There's always been an elemental vibe to Zhu 's music. Tracks evoke feelings of metal, fire and ice, hitting hard and heating up before dropping back into a low simmer. It's an alluring amalgamation that's made Zhu one of the more compelling artists in the scene since breaking out with his starmaking track "Faded" in 2014. Now, the producer born Steve Zhu is back with his third album -- and first since 2018 -- Dreamland 2021 .
Much of the album, out on Astralwerks and featuring collaborators including Channel Tres and Tinashe, was conceived and recorded during the pandemic, giving Zhu surplus time to work on the dually hard and sinewy productions populating the project -- and seek inspiration in unusual places. As a result, the LP expands upon the chic, sleek, heavy and often heady late night vibes that made him famous, lacing house and techno with elements of funk, hip-hop, spatial, jammy guitars. All of which are united by Zhu's own spooky falsetto.
While the project was produced largely in L.A., inspiration came from far outside the confines of Zhu's homebase. He stayed on the move during quarantine, roadtripping to rural Montana, Utah and Colorado, where several of the album's dozen tracks were inspired by the "icy, sonic landscapes that existed there."
In May, Zhu will play a six-night run (billed as Dreamrocks) at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater, with a pair of festival sets to follow in October at Miami's III Points and San Francisco's Outsidelands. Here, Zhu breaks down what he was geeking out on while making Dreamland 2021.
The seemingly mundane building material appeals to Zhu for its simplicity and versatility. "When it's done right," he says, "it's the cleanest, smoothest shape, but at the same time it's very porous, dirty substance." He produced Dreamland 2021 with these impressions of concrete in mind, aspiring to create music that would "hit and be powerful and bold and strong and rugged, but at the same time [has] a lot of curves and other elements intertwined." Particular inspiration came from the work of Japanese minimalist architect Tadao Ando and artist Michael Heizer's 1972 installation "City," a massive concrete sculpture located in the desert of rural Nevada.
When Zhu wasn't on the road, old school video games provided a similar sense of escapism necessitated by the confines of quarantine. "Playing games from childhood was interesting during this period when everyone was looking to the past for some joy," Zhu says. Gaming also provided the producer with outlets he'd typically get from his work -- like a sense of community, a place to exercise his competitive streak and a means for zoning out. ("FIFA is therapeutic for me," he says.) In terms of that competitive streak, Zhu adds: "I don't like to be bad, so if I'm not good at the game, I just find a new game."
Zhu, who has had a fashion line since 2015, was working on new designs while also making Dreamland . Models dropped by the studio for fittings while others involved in the line (called Zhu Merch) would come through for meetings, turning his studio into a multimedia creative hub. (Some of these designs can be seen in the video for Dreamland 2021 track "I Admit It," a collab with 24kGoldn that features a Zhu Merch fashion show). "I design clothes with dancing in mind," Zhu says of the kimonos and other long silhouettes that serve as some of the core elements of his line alongside more utilitarian items. "I wanted more movement [from the clothes] and to give people something they could touch and feel, and sensations they may have forgotten coming out of the pandemic."
Perrie Edwards Admits Little Mix's Dream Collaboration Is Chloe X Halle – And Gets A... - Capital
Perrie Edwards spilled all on Little Mix's ideal collaborations and it looks like the artists she's hoping for – Chloe x Halle – have already reacted.
When Marv asked who the girls would love to collaborate with, Perrie revealed they'd love to work with Chloe X Halle and Normani.
Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock And Perrie Edwards Discuss Little Mix's 'Exciting' New Start As A Three
Perrie, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall' s dreams might not be so far-fetched as Perrie confessed every collaboration they've hoped for so far has come through.
GUYS CHLOE REACTED WITHIN SECONDS OF ME POSTING PERRIE TALKING ABOUT A COLLAB WITH CHLOE X HALLE ON MY STORY 😠pic.twitter.com/PPd83rlkq3
A Little Mix fan quickly grabbed the moment Perrie spilled on their ideal collabs and sent it to Chloe Bailey herself, who replied with the heart-eyes emoji.
Danny Elfman Explains Displeasure Over 'Batman' Score | Billboard
Danny Elfman recently opened up about his displeasure concerning how his score to Batman was used in the film. The iconic composer addressed the rumor while he was a guest on the Premier Guitar podcast .
The Oscar-nominated Elfman explained that he was greatly disappointed at the premiere of Batman in 1989 when he heard for the first time how his score was used in the Tim Burton classic. Elfman said he was "reasonably happy" with the mix of the score, his 10th, but disappointed with the dub, or how the music was transferred into the film.
"I was terribly unhappy with the dub in Batman ," Elfman said. "They did it in the old-school way where you do the score and turn it into the 'professionals' who turn the nobs and dub it in. And dubbing had gotten really wonky in those years. We recorded [multi-channel recording on] three channels -- right, center, left, -- and basically, they took the center channel out of the music completely."
"It didn't have any care put into it. I've had many scores play in big action scenes that really propelled the scene. And in the end of the [ Batman ] dub, I realized I could have had the orchestra play anything. I could have scored the film with some percussion, a harmonica and a banjo because all you hear are some percussion hits in big moments, but you can't really hear what the orchestra is doing."
Added Elfman, "That was my first lesson in how so-called professionals can take a score and the soundtrack to a movie and just do their thing in a very noncommittal way that is easiest for them; plunk it off to the side and just get the dialogue."
T-Pain Takes Out 'Call of Duty' Players Who Used Racial Slurs | Billboard
The digital domination came the same day Pain admitted to the world that he had no idea how DM requests worked on Instagram. He revealed in a TikTok video that his folder was filled with years of requests and shout-outs from the likes of Fergie, Sech, Pia Mia, Diplo, Kway, Nate Robinson, Tyler Cameron, YBN Nahmir, Viola Davis, Keri Hilson and dozens of others.
Billie Eilish Announces New Album, More Best Music Moments (April 30) | Billboard
We were "happier than ever" to hear Billie Eilish announce this week that her sophomore album, Happier Than Ever, will be out this summer.
The 2021 Billboard Music Awards is coming up much sooner -- on May 23 -- and the list of finalists revealed The Weeknd came out on top with nominations in 16 categories. DaBaby follows closely behind as the "Rockstar" rapper is a finalist 11 times in nine categories, and Gabby Barrett is a nine-time finalist and the female artist with the most nods.
Taylor Swift's boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, is definitely dancin' in his Levis this week! The Recording Academy has belatedly awarded a Grammy to him as a co-producer of Swift's Folklore , which won album of the year at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards on March 14. Learn more here .
BTS have announced "Butter," the English-language follow-up to their 2020 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash "Dynamite." The song is described in a press release as "a dance pop track brimming with the smooth yet charismatic charm of BTS," and it'll arrive in May. Find out more about when you can hear "Butter" here .
Polo G's "Rapstar" spent a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, one week after it debuted at the top spot, as Billboard 's Gary Trust reports. Meanwhile, Dua Lipa's "Levitating" revisited its No. 5 high, sparked by TikTok momentum. Everything you need to know about this week's Hot 100 chart is here .
For its latest executive list, Billboard paid posthumous tribute to Michael Gudinski, the founder of Australia's Mushroom Group, as international executive of the year. Overall, the list intends to recognize industry leaders at over 100 companies who are driving the success of music business outside the U.S. See the full International Power Players list here .
Billie is back! The singer released a new song titled "Your Power" on Thursday (April 29). Plus, she announced that her next album, Happier Than Ever , will arrive on July 30. See the album news here , and watch the video for "Your Power" here .
In a new interview, the K-pop superstar spoke about her two-song solo project -R- -- which includes her global hit "On the Ground" -- as well as getting support from her BLACKPINK bandmates. "It's like little baby steps of figuring out who you are and what you want to be," Rosé says. "Everybody's a chameleon, everybody can be all sorts of colors." Read the full interview here .
The Florence + the Machine frontwoman announced on Wednesday (April 27) that she is writing the music and lyrics for the musical adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic 1925 great American novel. Learn more about it here and read why the project has great timing here .
Twisted Sister Win Copyright Battle In Australia | Billboard
When Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer used a soundalike of Twisted Sister's best-known song for a political campaign, the rockers weren't gonna take it.
Twisted Sister and Universal Music Publishing Group launched legal action against Palmer when his United Australia Party rolled out a national campaign featuring "a re-written version" of the band's signature song .
She continued, "He saw political and personal advantage in both its notoriety or popularity and the message it conveyed and he thought that he could get away with using it merely by altering some of the words."
Katzmann also ordered Palmer to pay costs and scrub all copies of his version of the song from the Web.
Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider shared the development with his social media followers. "It's over baby! We won big," he tweeted.
The contested song accompanied a campaign that was circulated on TV and social media Down Under in 2019 and used the lyrics, "Australia ain't gonna cop it, no Australia's not gonna cop it. Aussies not gonna cop it."
When asked for comment at the time, Palmer told the ABC via a text message that he "wrote the words".
Palmer, who is as colorful as he is combative, made his wealth in mining before turning his attention to the right-wing of politics. He's amassed a multi-billion-dollar fortune, and is a household name in Australia not just for his deep pockets but for putting his name and resources to a string of unusual projects, which include the dinosaur theme park Palmersaurus and plans to build a replica of the ill-fated Titanic.
"We're Not Gonna Take It" is Twisted Sister's highest-charting song, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 1984. Snider and Co. have enjoyed a revival thanks to a cameo on the popular Netflix series Cobra Kai , based on the The Karate Kid franchise.
Executive Turntable: ASCAP Elevates Gregory Morgado | Billboard
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) promoted Gregory Morgado to evp and deputy general counsel.
EBONY appointed Marielle Bobo as their new editor-in-chief and svp of programming. She will report to the brand's CEO Michele Ghee , overseeing the development of the editorial tone, video content and social media across all platforms.
"We are thrilled to have a visionary like Marielle in this role and leading EBONY through this pivotal time in its history," said Ghee. "As both a seasoned editor and an experienced leader, she stood out to us as a multifaceted dynamo who not only possesses a wealth of proven editorial experience but who also understands the brand and has a definitive vision for its future. We are confident that she will utilize EBONY's most valued assets – our archives and our legacy- to forge a new path forward with strong, vibrant editorial voices, world-class creatives and fresh content for a new generation!"
Bobo most recently led editorial direction and digital strategy for Ayesha Curry's AC Brands including her magazine Sweet July . This new role marks a homecoming for Bobo as she previously worked at EBONY for over five years as the fashion and beauty director and helped produce some of their most iconic covers."
iHeartMedia extended its relationship with Enrique Santos , who will continue to serve as president and CCO of iHeartLatino for the next five years.
"The Latin community listens to radio more than any other group in the U.S., with radio reaching 95 percent of the Latin population nationwide," said Tom Poleman , chief programming officer and president of National Programming Group for iHeartMedia. "Enrique is an extraordinary talent with the unparalleled ability to connect with listeners and the Latino community across the country. As the President and Chief Creative Officer, Enrique has helped us grow the iHeartLatino multi-platform brand that now connects and engages with tens of millions of Hispanic listeners every month through our broadcast radio stations and digital platforms. Together, we are excited to continue this growth trajectory of our Spanish- and English-speaking Hispanic audiences even further."
Santos will continue to lead the development of the company's Latin-focused content for TV specials and other multimedia platforms as well as be a leader in attracting Latin audiences and fostering new talent in the Latin arena.
"iHeartMedia's commitment to serving the needs of the Latin community throughout the nation is unparalleled and I'm honored to continue leading our commitment to our community," said Santos. "In these times of misinformation, it is more important than ever for our listeners to have unfiltered, honest and credible sources, as well as relatable voices that they trust. We stand committed to continue to unite, lift, entertain and inform our LatinX listeners."
Reporting to Calvin Wong, CEO of Universal Music Southeast Asia and svp Asia, Lim will oversee UMG's operations throughout Malaysia. She most recently served as senior director of new business and artist management and head of marketing and sales for UMM.
Nick Jonas Talks Virtual SHEIN Together-Fest | Billboard
"It's always important for me to align with companies that have shared values and care about doing good in the world," Nick Jonas , who is headlining the show, tells Billboard of the cause. "I think that with this campaign as a whole and with this initiative, they've done a great job at being really proactive in their partnerships and getting their fanbase involved and invested in these wonderful causes. It's just great to see that young people are really such a powerful voice right now and can truly, I believe, change the world."
As for what the singer is planning on performing, Jonas didn't want to give too much away. He did reveal, however, that he'll be pulling out "one of the older tunes," plus some tracks from his upcoming album, Spaceman. "I have been, like everyone else, at home for most of this past year so I've very rarely been able to play any shows at all," he shares. "So even if it's virtual, I feel like it's going to be a lot of fun and I'm so excited and anxious to get out there and be on stage again. It's my favorite thing in the world."
A performance for SHEIN seems right up Jonas' alley, given his appreciation for style -- and he agrees. "Fashion has always been a way to express myself, and when it comes to music and art in general, it's a great way for us to just go a bit further with what we're trying to say," he explains. "I've also built great relationships and I've been fortunate enough to meet some great designers and hear directly from them and their process. It's given me a unique perspective and even greater love for the fashion world."
For his own looks, Jonas usually opts for a "combination of classic men's tailoring with an edgy, musical feel to it."
Kings of Leon Perform at NFL Draft: Watch | Billboard
"I hope we don't play a song a linebacker doesn't like and he decides to come out and take us out," joked drummer Nathan Followill.
(You can watch their performance of "Use Somebody" at the NFL draft on Thursday night below and judge for yourself.)
In March, Kings of Leon — brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill and their cousin, Matthew — made history by releasing their eighth studio album, When You See Yourself, as a non-fungible token or NFT , a digital form of currency that can only be used in its own ecosystem.
Sound confusing? Well, even the band wasn't sure what it was getting into with its pioneering move.
"We had to study up a little bit, and it's still a little beyond me," Caleb said before the band toured the hall. "We didn't know that much about it, but we were happy to be introduced to it."
Nathan Followill had some familiarity with cryptocurrency, but wasn't quite up to date on NFTs or all their possibilities.
"I think it's the way of the future, not only for music but you're seeing sport cards in the form of NFTs, artists putting their work through NFT," he said. "So not just for music, but for art and I think it will definitely have a place."
Greg Harris, the Rock Hall's president and CEO, applauded the band's willingness to try something new.
"Rock and Roll is always pushing the envelope and doing new things," Harris said. "So when Les Paul invented the solid body electric guitar, he was pushing it. When Jimi Hendrix was playing, he was pushing the envelope. Now we're pushing the envelope with technology and distribution."
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