BTS’ V shares smooth solo single ‘Love Me Again’


BTS’ V has shared ‘Love Me Again’, the first track from his upcoming solo EP ‘Layover’ – scroll down the page to watch the music video now.

The song is one of two that will be released ahead of the full record, with the second – ‘Rainy Days’ – due to arrive on Friday (August 11).

“I wish you would love me again / No, I don’t want nobody else,” V sings in the chorus over a minimal foundation of guitar melodies and sparse beats. “I wish you could love me again.” 

In the accompanying music video, he performs the song in a cavernous space, next to TVs displaying the lyrics.

Following the release of ‘Rainy Days’ on Friday, ‘Layover’ will be unveiled in full on September 9. On that same day, a music video for the single ‘Slow Dancing’ will also be shared.

According to official descriptions of the tracks, ‘Rainy Days’ will “tug at the listeners’ heartstrings”, while ‘Slow Dancing’ takes the form of “a ‘70s romantic soul-style track that exudes a laid-back and free-spirited feeling”. The EP will also feature a piano arrangement of ‘Slow Dancing’, alongside the pop R&B track ‘For Us’, and ‘Blue’, a “homage to old school R&B with a modern twist”.

V has worked with Min Hee-jin, the CEO of NewJeans’ label ADOR, on ‘Layover’, with Min leading the project, including elements such as the music, choreography and promotion style. As well as spearheading NewJeans’ successful debut, Min previously held the role of creative director at SM Entertainment, where she worked on groups like Girls’ Generation, SHINee, f(x), EXO and Red Velvet.

Speaking about the record, V said: “This is an album that has my personal preferences. There will be a lot of things to show. I prepared it while thinking that ARMY would be happy, so I hope you all look forward to it. You will be able to see solo artist V, which will show a new side and will be different from BTS’s V.”

Although ‘Layover’ will mark V’s first official solo release, he has previously shared a plethora of solo works through BTS’ Soundcloud page, like ‘Winter Bear’ and ‘Snow Flower’ and K-drama soundtracks, including Itaewon Class’ ‘Sweet Night’ and Our Beloved Summer’s ‘Christmas Tree’.

V is the final member of BTS to make his official solo debut. Bandmate Jungkook previously stepped into the spotlight with his single ‘Seven’ and is aiming to release his debut solo mini-album by November 2023.





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Apple Patent Hints They're Developing a Modular Laptop-Turntable Hybrid

Apple’s technological innovations are getting sweeter for musicians and creatives alike.

A patent application originally filed by Apple in June 2021 was reportedly approved on Tuesday, August 8th. The filing explores ideas for “Modularized Computing and Input Devices,” which ostensibly includes an attachable vinyl turntable. 

Obtained by Gizmodo, the patent features sketches and diagrams illustrating the innovative device, which appears to be capable of connecting multiple screen displays, keyboards, and quite possibly more hardware.

Perhaps the most notable component of the filing, however, is the vinyl turntable, which the application calls an “input device” capable of connecting to the base. What’s more interesting are the various use cases for the turntable.

“The computing device can be utilized by a music producer, a disc jockey, an audio engineer, or the like to generate music in one configuration while also being modular to permit the user to remove the input device and removably attach a keyboard or second display to the base to provide traditional laptop functionality,” reads the patent application. 

Screenshot from Apple’s patent filing for “Modularized Computing and Input Devices.”

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Elsewhere in the filing, Apple explains how the devices connected to the unit’s base are capable of folding on top of each other, similar to a laptop. Another configuration allows the screen and a shorter keyboard to be attached. 

In addition to Apple’s filing, there were 83 other patents published today, according to the USPTO’s database. Apple is known for filing huge swaths of patent applications for products that don’t always see the light of day. 



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Green Day are teasing ‘Dookie’ 30th anniversary plans


Green Day‘s iconic album ‘Dookie’ turns 30 years old early next year, and the band have started teasing anniversary plans.

  • READ MORE: The Big Read – Green Day: “We live our lives as if we have nothing”

The album was released on February 1, 2024, and the band look set to mark it with a series of celebrations.

At the moment, the teaser is pretty vague, with just the hashtag #Dookie30 and a photo of a tape deck, but more plans are sure to be shared ahead of the 30th anniversary.

See the first teaser below.

Back in 2019, the band surprised fans by playing ‘Dookie’ in full at a show in Madrid. Having teased fans that they’d be performing the entirety of their seminal 1994 record, the pop-punk veterans delivered when they took to the stage at their last-minute Spanish show ahead of the weekend’s MTV EMAs.

Looking forwards, Green Day last month debuted a new song titled ‘1981’ during their set at the festival d’été de Québec in Canada.

The new track comes after Green Day – comprised of frontman and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Durnt and drummer Tré Cool – parted ways with their label, Reprise Records, after their contract expired.

In December 2021, they shared a clip of themselves recording music at London’s RAK Studios, set to what could be a new song. In the short video, the numbers “1972” flash on screen, leaving fans wondering if it could be the name of a new song or an entire new album.

The band’s last album released was 2020’s ‘Father Of All Motherfuckers’. In a four-star review, NME praised the LP for being a “good old knees-up”.





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Tomorrowland and BMW Partner to Create Generative AI Music Platform

World-renowned electronic music festival Tomorrowland has partnered with German automotive giant BMW to develop an AI-powered music tool.

The tool, dubbed “Future Record,” allows users to enter prompts so the AI can “create a record that embodies what Tomorrowland means to you.” Once you’ve answered questions about your stage name, desired tempo and to whom you’re dedicating the track—among other prompts—the program spits out a roughly 30-second clip to share via social media.

Don’t expect the program to generate a monetizable masterpiece. After all, generative AI is still in its nascent stages in terms of its viability in music. However, while the audio it created for us was simplistic, raw and unmastered, the requested energy and elements were authentic.

The “Future Record” software is trained on a number of different styles, such as euphoric, energetic and melancholic, and able to generate lyrics. Each vibe and genre contains three tracks that fit the style. Moreover, there are four variations of each of those 45 compositions, for a total of 180 pieces. 

The Mainstage of Tomorrowland 2023.

Tomorrowland

BMW has been expanding its global music marketing efforts since 2019, according to Little Black Book.

“Music inspires, shapes memories and encourages people to come together,” Sascha Behmel, BMW Group’s digital market lead, told the outlet. “It speaks one global, emotional language. As a relationship brand with ‘joy’ at its core, Tomorrowland is a perfect match for us as a brand engagement.” 

Try BMW and Tomorrowland’s “Future Record” for yourself here.



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Empire State Bastard share dystopian new video for ‘The Looming’


Empire State Bastard have shared a dystopian video for their recent single ‘The Looming’ – check it out below.

  • READ MORE: Empire State Bastard: “We’re going for extremity at all costs”

The side-project of Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil, and their touring guitarist Mike Vennart (Oceansize) will release debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ on September 1 (pre-order/pre-save here).

‘The Looming’ was shared last month as a follow-up to the singles ‘Harvest’ and ‘Stutter’, and its video continues the dystopian themes of the track.

Of the video, the band said: “ESB x Mike Bourne. The end is looming!”

Watch the video below.

Speaking to NME earlier this year, Neil said that ESB were “going for extremity at all costs” while embarking on what he described as a “hideously horrific musical journey”.

“Because we play together in Biffy, there’s no point in us doing another project that doesn’t feel miles apart,” he explained. “That’s a pet hate of mine, when people leave their full-time band to do another thing and it’s just a slightly different version of what they’re doing anyway. What’s the fucking point?”

As for the forthcoming ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ on the whole, Neil told NME: “I’ve put all of my nihilism and misanthropy into this record. The anger needs to be real.

“When the pandemic happened, there was so much to be angry about over that period. Even since then, I keep having this optimistic point of view that there’s going to be a right sharp turn of goodness and growth and everyone’s going to see the light.”

He continued: “I just needed to unleash something. This isn’t a political band, but there’s so much to be fucking angry about. You see the people running the country who just don’t give a shit, you see local neighbourhoods falling apart, and maybe I’ve connected to my hometown since I stopped touring so intensely after the pandemic. Maybe I feel more of a responsibility to my community.”





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A First-Gen Apple iPod Sold for $29,000 at Auction

A first-generation iPod, originally released in 2001, was reportedly sold to a buyer at auction for $29,000 in late July.

The iPod was given as a Christmas gift in December 2001 to a teenager by his parents, who purchased the device for $399 plus tax at the time at a local mall in Plano, Texas. It was still in its original packaging and the blue Apple bag in which they carried it home, according to Barron’s.

The then-teenager told Rally, a platform that allows investors to buy and sell equity shares in collectible assets, that he was surprised when he received the iPod as a gift and wasn’t sure what to do with it. “So he put it on a shelf and then, inevitably time passes,” said Rob Petrozzo, co-founder of Rally. “It really is a time capsule.” 

Unfortunately, the owner discovered the unopened iPod while cleaning out the home of his deceased father.

A first-generation iPod sold by Rally.

Rally

This isn’t the first time (and certainly won’t be the last) that an old Apple product has been sold online or at an auction for a large sum. In July, an original iPhone from 2007 sold for nearly $200,000 at auction, smashing previous records.

“These collectors often have strong ties to Apple products, as they grew up using them and share a deep emotional connection with the company’s early history,”  Bobby Livingston, RR Auction’s Executive Vice President, said in a press release. “Many of these collectors are computer and internet entrepreneurs who witnessed the birth of the personal computing revolution and appreciate the significance of these historical artifacts.”

Rally also has an Apple-1 computer up for auction through August 24th. The rare device is signed by fabled Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and is estimated to be worth a cool $200,000.



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Offset on Jamie Lee Curtis staring in ‘Jealousy’ video: “She’s a real one”


Offset has praised Oscar-winning actress, Jamie Lee Curtis, calling her a “real one” for staring in the music video for ‘Jealousy’.

The rapper shared how the actress agreed to star in the music video in an interview with Good Morning America. “Jamie Lee Curtis is a real one,” he said. “So, how that happened is I DM’d Jamie Lee Curtis on Instagram and said, ‘Yo, I got an idea. I would love to work with you.’”

He continued: “She wrote me back so quickly. She was like, ‘Yeah, I got you, but you need to follow me. That’s how I knew she was cool.”

The exchange occurred shortly after Curtis won best supporting actress at the 2023 Academy Awards for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. She and the rapper swapped phone numbers with Offset sharing that the actress “was ready to do it”.

In the promo video for the track that parodies James Brown’s bizarre CNN interview from 1988, Curtis stars as a reporter grilling Offset about cheating allegations the rapper had made against his wife Cardi B back in June.

She portrayed a role similar to CNN host Sonya Friedman from the Brown interview and said: “Your fans are saying there is a lot of drama between you and your beautiful wife Cardi B,” to which the rapper responded with: “”Haaaaaaaa.”

‘Jealousy’ is a collab between the rapper and his wife. The video arrived after Offset accused Cardi of allegedly cheating on him in an Instagram story posted to his official account.

He recently opened up about the post in a radio interview with Angela Yee. “That’s my wife. I love her to death,” he said, before explaining what caused that specific blunder. He claimed the two had been arguing, and that “if you got a New York woman, you know she’s a pitbull at the mouth.”

In other news, Offset recently brought out Cardi B during his set Cardi B at Rolling Loud Miami.

“What the fuck is good, motherfuckers?” she screamed on stage after the DJ announced her arrival. Then, she rapped along to two of the duo’s most popular collaborations: 2018’s ‘MotorSport’ from Migos‘ third studio album, ‘Culture II’; and 2019’s ‘Clout’, ripped from Offset’s debut solo album, ‘Father Of 4’.

Elsewhere, Curtis recently opened up about her past addiction struggles, saying she would “be dead” if fentanyl was “easily” available.

“My worst day was almost invisible to anyone else,” she admitted. “I’m lucky. I didn’t make terrible decisions high, or under the influence, that then for the rest of my life I regret.





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Enter Dreamland, Electric Zoo's Inaugural LGBTQ+ Stage

Electric Zoo’s latest stage reveal is a historic first in the festival’s 14-year run.

Taking over the Morphosis stage on the first day of the festival, Dreamland is the Electric Zoo’s inaugural LGBTQ+ stage. One of Out100‘s “Most Influential LGBTQ+ People,” Jake Resnicow will curate and host Dreamland.

A native New Yorker and seasoned event producer, Resnicow is revered for his Dreamland events. Between Pride concerts in Central Park and multi-day festivals in Miami, Resnicow’s Dreamland brand is behind some of the most popular LGBTQ+ stateside shows.

“The Dreamland stage serves as a beacon of empowerment and representation,” Resnicow said. “By spotlighting LGBTQ+ artists and artists who are considered allies, we not only showcase their incredible talents but also inspire the next generation of diverse artists and fans. It’s about creating a space where people can express themselves freely, connect authentically, and celebrate the beautiful spectrum of identities within our community.”

The lineup for Dreamland at Electric Zoo 2023

The Dreamland stage at Electric Zoo will feature sets from The Blessed Madonna, Eli Escobar (a surprise, last-minute addition to the festival’s lineup), J. Worra, Coco & Breezy, Carola and a back-to-back between Spencer Huff and Matt Suave. Plus, a special sunset performance by electronic music icon and Electric Zoo alumni Kaskade.

“If you’ve followed my career or have listened to my music you know that everything I do can be traced back to the earliest House Music days in Chicago,” Kaskade said. “The clubs were alive and vibrant and heavily influenced by the gay DJs, dancers, producers and music lovers. It’s exciting to now be playing on the Dreamland stage as an homage to my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters that have been with me on this journey and the ones who paved the way.”

Dreamland is one of six curated stage takeovers at Electric Zoo this year. Read more about the rest of the curators and the lineup here. 

FOLLOW ELECTRIC ZOO:

Facebook: facebook.com/ElectricZoo
Twitter: twitter.com/ElectricZooNY
Instagram: instagram.com/electriczoony
Website: electriczoo.com





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Ne-Yo takes back apology over comments about parenting and gender identity


Ne-Yo has gone back on his earlier apology for comments he has made about parenting and gender identity.

The singer-songwriter stirred controversy over the weekend during an interview for VladTV. in which he questioned parents who support their children identifying as a different gender than that which they were assigned at birth.

“I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. And there was two genders, and that’s just how I rocked,” he said in the clip.

“You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like – I don’t care. That ain’t my business. It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. I’m not gonna call you a goldfish. But if you wanna be a goldfish, you go be a goldfish. We live in a weird time, man. We do.”

“When did that happen? I don’t understand,” continued the father of seven. “He can’t drive a car yet, but he can decide his sex?”

Ne-Yo performs during 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 07, 2023. CREDIT: Erika Goldring/Getty Images

Ne-Yo later apologised following a backlash, promising to “better educate” himself on the topic.

“I’ve always been an advocate for love and inclusivity in the LGBTQI+ community, so I understand how my comments could’ve been interpreted as insensitive and offensive.

“Gender identity is nuanced and I can honestly admit that I plan to better educate myself on the topic, so I can approach future conversations with more empathy,” he continued.
“At the end of the day, I lead with love and support everyone’s freedom of expression and pursuit of happiness.”

Now, however, Ne-Yo seems to have gone back on his word. In a video posted to Instagram, he said he was still planning on learning more about the issue at hand, but maintained he had a right to his own opinion. He also claimed the original apology came “from my publicist’s computer”.

“My intention is never to offend anybody,” he said. “However, I’m entitled to feel how I feel, the same way you are entitled to feel how you feel. I ain’t ask nobody to follow me, I ain’t ask nobody to agree with me; I was asked a question and I answered the damn question.”

Ne-Yo went on to say that while he has “no beef” with the LGBTQ+ community, he said he would “never be OK with allowing a child to make a decision that detrimental to their life,” regarding to medical treatment for trans youth. “I will definitely be educating myself a little bit more on this matter,” he said. “However, I doubt that there is any book anywhere or any opinion that somebody’s gonna tell me that’s gonna make me OK with letting a child make a decision like that.

He concluded: “If I get canceled for this, then you know what, maybe this is a world where they don’t need a Ne-Yo no more,” he said. “Live how you wanna live, love how you wanna love, but your opinion is yours.”

In the caption, Ne-Yo added to what he said in the video. “Ok. This shit is getting out of hand. FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH. I WILL NOT BE BULLIED INTO APOLOGIZING FOR HAVING AN OPINION. AGREEING TO DISAGREE IS NOT A DECLARATION OF WAR.
Lord knows I ain’t perfect, I’ve made my mistakes indeed.

“And I’ve apologized to the people I’ve hurt for those mistakes. I couldn’t cast a stone if I wanted to, which I don’t. And I haven’t.

He went on to say that he would still support his children if one of them theoretically came out as transgender. “My intention is never to offend anybody…but my opinion is MINE and I’m entitled to it. I don’t care what y’all do with yours. That’s YOURS. This is how I FEEL. If one of my 7 kids were to decide that he or she wanted to be something other than what they were born as, once they’re old enough and mature enough to make that decision…so be it. Not gonna love em’ any less. Daddy is still Daddy and he loves you regardless. But this isn’t even a discussion until they are MENTALLY MATURE ENOUGH to have such a discussion.

“Period. Point blank. Whatever. Y’all do y’all, imma do me and we can agree to disagree and coexist PEACEFULLY. LOVE IS THE ONLY TRUE POWER.”

In other Ne-Yo news, last month the musician revealed that he’s a huge fan of the game Street Fighter. It was also reported that he takes his PlayStation 5 with him on tour in a “new personal tradition” in order to handle the stresses that his work throws at him





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Pretty Lights Returns to the Stage: Watch His Surreal Comeback Performance After 5 Years

Pretty Lights is officially back—and he’s just getting warmed up.

The iconic producer had remained in the shadows and out of the public eye since the summer of 2018, when he performed for a sold-out crowd on August 11th at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater. But he emerged earlier this year, announcing a brand-new tour, “Soundship Spacesystem.”

Pretty Lights, whose real name is Derek Vincent Smith, officially returned to the stage on August 4th with a full band that included Michal Menert, who celebrated by tattooing the artist’s new logo on his forearm.

5,000 people packed into Denver’s Mission Ballroom for the momentous comeback concert, which marked Smith’s first show in five years and the start of a three-night run for the Colorado native. The venture was quite the creative undertaking, according to Smith, who says his team had been in Denver for the last two months “vibing, rehearsing, building, programming, producing and buttoning up” the production.

View the original article to see embedded media.

The surreal, four-hour performance also featured a slew of new tunes. Smith kicked it off with a stunning new track, a sparkling electro-funk cut brimming with the soul of a signature Pretty Lights record.

Considering Pretty Lights hasn’t put out any music since 2017, fans are currently clamoring for an official release. His last album, A Color Map of the Sun, released a decade ago in the summer of 2013.

“This is our first show back and we’re just getting warmed up,” Smith said at the end of the show.

Check out the full stream of Pretty Lights’ return to the stage below.

Follow Pretty Lights:

Facebook: facebook.com/PrettyLights
Twitter: twitter.com/PrettyLights
Instagram: instagram.com/prettylights
Spotify: spoti.fi/2GkoC5A





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