Music

BILLIE EILISH

• By ASHLEY HALVERSON

It’s been a bustling 2021 so far for 21^st century global pop-phenom Billie Eilish.  Her stunning Vogue cover stopped everyone in their tracks and brought us an entirely new side of Billie to discover and fall in love with all over again with her new blonde frocks and seductive style.  My teenage daughter told me Billie’s new hair = new era.  Fasten your seatbelts – this era is sure to be a wild ride!

Billie has already racked up some more awards for her mantle – like International Female Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards and a Grammy for Record of the Year.  Her new album Happier Than Ever drops July 30^th and has box set options with all kinds of goodies like pins, posters and a vegan pearl necklace. This Fall she’ll be headlining nights at Life is Beautiful, the Firefly Music Festival, The Governors Ball and Austin City Limits. Billie’s Happier Than Ever World Tour US dates kick off February 2022 in New Orleans and wraps up in Los Angeles in April – almost exactly two years to the dates of her covid-canceled shows at The Forum.

In the meantime you can stream her very powerful single release aptly titled Your Power and pick up a copy of her recently released photo book and self-narrated companion audiobook – By Billie Eilish that shares an intimate peek from her youth to present.

For all things Billie, click here.

SWEET AND SOUR

• By ASHLEY HALVERSON

This summer you can expect to hear a lot of Olivia Rodrigo on the airways and on your best friend’s Spotify mix.  Written in her living room and produced in her garage during the pandemic shutdown, her debut studio album SOUR dropped in May but the debut single drivers license drove her to the top of the streaming lists and Billboard Hot 100 back in January. It’s no surprise that SOUR skyrocketed to No 1 on the Billboard 200.  And if you like actual music media you can find it on clear vinyl, clear or pink cassette tapes or a good ole’ cd paired with a diary journal/zine.

At merely 18 Olivia has already made her musical guest debut on Saturday Night Live on which she performed the love gone wrong songs drivers license and good 4 u which is my favorite so far – it’s got a little bit of punk sound mixed in with her pop and is reminiscent of Alanis Morrisette.   Her punk/pop style is available in clothing form at the online Olivia Rodrigo shop offering cute tanks, crop tees, hoodies of course and other fun items and accessories.

There’s no doubt some tour info will be announced soon.  In the meantime you can watch Olivia sing and play ukulele in her role as Nini on High School Musical: The Musical, the Series streaming on DisneyPlus.

For all things Olivia, click here. 

MOTOWN AT GRAMMY

• By CYNTHIA LUM
• Photo Courtesy of GRAMMY MUSEUM

“I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” Marvin Gaye, “I’ll Be There,” The Jackson 5,”Baby Love,” The Supremes, Motown has been the sound track for many of our lives since its beginning 60 years ago. MOTOWN: THE SOUOND OF YOUNG AMERICA  at the Grammy museum traces the evolution of the label, focusing on its major artists and musical achievements, and explores how the sound of Motown continues to influence some of pop music’s most important artists today. In addition to stage outfits from many of Motown’s top performers, such as The Temptations, the Four Tops, the Miracles, and The Supremes, the exhibition also includes exclusive interviews with many Motown legends, letting visitors get deep inside the creative process perfected at Motown 60 years ago. Visitors will also experience interactive displays, including an opportunity to perform the Supremes’ “Stop! In The Name Of Love” on stage and learn the Temptations’ signature dance moves. Berry Gordy, Jr. was the visionary behind both the music and the Black-owned record company he named Motown. Originating on the streets of Detroit and in its housing projects, Motown projected a shift in pop music, and in racial attitudes and youth culture. The Motown exhibit presented by City National bank will be the Museum’s main second floor exhibit through winter 2021.

For more ticket reservations, and the Museum’s new safety protocols, click here.

P!NK

• By RICH ANDREW
• Photo Courtesy of AMAZON

For an album that clocked the Billboard charts at number one, it’s no wonder that Pink’s Beautiful Trauma World Tour would make history as the second highest grossing tour of all time for a female solo artist. After 159 exceptional shows with every moment chock full of stunning pyrotechnics and breathtaking acrobatics, that tour has now been documented by director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) to show us exactly how that kind of impossible magic is made.

The film is called P!NK: All I Know So Far, and it tracks Pink’s demanding journey on the road and on stage as she juggles being a parent and a pop star. The concert boasts the perfect setlist of radio hit after radio hit and delivers a two-hour spectacle of intricate dance sequences and signature aerialist stunts with behind-the-scene interviews and candid family moments that offer a thorough introspection into the psyche of an artist. In partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, the Hollywood Bowl is presenting a free screening of this documentary for the thousands of first responders and frontline workers as a token of gratitude and appreciation for their heroic efforts across Los Angeles during the pandemic. This event is set for May 17th, and as a special treat, Pink will grace the stage and introduce the film herself.

“P!NK: All I Know So Far” premieres May 21st.