Haddaway’s What Is Love, played by two electric toothbrushes and three credit card machines from from Device Orchestra. And you thought you had to worry about AI.
Keurig and The Rolling Stones Unveil Exclusive “Start Me Up” Iced Coffee Kit
Today, Keurig and fan-favorite rock band, The Rolling Stones, announced the launch of their limited-edition “Start Me Up” iced coffee kit. Produced in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s industry-leading merchandise and brand management company, the bespoke kit channels the band’s electrifying spirit to help people turn up their summer with the perfect iced coffee experience at home.
Featuring an iced coffee-inspired twist on the band’s iconic logo, the “Start Me Up” Iced Coffee Kit includes a custom-designed K-Iced Brewer, matching tumbler, and curated “Start Me Up” K-Cup Pod coffee blend, co-created with The Rolling Stones. The kit also amplifies your at-home coffee experience with the first-ever branded Spotify playlist, hand-picked by the band, to rock out to while you brew, sip, and enjoy.
“The Rolling Stones is a household name and widely considered as one of the most definitive bands in history. As their first-ever coffee collaboration, we’re excited to bring their lively spirit to life through our limited edition ‘Start Me Up’ iced coffee kit,” said Becky Opdyke, Senior Vice President, Coffee Marketing at Keurig Dr Pepper. “Whether you’re a routine iced coffee drinker, a long-time Rolling Stones fan, or want to simply amplify your coffee drinking habits, we invite consumers to infuse a little rock and roll energy into their iced coffee experience.”
Perfectly paired with the brewer, the limited-edition “Start Me Up” K-Cup pod coffee blend features a nutty roast that’ll start you up with electrifying notes of strawberry for the ultimate, great tasting cup of iced coffee. It’s the ideal way to invigorate taste buds this summer with this one-of-a-kind blend, bringing incredible flavor to the season that celebrates the uncapped energy of The Rolling Stones.
“We’re thrilled to be branching into the iced coffee space with Keurig,” said The Rolling Stones. “We’ve collaborated to bring this limited-edition product to life and give fans a new way to fuel their day.”
To learn more about the Rolling Stones ♥ Keurig collaboration and to help amplify summer with a coffee experience unlike any other, visit Keurig.com today to purchase this kit for $139.99, while supplies last.
Universal Music Celebrates Five Decades Of Rap With New ‘Hip Hop At 50’ Logo Created By Iconic Artist Eric Haze
Kicking off this summer, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the global catalog division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, announces the first of its immersive celebrations for of the birth of Hip Hop and Rap’s 50th birthday. Hip Hop 50 – Honoring 50 Years of Hip Hop: A Legacy of Rhythm, Revolution, and Soul kicks off with a logo and branding designed by one of the culture’s most influential artists and designers, Eric Haze, who was at the forefront of the Hip Hop movement. Renowned for creating seminal logos and album artwork for The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, EPMD, MTV, and countless others, his art piece, the Hip Hop at 50 logo– will be among the essential graphics for packaging on upcoming releases and figure prominently in various events and activations.
Haze comments, “It is a great honor being asked to create the logo for this moment in culture and this year’s celebration. Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary is an amazing milestone for those who have grown up in the community since its inception. We always knew it was here to stay. Its enduring significance is undeniable as it continues to evolve and surprise.”
Rap music was born on street corners and in public parks, originating from a grassroots underground art form in the seventies, and quietly overtook popular culture as a force for change and became the soundtrack to one generation after another. Each decade has yielded its superstars, ranging from Public Enemy and LL Cool J in the eighties to Onyx and Salt-n-Pepa during the nineties and turn-of-the-century icons Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne in the aughts and beyond, representing everywhere from the East Cost to the Deep South. Along the way, these artists have earned GRAMMY® Awards, picked up RIAA Diamond certifications, and sold-out stadiums and arenas. Their enduring influence speaks to the timelessness of hip-hop now and forever.
The partnership with Haze remains emblematic of the connection between Hip Hop 50 and the genre’s golden age. Led by UMe Urban, this initiative will trace the history of rap music with a series of extraordinary anniversary editions of classic albums on exclusive vinyl colorways throughout 2023. These LPs span Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded on June 2, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III (Deluxe) on June 9, and Salt-n-Pepa’s Very Necessary on October 13. In the fall, releases include Gang Starr’s Daily Operation, LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out, Onyx’s Bacdafucup, and Guru’s Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 on November 3, followed by Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back on November 10.
Colorways and details will be revealed soon for these limited-edition pressings.
Lil Uzi Vert Announces Highly Anticipated Pink Tape Tour
Today, Grammy-nominated artist Lil Uzi Vert announced their highly anticipated PINK TAPE TOUR headline tour. Produced by Live Nation, the 17-date tour kicks off on Saturday, October 21 in Minneapolis at The Armory, with stops in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and more before wrapping up on Wednesday, November 22 in Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center.
TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with the general on-sale beginning today at 2 PM local time at ticketmaster.com.
The tour marks the Philadelphia native’s first headlining tour since 2018, when they hit 32 cities as part of the “Endless Summer Tour.”
The tour announcement comes on the heels of Uzi’s most recent album, Pink Tape, released June 30, 2023. Last year, they also unleashed their widely popular track “Just Wanna Rock” as well as their Red & White EP which included standout songs such as “For Fun,” “I Know,” and more.
Most recently, Uzi opened the 2023 BET Awards with an electrifying performance of “Spin Again” and “Just Wanna Rock” from Pink Tape. Earlier this year, they delivered dazzling performances at a wide array of national platforms, from the 2023 Grammys to Wrestlemania 39 to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In addition to Lil Uzi Vert’s 2018 Grammy nomination as “Best New Artist,” the artist also received the “Breakout Artist of the Year Award” and the “Breakthrough Artist” award duringBillboard’s 2017 Touring Awards. The rap superstar has also been featured on several record-breaking tracks including Travis Scotts’ RIAA 3X platinum certified “Wasted” featuring Kanye West, the RIAA gold certified single with Future “Drankin and Smokin” and Lil Baby’s RIAA platinum certified “Commercial” single to name a few. In 2020, Uzi dropped the deluxe editionof the long-awaited release, Eternal Atake, which includes part two of the album, titled LUV vs. The World 2, reaching #1 on the Billboard 200. EternalAtake would go on to gain RIAA Platinum certification and was nominated for favorite rap/hip hop album at the 2020 American Music Awards. Immediately following these projects, Uzi and Future released both Pluto x Baby Pluto and the deluxe version in the same year. The Eternal Atake would go on to peak at #2 on Billboard200 and features the notable singles “Patek” and “Over Your Head.” Uzi made his 2022 return a strong one with a flood of national festival performances and the release of the EP Red & White.
LIL UZI VERT 2023 TOUR DATES:
Sat Oct 21 — Minneapolis, MN — The Armory
Mon Oct 23 — Chicago, IL — Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Tue Oct 24 — Cincinnati, OH — The Andrew J Brady Music Center
Wed Oct 25 — Detroit, MI — Fox Theatre
Tue Oct 31 — Boston, MA — MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Thu Nov 02 — Hampton, VA — Hampton Coliseum
Fri Nov 03 — Raleigh, NC — PNC Arena
Sun Nov 05 — Birmingham, AL — Avondale Brewing Company
Mon Nov 06 — Atlanta, GA — Coca Cola Roxy
Wed Nov 08 — Dallas, TX — South Side Ballroom
Thu Nov 09 — Austin, TX — Moody Center
Fri Nov 10 — Houston, TX — 713 Music Hall
Mon Nov 13 — Denver, CO — Fillmore Auditorium
Thu Nov 16 — Los Angeles, CA — The Kia Forum
Sat Nov 18 — San Francisco, CA — Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Mon Nov 20 — Brooklyn, NY — Barclays Center
Wed Nov 22 — Philadelphia, PA — Wells Fargo Center
Live Nation Launches Mindful Nation App Pairing Music With Meditation
Today Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company, announced the launch of the MINDFUL NATION app which seamlessly incorporates music into the practice of meditation. Live Nation has invested in many mental health programs for staff and the touring industry at large, and the MINDFUL NATION app expands this support by delivering on demand mindfulness practices for the broader entertainment industry and music lovers everywhere.
The MINDFUL NATION app can be downloaded via the Apple App Store. It offers over a thousand classes searchable by trainer, vibe, or preferred class duration – with special sonic beats for the app’s meditations curated by world renowned producers and independent artists, including Janax Pacha, Mose Musica, Chris IDH and more. The app features daily trainer-led classes tuned to various vibes, on-demand classes for mind, sleep, and day-to-day life, music playlists from artists around the world spanning genres, and “breathe with the beat” exercise.
MINDFUL NATION, which began primarily as a B2B platform bringing live sessions to elevate corporate culture, was launched by Niamh McCarthy, a former artist manager who worked for Madonna and U2’s management team at Maverick. After experiencing burnout on the road, she spent the next chapter of her life studying meditation, breathwork, and yoga. McCarthy has made it her mission to bring mindfulness and meditation to the music business and now sees a massive breakthrough with the easy-to-use and intuitive MINDFUL NATION app.
“The MINDFUL NATION app brings together meditation and music in a unique way,” said Michael Rapino, CEO & President of Live Nation. “We first launched Mindful Nation as a program for our employees, and it’s great to see Niamh now bringing the benefits of mindfulness to touring artists and crew across our industry, as well as music fans.”
“Music is transcendent and has the power to connect and support. The artists on MINDFUL NATION are vehicles to that higher source which we are bringing into people’s everyday lives through our meditation classes. We are all totally overstimulated by the extraordinary amount of data and connectivity that exists in today’s world that we are not equipped to deal with. The classes on the MINDFUL NATION app are like a timeless album, never out of date. Users can keep going back to these resources again and again to support themselves through the highs and lows of life,” says Niamh McCarthy, founder of MINDFUL NATION.
With almost 20% of adults in the U.S. suffering from an anxiety disorder and 8 in 100 people in England suffering from mixed anxiety and depression in any given week with an increase in cases amongst younger people, MINDFUL NATION is empowering people to help take control of their mood and transform their life through the power of music and meditation.
Live Nation provides full-time employees with free unlimited access to the MINDFUL NATION app, in addition to mental health care coverage for [18] therapy and coaching sessions per year. Live Nation has also invested in mental health programming for the industry at large, including the Music Industry Therapist Collective and Tour Support.
Live Nation Canada Announces Acquisition Of The Kee To Bala – Muskoka’s Concert Destination
Live Nation Canada, the world’s leading live entertainment company, today announced it has acquired The KEE to Bala, in partnership with current operators, Mike Strong and Mike Homewood. Strong and Homewood’s skills and success creating an iconic entertainment venue, combined with Live Nation’s world-class touring and venue business, will bring even more great artists to Muskoka.
This historic entertainment destination, located on Lake Muskoka, in the town of Bala, Ontario, was originally built as a dance hall in 1942. A unique space with an abundance of history and character, The KEE remains a staple in the local music scene, hosting a number of notable Canadian and international acts over the years including Blue Rodeo, Louis Armstrong, The Ramones, Drake, Sam Roberts Band, Shaggy, The Tragically Hip, Avicii, The Reklaws and many more.
“We’re thrilled to add The KEE to Bala to our growing venue portfolio and we welcome Mike Strong and Mike Homewood to our Live Nation Canada family,” says Wayne Zronik, President, Business Operations, Live Nation Canada. “Both Strong and Homewood have a strong and proven track record in hospitality andour team is dedicated to supporting them and their team’s exceptional capabilities.”
“By joining forces with the leaders in entertainment, Live Nation, we will tap into the team’s expertise to enhance our incredible venue and create even more opportunities for fans and artists to connect, while also contributing to tourism and the local economy in the area,” said Mike Strong, Co-Owner, The KEE to Bala.
The KEE to Bala is the latest addition to the company’s growing venue footprint in Canada and the expansion of its global venue portfolio, Venue Nation.
James Blake Announces New Album Playing Robots Into Heaven And 2023 International Headline Tour
Gearing up for another pivotal creative chapter, GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer James Blake has released “Big Hammer”, with accompanying music video directed by Oscar Hudson (Radiohead, Bonobo).
“Big Hammer” is the debut single from James’ forthcoming, sixth studio album Playing Robots Into Heaven which will be released on September 8th via Republic records. The full track listing can be found below.
Playing Robots Into Heaven follows the critically acclaimed Friends That Break Your Heart – James’ highest charting album in the UK to date – and will see James once again return to the electronic roots of his Hessle, Hemlock and R&S records days. It will also nod to his latest creation, the CMYK event series with Ronda INTL which kicked off in LA last March and will be coming to London on July 6th. All the CMYK events over the past year have sold out within minutes and have featured appearances from special guests including, Steve Lacy, Channel Tres and HAii, to name a few.
To mark the release of Playing Robots Into Heaven, James will be embarking on a headline international tour, with dates in the UK, Europe and North America. Kicking off at the Fabrique in Milan on September 18th it will see James travel to his home town in London for an Alexandra Palace show on September 28th, before wrapping up in Los Angeles on October 19th. See below for full list of dates.
Tickets will be available starting with an artist presale beginning today, June 28 at 9am PT/12pm ET. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning on Friday, June 30 at 10am local time.
For more information go to www.jamesblakemusic.com
PLAYING ROBOTS INTO HEAVEN TRACKLISTING
- Asking To Break
- Loading
- Tell Me
- Fall Back
- He’s Been Wonderful
- Big Hammer
- I Want You To Know
- Night Sky
- Fire The Editor
- If You Can Hear Me
- Playing Robots Into Heaven
JAMES BLAKE 2023 TOUR DATES
| Sep 18 Sep 21 | Milan, Italy Brussels, Belgium | FabriqueForest National Club |
| Sep 22 | Paris, France | L’Olympia |
| Sep 24 | Berlin, Germany | UFO im Velodrom |
| Sep 26 | Tilburg, Netherlands | 013 |
| Sep 28 | London, UK | Alexandra Palace |
| Oct 3 | Atlanta, GA | Coca Cola Roxy |
| Oct 5 | Queens, NY | Knockdown Center |
| Oct 9 | Boston, MA | MGM Music Hall at Fenway |
| Oct 10 | Montreal, QC, Canada | L’Olympia |
| Oct 12 | Toronto, ON, Canada | Rebel |
| Oct 14 | Chicago, IL | Aragon Ballroom |
| Oct 16 | San Francisco, CA | The Masonic Theater |
| Oct 19 | Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
Wireless Headphones Market to grow at a CAGR of 19.11% from 2022 to 2027|
The wireless headphones market size is estimated to grow by USD 22,042.99 million from 2022 to 2027. The growth momentum will progress at a CAGR of 19.11% during the forecast period. The market is segmented by application (music and entertainment, gaming, fitness, and virtual reality), product type (on-ear wireless headphones, in-ear wireless headphones, and over-ear wireless headphones), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The music and entertainment segment will be significant during the forecast period. Headphones prevent other people from hearing the sound, maintain privacy and prevent disturbing others. They also provide a level of sound fidelity that is more prominent than the loudspeakers of similar prices. Furthermore, the advent of music culture and entertainment became the key driver of the music and entertainment segment. Additionally, the ANC technology in earphones and headphones eliminates the background noise, and NFC establishes the connection between the wireless headphones and the music device by just tapping them into each other. The improved wireless connectivity drives market growth. The available Bluetooth headsets used for gaming are equipped with the latest version of Bluetooth smart chips, enabling lower power consumption and enhancing the range and quality of the sound. Download a sample report now!
Wireless headphones market Insights –
- Vendors: 15+, Including AIAIAI ApS, Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., beyerdynamic GmbH and Co. KG, Bose Corp., Creative Technology Ltd., FKA Distributing Co. LLC, GN Store Nord AS, Imagine Marketing Pvt. Ltd., JVCKENWOOD Corp., Koninklijke Philips NV, Logitech International SA, Nexxbase Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Panasonic Holdings Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sennheiser Electronic GmbH and Co. KG, Shure Inc., Skullcandy Inc., Sony Group Corp., and Xiaomi Communications Co. Ltd., among others
- Coverage: Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors
- Segments: Application (music and entertainment, gaming, fitness, and virtual reality), Product type (on-ear wireless headphones, in-ear wireless headphones, and over-ear wireless headphones), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa).
Wireless headphones market – Vendor Insights
The growing competition in the market is compelling vendors to adopt various growth strategies, such as promotional activities and spending on advertisements to improve the visibility of their services. Technavio report analyzes the market’s competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors, including AIAIAI ApS, Alphabet Inc., Apple Inc., beyerdynamic GmbH and Co. KG, Bose Corp., Creative Technology Ltd., FKA Distributing Co. LLC, GN Store Nord AS, Imagine Marketing Pvt. Ltd., JVCKENWOOD Corp., Koninklijke Philips NV, Logitech International SA, Nexxbase Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Panasonic Holdings Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sennheiser Electronic GmbH and Co. KG, Shure Inc., Skullcandy Inc., Sony Group Corp., and Xiaomi Communications Co. Ltd.
Wireless headphones market – Market Dynamics
Major Trends –
Growth in the global e-sports market is an emerging wireless headphones market trend. On a large scale, E-sports is considered to be one of the most popular sports entertainment events in the world. Also, it will raise the market for gaming in specific peripherals, hence driving the global wireless headphones market. For instance, since 2013, US e-sports gamers have been given the same visa as professional athletes while representing their country in tournaments abroad. Hence, such trends boost the market growth during the forecast period.
Key challenges –
High-priced products are challenging the wireless headphones market’s growth. Wireless headphones are expensive, and their cost is expected to increase owing to integration with advanced technologies. In addition, the growing consumer demand for additional features is fueling the prices of wireless headphones. This can discourage consumers in developing countries from adopting such products. Thus, the rise in costs associated with wireless headphones is expected to impact market growth negatively.
Bulletproof Soul Unleashes Highly-Anticipated Album ‘Grasping Things at the Root’ With “The Whip”
The Fort Lauderdale and Miami-based musical group Bulletproof Soul drops their anticipated album Grasping Things at the Root on July 28. Ahead of the album release comes a genre-blending single, “The Whip,” out now with the song shedding light on the masterful sound curation of the group, shifting through neo-soul rhythms, hip-hop-heavy lyrics, and brushstrokes of art pop.
This 12-track project meditates on the importance of cultural unity through stories of dialectical materialism and social conditioning. And although the album’s title suggests the lyrics will grasp things at the root, the project does the exact opposite. By avoiding heavy-handed lyrics and blatant messages, the band elevates their storytelling skills.
“Although it would be very punk rock to kick off the Bulletproof Soul era with to-the-point, anti-imperialist, radical messaging, we thought it best to deliver a message more subtle in nature, a message all may just be able to get behind. We thought it best to address the why of issues, such as crime, or why community and culture feel more and more tenuous by the day. We wanted to present cultural unity,” the band said.
According to Bulletproof Soul, the true worth of one’s life is how one affects others around them, a lingering message present throughout each track but emphasized in the first tune, “The Community,” and the final track, “The Root.”
Throughout the project, members including Austin Moore-Farrow, Nyyjerya, eqobKING, SLWJMZ, Lofty305, DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ, Kengeta, TWENTYN9NE, and Ali Wisdom reflect on the importance of cultural unity in a time of oppression and systemic issues.
“The twist after listening to the album, though it could be obvious right away, is that the album is actually about everyone in society. Everyone can and is affected by social conditioning to some extent. Most working-class people have to do things they don’t want to do to survive, while many also suffer from their material conditions,” Bulletproof Soul explained.
The group utilizes strong social metaphors in each track, demonstrating their social education as well as lived experiences.
“Just to be free. Learned from Huey I won’t leave. You can be. What you wanna be. Learn from me.”
This double reference calls to frontman Austin Moore-Farrow’s inspiration, Huey Newton, a co-founder of the Black Panther party, and a character based on him from the cartoon The Boondocks, Huey Freeman, a young Political Panther that embraces counterculture.
Grasping Things at the Root chooses to speak on issues typically swept under the rug, making the coalition stand out for its bravery and unwavering social commentary. Aside from the political stance, we have talented lyricists speaking their truth and next-level production, relying on their community to emphasize the album’s main message.
“It is important to remember at the end of the day, community can solve our problems; organizing, unionizing, being there for one another. Community and culture is the root of society, not money and greed. Because without each other, we are just a drifting rose in a sea of faces,” the band shared, noting the album cover features Angela Davis and Amouranth and the title named after a Davis quote.
Victoria-Based Folk Artist Aaron Wylder Crafts A West-Coast Ode With ‘Woman’
Victoria, British Columbia-based artist Aaron Wylder melds his West-Coast charm and sense of musical exploration to create an ode to the one with his coming-of-age song “Woman.”
The blazing new single from Wylder’s upcoming EP The King Of My Own Heart is about the internal gears that shift to make a man want to find something deeper in his relationships. “I try to write what I hear in my head and what I feel in my chest,” says Wylder. “It’s a damn cool thing to write a song that not only you love but speaks to others as well.”
The King Of My Own Heart is a collection of songs about the trials and tribulations of life and brimming with harmonic personality. “I try to get better and better with every record. I try to grow my sound while exploring new ones,” says Wylder, who describes his music-writing process as constant trial and error. “Licks turn into jams, and jams turn into new songs. This is how it works, at least for me. In terms of inspiration, each song has its own unique meaning.”
“Woman” came together during a rainy cold Vancouver Island winter day as he reflected on his past relationships and experiences. “Damn, it is hard to find the person for you, If I’m honest. Not only do you learn a lot about yourself, but you also learn about what you want in a partner. For me, it was realizing that I am ready for a real woman.”
Wylder is anything but conventional in his approach to storytelling, which anchors his lyricism somewhere between a parable as much a cautionary tale of self-exploration.
“Deep down in the eye of the hurricane
My chest just keeps on burning
I got half a heart of love
The others waiting to fill up
Ask me what’s the point
I need a woman.”
Born and raised in the Cayman Islands, Wylder is a Canadian singer-songwriter based out of Victoria, British Columbia. He can be found most often with a guitar in his hands. Wylder’s musical cadence is inspired by the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and Townes Van Zandt.
Nothing motivates Wylder more than the prospect of creating resonating songs. “If I’m able to make music that I enjoy and people enjoy it too, then I’ll die a happy man.”