All posts tagged: Song

Massive Attack and Tom Waits just released the most powerful protest song in years

Massive Attack and Tom Waits just released the most powerful protest song in years

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This It begins with the sound of laboured breath, then an ominous clattering – like the tick of a grandfather clock – and stark, moody piano notes. “Boots on the Ground”, Massive Attack’s first new music in over a decade, feels like the most powerful new protest song in years. A collaboration with the gravel-voiced Tom Waits, also returning to music for the first time since his 2011 album, Bad As Me, “Boots on the Ground” is accompanied by a video using imagery from US photographer thefinaleye. The striking visuals depict recent anti-ICE demonstrations in America alongside Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, on 5 May 2020. As for the song itself, Waits’s lyrics are delivered in his trademark rumble: “Now who the hell are these federal pricks?/ Hiding in the senate like a bloated ass tick/ …

ChatGPT’s “Honest Reaction” to a “Song” Composed Entirely of Gas-Passing Noises Will Make You Question Whether It’s Honestly Evaluating Your Other Brilliant Ideas

ChatGPT’s “Honest Reaction” to a “Song” Composed Entirely of Gas-Passing Noises Will Make You Question Whether It’s Honestly Evaluating Your Other Brilliant Ideas

Published by José Betancourt

Sign up to see the future, today Can’t-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech It doesn’t take much to impress an AI chatbot. Tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have long garnered a reputation for being ludicrously sycophantic. Despite AI companies publicly promising to address the problem, researchers recently found that the bots still have a strong tendency to flatter and affirm in response to virtually any kind of prompt. In the latest preposterous example of this impulse, philosophy YouTuber and writer Jonas Čeika “sent ChatGPT an audio file of a series of FART sound effects and asked what it thinks of ‘my music.’” It didn’t take long for the glazing chatbot to congratulate him on his musical achievement, in what it called a “straight” and “honest reaction.” “First impression: It has a cool lo-fi, late-night, slightly eerie vibe,” it wrote. “It feels more like an atmosphere piece than a traditional song — which actually works in its favor. It reminds me of something that would play over a quiet city montage or end …

Anne Hathaway says certain Beyonce song helped prepare her for singing in Mother Mary

Anne Hathaway says certain Beyonce song helped prepare her for singing in Mother Mary

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Anne Hathaway has said she listened to Beyoncé’s “Ameriican Requiem” on repeat to prepare for her lead role in the new movie musical, Mother Mary. Hathaway, 43, stars in A24’s forthcoming psychological drama as fictional pop icon Mother Mary, who reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance. While the Princess Diaries actor has a musical theater background and even won an Oscar for her supporting role as Fantine in the 2012 screen adaptation of the hit musical Les Misérables, she described her voice as “much softer” than that of typical pop stars. “Musical theater is many wonderful things, but it’s not the coolest sound. Not known for its swag!” Hathaway quipped Tuesday during a Q&A in New York, per Variety. “So, I listened to ‘Ameriican Requiem’ by Beyoncé, over and over …

Eurovision Song Contest 2026 to Stream in US on YouTube, Plus Peacock

Eurovision Song Contest 2026 to Stream in US on YouTube, Plus Peacock

Published by Daniella Wilson

Planet Earth, get ready for the madness that is Eurovision! A taste of Eurovision permeated the inaugural StreamTV Europe industry event in Lisbon, Portugal on Tuesday, courtesy of a session entitled: “The Original Song Contest: A Eurovision Case Study.” Now, the U.S. is getting a free option to follow all the fun and the fury of the annual singing competition, courtesy of YouTube. Jurian Van Der Meer, commercial director of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who oversees all business and commercial activities related to the Eurovision Song Contest, broke the news during the panel that YouTube has struck a deal for the event, starting with this year’s 70th anniversary edition, taking place in Vienna, Austria. The deal covers the semifinals and final, which are also already available in the U.S. for Peacock subscribers. So far, “we didn’t really have a strategy for distributing our content” longer-term, including the national selection processes, Van der Meer shared on the Lisbon stage. Now, the free U.S. YouTube livestream will change that. The semifinals take place May 12 and …

Born to rage in the USA: Bruce Springsteen’s lifelong protest in song — from Vietnam to Trump

Born to rage in the USA: Bruce Springsteen’s lifelong protest in song — from Vietnam to Trump

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the inside track from Roisin O’Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Bruce Springsteen is sending a message with his latest tour. When the 76-year-old New Jersey rock icon, known universally as The Boss, kicked off his Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour last week, he did so pointedly in Minneapolis to honor the city’s anti-ICE protests. “This tour is going to be political and very topical about what’s going on in the country,” he told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “Minneapolis and St. Paul, that was the place that I wanted to begin it, and I wanted to end it in Washington.” From the stage, Springsteen paid tribute to “the power and the solidarity” of the people of Minnesota. Predictably, Donald Trump wasn’t happy. The president responded by labelling the musician a “dried-up prune” and urging MAGA supporters to boycott the tour. That won’t stop Springsteen. As longtime fans will know, he’s never been …

Eurovision Song Contest’s Delta Goodrem ‘signs up for Strictly Come Dancing 2026’

Eurovision Song Contest’s Delta Goodrem ‘signs up for Strictly Come Dancing 2026’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Strictly Come Dancing bosses are pressing on with securing this year’s line-up and Australian singer Delta Goodrem is among the first stars rumoured to have signed up. The 41-year-old singer has been on the producers’ wishlist “for years”, according to reports. A source told the Daily Mail: “It is all but a done deal. They’ve been trying to get her for years. Obviously, she is a good name for the show.” The Independent has contacted Delta Goodrem’s representatives and the BBC for comment. The vocalist signed her first record contract in the early 2000s and had a string of hits in her native Australia, with her debut album Innocent Eyes also reaching number two in the UK chart. Goodrem will represent Australia in Austria next month (Getty Images) She went on to sell more than nine million albums, topping the charts …

How one song completely changed Céline Dion’s career trajectory — and it isn’t ‘My Heart Will Go On’

How one song completely changed Céline Dion’s career trajectory — and it isn’t ‘My Heart Will Go On’

Published by Daniella Wilson

When most people think of Céline Dion, they think of her hit song “My Heart Will Go On,” which was the soundtrack for Titanic. However, many don’t often give credit to the song that started it all – without which we wouldn’t have ever gotten to hear her belting that hit later on. Her fame and fortune came after the star won the 33rd Eurovision Song Contest in 1988 in Dublin. During the competition, the French-Canadian singer represented Switzerland. © Getty ImagesCéline holds bouquet of flowers as she speaks on stage after winning Eurovision 1988 The song that magically changed it all for her was “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi” by Nella Marinetti and Atilla Serftug. It was her jaw-dropping performance of it that took away the breath of viewers. At 20 years old, she rocked the stage in a white blazer, ballerina tutu skirt, white stockings and white heels. She donned her red curly locks with a dark red lipstick and she gave it her all while she sang the French song. The competition …

Red Hot Chili Peppers gave us plenty to hate — and one song we can’t quit

Red Hot Chili Peppers gave us plenty to hate — and one song we can’t quit

Published by Sam Flores

“Can’t Stop,” in contrast, is adamantly positive and encouraging; the only thing Kiedis, a recovering substance abuser, says he’s addicted to is “the shindig.” From there, his words march through a looping chain melody occasionally interrupted by a chorus pearl: “The world I love, the tears I drop/ To be part of the wave, can’t stop/ Ever wonder if it’s all for you?” (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith, John Frusciante, and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Central Park in New York, New York, October 28, 1989. Source link

BBC says Scott Mills axed from Eurovision Song Contest coverage after Radio 2 sacking with Sara Cox ‘to replace him’

BBC says Scott Mills axed from Eurovision Song Contest coverage after Radio 2 sacking with Sara Cox ‘to replace him’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Scott Mills will no longer commentate during the Eurovision Song Contest, after he was sacked from the BBC over his “personal conduct”. The former BBC Radio 2 presenter has featured on the semi-finals of the competition since 2011, which airs on BBC One on Tuesday and Thursday in the lead-up to the grand final. A spokesperson for the broadcaster confirmed Mills is no longer contracted to work on any projects, and said: “While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.” Since the BBC confirmed that Mills would not be hosting Eurovision, The Sun has reported that Sara Cox is set to replace him. The BBC declined to comment. Cox commentated on the Eurovision Semi-Finals on BBC Radio 2 last year alongside Richie Anderson. The BBC …

Eurovision song contest launches first-ever Asian edition in Bangkok

Eurovision song contest launches first-ever Asian edition in Bangkok

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The iconic music spectacle Eurovision is set to launch its inaugural Asian edition in Bangkok later this year, marking a significant expansion for the long-running song contest. The Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 has already confirmed participants from at least 10 nations across the continent, including Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, with more expected to join ahead of the November finale. Martin Green, the contest’s director, highlighted the historical significance of the move in a recent announcement. “As we mark the 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, it feels especially meaningful to open this next chapter with Asia, a region rich in culture, creativity and talent,” he stated. Bangkok has been lauded as the ideal host city, with Chuwit Sirivajjakul, a representative of the Thailand Tourism Authority, noting that it “has always …