The Song of 2016

The song of 2016, obviously, necessarily, powerfully is...Beyoncé’s “Formation.”

The surprise single – which dropped the day before last winter’s Super Bowl and which Queen B defiantly and confidently performed at the big game before dropping her latest game elevator, LEMONADE, in the spring – had it all:

A bold feministic message.

A declarative and definitive acknowledgement of self.

And a contagiously sick beat.

It was a long-con rally cry for a year that’s not yet over and, best of all, for a story – a history...a herstory – that’s yet to be fully written.

“Formation” is not only the song of the year. It is the song of the future.

Time to get, ladies people everyone. Time to get.

Indeed, time to slay:

M’s with Her!

Madonna is with her!

Because Rebel Hearts stick together, the Queen of Pop put on a surprise mini-concert at Washington Square Park in New York City last night, the eve of Election Day 2016, in support of Hillary Clinton, the badass woman who just might become the first female president of the United States later today.

The somewhat-intimate set included acoustic performances of “Express Yourself,” John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and a mash-up of Peter, Paul and Mary’s “If I Had a Hammer,” and M’s own “Rebel Heart.” It was a simple affair, from what I can tell, and a true celebration – an artist using her voice and a guitar to speak her mind and endorse the candidate in whom she most wholeheartedly believes.

Get it, girls!

Photo: Billboard.com.

Country Fans Need a Beyoncé Lesson

See? No reason to get all ridikolous, country fans: Collaboration is good.

That’s precisely what the Dixie Chicks did with Beyoncé – work together to create something beautiful – when Queen B joined ’em on stage a couple of nights ago at the Country Music Awards for a very special and badass performance of the LEMONADE maker’s “Daddy Lessons,” which you can listen to and download for free here.

Evidently, a great backlash (with some disappointing and ugly racial undertones) met the collaboration (and even Beyoncé’s mere presence at the show), which is silly because country music is for all and of all. I believe that LEMONADE is absolutely a country album, much more than the click-bait-y confessional the media and some people made it out to be, and I think that we can all agree Beyoncé’s pretty f---in’ amazing, so I don’t get how anything bad could be said about this collab. But folks will surprise.

We have so many pressing matters to worry about these days, pettiness ought to fall to the bottom of the list, knowwhatImean?

Let’s get it together, America.

We really are and will continue to be stronger and better and funner together.

Photo: EW.com.

At Solange O’Clock

Still reeling from the Tobey Maguire-Jen Meyer split?

Well, then, take your mind off of that bit o’ news and down a way different direction by enjoying a docu-short.

Solange Knowles’ A Seat at the Table, Beginning Stages, to be perfectly precise.

I’ve only just now had the chance to watch the film, which is a making-of chronicle of her recently released A Seat at the Table album that sees her...struggling with – or dutifully working on – melody selection for some of her new material (her first output in four years), which includes a deeply personal and spiritual ditty titled “Don’t Touch My Hair,” featuring Sampha, a British electronic-music singer-songwriter.

The other Knowles sister really has come into her own, don’t you agree?

Photo: EW.com.

It’s Showtime for Madonna

Guess I was onto something when I chose Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” as the Song of 2015, huh.

The Queen of Pop is among the hit-writing artists nominated to the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside an old collaborator, Babyface, Jay Z, Max Martin (Britney Spears’ go-to guy), Bryan Adams, George Michael, and Kool & the Gang, among others.

M FTW, though! Especially since she was previously nominated in 2013. 

So sit down, Lady GaGa. (There we were, doing so well for a bit, she and I....)

For someone so intent on standing apart from Madonna – btw, you know the Queen does write her own songs, alone or with collaborators (always has, always will), that is, of course, when she doesn’t quote-unquote take one from another artist, like Björk (who co-wrote “Bedtime Story” with two other talents), y’ know, just like just about everyone under the sun does – Mother Monster sure was happy to step on her elder a few days ago, to build herself up...and on the week her new record was due, no less.

Girl.

But back to Madonna.

Her latest tour doc, Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour will premiere on Showtime on Dec. 9 – on the same night M will be honored as the Woman of the Year at the 11th annual Billboard Women in Music event in New York City.

Check out the trailer for the televised tour now.

All together now: Long live the Queen of Pop!

Classic and Back

Cher is back (again), bitches!

And she’s putting on some shows to prove it.

So be sure to check and keep on checkin’ for tickets to her “Classic Cher” shows in Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., next winter. The fun kicks off on Feb. 7, at the Park Theater at the Monte Carlo in Vegas.

Welcome back, woman!

Photo: CherWorld.com.

Update: Look – the assault has commenced.

Look at Her Amazingness singing a classic with an oh-so-modern twist with James Cordern on his show last night.

Stronger with J. Lo

She’s with –H.

Save the date, Miami: Jennifer Lopez is going to perform in town for you on behalf of Hillary Clinton on Oct. 29.

The multi-hyphenate is part of a fun-sounding Love Trumps Hate campaign concert series, which also includes Katy Perry and Jon Bon Jovi, among others.

Bon Jovi will put on a show for the next president of the United States in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27 and in Tampa on Nov. 5, while Perry also will take to the stage on Nov. 5, but in Philadelphia.

The National will perform on Nov. 2, in Cincinnati.

Now...about that J. Lo show in the Magic City...so #jelly!

Photo: iHeart.com.

She Wants to Stay

Wanna listen to Lady GaGa's second promo single off of her upcoming Joanne album, a song titled “Million Reasons”?

My, then, click here.

Mother Monster debuted the ditty last night during the first stop in Nashville of her dive-bar tour in support of the record, which is dropping...later this month.

GTS.

Photo: EW.com.

T.S. AT&Ts...and Super Bowls

Time to share that Super Bowl LI spotlight, Lady GaGa.

It was announced today that Taylor Swift has signed an exclusive multi-year, multi-faceted deal with AT&T that includes not only content but also a very special night-before concert Super Bowl weekend in Houston, Texas, next winter. Which means that T.S. will headline the AT&T DirecTV Super Saturday Night show on Feb. 4, at a custom-made 64,000 square foot venue in the Space City, no less.

Tickets will be available through exclusive promotions and campaigns.

What do you think this means, Swifties? Think our gal will headline the Halftime Show in 2018...that this is just her warm-up?

Only time shall tell.

Of similar importance...so no more Apple Music spots then?

Photo: GIPHY.com.

Diving Out

Imma admit it: This is kinda very cool and sorta ridikolous.

I mean, is she not meant to be a huge superstar?

Lady GaGa is going on a (Bud Light-sponsored) dive-bar tour to promote Joanne, her upcoming new album. Y’ know, the one that features her new song, “Perfect Illusion.”

In making the announcement on Sunday, Mother Monster said, “I love this dive-bar tour so much, because I get to perform these songs and really look my fans in the eyes when I’m singing to them and really try to have a more natural human experience.”

Yeah, she also gets to have a full house, no?

Ha!

Kidding.

This is very cool, no kinda needed. It’s grassroots buzz building, and quite smart. A going back to basics, if you will.

The “Lady GaGa Dive Bar Tour” kicks off at an undisclosed location tomorrow. The first show will be streamed live on Bud Light’s Facebook page, at 10 p.m. EST. Two additional tour stops have been set, for Oct. 20 and Oct. 27, and the details for those performances are TBA.

Here’s to hoping girlfriend dives into San Francisco.

Photo: UsMagazine.com.

GaGa’s Touchdown

I s’ppose the millennial hipster-like look is working out for Lady GaGa then?

Guess who is hosting the Super Bowl next year, gays? just booked the 2017 Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Got that right: The “Perfect Illusion” Mother Monster.

And now you know.

Super Bowl LI will be held next Feb. 5 in Houston, Texas.

Now. So, like, the NFL is like, totally cool with the gays now, no?

Photo: HuffingtonPost.co.uk.

Rooney Pops

Rooney Mara, pop star?

It’s what’s happening.

The two-time Academy Award-nominated actress is set to topline Vox Lux, a new musical drama from actor-turned-filmmaker Brady Corbet. The project will span 15 years, kicking off in 1999, and track the rise of Celeste, a young talent poised for world superstardom, as it examines the major milestones of our culture as the new century began.

Corbet will shoot the movie in 65mm large format, and the movie will be shown in 70mm. Furthermore, Sia is also involved.

The “Cheap Thrills” singer will work on original songs for the Vox Lux soundtrack.

Right on.

Now. What do you think Mara’s singing voice sounds like, kids? And who would you guess will design the quite-specific wardrobe that Celeste will wear?

I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see, huh.

Photo: YourNextShoes.com.

Is This Love or a?

OK, Lady GaGa – you are back.

Musically speaking, at last.

“Perfect Illusion,” Mother Monster’s first new non-cover-or-film-related single in three years, hit the Internet last night (the darn thing is on iTunes now, if you’d like to add it to your collection), and it is something I wouldn’t mind listening to a few more times.

Pop-y rockin’ kinda stuff.

Is it love (Callback to Dem Lyrics Alert!)? I dunno.

I do know that I likey.

Now. When’s the album that goes with it supposed to come out?

My guess? November. Just in time for the holidays – but, hey...at least this little ditty is eligible for 2017 Grammys consideration, right? The deadline for all that jazz is at the end of this month?

Clever girl.

Photo: E! Online.

SoulCycle...Ariana Grande (He Said in That Voice)

Oh.

Ariana Grande didn’t just perform a SoulCycle-themed rendition of “Side to Side” at the MTV VMAs last month – girlfriend went and committed the choreography to an entire video?

Is that where we are?

Don’t ge me wrong: I’m still reserving the right to buy this single on the iTunes...but c’mon.

For realsies?

Photo: MTV.co.uk.

Replay This

Did you hear Nicki Minaj throw the musical gauntlet the day before Labor Day? How she called herself “the female Jay [Z]” in “The Pinkprint Freestyle,” a #boss single she posted onto SoundCloud?

No?

Here. Ya welcome:

Keep her rollin’, everyone.

Perfectly Protected

So her acting career’s heating up – but what is taking so long for us to get some new music by one Lady GaGa?

Mother Monster announced 10 days ago that her new Mark Ronson-produced single, “Perfect Illusion,” is set to drop next month – to buzz up the release of her upcoming album, the tentatively titled LG5 – but that was 10 days ago. How have we read or heard nothing else since then? I mean, in this day and age, how hasn’t something leaked?

Not that I’m saying someone should get in on that, but...weird, no?

Are people really not that into hearing new stuff from Lady GaGa as they were, say, other people?

Mmm.

Photo: EW.com.

Kids of the OneRepublic

So I finally got to listening to a little bit of “Kids,” the new OneRepublic single, and I think I am liking this one.

I am actually enjoying it a lot.

OneRepublic are, to me, like this super-under-the-radar blatantly popular sort of band, one that’s unafraid of taking controlled (?) risks, which often results in anthemic, beyond-radio-friendly stuff – hello, “Make that money, watch it burn.”

Not to be outdone by anything the’ve done so far, “Kids” sounds propulsively rock-y and just a tad electronic in vibe. Reminds me of what Mumford & Sons did with “Believe.”

That’s it. I’m buying this s--- on the iTunes.

This and “Wherever I Go,” the single frontman Ryan Tedder & Co. put forth earlier this summer, to drum up interest in their upcoming, still-untitled fourth album, which is due this fall.

Photo: EW.com.

Getting Clumsy

Oh, Brit-Brit....

“Clumsy”?

Yeah, I’ll say.

Everyone loves bending over backward to give Britney Spears credit – for coming back to us (time and time again, or so it seems) armed with new music and for like, basically holding it together – but I am ready for some growth, girl.

Her sound is showing its age.

I mean, what’s next? And is that seriously all there is?

Guess I should give La Spears, ahem, a little more of the benefit of the doubt and wait to see what her upcoming album, Glory, feels like as a whole when it drops at the end of the month (on Aug. 26, to be precise).

In the meantime, if you are ever so inclined, you can give your ears a work-out by getting “Clumsy” with her after pre-ordering the darn thing.

Photo: Bustle.com.

Glory Time

And...she’s off.

Britney Spears has gotten back to the business of demonstrating she’s (still) Britney, bitch (and she’s still got it). See, the pop tart has “Make Me,” a new single, climbing the charts, and now, officially, a new album to hawk.

And Glory, Spears’ ninth effort, is all ready and set to drop via Apple Music on Aug. 26.

Now. If you pre-order the album now, guess what. You instantly get what will possibly be the next single, a ditty titled “Private Show,” which also is the name of her newest fragrance.

And that’s how you hit two birds with one stone. So...now.

Photo: Twitter.com/britneyspears.

Divas Time Is Nigh Again

VH-1 is...remember VH-1?

Good. You better because VH-1 is bringing back its Divas show this holiday season! This after taking a break that has lasted four friggin’ years.

No word on who will be tapped for the show, but the show will premiere on Dec. 5 from the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn.

I...am dreaming...of a Mariah Carey-Ariana Grande showdown right now.

Photo: Deadline.com.