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lifestyle WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

Awards Jay Z leads stars in rebranded Tidal streaming service

ap mogul Jay Z on Monday launched the rebranded Tidal has paid out $2 billion toward artists since 2007. The difference means that Tidal offers higher sound quality music streaming service with major star backing, hoping to Streaming-which allows users to play unlimited on-demand for audiophiles with advanced sound systems-but that casual lis- Rshake up the growing industry through high sound quality music online-has quickly shaken up the industry, narrowly edg- teners using simple laptops or smartphones may face slower and artist control. With veiled swipes at streaming leader Spotify, ing out CD sales in revenues last year in the United States. Spotify, connections. Tidal will also try to distinguish itself through ample Jay Z brought out musicians including , and also from Sweden, says it has 60 million users with 15 million of videos. the masked electronic duo Daft Punk, who will all be equity part- them paying-usually $9.99 a month. Unlike Spotify, Tidal does not ners in the new Tidal. offer a free service and is generally twice as expensive, at $19.99 a More freedom for artists? Jay Z earlier this year bought Tidal, which markets itself to month, although for the relaunch, it also offered a more basic Jay Z did not speak at the announcement, which came after audiophiles, by spending $56 million for its Swedish-listed parent $9.99 service. Tidal streams at 1,411 kilobytes per second-well hours of promotion for the relaunch on social media. But he gave company Aspiro. At the announcement in New York, singer Alicia above the 320 for premium subscribers of Spotify, which offers an interview to industry journal Billboard in which he billed Tidal Keys hinted that some musicians could choose to release materi- even lower levels for free users. as a new way for artists to experiment with form. “It doesn’t have al exclusively or early on the artist-owned service. “Tidal is dedi- to be three minutes and 30 seconds. What if it’s a minute and 17, cated to cultivating a sound business enterprise that promotes what if it’s 11 — you know, just break format,” Jay Z said. He the health and sustainability of our art and our industry around acknowledged that some music labels were nervous about the the world,” Keys said. project but described it more as a “record store” than a new “We believe it is in everyone’s interest-fans, artists and . industry as a whole-to preserve the value of music and to ensure Spotify already has a range of rivals including US-based a healthy and robust industry for years to come.” Tidal released a Rhapsody and Play. Paris-based Deezer, which is strong in promotional video in which musicians accused unnamed stream- Europe, last year entered the United States as a high-end-only ing companies of treating them as mere commercial products. service which, like Tidal, uses FLAC rather than more common “They are the carrier; we are the artists. Somehow things shifted MP3 files. Apple-which pioneered digital music through iTunes and we went into the background, and it has to come forward,” in 2001 — has sought to expand in streaming as the market Madonna said. shifts away from permanent downloads. Apple bought rap mogul Dr Dre’s Beats and is reportedly Focus on quality planning an entirely new streaming service. Tidal entered the Other artists who will be shareowners in Tidal-with the exact United States late last year and operates in 31 countries, with six financial details not disclosed-include Jay Z’s wife Beyonce, rocker more to come this year including Australia and Germany. Before , Coldplay’s Chris Martin, rapper Nicki Minaj and R&B Jay Z’s purchase, Aspiro said it had 512,000 paying users for Tidal singer . Tidal said it was also working on the relaunch and sister service WiMP. — AFP with Sprint, one of the major US cellular providers, which is owned by Japan’s Softbank. The artists signed a declaration to the sounds of Radiohead, the British experimental rockers who along with have accused Spotify of devaluing music through meager payouts to artists. Spotify has rejected the accu- Jay-Z arrives to the 2015 sations, saying that it is a rare source of growth in music sales and Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Madonna speaks at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Beverly Hills, California. — AFP Shrine Auditorium, in Los Angeles. — AP

Rolling Stones announce North ’s dad: Mixed feelings American tour about fans marking star’s death he Rolling Stones are zipping across including video screens and special effects. wenty years after Selena’s , the The Historical Museum of Lake Jackson - the North America again. The rock band Other cities on the “Zip Code” tour include Latin world will remember “The Queen city where Selena lived until age 9 - is show- Tannounced a 15-city stadium tour yes- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; , Tof Tejano” with concerts, lookalike con- ing an exhibition of Frank Herring photo- terday that will kick off May 24 at Wisconsin; Kansas City, Missouri; Raleigh, tests, dances and a massive festival. But her graphs of the star, through April 18. In San in San Diego, California. Other stops include North Carolina; , Indiana; , father has mixed feelings about the celebra- Antonio, where Selena won nine consecutive Columbus, Ohio; , Minnesota; Michigan; Buffalo, New York; and Quebec, tions. “Of course I’m happy that, today, peo- Awards, Selena’s face graces the , Texas; , Georgia; Orlando, Canada. Tickets will go on sale April 13. The ple remember Selena more than ever,” cover of the Current - a weekly English-lan- Florida; and Nashville, Tennessee. The “Zip “Zip Code” tour will coincide with the rere- Jr said via phone from guage magazine. On Saturday, a public rela- Code” tour will once again reunite singer Mick lease of their seminal album “” his office in Corpus Christi. “But, as Jehovah’s tions firm will shoot a tribute video featuring Jagger, drummer and guitarists on May 26. The 1971 recording features such Witnesses, we don’t celebrate deaths or Selena lookalikes. And in April, the city will and . Stones classics as “Brown Sugar,” “Wild birthdays, and we don’t want people to think host a 5K “Bidi Bidi Fun Run” with all proceeds The last time played Horses” and “Dead Flowers.” inter- we’re behind all the festivities. “It’s crazy. It going to the Selena Foundation, which aims North American was during their “A rupted last year’s “” and resched- grows every day with events everywhere, but to help children in crisis. One of her hits was Bigger Bang Tour” in 2006. They opted for are- uled all their Australia and New Zealand we’re not organizing them. Our family never called, “.” na venues for their “50 & Counting” tour in dates after fashion designer L’Wren Scott, got together every year on the day of her California, Arizona, New York, Illinois, 2012 and 2013. “We love being out on the Jagger’s companion since 2001, took her murder, because there’s nothing to celebrate, Colorado, Nevada and other states will play road and it is great to come back to North own . The tour concluded Nov 22, 2014 at and this year won’t be the exception,” he host to a variety of Selena commemorations, Zayn Malik performs during the group’s concert at the America,” said Keith Richards in a statement. “I the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, New added. “We remember our daughter every including concerts, lookalike contests, an St James theatre in Wellington. — AFP can’t wait to get back on the stage!” And quite Zealand. — Reuters single day. We don’t need a special day to the stage it will be, including a section that remember her.” juts far into the crowd, allowing the Stones to Selena began performing as a child, interact with fans. As is the band’s practice, singing in Los Dinos, a band formed by her New Zayn Malik the stage design will employ cutting-edge father that featured her brother AB on bass technology to enhance the performance, and sister Suzette on drums. She won a Best Mexican-American Album Grammy for “Live,” demo prompts One had several hits in the US and was about to cross over to the English-language pop mar- ket when, on , 1995, she was mur- Direction row dered by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of demo of a new song by former One Direction star Zayn her fan club. Her posthumous album, Malik has been posted online, sparking a row between “Dreaming of You,” which was mostly record- its producer and one of Malik’s former bandmates yes- ed in English, topped the chart A and stayed atop the Latin charts for nine terday. “I Won’t Mind” features soulful vocals by Malik over a simple acoustic guitar loop and lyrics such as: “We are who we months. Saldivar is serving a life sentence. are when no one’s watching/And right from the start, you know I got you.” One Direction, who have sold over 50 million Karaoke nights In this Feb 27, 1993, file photo, Selena records worldwide, announced last week that Malik was leav- Despite his reservations, Quintanilla has performs at the Livestock ing the band but that they would continue as a foursome. given his blessing to one event - the Festival Show and Rodeo inside the He said he was quitting because he wanted “to be a normal de la Flor, featuring AB Quintanilla and the in Houston. — AP 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time”. Kumbia King All Starz; Selena’s widower and The new song was posted on Twitter by British producer former Los Dinos guitarist Chris PÈrez; Little exhibition, karaoke nights and a tribute Naughty Boy, who has previously worked with musicians Joe & La Familia; and others. show. The two main Spanish-language TV including Emeli Sande. But the move drew an angry reaction Corpus Christi’s Conventions and Visitors networks in the US will air special Selena pro- from One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, who tweeted at Bureau will host the festival April 17-18. gramming this weekend. AB Quintanilla Naughty Boy: “Wow @NaughtyBoyMusic you’re so inconsider- Selena was born on , 1971. Tickets will insists Selena’s music has not dated, citing ate pal, seriously how old are you? Grow up! #masterofallwis- cost no more than $5 and the city expects the hit “.” “If you play a Selena dom”. attendance to hit 50,000. “It will be the first and compare it with any other record Tomlinson’s words were retweeted 320,000 times. Shortly edition of an annual festival that will grow from today, it sounds as if it had been record- after, he added: “Always have struggled to bite my tongue”. every year,” Quintanilla said. In addition, ed yesterday,” he said. — AP Meanwhile, Naughty Boy faced a volley of abuse from One Corpus Christi will host at Direction fans for posting the demo but wrote that he would Molina Veterans Park on March 31. (From left) , Ron Wood and Charlies Watts of the Rolling Stones rock band But Selena’s celebrations don’t stop there. “let the music do the talking”. — AFP perform during a concert at the in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. — AFP No ‘narsisstics’: Music festivals ban fans’ selfie sticks

ou can bring your beach towels and floral also prohibited selfie sticks at last weekend’s the intention was never for the device to be fully “I think it’s really doing a bit of disservice to headbands, but forget that selfie stick if event. “They will be turned away and we’ll prob- extended in busy spaces. “Intentionally or not, the attendees,” Verdier said. “They’re not going to Yyou’re planning to go to the Coachella or ably make fun of you,” Ultra said on its Twitter there is a danger to other people in crowded be able to capture the same memories.” Some Lollapalooza music festivals. The devices, which account earlier this month. places,” he told The . He added concertgoers praised the decision, saying the grasp cellphones to allow people to take pic- that he is at work on a new selfie-taking tool that sticks promote a culture of narcissism and tures of themselves farther away from their Crowded places will accomplish the same tasks without so many detract from the festival experience. Others said faces, are banned at this summer’s festivals in Wayne Fromm, creator of the Quik Pod and problems. Another selfie-stick entrepreneur, they enjoy using them and lament there is so Indio, California, and . Coachella dis- the first to patent the selfie stick more than a Jacqueline Verdier, CEO of Selfie on a Stick, said much negativity around them. Thomas Smith, missed them as “narsisstics” on a list of prohibit- decade ago, said he understood the decision for the festivals were going too far and that the 31, of Los Angeles, will be going to Coachella ed items. museums and festivals to ban the stick and that sticks can be used safely. this year and said he wasn’t planning to bring it Selfie sticks have become a popular but into the venue because of recent backlash polemical photo-taking tool: Avid picture takers against the stick - even though he’s used it on like snapping their own shots in front of monu- previous occasions and likes the sticks because ments and sunsets, but critics dismiss them as of the perspective he’s able to get for photos obnoxious and potentially dangerous to others and video. around them. A spokeswoman for Coachella “People make fun of the people who use would not comment on the restriction. them,” he said. “Taking a selfie is kind of an Lollapalooza representatives did not return a embarrassing thing but when you see someone request for comment but on the festival’s Twitter who went out of their way to get equipment to account said the decision was being made “for take a selfie, there’s an extra level of embarrass- safety, to speed security checks at the gate & to ment attached.” Asked about Coachella and oth- reduce the number of obstructions between the ers dubbing the self-stick as a “narsisstic,” Fromm fans and the stage.” said he found the term offensive. He said people Coachella and Lollapalooza are among have liked to look at themselves since the begin- dozens of big events and landmarks taking a ning of time and that everyone wants to look stand against the sticks. In Europe, the Palace of their best. “My intention was to encourage bet- Versailles outside Paris, Britain’s National Gallery ter photos for posterity,” Fromm said. “Is that nar- in and the Colosseum in Rome have all cissistic?” — AP banned selfie sticks, saying they need to protect exhibits on display and ensure the safety of visi- Actors Richard Madden and Lily James take a selfie while tors. In the US, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, one In this April 19, 2014 file photo, festival goers hold up cameras and phones during attending AOL’s BUILD Speaker Series to discuss their of the world’s largest electronic music festivals, the 2014 Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. — AP photos new film “Cinderella” at AOL Studios in New York City.