Beyoncé inspired a wobbly-looking skyscraper
An Australian architecture firm is set to build a massive tower in Melbourne, and have named Beyoncé’s Ghost video among its influences. Let’s be real: this skyscraper visualisation looks nothing like the pop star – and plenty of commenters and writers have expressed their surprise that it doesn’t more closely resemble a curvy bum. But in any case, Bey’s cultural impact continues to grow, however dubiously.
The Who said their Glasto performance was sabotaged
If you were listening closely to the Who’s headlining Glastonbury gig, you may have caught snippets of Pete Townshend grumbling about how they could have sounded better. This week an anonymously written blogpost on the band’s website recounted their big day at Worthy Farm, throwing in the suggestion that “someone had sabotaged the carefully tested audio connections” of their setup. None of us would have noticed if you’d not said something about it. Twice.
People were still writing think pieces about Rihanna’s BBHMM video
Last Thursday, Rihanna released a music video about a hostage situation. Days later, people in various feminist camps were still screaming at each other about misogyny and gratuitous violence, and perhaps missing the point that all characters in the video are fictional. Rihanna isn’t a misogynist. The video is a glossy, slightly vapid and daft piece of art. End of.
A Rolling Stones poster was banned by Transport for London
The damning poster in question was set to advertise Exhibitionism, the band’s forthcoming Saatchi Gallery show. Apparently its depiction of John Pasche’s lips logo superimposed over a bikini-wearing woman’s crotch was too raunchy for the London underground and bus stops. It’s nice to know that ads screaming “ARE YOU BEACH BODY READY?” can get the thumbs-up, while a loose suggestion of cunnilingus (which is an awesome, normal part of a woman’s sex life) doesn’t cut it.
NME magazine announced that it was going free
The music weekly’s reader circulation has been slipping steadily for years, and it’s now set to be given away. NME will also be branching out and covering gaming, film, fashion, politics and TV. Weep sad, salty tears for the NME of decades long past – but let’s see what they’ve got planned with this “new original as well as curated content” come September.
Rock dominated the UK’s bestselling vinyl lists of the year
Much to no one’s surprise, acts such as Noel Gallagher, Stone Roses and David Bowie ranked high on the lists of the 10 bestselling vinyl singles and albums in 2015 so far. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’s Uptown Funk was the main outlier on the singles list, while Led Zeppelin could enjoy the honour of appearing twice in the album top 10.
Ariana Grande licked a donut and that somehow became news
OK, that’s not quite the full story. Pop singer Grande, who was last mentioned in this roundup when she tweeted a message about gender double standards in music, was captured on video licking a display donut and saying: “I hate America.” She was with friends and a back-up dancer, most likely speaking glibly, but since the video surfaced on TMZ she’s had to release an apologetic statement clarifying that she’s “EXTREMELY proud” to be American but also worries about child obesity. As of Wednesday, public health officials said they were investigating the video.
Shaggy said Isis would chill out if they listened to his music
The reggae musician suggested members of the terrorist group would be less likely to commit heinous acts if they listened to more reggae and smoked weed. Whether you’d want to take advice on coping with a global menace hellbent on trashing the name of Islam from the guy who sang about cheating on It Wasn’t Me is up to you.
Metal fans grow up to be well-adjusted, according to tiny survey
Former 80s metal fans, musicians and groupies turn into happy adults, if we’re to believe the results of a 377-person survey. With a sample size that small, it’s hard to tell whether this means anything. Luckily, for anyone who loves metal or is friends with metal-heads, the personal experience of going to gigs and seeing how lovely people are will serve as evidence enough.
Charanjit Singh died, aged 74
The Bollywood soundtrack session musician died in Mumbai last weekend. Singh was often credited with making the first acid house record in 1982, on a Roland TR-808 drum machine and Roland TB-303 synth, before the genre took off in Chicago.
