From Queen Bey finally announcing a new project after the icon’s hit 2016 album ‘Lemonade’ to global superstars BTS going on a hiatus, this week was quite happening for the music industry. Some exciting moments, others not so much.
In case you missed out on any important happenings in pop music this week, we’ve made keeping up with it much simpler! Here’s this week in pop music for you –
Lizzo Changed Grrrls Lyrics to Eliminate the Ableist Slur
The ‘Good As Hell’ hitmaker Lizzo has decided to change the lyrics in ‘Grrrls’. It is her latest single from her forthcoming LP ‘Special’. After receiving criticism for using ableist language in the song, she has listened and changed the song’s original lyrics, “Hold my bag, bitch, hold my bag / Do you see this shit? I’ma ****,” to “Do you see this shit? Hold me back.”
Listen to the updated version here
Kate Bush’s 1985 Classic Earn the Top Spot on Billboard Global 200 Chart
Powered by its sync in the latest season of Netflix’s hit series ‘Stranger Things’, Kate Bush’s 1985 classic ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ hits No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart a week after it launched at No. 3. This was fueled by its placement in Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ in the fourth season of the ’80s-set show.
The said season premiered on May 27. It incorporates the song in multiple episodes. ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)’ serves as a recurring theme for the character of Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink, and this led the now hit song to rise up to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts for the first time. Originally the song was released in 1985. It continues to blossom into a streaming and sales juggernaut 37 years later!
‘Running Up That Hill (A Dea With God)’ in its second week of resurgence, moved up four spots from No. 9 to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Jennifer Hudson is Now An EGOT Winner
Jennifer Hudson made history as she joined the elite EGOT club of an artist who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony Award in their career. The star was already an Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar. Thanks to Hudson’s role as a co-producer of ‘A Strange Loop’ which won for best musical, she is now a Tony winner too making her the seventeenth person to join the EGOT club.
The ‘Respect’ star is also only the second black woman to be an EGOT winner. The first was Whoopi Goldberg, who completed the EGOT in 2002 with two awards. One was for her one win for producing the Sutton Foster-led Broadway show ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ and another a Daytime Emmy for hosting ‘Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel’. Hudson’s entry into the EGOT club comes 20 years after Goldberg’s.
BTS Announces Hiatus
Supergroup BTS announced that they will be going on an “indefinite hiatus”. This is to pursue individual careers. However, the septet promised they would “return someday”. BTS have been together for nine years and this announcement was made during their streamed annual “FESTA” dinner. It is part of a celebration that marks their anniversary as a group. The global superstars made it clear that they are not disbanding.
According to NDTV, in the hour-long YouTube video, group member RM, 27, said that after the Grammy-nominated BTS’ last few singles, he “didn’t know what kind of group we were anymore,” adding later that group members were “exhausted.”
“We’re each going to take some time to have fun and experience lots of things,” Jungkook said. “We promise we will return someday, even more, mature than we are now.”
Lady Gaga in Early Talks to Star in ‘Joker’ Sequel to Be a Musical
Lady Gaga is in early talks to star opposite Joaquin Phoenix in director Todd Phillips’ sequel to ‘Joker’. The Oscar-winning, $1 billion-grossing, 2019 Warner Bros. hit film is based on the DC villain with details on the ‘Bad Romance’ singer’s character being kept under wraps. PEOPLE confirms that the sequel is set to be a musical.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gaga’s Harley Quinn would exist “in a different DC universe” than the one played by Margot Robbie in ‘Suicide Squad’ (2016), ‘Birds of Prey’ (2020), and ‘The Suicide Squad’ (2020).
The plot and character details are still unknown, as mentioned earlier. However, Harley — originally known as Dr. Harleen Quinzel — is villain Joker’s love interest/sidekick in several iterations of the Batman story. She met the sinister prankster while serving as his psychiatrist at Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum.
The upcoming ‘Joker’ sequel has a working title of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’. The film will see Todd Phillips return as director. Phillips is also the co-writer alongside Scott Silver.
Beyoncé Announces Seventh Studio Album
The celebrated artist Beyoncé has revealed the title and release date for her follow-up to 2016’s ‘Lemonade’. The superstar is set to drop her seventh studio album, ‘Renaissance’, on July 29 and the title for the 16-song project also includes ‘act i’. This could mean plans to share more “acts” after this initial release or it may also imply that the project’s sixteen songs are being released in multiple parts rather than it all coming out on July 29.
Four box sets are available to pre-order on Beyoncé’s official website: HERE
It has a different T-shirt included in each and also comes with a CD. The box sets also include a 28-page photo booklet and a mini-poster. The product “begins shipping July 29th upon album release.” This may be an indication the full project is released on July 29.
Foo Fighters Reveal Line-Up for Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert
The Foo Fighters will be having tribute concerts to late drummer Taylor Hawkins in London on Sept. 3 at Wembley Stadium and a second gig on Sept. 27 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. They have announced the initial slate of guests for their shows with the London gig boasting Liam Gallagher, Josh Homme, Chrissie Hynde, Brian May, Mark Ronson, Stewart Copeland, Geddy Lee, Roger Taylor, Rufus Taylor, Omar Hakim, Chris Chaney, Wolfgang Van Halen, Supergrass, and Hawkins’ Chevy Metal bandmates.
Many of the above-mentioned artists will appear at the Los Angeles gig. Furthermore, it will also see artists like Miley Cyrus, Alanis Morissette, Gene Simmons, Nikki Sixx, Chad Smith, Luke Spiller, Jon Theodore, Brad Will, and Pat Wilson. Additional guests for both shows will be announced soon. When the group announced the initial lineup they also noted on Instagram that the Hawkins tribute concerts will “benefit charities in the U.K.” These will be “chosen by the Hawkins family.”
