Prolific Prince Goes Funk, Rock, Sci-Fi with Two Albums
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LIFESTYLE36 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2014 Music & Movies Jay Z, Beyonce take stage at Global Citizen fest ay Z is in a global state of mind: The rap favorite. Jay Z’s electrifying set opened with He opened the Barclays Center in Brooklyn star performed Saturday for thousands audio from Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New with eight consecutive shows in 2012. Jin New York’s Central Park and encour- York” and Billy Joel’s “New York State of No Doubt’s set included hits such as aged the crowd to help end world poverty. Mind.” The Brooklyn-born rapper then went “Don’t Speak” and “Hey Baby,” while a preg- Jay Z headlined the Global Citizen Festival into his own New York anthem, “Empire State nant Underwood belted during “Before He on the Great Lawn, where Beyonce surprised of Mind,” and followed it with his rich catalog Cheats” and “Jesus Take the Wheel,” where the audience by performing with her hus- of hits, from “Big Pimpin” to “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” she was misty-eyed. The Global Citizen band. He told the crowd of 60,000 - many of to “99 Problems.” Festival coincides with the UN General whom earned free tickets by volunteering - He left the stage, but moments later the Assembly meeting. Indian Prime Minister to support the Global Citizen Festival’s effort crowd roared as Beyonce entered alongside Narendra Modi and UN Secretary-General to end poverty by 2030. her husband. She sang the choruses from his Ban Ki-moon were among the world leaders “We out here for a good cause,” he said songs “Holy Grail” - where she danced excit- who attended in support of the anti-poverty onstage. “I want to thank everybody out here edly - and “Forever Young” as the audience campaign. Hugh Jackman hosted the third for this good movement.” Dressed in all cheered and sang along. The concert marked annual event, which also featured Olivia black, Jay Z wore a hoodie with the Global another New York venue that Jay Z - hip- Wilde and Jessica Alba and aired on MSNBC. Citizen Festival’s logo and the names of oth- hop’s most powerful voice - has performed Stevie Wonder headlined the festival last er headliners, including Carrie Underwood, in. He has had numerous sold-out shows at year, and Neil Young and Foo Fighters were The Roots, Alicia Keys, Tiesto, fun and No Madison Square Garden, where he held a among the lineup it its inaugural year.—AP Doubt, who brought out special guest Sting Sept 11 benefit show in 2009, and he is one Jay-Z performs at the 3rd Global Citizen Festival at Central Park on Saturday in New to perform “Message In a Bottle,” a crowd of a few rap acts to perform at Carnegie Hall. York—AP Aretha Franklin CD of diva classics due Oct 21 retha Franklin is showing some R-E-S- with longtime collaborator Clive Davis. “I P-E-C-T to her fellow divas: The mean, it is great,” he said in an interview. AQueen of Soul will release an album “For her to do all these songs, it’s very excit- Oct 21 covering classic songs from other ing.” Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and female singers. “Aretha Franklin Sings the Andre 3000 are among the album’s produc- Great Diva Classics” will include songs such ers. Other songs covered by Franklin as Gladys Knight’s “Midnight Train to include the Supremes’ “You Keep Me Georgia,” Barbra Streisand’s “People” and Hangin’ On,” Alicia Keys’ “No One” and Dinah Whitney Houston’s “I’m Every Woman.” The Washington’s “Teach Me Tonight.” The icon’s most contemporary track is a reworking of version of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” Adele’s colossal hit “Rolling In the Deep,” will incorporate some of Destiny Child’s which is the first single off the album. It will “Survivor.” The opening track is Etta James’ be available digitally Monday, when the 72- signature song, “At Last,” and Franklin closes year-old will also perform the song on “Late the 10-track set with Sinead O’Connor’s Night with David Letterman.” “Nothing Compares 2 U.”—AP “Great Diva Classics” reunites Franklin This CD cover image released by Warner Bros Records shows “Art This file photo taken on June 2, 2014 shows US singer Prince attending the Official Age,” by Prince.—AP French tennis Open round of sixteen match between Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris.—AFP Prolific Prince goes funk, rock, sci-fi with two albums s the funky bass quiets down near the night. “I don’t need to be on the radio,” he was and the poppier “This Could Be Us”-which, true start of one of Prince’s two new albums, a quoted as saying. “I’ve been on the radio all my to the album’s motif, brings a futuristic element Asoothing female voice informs that med- life.” Prince’s 33rd and 34th albums-Prince’s first to Prince’s raw sexuality. ication has put him in “suspended animation” for since “20Ten” was distributed four years ago for “Sex with me ain’t enough / That’s why we 45 years. Is the 56-year-old megastar speaking of free in European newspapers-mark his return to got to do it metaphysically,” sings Prince, who his own career, or does the song imagine his Warner Brothers Records after one of the music appears on the cover of “Art Official Age” sport- body being frozen? No matter-the voice explains industry’s most famous label disputes. ing shades that cover a third eye, a mystical con- that he is now “in a place that does not require When he fell out with Warner Brothers nearly cept in Indian tradition. On the other album, time.” The themes of science fiction and timeless- 20 years ago, Prince wrote “slave” on his cheek to “Plectrumelectrum,” Prince and 3rdEyeGirl move ness run throughout the album “Art Official Age” protest his contractual terms and changed his forcefully into new directions in the course of as Prince, still prolific and genre-merging four name to the unpronounceable “love symbol” as songs. “Boytrouble” moves from a funk groove to decades into his career, brings in funk, rock and the singer-born as Prince Rogers Nelson said hip-hop while “Aintturninround” climaxes into soul. that the label had taken over his name. Under guitar riffs that would not be out of place in This image provided by RCA Records shows the cover for Aretha Franklin’s new CD of Along with “Art Official Age,” Prince is simulta- the new deal, Prince has regained control over heavy metal. diva classics due to be released Oct 21, 2014.—AP neously releasing a second album: his catalog and Warner Brothers is reissuing his Both albums feature the track “Funknroll,” “Plectrumelectrum,” a tighter and at times more classic album “Purple Rain” for this year’s 30th with the versions indicative of the albums’ styles. hard-charging work performed with his new col- anniversary. “Funknroll” on “Art Official Age” would suit an laborators 3rdEyeGirl, an all-female trio. The arena show, while on “Plectrumelectrum,” the singer who performed 1980s smash hits such as A still powerful voice song feels like it’s being played at a small, seated “Little Red Corvette,” “1999” and “I Would Die 4 U” “Art Official Age” at times echoes the epic gig. On “Plectrumelectrum,” Prince shows that he ‘Magical Girl’ wins recently told his hometown newspaper, the Star sound of “Purple Rain.” On “Way Back Home,” can still master a powerful ballad in “The Tribune of Minneapolis, that he was focused on Prince’s nuanced rock guitar and synthesizers Breakdown.” After disclosing, “This could be the albums and had little interest in singles. bring a greater aura to the funk beat, as his still saddest story ever been told,” Prince’s voice soars Spanish top film award “I’ve finally got something that is a cohesive wide-ranged voice goes introspective. “I never to his dramatic extremes. “Give me back the time statement,” he told the newspaper, which said wanted a typical life / Scripted role for a trophy / You can keep the memories,” he sings of lost that Prince-true to his eccentric reputation-initi- wife / All I ever wanted is to be left alone,” he love. For all of Prince’s sci-fi experimentation, he ated the interview at a moment’s notice by invit- sings. Prince reaches back to bass-driven funk on still has a keen sense of time.—AFP ing a reporter to his Paisley Park studio late at tracks “The Gold Standard,” “Breakfast Can Wait” Swift, Metallica set for Rock in Rio fest in Vegas aylor Swift and Metallica are among the performers set for the US debut of the Rock in Rio music festival next year. Festival organizers say No Doubt, Linkin Park, The TDeftones and John Legend also will perform during the four-day event in Las Vegas. Rock in Rio USA debuts May 8-9 and May 15-16. No Doubt attended a press conference Friday announcing the lineup in New York’s Time Square, where John Mayer also surprised the crowd with a live performance of two songs. Spanish film director, Carlos Vermut, left, celebrates with his film staff after receiving Mayer performed at the 2013 Rock in Rio festival alongside Beyonce and Justin the Golden Shell for his film, “Magical Girl”. Timberlake. A group including casino company MGM Resorts plans to build a 33-acre, open-air music venue on the Las Vegas Strip for the festival.