Saturday Night Live’s final episode of 2020, hosted by Kristen Wiig, featured two electric performances from musical guest Dua Lipa. The episode opened with Vice President Pence (Beck Bennett) and Vice President-Elect Harris (Maya Rudolph) receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
One of the few artists who thrived during the pandemic, Dua Lipa’s second album Future Nostalgia cemented her status as a pop staple. It dropped in the first month of quarantine and didn’t need an accompanying tour to bolster its release, although one is coming in September 2021.
Future Nostalgia righted the wrongs of its predecessor, the 2017 self-titled debut Dua Lipa, by finding a distinct sound amid complaints of being too generic. Dua also improved her live performances, coming off more confident and energetic onstage than in the past. Future Nostalgia is ending the year on several publications’ best of 2020 lists, and is up for five Grammy Awards, including Album and Song of the Year.
Dua’s first song of the night was “Don’t Start Now.” While Future Nostalgia’s lead singlewas released on Halloween of 2019, it had major staying power throughout 2020. It reached its Billboard Hot 100 peak of #2 on its 19th week of release, and surpassed Lipa’s 2017 single “New Rules” as her biggest hit. The nu-disco bop channels “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, as well as Daft Punk and the Bee Gees, dealing with themes of female empowerment and independence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDsyocmK3XI
Dua closed her SNL debut with “Levitating,” an album standout that became a single in August. The dance floor-ready anthem spawned remixes with Madonna, Missy Elliott, and DaBaby, although none compare to the original solo version. “Levitating” is arguably Future Nostalgia’s high point, expertly updating the Studio 54 sound for 2020. The DaBaby remix made Barack Obama’s recently unveiled list of favorite songs of 2020.
Saturday Night Live returns in January. Revisit Kristen Wiig’s memorable final episode as a cast member on SNL, where Mick Jagger dedicated “She’s A Rainbow” to Wiig and the cast gave her an emotional send-off.
Taylor Swift took to Twitter to announce her second surprise album of 2020. Out at midnight on December 11th, Evermore is the successor to Folklore. While the album’s contents are a mystery so far, it seems to have a similar aesthetic to Folklore, with continued collaboration with The National and Bon Iver. The video for “Willow,” Evermore’s opening track and lead single, drops at midnight alongside the album.
I’m elated to tell you that my 9th studio album, and folklore’s sister record, will be out tonight at midnight eastern. It’s called evermore. 📷: Beth Garrabrant pic.twitter.com/xdej7AzJRW
Swift continued her announcement, saying, “To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.” ‘We’ refers to Aaron Dessner, frontman of The National, and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, both of whom co-wrote and produced the songs on Folklore.
Evermore is Swift’s ninth studio album, and the first to seemingly retain the spirit of its predecessor. Up until now, her album releases have been very distinct “eras”: Reputation was her dark and dramatic album, Lover was pastel and political, and Folklore was cottagecore. Swift has never stuck with an album’s main themes or imagery for too long, which makes Evermore unique even if it came out less than five months after Folklore.
Swift isn’t done with Folklore just yet—she released Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions on November 25, a concert film for Disney+. Filmed in the Hudson Valley, it was the first time she performed the album’s songs face-to-face with Dessner and Antonoff. Folklore garnered Grammys five nominations including Album of the Year and Song of the Year for “Cardigan,” breaking a short snub period. While the awards aren’t until January 31, 2021, Evermore won’t be eligible until next year.
Darlene Love is set to live stream a holiday concert on Saturday, December 5. The Christmas icon’s holiday set starts at 8 p.m. ET, including her hit “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”
Tickets are available for $35, and once purchased the performance is available to access until Christmas Day. A portion of the proceeds supports the Empire State Plaza Perfoming Arts Center.
Love is a Grammy Award Winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, recognized as “one of the greatest singers of all-time” by Rolling Stone Magazine. Through the years, Darlene has continued to captivate audiences worldwide with her warm, gracious stage presence and sensational performances. Dozens of hits including “He’s a Rebel,” “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” “Marshmallow World” and her signature song, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” are featured (along with many others) in this one-night-only holiday performance.
From 1986 to 2014, Love performed “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on almost every single pre-Christmas episode of David Letterman’s talk shows, Late Night and eventually The Late Show. The sole exception was in 2007, due to the writer’s strike.
After Letterman’s 2015 retirement from late night, Love moved her annual performance to The View and has continued the tradition there. On The View she’s often sung the song as a duet: partners have included Patti Labelle, Fantasia, Bryan Adams and Jason Derulo. Other artists to cover the song are U2, Joey Ramone, Cher, and fellow Christmas royalty Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey.
Love’s discography also extends beyond Christmas. With her 1960s girl group The Blossoms, she sang The Crystals’ “He’s a Rebel.” The group was touring and unable to make it to the studio, so producer Phil Spector had The Blossoms perform it under The Crystals’ name. Love’s other high-charting songs include “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” also credited to The Crystals, and “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home.” In 2013, Love appeared in 20 Feet From Stardom, an Oscar-winning documentary about the lives and careers of backup singers. Along with her co-stars and crew, Love took home the 2015 Grammy for Best Music Film.
In 2011, Love was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She performed “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” with Bruce Springsteen, and Bette Midler, who also appeared in 20 Feet From Stardom, honored her with a speech. Love has also acted, playing the wife of Danny Glover’s character in all four Lethal Weapon films.
For more information on Darlene Love and her live stream of “Love for the Holidays,” see The Egg’s website.
In honor of its 10-year anniversary, NYC band Consider The Source is selling a limited edition vinyl of their album That’s What’s Up.
CTS’s That’s Whats Up Album Art
On Friday, November 13, Consider The Source made a limited 250-copy vinyl pressing available for pre-order on their online store. The $30 record ships in April 2021. Besides the vinyl, the band’s store includes “Sourceror” shirts, the name for CTS’s fanbase. Their third effort, That’s What’s Up was their last studio album to feature former drummer Justin Ahiyon before he was replaced by Jeff Mann in 2012. On the day of the vinyl release, they did a Facebook and YouTube livestream concert, the first time they performed most of That’s What’s Up since Ahiyon left. In addition to the new vinyl, the eight-track album is available for streaming on Bandcamp.
Consider The Source formed back in 2004 as a jam band consisting of John Ferrara, Gabriel Marin and Justin Ahiyon. Their style is hard to pin down, but they’ve described it as “sci-fi Middle Eastern fusion.” They released their self-titled EP in 2005, and their debut album Esperanto in 2007. They’ve since toured internationally to Israel, Turkey, and Germany.
Consider The Source released their most recent studio album last year, called You Are Literally a Metaphor, featuring the lead single “Enemies of magicK.” Back in July, they did a Radiohead-themed livestream with covers of “Paranoid Android” and “Reckoner.” In late October they did a short series of socially-distanced live shows spanning across Virginia and the Carolinas. Consider The Source also released F**k It! We’ll Do It Live, Vol. 3, their latest live album. Unlike the first two volumes, this release is 100-percent improvised.
The year is 2010. Every middle schooler has an armful of Silly Bandz, people still expect Avatar sequels within the next few years, and female rappers are all but extinct—enter Nicki Minaj.
While the Lil Kim and Lady Gaga inspirations were immediately clear, Minaj was still unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Her eccentric accents, peculiar alter egos, and quirky wordplay made her an instant hot topic, sure to reignite the flame of female rap that had petered out with the retirement and incarceration of its biggest stars. It seems unfathomable in an era dominated by Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Minaj herself, but for a hot minute, she was the lone femcee in a boys’ club.
It’s also hard to believe Minaj’s debut album Pink Friday came out a decade ago. While time has flown by, it feels strange imagining a world without her undeniable contributions to pop and hip hop. Since Pink Friday she’s gone on to see higher highs (and lower lows), but it remains her most heartfelt and cohesive effort.
The Origins
Onika Tanya Maraj was born on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Trinidad. Her father, who was a drug addict, burned down their house when she was five, which prompted her mother to relocate the family to Queens, New York. Maraj went to LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, the performing arts school that inspired the film Fame.
After gaining recognition from a trio of mixtapes in the late 2000s, Maraj signed to Lil Wayne’s label Young Money Entertainment in 2009. One of her first appearances as the Nicki Minaj we know today was on “BedRock,” a song from Young Money’s debut collaboration album with Lil Wayne and Drake. Both have since become frequent collaborators, with Drake’s star rising at the same time. Minaj soon got to work recording her debut album, Pink Friday, and quickly secured A-list cosigns from the biggest names in rap and pop alike. Eminem, Rihanna, Kanye West and will.i.am all appear on the standard version, but despite some great features, they never quite manage to overshadow her.
The Album
After a year of building hype through featuring on otherartists’songs, Pink Friday was released on November 22, 2010. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, reaching #1 a few months later, and was eventually certified triple platinum with over 3 million sales. It was also nominated for three Grammys, including Best Rap Album. Lead single “Your Love” sampled Annie Lennox’s “No More I Love Yous.”
Minaj’s detractors might dismiss the suggestion of any depth in her discography based off of the raunchiness of “Anaconda” or “Stupid Hoe,” but Pink Friday rarely approaches the subject. It certainly isn’t family friendly, but besides a stray Eminem verse and swearing for braggadocio purposes, the album is surprisingly tame by her standards. The Nicki Minaj on Pink Friday is far more concerned with making history, endearing listeners to a likable underdog, and preparing for world domination. The album is a masterclass in versatility, with each track peeling back a new layer to who she is and what she’s capable of as an artist. Besides mononymous performers with decades under their belt (think Cher or Prince), you’d be hard-pressed to find a better chameleon. She switches between budding queen bee and insecure ingenue with ease, leaving room for her best incarnation: provocateur Roman Zolanski.
His name has aged horribly in the post-Me Too era, but Roman Zolanski is far and away Minaj’s greatest alter ego. A moody, flamboyant, and frankly bizarre character, Roman is essentially Nicki’s evil twin from London. He’s afflicted with Tourette’s syndrome, prone to violent outbursts, and speaks in an exaggerated Cockney accent. During her feud with Minaj, Lil Kim compared Roman to Fire Marshall Bill, Jim Carrey’s character from In Living Color. He’s definitely an acquired taste, but he’s responsible for some of the most creative insults in Pink Friday. Minaj wastes no time eviscerating her idol-turned-nemesis on “Roman’s Revenge,” and on “Did It On ‘Em” she coins her now-famous catchphrase: “These girls are my sons.”
Roman’s incendiary trolling is only one side of Pink Friday, though. Breakout pop single “Super Bass” introduces Minaj as a bubbly, flirtatious, Pepto Bismol edition Barbie (today, her fans are affectionately called “Barbz”). Originally a bonus track, it went viral in early 2011 and is now Minaj’s signature song. The lyrics speak of her prerequisites for romantic partners, most importantly the double entendre in the title. The hook is commonly misattributed to Nicki, but it’s sung by uncredited co-writer Ester Dean. Minaj’s guest spot on Kanye West’s “Monster” makes a compelling case, but the opening verse of “Super Bass” is easily her most memorable. Just say the opening line “This one is for the boys with the boomin’ system” to a group of Gen Zers, and watch them fill in the rest.
Although Minaj’s cartoonish personas still breathe life into Pink Friday ten years later, the album’s most charming aspect is her vulnerability. 2020 Nicki Minaj isn’t remotely relatable, but she was once humble and outwardly insecure. Recorded on the brink of breaking out, she’s happy to revel in her newfound success (see “I’m the Best” and “Blazin”) but often grapples with self-doubt. On “Dear Old Nicki” she admits to missing her life before fame, while on “Here I Am,” she struggles to separate her self-image from external approval. Minaj shows hints of weakness on later tracks (“Marilyn Monroe” and the haunting “Grand Piano”), but on Pink Friday she’s at her most uncensored—emotionally, of course. The ridiculousness of Roman is absent here, but it still makes sense that they’re paired together in the same project.
Minaj’s follow-ups lean too far in either direction—Roman Reloaded gets lost in its absurdism, whereas The Pinkprint is a real downer—but for an early moment in time, she achieved perfect balance. Pink Friday masters pop and rap with ease, and it’s simply funto listen to. The writing is often laugh-out-loud funny, like on the Buggles-sampling “Check It Out,” and surprisingly poignant to those only familiar with the shock value of her derriere ditties.While there have been better female rappers before and after, none are as multifaceted. Nicki said it best on Little Mix’s 2018 song “Woman Like Me”: “Uh, a million, I’m getting my billy on / Greatest of all time, ’cause I’m a chameleon / I switch it up for every era, I’m really bomb / These bitches really wanna be Nicki, I’m really mom.”
The Legacy
A new wave of female rappers has since sprang up, and while she once saw them as competition, Nicki has learned to play nice. Just this year she achieved her first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a remix of Doja Cat’s “Say So,” after a decade of being clowned for not having one at her level of fame. Surprisingly, Iggy Azalea and Cardi B both beat her to the punch: previous mega-hits “Super Bass,” “Starships” and “Anaconda” peaked at 3, 5 and 2 respectively. It’s an impressive comeback after a short decline—Remy Ma’s 2017 diss track “Shether” damaged Minaj’s credibility, and her 2018 album “Queen” underperformed.
Almost every female rapper after Nicki would readily admit to idolizing and even copying her. While she’s always been generous with her features, she’s finally begun collaborating with her proteges. Besides “Say So,” she’s appeared on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hot Girl Summer” and Migos’ “Motorsport” alongside Cardi B. Never mind that their alliance went down in flames—Cardi still paid her respects to Nicki in an Apple Music interview last August:
When I was six, seven, eight, there was a lot of different female rappers. And then, there was a time that there were no female rappers at all. I have to keep replaying songs from the early 2000s. I have to keep replaying it, replaying it, replaying it because for a while there wasn’t no female rapper. And then there was one female rapper that dominated for a very long time. You know what I’m saying? And she did pretty good. She’s been still dominating.
Last Friday, Minaj dropped a 10th anniversary complete edition of Pink Friday available for streaming. It includes all standard and deluxe tracks, as well as Young Money’s “BedRock.” Bonus track “Girls Fall Like Dominoes” could be Nicki’s mission statement: the first verse is about converting male rappers’ fangirls to devoted Barbz, and the second name-drops female music and fashion icons, most of whom Nicki has since worked with. It’s remarkable in retrospect, and encapsulates the essence of Pink Friday: a woman ready to break barriers and celebrate her weirdness. Over the last decade, it’s safe to say she’s more than earned her title of Queen.
On Tuesday, November 17, the Rochmon Record Club will return to Saratoga’s Caffe Lena for a virtual listening party of The Beach Boys’ 1966 album Pet Sounds. The show begins at 7:00 p.m. EST on Zoom.
Hosted by Chuck Vosganian, Rochmon Record Club began meeting at Caffe Lena in 2017. Previous listening parties have included Janis Joplin’s Pearl, The Beatles’ Abbey Road, and Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run. Comprised of stories, photos, biographical and technical information on the albums, they’re some of the venue’s most popular events. “The show I love to do was developed at Caffe Lena. The family atmosphere and sense of history in that wonderful room feels like going home,” says Vosganian.
The Beach Boys’ 11th album, Pet Sounds was a departure from their early California sound. Frontman, Brian Wilson, produced the entire album by himself, and even refers to it as his true solo debut. While Pet Sounds was immediately acclaimed in the UK, it took longer for US music critics to warm up. In retrospect, critics and fans have come to appreciate it as the group’s best work. Rolling Stone christened it second-best album of all time on their 2003 list of 500 greatest albums, and it retained the number two spot in both 2012 and 2020 updates.
The most recognizable song on Pet Sounds is its opening track, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” Its socially conservative lyrics about a high school romance were a stark contrast to the more suggestive themes of rock and roll. While not on Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys released their signature song “Good Vibrations” as a standalone single the same year.
Registration is required to attend the listening party, and while free, Caffe Lena will have a virtual tip jar. Throughout the pandemic, Caffe Lena has continued to stream concerts, listening parties, music classes, and community conversations.
Greenwich duo Phantogram played their hit song “When I’m Small” for the new artist den series, Live From My Den. Recorded live on Friday, the performance was released on Wednesday, November 4.
The performance was filmed from Harmonie West, frontwoman Sarah Barthel’s home studio in Los Angeles. They named the studio after frontman Josh Carter’s family’s upstate New York barn, Harmony Lodge, where they wrote their early music. Barthel and Carter originally performed under the name Charlie Everywhere, but changed it to Phantogram in 2009.
“When I’m Small” first appeared on Phantogram’s 2010 debut album, Eyelid Movies. The song is told from the perspective of a woman in an abusive relationship. While undeniably pop, “When I’m Small” is still dark and haunting, with cryptic and ominous lyrics: “Lucy’s underground, she’s never coming back.” Back in 2014, Phantogram told NBHAP that the line was a nod to the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” but wanted to keep its meaning ambiguous. That year, they appeared on the Flaming Lips’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover album, With a Little Help from My Fwends.
Phantogram has released four albums total. Their newest LP, Ceremony, was released on March 6, 2020. The lead single, “Into Happiness,” peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In 2012, they collaborated with rapper Big Boi (OutKast) on two songs from his second solo album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors. They went on to form a trio, known as Big Grams, and released an EP of the same name in 2015. Phantogram’s music has also appeared on the original motion picture soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
While Saratoga’s Caffè Lena has gone without customers since March, its livestream and music school have helped it stay afloat. That said, the 60-year-old cultural landmark still needs donations in order to survive the shutdown. If the cafe can raise $50,000 by Saturday, October 31, The Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund promises to match donations by 100%. Sarah Foulke was a Saratoga Springs attorney who died in 2016, and regularly volunteered at Caffè Lena.
This is a double-your-gift challenge grant to help Caffè Lena survive the shutdown. Caffè Lena is a landmark venue. We want to help them evolve their online platform, and we’re rooting for them to raise the full $50,000 this month so that we can donate $50,000. Unique cultural institutions such as Caffè Lena make our region special and deserve our help. We hope others who love Caffè Lena and Saratoga Springs will join our effort.
Suzan Nolan, advisor of the Sarah B. Foule Fund
Caffè Lena’s event calendar shows new streams nearly nightly. Besides live concerts, streams include storytelling nights and poetry readings. Some streams celebrate a specific genre of music, such as jazz and bluegrass. All of these events are free, with only the music school requiring a fee. Caffè Lena also offers Community Classroom, a non-partisan platform to discuss civic issues, and a program called On the Road, which brings live music to senior citizens and community service organizations.
“The community is getting so much out of our daily programming. We don’t want to have to pause,” said Caffè Lena Executive Director Sarah Craig. She continued:
This fundraising challenge is a way we can stay active for our community while Congress decides what it’s going to do to save the live music and theater industries. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that every expression of care, whether it’s a $5 tip, a $500 donation, or a special comment, adds up to helping live music survive and grow during this time of extreme challenge.
As Election Day looms closer, musicians and cultural workers across the country are taking part in Lift Every Vote 2020. A daily sunset series meant to inspire voters, LEV 2020 began on October 3 in New York’s Washington Square Park. Performers at the inaugural event included Carmen Rodgers, C. Anthony Bryant, and the Blacksmiths Band, with contributions from activist collective the Wide Awakes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF7dIrRJEuQ/
The idea for LEV 2020 came about after George Floyd’s murder, when The Blacksmiths and Wide Awakes organized peaceful rallies in New York City. Jazz musician and double bassist Russell Hall led a second line marching band, combining music and joy with activism.
Music has a magical way of bringing people together. We want this thing to really take off. We hope artists will take this challenge seriously, not only driving voter registration and turnout with the beauty of music, art and performance, but also energizing communities in all fifty states.
Russell Hall
Musicians, poets, dancers, and other artists are encouraged to share their sunset performances with the hashtag #lifteveryvote. The movement now has 80 ambassadors, including record producer Arthur Baker, actor Gina Belafonte, and visual artist Hank Willis Thomas. Besides the Wide Awakes, LEV 2020 is also partnering with Headcount, Black Rock Coalition, and Rock the Vote.
The name “Lift Every Vote” is a play on “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black national anthem. Composed by brothers James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson, it was performed during week 1 of this year’s NFL season for the first time in the league’s 100-year history. Considering its message of hope, liberty, and progress, it’s a natural choice for encouraging democracy.
“With the pandemic crushing live entertainment and performing arts, one critical step in its resuscitation is using the power of music and art to ensure that we can get back on track in our society,” said Simon Rentner, LEV 2020 co-founder. “We hope this challenge will motivate all creators — from any genre, medium, or creative sphere — to safely amplify the importance of a functioning democracy, not just through the echo chambers of our social media.”
Saturday Night Live returned for its 46th season on October 3, with host and SNL alum, Chris Rock, and musical guest, Megan Thee Stallion. The season debut was also the first to be recorded live, from New York, back in Studio 8H since March 7, prior to the pandemic. In the cold open take on Tuesday’s debate, Jim Carrey played Vice President Biden, and Alec Baldwin returned once again to play President Trump. The top memories of the night though belonged to the musical guest.
Megan Thee Stallion has had a huge year. She collaborated with her idol Beyoncé on “Savage,” broke the internet with Cardi B’s “WAP,” made the Time 100 list, and quickly recovered from a widely-publicized shooting. She also remained enrolled in school, continuing to study health administration at Texas Southern University.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9wq14EnezU
Megan’s first performance of the night was “Savage,” in front of a black-and-white graphic saying “Protect Black Women.” While Beyoncé wasn’t in attendance, Megan did a dance break over her verse. Midway through the performance, she stopped rapping as the black-and-white set turned red with bullet holes to reference her shooting. Audio of a Malcolm X speech began playing: “The most disrespected, unprotected, neglected person in America is the black woman.” Beyoncé herself previously sampled the famous speech in her 2016 visual album Lemonade. Megan then chimed in with her own words:
"We need to protect our Black women. And protect our Black women. Cuz at the end of the day, we need our Black women.
We need to protect our Black men and stand up for our Black men because we're tired of seeing hashtags of our Black men." – Meg #SNLpic.twitter.com/wJfTxSu4Cc
She closed out the night with her new song “Don’t Stop,” featuring Young Thug. While not as immediately impactful as “Savage,” it arrives just in time for Halloween with references to Casper the Ghost and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcJxX6h3770
Besides her performances, Megan also appeared in two sketches: “Bottom of Your Face,” a song about catfishing on dates by wearing a mask, and “NBA Bubble Draft,” a fictional game show where basketball groupies compete to enter the Bubble. Watch sketches from the season debut below.
