Betty Who back with fizzy pop
Who is Kendrick talking about in new song?
BBy Mark Kennedy
“The Valley”
Records) These might be anxious times but don’t worry, Betty Who is back. Betty Who? Exactly. Even her stage name is fun.
A new album of her infectious, fizzy pop music might be just what we need right now.
The Australian singer is all about finding love, overcoming heartache and promoting self-empowerment on “The Valley,” her 13-track sophomore effort. Nothing gets Who down. It’s like she swallowed the sun. “Hole in my heart but I’m still alive/I’m so low I’m high,” she sings.
Who, born Jessica Newham, comes to your rescue when you’ve been dumped — “So dance with me tonight/ Baby you can cry tomorrow” — and is self-affirming, telling herself that “on your worst days you’re still beautiful.” She’s so good-natured that when her lover misses another, her advice is “Pretend You’re Missing Me.”
The album is bookended by the slightly off-kilter “The Valley” and ends with a moody cover of Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever,” the only song Who didn’t help write. She even has a funny ode to Britney Spears, “Mama Say,” that includes the line “I’m your slave tonight.”
Who’s earnest songs — despite their electronic roots — have a knack to transcend the dance floor. This is an artist, after all, whose “Somebody Loves You” became a hit after it was used a flash mob marriage proposal at a Home Depot.
Viral
(RCA
Several of the new songs could go viral in the same way, including “Some Kinda Wonderful,” ‘’Beautiful” and “Free to Fly.” Then you’ll be able to say that’s Betty Who. Who? Exactly.
Kendrick Lamar called out rappers by name in his infamous “Control” verse released in 2013, but the internet is playing the guessing game about his target in a new song.
Lamar released “The Heart Part 4” on Friday and caused a frenzy on social media as fans and listeners tried to figure out whom the rap prince was referring to in the buzzed track.
Drake, Big Sean and J. Cole were some of the rappers speculated to be Lamar’s target on the song, which starts with the line, “Don’t tell a lie on me/ I won’t tell the truth about you.”
On the second verse he raps, “Tiptoeing around my name ... you lame/ And when I get at you, homie, don’t you just tell me you was just playing.”
The 29-year-old Compton rapper also name-drops President Donald Trump in the song, calling him a “chump.”
“Donald Trump is a chump, know how we feel, punk/ Tell ‘em that God coming/ And Russia need a replay button, y’all up to something/ Electoral votes look like memorial votes/ But America’s truth ain’t ignoring the votes,” Lamar raps.
Lamar is expected to release a new album this year. It will be the followup to 2015’s Grammy-winning “To Pimp a Butterfly.”
On “Control,” Lamar received praise for his guest verse on the song by Big Sean, which also featured Jay Electronica. On the track, Lamar called himself “the king of New York” and “the king of the coast.” He also called out 11 rappers, including Drake, J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, Pusha T, Meek Mill, Mac Miller, Wale, Big K.R.I.T., Tyler, the Creator as well as his “Control” co-stars.
Barry Manilow is adding his legendary voice to a concert series in New York City that raises money for human rights organizations.
The Grammy-winning singer of songs such as “Mandy,” ‘’I Write the Songs” and “Looks Like We Made It” will appear at the next monthly “Concert for AmericA: Stand Up, Sing Out!” on April 18 at The Town Hall. It also will be streamed live on Facebook.
Manilow will join other performers and presenters including Vanessa Williams, Michael Urie, Lisa Lampanelli, LaChanze and Andy Cohen.
Proceeds will benefit the NAACP, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Immigration Law
NEWARK, NJ:
A joke about Newark, New Jersey, on “The Mindy Project” led to dinner plans between US Sen Cory Booker and star Mindy Kaling. Center and the Sierra Club Foundation. Tickets range from $30 to $250.
The monthly series, which started on Inauguration Day, is the brainchild of Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley. There have been two additional concerts in New York and Chicago.
Four acts were tapped Thursday morning to headline the 2017 Kaaboo music festival: Red Hot Chili Peppers, P!nk, Tom Petty and the Heartbreaks and Muse. The fest, now in its third year, will take place from Sept. 15-17 in Del Mar, Calif near San Diego.
The Chili Peppers continue a trend for the festival in its first three years to highlight Southern California-based groups — No Doubt and Snoop Dogg led its inaugural edition. The band is also scheduled to headline the 2017 Bonnaroo Festival in June.
The Kaaboo headliners will be joined by a long list of acts including Weezer, Jane’s Addiction, David Guetta, Ice Cube, Jason Derulo, Logic, Alanis Morissette, Jackson Browne, Andy Grammer, Kesha, LiVE, X Ambassadors, Garbage and Michael McDonald.
“I am thrilled with this year’s extraordinary lineup and proud to be building on the success of our last two Kaaboo Del Mar events,” said Kaboo founder and CEO Bryan Gordon. “We strive to curate an event that is multigenerational and diverse — something for all of our fans.”
Also: LOS ANGELES:
John Mayer’s new single, “Still Feel Like Your Man,” is about ex-girlfriend Katy Perry.
Lyrics for the upbeat, but wistful single include, “I still keep your shampoo in my shower in case you want to wash your hair.” In an interview with The New York Times, Mayer rhetorically asks “who else would I be thinking about” but Perry.
Mayer adds that “it’s a testament to the fact that I have not dated a lot of people in the last five, six years.”
Mayer has had other high-profile girlfriends over the years, including Jessica Simpson and Taylor Swift.
The singer tells the Times he uses an exclusive dating app these days.