• Joe Cocker's 'The Millennium Collection' Cracks Billboard 200 for First Time in Light of December Death; Great Primer for Casual Fans

    Society always celebrates the records that top the Billboard 200 album chart. Back of The Billboards is a Music Times weekly segment that looks at the opposite end: the new record that finished closest to the back of the Billboard 200 for the previous week. We hope to give a fighting chance to the bands you haven't heard of. This week we look at Joe Cocker's chapter in 'The Millennium Collection' best-of series, popularized by his unfortunate recent death.

  • Future, Zaytoven Announce Joint Mixtape 'Beast Mode,' Share New Track 'Real Sisters' [LISTEN]

    Atlanta rapper Future has announced the release of a new mixtape titled "Beast Mode," a collaborative effort with producer Zaytoven — the cover artwork is above. The tape is set to drop Jan. 15, and on New Year's Eve, Zaytoven shared the project's first track, titled "Real Sisters," which you can check out below. Zaytoven's beat for the track is based around a keyboard line that sounds like it was ripped straight from a 8-bit video game soundtrack, while Future spits his Auto-Tuned, half-sung flow over the top of it.You can check out Future and Zaytoven's "Real Sisters" here:

  • Idina Menzel Responds to New Year's Eve "Let It Go" Critics with Perfect Tweet on Success

    Idina Menzel thinks that her critics can take a very big lesson away from her Frozen character Elsa, "Let It Go." After the actress and Broadway superstar performed a less than stellar version of the instant Disney classic at the New Year's Eve celebration in New York City's Times Square, she rehashed an old interview quote about what it means to be a successful performer.

  • Courtney Love Making Musical Theatre Debut in 'Kansas City Choir Boy' as Part of Prototype Festival in New York

    Courtney Love has been so caught up in tabloid-style news for years that we forgot that she produced some damn good music at one point and that an actual artist existed somewhere in there. Everyone can feel good about her newest project, a song-cycle-style play featuring herself and songwriter Todd Almond, should be a good splash of cold water on our cynical critics' faces. The former Hole vocalist/guitarist will perform in 'Kansas City Choir Boy' as part of the annual Prototype Festival, an event showcasing experimental theatre.

  • PJ Harvey's Next Album to Be Recorded at London Art Exhibition

    Just as the Foo Fighters did with the HBO documentary series on the cross-country recording of their latest album "Sonic Highways," British singer-songwriter PJ Harvey plans on exposing the recording process of her next album to the public. But instead of filming her studio sessions like the Foos did, Harvey and her crew of musicians, engineers and producers will be recording the album in a custom-built studio inside London's Somerset House, which will be open to the public for viewing as part of an art exhibition titled "Recording in Progress," starting Jan. 16.According to the Somerset House website, the studio is designed "in the form of an enclosed box ... displaying PJ Harvey, her band, producers, and engineers as a mutating, multi-dimensional sound sculpture." Each studio session will take place 45 minutes at a time from behind one-way, sound-proofed glass — so Harvey will not be able to see you waving at her — and according to Harvey's Facebook page, the sessions could involve "anything from laying down a bass drum track, to discussions, to improvisations, through to full performances of new songs."The exhibition was conceived by Harvey and commissioned by Artangel.Tickets are on sale now for 15 pounds — about $23 — which you can purchase by clicking here.

  • Selena Gomez Criticized for Showing Her Ankle in a Mosque on Recent Trip to Abu Dhabi, Deletes Instagram Post

    Selena Gomez showed off her ankle in a mosque during her recent trip to Abu Dhabi, which has led to some criticism from the Muslim community. Cody Simpson and Kendall Jenner were on hand with the rest of Gomez's entourage. They were seen laughing and smiling in another picture posted to Instagram. It is considered a sign of disrespect by Muslims to show off a bare ankle and laugh or smile in a mosque, "Billboard" notes.Gomez deleted the picture of her exposed ankle, but the group shot is still on Instagram. It was taken at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Check it out below.The photos have sparked a conversation on respecting beliefs and insensitivity toward other cultures."Yeah I'm Muslim, and selena I love you so much but you may want to open your wrists at the mosque," one comment reads. "Photos interesting. I'm Muslim and I respect every religion. After saw this photo I feel so bad. Everyone has their own religious if not everyone is obliged to respect your religion. I'm Muslim and I respect christian to otherwise you're ignorant and disrespectful!!"Gomez and her camp have yet to respond to the photos.

  • Akon Coming Back With New Album, Five Disc 'Stadium' Set Featuring Five Different "Genres"; First Album Since 'Freedom' in 2008

    Many rappers put out way more music than they can possibly release on LPs, which is why we're constantly getting new Chief Keef mixtapes and we'll be getting new Tupac Shakur material until we ourselves are dead (at which point we hope we can put out a record as well). The best rappers know that a majority of the work they put out isn't album-worthy, which is why it never sees the light of day. A few double-album exceptions exist, such as Shakur's 'All Eyez On Me' and The Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Life After Death,' but nothing could have prepared us for what Akon has planned for 2015: A five-disc set of original material titled 'Stadium.'

  • Lil Wayne and Migos in the Studio Together

    Lil Wayne has been embroiled in a public and heated battle with his label YMCMB over the release of his album "Tha Carter V," but that has not stopped him from continuing to record music. According to several Instagram posts — surely not by accident — Lil Wayne has been in the studio with various different producers and rappers working on new music in lieu of his album getting released, via "Hot New Hip Hop." The latest picture he posted on his Instagram puts him and Atlanta trio Migos in the studio together after a night out at LIV nightclub in Miami, Florida. With the caption "No sleep s-t," they might have just gone straight from the club to go record.

  • Demi Lovato Reflects on Body Image, Being Healthy in Year-End Instagram Post

    Demi Lovato is always looking to inspire her dedicated Lovatics fans with any milestone. And to mark the coming and going of another year, the "Really Don't Care" singer is once again reflecting on body image. In a new post on her Instagram, Lovato reminisced about treating herself right for once in 2014, but saying that she has always looked beautiful no matter how much she took care of herself.
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