Deathprod, the ambient project of Norwegian musician Helge Sten, has announced a new album. Compositions will arrive on January 27 via Smalltown Supersound. He’s released the lead single “Composition 1” to coincide with the news, and it comes with a music video directed by Kim Hiorthøy. Find it below.
Compositions is Deathprod’s first studio album since releasing the comeback effort Occulting Disk in 2019. He recorded it at Audio Virus Lab in Oslo, Norway. The new LP spans 17 tracks in total, all of which are organized in chronological order of when Sten recorded them.
Read about Deathprog’s 2004 album Morals and Dogma in Pitchfork’s list of “The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time.”
The Bulgarian superstar soprano has nnounced that she will release her next album in February 9 on her own label, SY11 Productions.
It features, she says, ‘the world of courtesans’.
Or what humourless Sony bosses might misconstrue as geishas.
“The world of courtesans has always intrigued me”, says Sonya Yoncheva. “I discovered their universe in my stage incarnations of some of them. Once I read the story of Veronica Franco, a courtesan who was also a poet, asserting herself in territories traditionally reserved for men: those of erotic casuistry and public debate. I was struck by this personality, who in her speeches defied a whole era that both idealised and degraded women, objectifying them. A warrior of women’s rights, who was offering her body to pleasure. What a contrast and what faith! Inspired by her path, I decided to realize this CD you are holding in your hands.”
The press release stipulates, however: Still remaining an exclusive Sony Classical recording artist, Sonya Yoncheva preferred for this project, which she takes closely to heart, to produce the album fully according to her own vision.
NEW YORK (AP) — We first see Juliet in the Capulet tomb, devastated. She’s wakes up to see her Romeo dead. But before she plunges a dagger into her heart, she starts … singing. What comes out is, improbably, a Britney Spears hit.
“Oh, baby, baby. How was I supposed to know? That something wasn’t right here? Oh, baby, baby. I shouldn’t have let you go,” she sings, the opening lines of “…Baby One More Time.”
That such a pop song works perfectly in this august scene is a credit to playwright David West Read and the team behind the Broadway jukebox musical “& Juliet.”
They’ve taken an original story using “Romeo and Juliet” as a launch pad and mixed in some of the biggest pop hits of the past few decades by Spears, Celine Dion, NSYNC, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, The Weeknd, Justin Timberlake, Pink and Backstreet Boys.
“I really tried to let story and character drive it,” says Read, an Emmy-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek.” “It’s a long process to make it seem effortless, but it’s a lot of effort.”
The link between the songs is Swedish super-producer Max Martin, who has had a hand in writing such hits as “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Larger Than Life,” “That’s The Way It Is” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling,”
The musical starts when William Shakespeare’s wife challenges him to rewrite “Romeo and Juliet” with a happier ending for Juliet, sparking a journey of self-discovery for the young woman and nearly everyone on stage. Inspired in part by “Mama Mia!” it has multiple couples of different generations.
“I think the genius of David has just knocked all of us sideways,” says director Luke Sheppard. “I don’t think Max ever imagined that somebody would be able to find such a cohesive world for this.”
Read had been handed a playlist of over 200 Martin songs in 2016 and whittled it down to about 30. He challenged himself to not change any of the lyrics, although he altered some pronouns. Some hits — like Perry’s “California Gurls” and Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger” — were clearly never going to fit.
“Instead of going for what are the most popular songs, I tried to prioritize what are songs that are going to tell this story in the best possible way,” says Read.
Masterstrokes include turning Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want From Me” into an duet between arguing lovers, giving Perry’s “Teenage Dream” to an older couple looking back on their young romance and handing Juliet “Oops!… I Did it Again” after she’s found herself in a second romantic conundrum.
In one special move, Read gave Spear’s “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” to a new character, Juliet’s nonbinary friend, May, played by genderqueer Justin David Sullivan. It’s a landmark moment for Broadway, allowing a nonbinary main character to talk about being misgendered and what it’s like to date while trans.
Read also turned Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” into a duet between May and a male love interest. “I wanted it to be a queer love song sung by two unexpected characters that feel more representative of our current world,” he says. (Some audience members have walked out after that. “Clearly we still have a ways to go,” says Read.)
There are also nods to musical theater conventions: “Stronger” works as a callback of “… Baby One More Time” (“My loneliness is killing me” in the first song reappears in the second as “My loneliness ain’t killing me no more”). And musical theater rules mean you need to have a song where a lead character makes clear they want something; the creators of “& Juliet” had one in plain sight — Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.”
Read even made a connection between Martin and The Bard himself: “Shakespeare was the pop writer of his time. We think of him as very highbrow now, but he was creating an entertainment for the masses. That kind of overlap between Max and Shakespeare seems like it could be a fun way to give a brand to someone who doesn’t have his own brand.”
The team got an early indication that the concept would work at the first workshop in which an audience was invited. Backstage, they waited for the reaction to “…Baby One More Time.”
“The audience didn’t laugh. And that was amazing. I was like, ‘OK, passed that test,’” says Sheppard. ”I felt the audience just lean in that moment and connect with that song and with that artist.”
Critics have been kind to the finished show, with Variety saying “& Juliet” “is exactly the musical Broadway needs right now: fun, exuberant, supremely joyful, hilarious and excellently performed by a talented and diverse cast.” Entertainment Weekly said Read’s work is “cleverly, sometimes ingeniously calibrated to sync with the songs.”
“The ones that really mean a lot to me are the critics who clearly come in with a hatred for jukebox musicals and reluctantly admit that there is a lot of craft in this one,” says Read.
He credits Martin for being open to outside-the-box ideas and allowing the show’s collaborators the flexibility to make what’s not another run-of-the-mill jukebox musical.
“Sometimes it feels like someone slapped their name on something, and they show up on opening night and people are maybe making the show for the wrong reasons,” says Read. “To have the artist working with us and collaborating with us, I think also separates this from other jukebox musicals where the artist is either dead or not involved.”
Read has since moved on — he is the creator and showrunner of the upcoming Apple TV+ series “The Big Door Prize” — but his experience with “& Juliet” has been so positive that he and Sheppard are working on another jukebox musical, this time with the catalog of Roy Orbison.
“We’re trying to tell a new story with his existing music and challenging ourselves to do something completely different from what we would did with ‘& Juliet,’” he says.
As we approach the new year, you know we love to bring you tons of great lists and end-of-year content, and our Top 40 Country Albums of 2022 list will be here very soon.
But in addition to tons of great music coming out this year, we had a lot of our favorite artists on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast to talk about it, as well as giving some great insight into their lives and what inspires them.
And while of course, I would tell you to go back and listen to all of the ones you might’ve missed, I decided to narrow down my top 10 favorite episodes from this year.
Make sure you give ’em a download for your flight home, that three-hour drive to grandma’s house for Christmas dinner, or whatever holiday travel and plans you have this year.
Let’s get into it:
10. Justin Moore
Justin talked parenting, living in his hometown in Arkansas, writing “Bait a Hook” about Ben Roethlisberger and much more. Listen HERE.
9. Hailey Whitters
Hailey talked growing up in Iowa, her grandfather the “Grassman,” touring with Jon Pardi and much more. Listen HERE.
8. Ronnie Dunn
The great Ronnie Dunn talked music videos with Dale Earnhardt, the only time he fought with Kix Brooks, hog hunting from a helicopter and much more. Listen HERE.
7. Randall King
Randall talked small town West Texas and keeping his Texas license, transitioning to Nashville, the wild high speed chase that ended at his show and much more. Listen HERE.
6. American Aquarium
Frontman BJ Barham talked about the current state of mainstream country music, his relationship with the guys of Turnpike Troubadours, his new studio album Chicamacomico and much more. Listen HERE.
5. Kolby Cooper
Kolby talked about the great Waylon Jennings, being a dad and raising toddlers, smoking a joint ahead of his Grand Ole Opry debut and much more. Listen HERE.
4. Riley Green
Riley talked about his most memorable hunts, his go-to drink on stage, opening for Luke Combs on his world tour next year and much more. Listen HERE.
3. Jon Pardi
Kicking off my top three favorite’s, the always-funny Jon Pardi got into the upside to a hangover and how he cures one, his new Pardi Batch 112 Bourbon, hanging out with Kid Rock and much more.
If you want some great laughs, listen HERE.
2. Ben Burgess
Our most recent episode, Ben stopped by the podcast for the first time to talk about his debut studio album Tears the Size of Texas, getting out of a bad recording contract and moving to Nashville to pursue country music, writing for people like Lil Wayne, the Jonas Brothers and Morgan Wallen and much more.
Ben is a great storyteller and is so candid and funny, so definitely make sure you check that one out HERE.
1. Koe Wetzel
And for my favorite podcast episode of the year, Koe Wetzel stopped by not long before the release of Hell Paso to talk about his version of the wild strip club story with Parker McCollum, getting arrested in New Braunfels, Texas, his vision for the country album he’s working on now and much more.
Koe is of course very entertaining and always has some great and wild stories for us, so if you somehow missed it back in August, make sure you give it a listen HERE.
You certainly won’t regret it…
And of course, you can find all of the Whiskey Riff Raff episodes on Youtube, or you can download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or click here.
We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.
With another seven days in the books, we’re back catching you up on the best new music with the 318th installment of our Weekly Dope playlist.
On the artwork this week, I ran with a mix of SZA‘s SOS album with Bun B and Statik Selektah‘s TrillStatik 2 project.
On top of that, there’s also new music from Boldy James, Ransom + Lloyd Banks, Icewear Vezzo, Apathy + Black Thought, Emotional Oranges, iyla + Benny the Butcher, Lil Durk, Shy Glizzy + 21 Savage, Mount Westmore (Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, Ice Cube, and E-40), and more.
Updated every Monday morning, the playlist can be heard below and is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and TIDAL.
Weekly Dope: SZA, Bun B + Statik Selektah, Icewear Vezzo & More was last modified: December 13th, 2022 by Shake
First of advent and the weekend of thanksgiving and so many things in the past weeks that I’m thankful of that I don’t really know how to sum it up or where to begin! (Trigger warning: a long post of thankfulness and blessings.)
Thank you Lili Bogdanova-Essl and Michael Essl for wonderful three days in Berlin, one of my favourite cities in the world. Was also a great honour to be included in this year’s Klangwerkstatt Berlin on the 10th of November with my piece Groove, performed by Marianna Schürmann and Christine Paté alongside music by my colleagues Juha T. Koskinen and Tapio Tuomela. And so good to see my uni friendSimiam Ghan again and my colleague Cia Rinne, whom I’m currently working together with, as well!
Marianna Schürmann, Christine Paté and Cecilia Damström at Klangwerstatt Berlin 2022
Concert Location in Kreuzberg for Klangwerkstatt Berlin 2022
Cecilia Damström and poet Cia Rinne on the 11.11.22 in Berlin
Had three wonderful days in New York, the city that never sleeps and had a great meeting with Elizabeth Blaufox from Boosey & Hawkes (the publisher who represents me in the US and UK). Also stayed in a charity based hostel, through which I got to hand out food to homeless people in New York. Got to see the composition recital of the students at the Juilliard School and bumped into professor Andrew Norman, one of my favourite composers. Saw the superb musical “Into the Woods”, a musical who’s musical director and pianist is my friend Evan Rees, with whom I studied together composition for Samuel Adler in 2012 in Berlin! At the same course I met Evan in 2012, I also met the wonderful Elizabeth Nonemaker, with whom we managed to squeeze in a lunch in New York this November, reunited with this wonderful person after 10 years! Also made new friends, for instance Jackie at the hostel, with whom I had a meaningful 3 hour conversation in Spanish about life and spirituality. (I’m quite proud this is still possible 11 years after my Erasmus exchange to Spain.)
Cecilia Damström with Elizabeth Blaufox at Boosey & Hawkes in November 2022
Went by train to Washington DC, where Garrick Zoeter picked me up. This inspiring and wonderful clarinettist was more than the best imaginable host! He showed me around Washington DC (The Capitol, The Whitehouse and the Kennedy Music Centre), drove me to Winchester Virgina, brought me to dinner together with his colleagues each night and drove me even to the magnificent Lurey Caves on my free day, where I got to see spectacular 400 million year old caves of stalactites and stalagmites! (Also: the hotel that the Shenandoah Conservatory put me in was so comfortable, I think even the bathroom was three times bigger than the cubicle “room” I had in New York!).
Cecilia Damström at the Capitol in Washington DC in November 2022
Cecilia Damström at the Lurey caves 17th of November 2022
Cecilia Damström lecturing at Shenandoah Conservatory 18th of November 2022
I was given the opportunity to talk about my music to the composition class of Jonathan Newman at the Shenandoah Conservatory and share my music with them. On Friday evening the 18th of November my main reason for my US travel took place: Garrick and his wonderful colleagues Julietta Curenton, Stephen Key, Ryan Romine and Alexander Bernstein gave an absolutely splendid US Premiere of Piano Quintet No.3: Helene – Nuances from the Life of Helene Schjerfbeck. (Listen to it yourself, link below in the comments to the recording!)
Cecilia Damström and the Van Buren Quintet 2022
The weekend I got to spend with my dear friend Lucy at her wonderful home. I got to attend one of her concerts at Princeton University, see the legendary grounds of famous university and meet her wonderful friends Kennedy, James, Connor and many more, as well as her lovely cats.
Kennedy and Lucy outside Princeton University November 20th 2022
After a refreshing 22hours at home in Helsinki I was lucky to travel on the 23rd of November to the small city of Jakobstad (in Finland) for the wonderful Rusk Festival. This year’s theme was “Gods and goddesses”, so my piece Celestial beings suited the festival so well, that the opening concert was even named after my piece! It was such a honour to have Aleksander Koelbel and Mina Fred from the superb contemporary music ensemble Norrbotten NEO perform my piece! (Link to the recording of the opening concert in the comments!) And because they played the third movement in the opening concert and the other two movements in the chamber music concert on Friday, I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at the festival from Wednesday to Saturday and had the opportunity to get to know all the other wonderful musicians as well as hear and experience all the inspiring concerts artistic director Anna-Maria Helsing hat put together. Thank you Mina, Aleksander, Nick Shugaev, Mårten , Johan Ullén, Robert Ek, Christian Svarfar, Senja Rummukainen, Anabel, Sara, Tanja, Martin and everyone involved for a truly wonderful week in Jakobstad!
Mina Fred, Cecilia Damström and Aleksander Koelbel at the RUSK Festival in Finland 2022
Ended the week together with my friend Linda Suolahti, seeing my favourite comedian Hannah Gadsby perform live in Helsinki. Such a mind-blowing performance!
The past 2,5 years haven’t always been easy, having suffered from Long Covid from March 2020 until September 2022 (and having had cover five times so far). Many times during the past years I have wondered if I ever would be back to normal again, so it feels simply incredible to finally feel like I have got my life back! Each of the things I have mentioned feel like a blessing, but the biggest blessing of all at the moment is having a heathy body to experience all the things above and of course all the lovely people with whom I have had the privilege to experience these moments with. Thank you.
Delhi to Derry- Together in Sound, a cross cultural collaboration between India and the UK that celebrates the fusion of contemporary and electronic music, is on its India leg at the moment.
“As part of our India/UK Together Season of Culture, this collaboration between boxout.fm and Celtronic Festival has allowed six emerging EDM artists from India to perform live in the UK for the first time and six artists from Derry in Northern Ireland have performed in India.” said Jonathan Kennedy, Director of Arts- India, at the British Council. He added that through this platform, they aim to facilitate the development of cross-cultural practices and new artistic work between the two countries.
Among the many performances, one such collab is between one of India’s highly-regarded women DJs, Harshita Kalee who goes by the stage moniker Kaleekarma, whose evocative sets feature music interwoven with theatrics, and Jonathan Delaney aka The Fully Automatic Model, a multidisciplinary Ireland-based artist exploring ambient soundscapes and techno beats. Here is what they had to say about their music and what the future holds.
Tell us about your new show in India? How was the process of conceptualisation?
TFM: The show is a completely new audio-visual performance piece which is the outcome of a cross-genre / country collaboration project which started in June 2022. Sonically, it’s varied and takes influences from electronica to dub, Detroit Techno to Krautrock Ambient music to traditional aspects of both cultures.
Kalee: There wasn’t much planning or thinking around the concept for me personally. If any, the idea was the work of team Boxout.fm and British Council. To share just the beginning of it all, I pulled out pieces that I had jammed out for fun almost two years back. I had thought of discarding these at some point but am so glad I didn’t.
What is the story behind your stage name Kaleekarma?
Kalee:This is a story I’m still saving to share.
What kind of music did you grow up listening to and who all have influenced the kind of music you now do?
TFM: From a young age, I was obsessed with knowing how things worked (music technology-based things, especially). I used to take things apart and see how they ticked, then hack or fix them to suit my needs. I started to mess with speakers, record players and amplifiers, as I loved to make a racket. This led onto getting into the physics and magic of music and how it was created, amplified, and played to a crowd. My music history is varied but mainly influenced by early leftfield electronic pioneers such as Kraftwerk, Laurie Spiegel, Edgar Froese, AFX, Cinematic Orchestra, the list is endless.
Kalee: I grew up listening to a lot of A R Rahman. Popular Bollywood was the only space of music we were exposed to, and I saw myself being drawn to all of his works. I do not remember listening to, or even knowing any other kind of music till I got to cities like Delhi, Pune, and Mumbai later in life.
Your music reminds me of Brian Eno, would you say he has influenced you?
TFM: I’d say I’m more influenced by the early German Krautrock pioneers that actually inspired Eno, such as Harmonia and their work with very basic equipment and tape machine loops. Especially the Musik Con Harmonia Album.
What made you decide you wanted to make music?
TFM: Everything is a vibration. Music is no different. Music was and still is an escape for me. And it helps me understand my place within the world.
Kalee: A day of sitting down with myself on a quiet evening and realizing that there are tunes playing in my head that I want to put out on a board. That’s all it took.
How has your journey been in India so far? Has it been difficult breaking into the music scene here since there are relatively few takers for house music and indie artists here?
Kalee:I have travelled to places to play music, to do what I love to do. The journey so far has only added to my experience and growth. Every kind or form of work comes with its set of investment, dedication, and madness. I knew I was making a choice that isn’t the most conventional but I have always known that if I get my mind and heart straight on what I really want to do, I will have it work for me in time.
Dream collabs?
Kalee: Would love to work with anyone who is here to spread the joy and peace that comes with music.
TFM:Based on musical heroes, I’d love to sit down with AFX, Boards of Canada, FourTet, or maybe Colin Benders if it was a modular synth jam.
What is next in your music journey?
Kalee: More music, more magic!
TFM: Next I’m heading home to play with friends for our annual synthesiser festival in Derry- Ireland, called Oscillations & Modulations. It focuses on affordable DIY synth and modular building workshops from local synth engineers, visual installations, generative art installations and workshops, live AV performances across the city, and open days at some of Derry’s world class studios. Then maybe a new album and visual show.
What do you want your listeners to experience through your music?
Kalee: Just ease yourself into feeling and enjoying the moment with music.
TFM: I think we all get something different from music, so I’ll leave the journey up to them. I hope they get as much from it as I do though.
Any word of advice for young aspiring musicians?
Kalee: Listen to your heart. And let your brain mindfully support and nourish that which the heart wants.
TFM: My advice to anyone thinking about getting into the music scene would be to be true to yourself and what you aim to achieve creatively. Be open to new possibilities and give it time and space to grow. Learn as much as you can and surround yourself with creative people. Keep it PUNK!
Very few musical instruments have their own “National (instrument name) day/week/month…” Earlier this year I blogged about two of them – the piano and the guitar. Let’s close out the year with another, and one of the oldest: the violin, whose national day is celebrated on December 13th.
Some music historians believe the violin is a descendent from stringed instruments played by ancient Mesopotamian equestrian cultures, originating as far back as 2700 years BCE. Some also draw a straight line from the “modern” lyre, used in ancient Greece around 1400 BCE, and then spreading throughout the Roman Empire, changing shape and materials along the way.
Most people believe that the violin as we know it today was developed in 16th century Italy. Instrument makers in Brescia, Venice and Cremona took the lead in Europe in developing the instrument. It’s said that King Charles IX of France elevated the instrument when he ordered two dozen violins from Andrea Amati in 1560 for his palace ensemble, known as The King’s Violins. One of the violins still survives and is called The Charles IX.
Whether the instrument emerged from the maple and spruce trees of northern Italy or elsewhere, the music written for it has also endured. This versatile instrument shines equally as bright whether playing solo, duo with a piano or other instrument, or part of a larger ensemble. Here are a handful of the most famous violin pieces that you should get to know.
Everyone thinks of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons when showpieces for violin are discussed, (and they are excellent pieces to get to know), but how about his idea to put four outstanding violinists on stage at the same time? Here’s his Concerto for Four Violins, Op. 3, No. 10.This all-star line-up includes violinists Isaac Stern, Ivry Gitlis, Ida Haendel, and Shlomo Mintz. Zubin Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Bach’s Partita No. 3 was part of his collection of pieces called “Sonatas and Partitas.” We know that they were completed by 1720, although not published until 1802. No. 3 remains a favorite of violinists. It is played here by Midori.
Mozart’s first music teacher was his father Leopold Mozart, a violinist in the orchestra of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. Leopold also published a violin textbook the year his son was born, so what better teacher for the four-year-old? Although he was taught to play violin and keyboard simultaneously, the young Mozart gravitated to the keyboard and began composing for it by age five. He never forgot his early lessons, however, and wrote five violin concertos. Some say it was just a way to show his nagging father that he could do it, and then get back to composing for his other favorite instruments. We may never know why he wrote only five when he was more than capable of writing more. His 5th Concerto, nicknamed the “Turkish,” is often hailed as his most mature. Here’s Christian Tetzlaff joining the German Chamber Philharmonic of Bremen and conductor Paavo Järvi.
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto was written in 1806 but did not have a successful premiere. Later, in 1844, the 12-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim, who was already on the cusp of becoming one of the greatest violinists of that century, played it with Felix Mendelssohn conducting the London Philharmonic Society. Joachim declared it the greatest German violin concerto, and ever since the piece has become one of the best known (and longest). Here’s violinist Uto Ughi playing with the Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE with conductor Luis García Navarro.
Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto was meant as a gift for his longtime friend Ferdinand David, the concertmaster of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. It took him six years to complete it. The autograph score is dated September 1844, but it’s said that Mendelssohn was still not quite happy with it and was consulting with David right up until its premier in 1845. One of the most unusual aspects of this piece is that the cadenza was written out, whereas in other concertos of the era, the cadenza is improvised by the soloist. Ray Chen is the soloist here, along with conductor Kent Nagano and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
It quickly became one of Mendelssohn’s most popular pieces, and considered one of the “greats” in the violin repertoire.
Saint-Saëns’s Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso was written in 1863and was originally intended to be the finale of his Violin Concerto No. 1. It was so well-received at its premiere that Saint-Saëns published it as a stand-alone piece.
Itzhak Perlman’s version is considered by most to be “the” classic recording. Here he is playing it with Charles Mackerras conducting the Sadler Wells Orchestra.
Saint-Saëns dedicated the piece to a leading virtuoso of the day, Pablo de Sarasate, who performed the premiere.
Pablo de Sarasate was a composer in addition to being a violinist. His Carmen Fantasyis based on music from Bizet’s opera Carmen. The piece was published in 1882 as a piece for violin and piano. Although it’s only about 12 minutes long, it’s considered one of the most challenging pieces for violinists to play. Here is Gil Shaham, with conductor Claudio Abbado leading the Berlin Philharmonic.
The Carmen Fantasy is often performed at violin competitions by violinists hoping to show their range of abilities.
The last of Niccolò Paganini’s 24 Caprices is widely acknowledged as one of the most difficult pieces for a violinist to play, with everything from fast scales to arpeggios (chords played one note at a time in rapid succession) to left-hand pizzicato (plucked strings) to parallel octaves. Paganini himself was a violin virtuoso and showman of “rock star” legend. He was nicknamed the “Sorcerer” and many accused him of “selling his soul to the Devil” to be able to play as he did. Violinist Augustin Hadelich makes it seem like it’s his own.
The Caprice No. 24 is not only appreciated on its own, but for the countless variations by other great composers, including Brahms, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and even Andrew Lloyd Webber, who did a version for his brother, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, and rock band.
And one more worth getting to know: 20th century American composer Samuel Barber wrote his Violin Concertoin 1939. It was commissioned by a man whose son was a budding violinist. Barber presented the first two movements and the man complained that the piece was too simple for his son. Taking the criticism to heart, Barber wrote a more complicated third movement. The violinist himself then complained it was too difficult. By that point, the frustrated Barber called one of his music students to come and sightread the piece, which he did with ease. There were no more complaints afterwards. Here’s Joshua Bell and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, led by David Zinman.
There are so many gorgeous, exciting, romantic, complicated and simple pieces for violin. These are but nine with some of the greatest violinists of our time. Enjoy this intro for National Violin Day, and happy exploring on your own!
CODA: Let me end this blog post as I started it, with a quote, this time by novelist Freda Bright. This is her telling of the story about the best violins in the known universe:
“In the late 1600s the finest instrument originated from three rural families whose workshops were side by side in the Italian village of Cremona. First were the Amatis, and outside their shop hung a sign, ‘The best violins in all Italy.’ Not to be outdone, their next-door neighbors, the family Guarneri, hung a bolder sign proclaiming: ‘The best violins in all the world!’ At the end of the street was the workshop of Antonio Stradivari, and on its front door was a simple notice which read ‘The best violins on the block.’”
Several country radio mainstays — and a couple of out-of-left-field dark horses — dominated the Billboard Country Airplay Charts in 2022, according to year-end data released by Billboard Country Update.
It should come as no surprise that Jason Aldean and Luke Combs place highly on this list. Both stalwarts at country radio and staple touring acts, chart-topping success seemed all but an inevitability for these two artists in 2022 — and they delivered, with hits solidly within the Top 10 most-played songs.
Combs’ “The Kind of Love We Make” places fifth, with an overall audience of 426.64 million — and especially impressive feat, given that the song hit the radio airwaves in June, so fans only had half a year to hear it.
Meanwhile, Aldean comes in at No. 9 with “Trouble With a Heartbreak,” with an audience of 405.84 million. That song was his only Top 10 most-played single, but his duet with Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You,” follows not far behind at No. 16.
Another radio favorite, Morgan Wallen, slides into the No. 8 spot with “Wasted on You.” Two more Wallen tracks, “You Proof” and “Sand in My Boots,” fall just outside the Top 10. If those seem like low numbers for the ever-ubiquitous Wallen, it’s worth noting that early on in 2022, some stations weren’t playing his music as a result of the racist slur scandal that he incurred the previous February, which led many stations to remove his songs from playlists in 2021.
Throwback songs did well on the radio in 2022, and two artists in particular — Scotty McCreery and Cole Swindell — reaped the benefits. Swindell earns the No. 6 spot on the year-end chart with “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” his ode to Jo Dee Messina’s 1996 hit,”Heads Carolina, Tails California.” McCreery made out even better, leaping to No. 4 with “Damn Strait,” his heartbreak ballad that tips its hat to the King of Country himself.
Country music’s female artists are perennially overlooked at country radio compared to their male counterparts, and once again, they are few and far between on this list of the Top 10 most-played songs of 2022. MacKenzie Porter gets a mention at No. 2 as the featured artist on Dustin Lynch’s “Thinking ‘Bout You,” though her ranking would be more satisfying to equality-minded country fans if it were a song she took the lead on.
The 10th spot on the list does go to a song by Ingrid Andress, with a feature from Sam Hunt: The pulsing, broody earworm, “Wishful Drinking,” which became Andress’ second No. 1 hit — and Hunt’s 10th — earlier in 2022.
Hunt also appears within the Top 10 solo, courtesy of his No. 1 hit ballad “23,” which he put out in late 2021. Hunt’s track record at country radio is excellent but a little spotty; he has made radio history with songs like the record-breaking juggernaut “Body Like a Back Road,” but he’s also been known to go dark for months or even a year at a time, so the fact that he placed not one but two singles in the Top 10 most-played list for 2022 is a little surprising.
The real shocker, though, comes courtesy of the No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay song of the year: Parmalee’s “Take My Name.” The song has earned the top spot by a fairly wide margin, netting an audience of 609.52 million, compared to the No. 2 song, “Thinking ‘Bout You,” which brought in 534.61.
After a years-long stretch of lukewarm radio singles, the country rock act rebranded in 2019, ultimately putting out a duet with Blanco Brown called “Just the Way” late that year. Over the course of 2020, the song embarked on a slow, but ultimately successful climb to the top of the charts, and with the success of “Take My Name,” Parmalee prove that their success was no fluke.
Scroll down to see the Top 10 songs on the 2022 year-end list for the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Top 10 Most-Played Country Airplay Songs of 2022, per Billboard :
10. “Wishful Drinking,” Ingrid Andress with Sam Hunt 9. “Trouble With a Heartbreak,” Jason Aldean 8. “Wasted on You,” Morgan Wallen 7. “23,” Sam Hunt 6. “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” Cole Swindell 5. “The Kind of Love We Make,” Luke Combs 4. “Damn Strait,” Scotty McCreery 3. “‘Til You Can’t,” Cody Johnson 2. “Thinking ‘Bout You,” Dustin Lynch ft. MacKenzie Porter 1. “Take My Name,” Parmalee
Top 22 Country Songs of 2022, Ranked
There are plenty of feel-good country jams on this list of the top country songs of 2022, but the No. 1 song is one of the best love songs of the decade. These 22 songs are ranked by critical acclaim, radio and sales success, and importance to the genre.
Seven of the 22 artists made our Top Country Songs list from 2021 as well, but there are no repeats. If a song made a previous list or didn’t spend most of its time on the charts in 2022, it’s not eligible. So, before you ask where your favorite song is (i.e. Cody Johnson, “‘Til You Can’t), be sure the miss isn’t just a technicality.
The global Korean wave is creating ripples in the entertainment world lately. And, undoubtedly 2022 appears as a year belonging to K-pop. Be it BTS showering us with solo projects before their military enlistment, PSY making a comeback after five years, TWICE becoming the first K-pop girl group to play at a US stadium, or BLACKPINK beginning their Born Pink world tour — this year has given us some of the best K-pop moments, and honestly, iconic ones.
While the memories of the best K-pop moments in 2022 might get blurred, there are some that deserve all our attention. And, even though everyone’s best K-pop moments of this year may vary depending on what they like or follow, we have created an unbiased list.
Here are some of the best K-pop moments of 2022 you should know about
BTS: Concerts, fests and a new album
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One of the biggest bands in the world, BTS has always soared high in the cultural accelerator and this year is no different. In 2022, BTS gave the world some of the best K-pop moments. Coming back with their new album Proof, the fulfilling ‘Permission to Dance on Stage’ Seoul concert, Festa, and the very recent Busan concert, BTS made 2022 extremely memorable, especially for ARMY.
BTS’ military enlistment
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One of the most significant and shocking K-pop moments is BTS’ military enlistment news, without a doubt. There were speculations about the same for years, but the K-pop group’s agency Big Hit Music announced on 17 October that all members of the group will serve in the military.
In an official statement, Big Hit Music said that “after the phenomenal concert to support Busan’s bid for the World Expo 2030, and as each individual embarks on solo endeavours, it’s a perfect time and the members of BTS are honoured to serve.”
BTS member Jin is the first one to initiate the enlistment process. Big Hit Music also announced that BTS will reconvene as a group again around 2025 following their service commitment.
Grammys and solo works
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Although BTS didn’t take home a golden gramophone at the 2022 Grammys, they surely made an impact worldwide with their iconic “Butter” performance live. So much so that they got a standing ovation from the audience.
On 15 November, Recording Academy also released the nominee list for the 2023 Grammys and it’s a moment of pride for K-pop fans and Korea as BTS is nominated in three important categories — Best Duo/Group Performance with “My Universe”, Album of the Year as featured artists on Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres, and Best Music Video with “Yet To Come.”
Now that the world awaits to bid goodbye to each BTS member until 2025, the group, which is now focusing on solo projects, is making sure they leave behind enough content for ARMY. And, their individual activities undoubtedly make for some of the best K-pop moments in 2022.
A few standouts include JHope’s debut studio album Jack In The Box and his Lollapalooza concert, Jungkook’s “Dreamers” — the official soundtrack for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and his performance in Qatar for the same, Kim Taehyung aka V’s presence at Hedi Slimane’s closing Celine show in Paris Fashion Week, Jin’s debut solo single “The Astronaut” and RM’s upcoming debut studio album INDIGO.
Legendary K-pop star PSY’s comeback after five years
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Who doesn’t remember the viral “Gangnam Style”? Everyone, right? Well, the K-pop star PSY who gifted the world with the iconic track, made a comeback in 2022 after a five-year hiatus. The announcement of the artist’s ninth full-length album was one of the most significant moments in K-pop this year and immediately created a buzz on social media and elsewhere.
Besides being one of the best K-pop moments, PSY’s comeback also served as a pleasant surprise for the BTS ARMY. The album, titled Psy 9th, with a total of 12 tracks, was led by “That That”, which was co-produced by BTS’ Suga. The South Korean rapper also features in the music video of “That That” and even participated in composing, arranging and writing the lyrics for the song. The music video has over 360 million views on YouTube.
TXT’s first concert, AMA debut and more
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Formed by Big Hit Music, popular South Korean boyband TXT made their debut on 4 March 2019 and has never looked back since then. Also known as Tomorrow X Together, the group’s first concert tour, Act:Lovesick, for their second full album The Chaos Chapter: Freeze, and fourth extended play (EP) Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child, served as one of the best K-pop moments of 2022.
Apart from their tour that began on 2 July in Seoul, South Korea, TXT also had the 2022 Weverse Con [New Era] and an incredible show later at Lollapalooza 2022.
However, TXT doesn’t seem to be over with giving us the best moments from K-pop yet. The group made their first appearance at the annual American Music Awards (AMAs) 2022 that took place on 20 November in Los Angeles.
Group members Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun and Huening Kai also competed in the Best K-Pop Artist category alongside BTS, BLACKPINK and others. They also teased their fans, the MOAs, with the probability of a new album in 2023.
(G)I-DLE adds charm to 2022 with Tomboy
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(G)I-DLE has turned out as one of the most successful fourth-generation K-pop girl groups this year. Their 2022 release, Tomboy has become one of the biggest hits in South Korea, so much so that (G)I-DLE is owning the music charts and breaking records repeatedly. The group also earned their first real time All-Kill with the song.
And now with the release of their recent song, “Nxde”, and their first world tour ‘Just Me ( )I-dle’, (G)I-DLE truly gave us some of the best K-pop moments in 2022.
When BLACKPINK gave us Born Pink
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The best K-pop moments of 2022 is incomplete without mentioning BLACKPINK. The South Korean girl group is currently one of the biggest in the world and their 2022 activities speak of the same.
BLACKPINK marked six years of togetherness this year and what better gift for Blinks than a comeback and a world tour, right? The group dropped their hit single “Pink Venom” at midnight on 19 August and this was followed by the release of their comeback album Born Pink on 16 September.
BLACKPINK is currently having the time of their lives touring 16 cities globally. The Born Pink world tour began in October 2022 and will continue till June 2023.
With such significant feats, BLACKPINK is finally back in your area and how.
TWICE shines with Twice 4th World Tour III, comeback and Nayeon’s solo debut
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2022 made TWICE shine brighter than ever. The K-pop girl group concluded their Twice 4th World Tour III on 15 May 2022, at the Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. The tour comprising 14 shows created quite the noise globally, making for one of the best K-pop moments in 2022.
On 26 August, the K-pop superstars surprised fans with their comeback. The 11th mini-album Between 1&2 became the first K-Pop girl group album of 2022 to chart for seven weeks on Billboard 200.
2022 also had TWICE member Nayeon making a powerful solo debut with the release of her mini album IM NAYEON. Its title track “POP” surpassed 100 million YouTube views and garnered multiple music show wins.
K-pop sensation Girls’ Generation’s comeback after five years
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The return of the legendary Girls’ Generation has to be one of the best K-pop moments of 2022. After the five-year hiatus, the girl group made a full-group comeback on their 15th anniversary. Their 7th album FOREVER 1 topped the streaming charts in Korea, Japan and China, and iTunes charts in 31 countries. Fans around the world were hit by nostalgia after their much-awaited comeback.
(Main and Featured Image: Courtesy bts_bighit/Twitter)
