him." "As he was walking away to check on his children, police fired their weapons several times into his back at point blank range," Crump's firm said in a statement released on Twitter. Crump confirmed Tuesday that Blake was paralyzed from the waist down and is "praying it's not permanent." Kenosha police did not immediately disclose the race of the three officers at the scene or say whether Blake was armed or why police opened fire, and they released no details on the domestic dispute, according to the Associated Press. The officers were placed on administrative leave, which is standard practice in a shooting by police. After the footage went public, advocates decried the shooting on social media. Many shared pictures of Blake with his young sons. Others were grateful that Blake made it through alive, although severely injured. Protests erupted in Wisconsin over the past two nights as police clad in riot gear clashed with protesters. Social justice activists described the Blake shooting as another instance of white supremacy at play in law enforcement. "Wow this is SICKENING ! I can't believe it ! What's going to be the excuse now ?" "WAP" rapper Cardi B wrote on Instagram, sharing a video a graphic clip of the shooting. "They just don't give a ... nomore ! SOMETHING MUST HAPPEN !Yooo this is insane they really not giving a ... anymore.Lord please!" "Black Is King" star and singer Beyoncé shared a photo of Blake with his sons on Instagram, writing, "Sending prayers and thoughts to Jacob Blake and his family." Lakers star LeBron James saw the video for the first time on Monday and it made him feel angry, fearful and hurt, he said. He and teammates Kyle Kuzma and Anthony Davis spoke passionately about the shooting — and the relationship between Black people in America and police following the Lakers' Game 4 victory over Portland. "It's just, it's just — quite frankly, it's just [expletive] up in our community," James said. "And I know people get tired of hearing me say it, but we are scared as Black people in America. Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified. Because you don't know." After a playoff win, Oklahoma City Thunder star and former Clippers player Chris Paul also sent thoughts and prayers to the Blake family in a televised postgame interview. "We said we're going to speak on the social injustice and the things that continue to happen to our people," Paul said. "It's not right. It's not right. So the win is good, but voting is real. I'm going to challenge all my NBA guys, other sports guys: Let's try to get our entire teams registered to vote. There's a lot of stuff going on in the country. You know, sports — it's cool, it's good and well, that's how we take care of our families — but those are the real issues that we've got to start addressing." The Detroit Lions canceled practice on Tuesday in response to the shooting. Football players held up signs in front of the team facility that read "The World Can't Go On." Here's a sampling of other reactions:
 |
| You are subscribed to email updates from "beyonce sisters" - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
0 Yorumlar