Kurt Cobain By usdesign1006

An artificial intelligence software called Google Magenta has composed a collection of songs by iconic artists who passed away too soon.

Featuring "new" songs by artists including Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and others who died at the age of 27, the digitally engineered group of songs was released on April 5th as part of an album called Drowned in the Sun – Lost Tapes of the 27 Club.

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MUSIC

What Happened to Duffy?

Aimee Duffy was positioned to be the next big thing in soul music. Then, a horrific act of sexual violence kept her out of the public eye.

Duffy - Mercy

Trigger Warning: This article includes mentions of violent sexual assault.

In 2009, a rising Welsh singer named Aimee Duffy won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album.

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MUSIC

Remembering Amy Winehouse: 10 of Her Best Lyrics

Amy was a visionary, and her lyrics—always honest, always vulnerable and yet strong—were some of her finest contributions.

Amy Winehouse - Back To Black

Amy Winehouse was a musical visionary, and she left behind an everlasting legacy through her artistic contributions.

Before she died at only 27 years old, she gifted the world with her talents, strength, and open-hearted honesty, which always shone through, particularly during her live performances.

She was exceptional in every sense—her performances, visual aesthetic, and musical compositions all wound together to make her the icon she is today. Through it all, her lyrics were always one of her most powerful tools. She had the ability to cut straight to the heart of extreme emotions with a few searing lines, making her songs the sort that can be played over and over. Here are some of her greatest lyrics.

1. "This face in my dreams seizes my guts / He floods me with dread / Soaked in soul / He swims in my eyes by the bed / Pour myself over him / Moon spilling in / And I wake up alone."

These lyrics, from Back to Black's "Wake Up Alone," showcase Amy's ability to paint pictures with her words. Her lyrics told stories of late nights, private desires, and dreamlike sequences, and that's part of what made her songs feel almost mystical, though they're about relatively ordinary human experiences.

2. "I cheated myself / Like I knew I would, I told you I was trouble / You know that I'm no good."

"You Know I'm No Good" is one of Winehouse's most powerful songs. Its honesty and clarity paints the picture of a conflicted woman, tormented by her demons but at least clear-eyed enough to look them straight on. These lyrics are both strong and vulnerable at the same time, something that could also be said of Winehouse herself.

3. "I can't help ya if you won't help yourself."

These lyrics from the song "Help Yourself" show that some of Winehouse's most searing, powerful lines were her most straightforward. Though she was honest about her vulnerability, she was also perpetually strong and intelligent about her capabilities as a lover and healer.

4. "Over futile odds / And laughed at by the gods / And now the final frame / Love is a losing game."

"Love Is a Losing Game" finds Winehouse coming to terms with her unluckiness in love, comparing relationships to a rigged game. Lyrics such as these have long provided solace and strength to anyone who's found themselves lamenting the difficulty and transience of relationships.

5. "I died a hundred times / You go back to her / And I go back to black."

"Back to Black" is amazingly simple, elegant, and concise, and it showcases Amy's songwriting abilities at their absolute peak. Sassy, whip-sharp, and devastating, "Back to Black" is definitely one of the most iconic songs of the 21st century—in large part thanks to its shatteringly astute lyrics.

6. "Will you still love me tomorrow?"

The 1960 song "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" tells the story of someone finding themselves happy in a relationship, feeling like it's all too good to be true and worrying it could all disappear in the morning. Winehouse delivers one of the best covers in the long history of the beautiful song, lifting up one stunning lyric after another, while always remaining simple and straightforward, tapping into the heart of an all-too-common human fear.

7. "Everything is slowing down / River of no return / You recognize my every sound / There's nothing new to learn."

These lyrics from "In My Bed" showcase the innermost thoughts of a woman who's growing tired or unhappy with her lover, and they express the sadness of the realization that a relationship has run its course.

8. "I cannot play myself again / I should just be my own best friend, not f**k myself in the head with stupid men."

These are words to live by for anyone who's spent too much time in unhealthy relationships. Winehouse's blunt delivery spends no time hiding in metaphor; instead, she shouts her revelations from the rooftops, proclaiming the magic of her own independence.

9. "The lights are on, but no one's home / She's so vacant her soul is taken."

These lyrics from "He Can Only Hold Her" depict a woman halfway in the world and half out of it, lost and detached because of too much hurt, trying to start again but still trapped in the past. It's a heart-wrenching admission of pain from a woman who would eventually lose the fight with her demons, but whose music remains a guiding light for everyone else looking to see that they're not alone.

10. "They tried to make me go to rehab but I said no, no, no / Yes, I been black / But when I come back, you'll know, know, know."

"Rehab" finds Winehouse's wit piercing through, changing a dark subject into an upbeat, joyful proclamation of independence. Amy never let anyone control her—if anything, she was too wild and free, but it was always on her terms. This song is the definition of bittersweet, as its lyrics are joyful and devastating at the same time.

BONUS: "Her name is Cherry. We've just met / But already she knows me better than you / She understands me / After eighteen years / And you still don't see me like you ought to do."

Nobody knows exactly who this early track is addressed to—some think it's Amy's mother, an early lover, her father or the general public—but "Cherry" definitely refers to Winehouse's beloved guitar. Any musician or artist can understand the feeling that your guitar or other instrument understands and knows you far better than any human being ever has. Winehouse may have struggled in her relationships with people, but she certainly was a master of her art, and she managed to connect to millions through her solitary relationship with her guitars and her lyrics. Because of that, she'll live on forever as one of music's most beloved sirens, and as an icon of heartbreak and of power.

MUSIC

New Mac Miller Album Sparks Old Questions About the Ethics of Posthumous Releases

Mac Miller's estate just announced the release of another album.

Photo by Manu Ros on Unsplash

Mac Miller's family just released his posthumous album Circles, which Miller was "well into completing" before his death in 2018.

It seems that most fans are in agreement that Circles is a positive release, because it's been approved by his family and Miller was already working on it before his death. Many are celebrating and reminiscing about Miller, who was a beloved figure and an incredible musician.

However, posthumous releases sometimes raise thorny questions, especially when it's not as clear that the artist actually wanted the material in question to be distributed. This summer, a relevant debate ensued when Prince's estate announced that it would be releasing an album of never-before-heard recordings of songs that the late legend wrote and sold to other artists.

Called "Originals," the album was a collection of demos and bootlegs. The songs were selected by none other than JAY-Z and Troy Carter, who sifted through Prince's extensive "Vault" recording collection of demos and B-sides to curate this new album. The LP, which was released on July 19, included many tracks that became hits for the artists who recorded them—like "Manic Monday," recorded by the Bangles, and of course, "Nothing Compares 2 U," which became Sinead O'Connor's signature song.

Still, despite its curators' influence and Prince's incomparable songwriting talent, this announcement raised some questions about whether Prince really would've wanted these songs out in the ether. Each track was recorded as a demo, and it's impossible to know whether their maker was satisfied with any of them.

Prince was a masterful producer, one who insisted on complete control of the record-making process from beginning to end. One of his recording engineers, Susan Rogers, said that "he needed to be the alpha male to get done what he needed to get done; he couldn't spend any mental energy battling with people for dominance or position. If you wanted your own way of doing things, you shouldn't be working for Prince."

"Originals" was not the first album released by Prince's estate after his death—it was preceded by Piano & a Microphone, Purple Rain Deluxe, and Prince 4Ever. These releases were mostly lauded by even the most discerning critics, albeit with some caveats. NPR Music's Ann Powers wrote that she believes if Prince were alive he would "most certainly not" have wanted Piano & a Microphone to be released—but oddly, she followed this claim by arguing that the album's release is not exploitative, because "we understand Prince's creativity in a different way because of it and for that reason, it doesn't feel like a violation, it feels like a gift."

Prince - Purple Rain (Official Video)www.youtube.com

Still, others raised the alarm, citing the clearly unfinished, unpolished nature of some of the demos—something that a perfectionist like Prince never would have tolerated. "Will his 'true' fans really care if the finely wrought production that is the hallmark of the best of Prince isn't present here? Is this album selling both artist and audience short?" asks Adrian Yorke, going on to argue that posthumous releases can do a disservice to both fans and artists by providing them with products that do a disservice to their creator's dedication to the quality of their craft.

Continuing to capitalize on the late star's legacy as they have since his death, Prince's estate has also announced that they will be releasing his unpublished memoir, The Beautiful Ones, this fall; the book will combine Prince's unfinished manuscript with photos, lyrics, and other ephemera.

Many fans have celebrated these announcements. Of course, we all want more content from our most beloved artists, and Prince and Mac Miller's legacies deserve to live on into eternity—but a problem arises when it becomes unclear whether material is being released because it honors its creator's vision or because some industry executives smell a profit. How much should estates really be allowed to capitalize on the legacies of the dead, especially when it's likely that the late artist in question would not have wanted their unfinished work to be released?

Similar questions have been raised about Avicii's posthumous album, which has skyrocketed to the top of the charts since its April 10 release. Named SOS—a somewhat unfortunate title for an album by a man who, before his death, outright told interviewers that he was experiencing a mental health crisis due to excessive touring—the album was conceived by the Swedish producer's A&R team merely three days after his passing. Its release came after repeated revelations that suggest Avicii's mental health issues were exacerbated by relentless pressure from his management to capitalize on his money-making potential. On the other hand, the album is a collection of songs that Avicii allegedly "nearly finished," according to The New York Times, and it was released with his father's blessing. SOS will be followed by another album, Tim, to be released in June.

Avicii - Wake Me Up (Official Video)www.youtube.com

No matter how many people supported it, this rapid-fire dissemination and hardcore marketing of music that the original creator didn't have the final say over raises questions first provoked by the 2017 documentary, Avicii: True Stories, which features grim clips of the late star lamenting his brutally packed tour schedule. It's disturbing to watch, and disconcertingly intimate—this generates its own ethical grey area—but ultimately, it's more disturbing to consider that the management company that pressured Avicii towards his death is still profiting from their own refurbishments of his unfinished music.

Of course, not every industry executive thinks that demos and unfinished musical relics should be fodder for the public ear. Avicii's collaborator Nick Romero, who has refused to release the demos in his possession, stated that "I don't know if it morally feels right to me to work on songs that the original composer has not approved. I know that Avicii was really a perfectionist, and I kind of feel bad if I put something out not knowing if he wants to put it out."

Similarly, Universal CEO David Joseph famously destroyed all the demos Amy Winehouse had created for her third album—though this didn't stop her estate from releasing the poorly received posthumous collage of deep cuts, "Lioness: Hidden Treasures." The same fate befell Tupac and Biggie Smalls, whose posthumous work garnered better critical reception than Winehouse's, but regardless was still released without their creators' stamp of approval.

Lil Peep's posthumous release Come Over When You're Sober, Part II prompts similar questions. His close collaborator, Smokeasac, crafted that album, and a team of people, including his mother, believed they knew him well enough to create something that would do justice to his legacy—after all, Peep was on a stratospheric ascent before his untimely passing from a drug overdose. Still, when you listen to the album, although it's a masterful work in its own right, you can almost feel the inevitable lack of Peep's definitive touch, an emptiness that feels almost ghostly. Every truly great artist possesses some sort of x-factor, some ability to tap into a force outside of themselves that is at once completely unique to them; and so posthumous releases, especially when pieced together out of incomplete excerpts and spare vocal lines can feel more like Frankensteins than finished products. Even when loving hands craft them, often there's something missing.

Broken Smile (My All)www.youtube.com

On the other hand, Lil Peep was already planning on finishing Come Over When You're Sober, Part II before he died—whereas Prince and Avicii had exactly zero say in their newest releases.

We'll have to see if Circles sounds like it's missing some finishing touches from Mac Miller when it comes out. Inevitably, it will—because Miller is gone, and has left a sense of emptiness behind—but in a world where music is saved and sold with increasing rapidity, even when it's unfinished, we need to question who is creating and selling every posthumous product.

Ultimately, it seems that posthumous releases become major issues when they're motivated by big money and greed. When estates and management companies pump out half-baked products simply to cash in, you can often feel it in the quality of the songs—and if ghosts exist, then some industry executives might be in for a serious haunting.

On the other hand, capitalism already has its teeth in so much of the recording industry, endlessly distorting and altering artists' visions in order to sell more records or garner more streams. Still, for people like Prince, whose undeniable vision and power defined and shaped everything he ever released, perhaps fans shouldn't be so quick to celebrate something that maybe should've been left to rest. In terms of Avicii's output, fans should definitely be more discerning before supporting a management company whose obsession with profit effectively caused his death, and who continue to profit off his legacy even after his tragic passing.

Perhaps a better use of someone's posthumous influence is an organization like the Tim Bergling Foundation, started by Avicii's family soon after their 28-year-old son's death. The foundation will "initially focus on supporting people and organizations in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention," and "also will be active in climate change, nature conservation, and endangered species."

In a press release, his family wrote, "Starting a foundation in his name is our way to honour his memory and continue to act in his spirit." Of course, no one knows how Avicii would feel about any of this—but it's likely that the philanthropist would prefer his legacy to generate a foundation that looks to the future instead of releases that remain determined to drain every penny they can from the past.

New Releases

Amy Swift Reminds Us What Soul Should Sound Like

The London singer explodes out of the gate with first solo single.

When you hear Amy Swift sing, it's impossible not to compare her to another soulful crooner who shared her first name: Amy Winehouse. Both singers came of age in London and both singers have a powerful, unique voice that perfectly accompanies jazzy, sensual compositions. Amy Swift's debut single, "Moving," sounds like a lost track off Back to Black, with dark tones and soaring vocals that are sure to put her on the map among today's best soul singers.

"Moving" begins slowly, painting a picture of a stage in a dark jazz club, with a single microphone in a lonely spotlight. Soon, Swift's voice enters. She's seductive at first, enticing the audience with the velvety texture of her voice. But then you realize she isn't alone on the stage in your mind, and a full band joins her, ramping up the stakes. By the time she declares, "And I'm still moving," the imaginary night club audience is hanging on her every word and moving to the chaotic build of the band. But just as suddenly as the music crescendoed, it falls again, and Swift is purring into the microphone once more, the audience eating out of the palm of her hand.

But, of course, the audience and the club aren't real and the performance in your head is only a testament to the cinematic power of Swift's song. It's forceful and dramatic, a lament about moving on after heartbreak and letting the pain make you stronger.

Enjoy this exclusive Popdust premiere of "Moving."


For more from Amy, visit her website, Facebook, or Instagram.


Brooke Ivey Johnson is a Brooklyn based writer, playwright, and human woman. To read more of her work visit her blog or follow her twitter @BrookeIJohnson.


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MUSIC

PREMIERE | Lucinda Belle Asks 'Where Have All The Good Men Gone?'

"The girl with the harp is who I am." - Lucinda Belle

Pop-noir singer-songwriter Lucinda Belle premieres "Where Have All The Good Men Gone?" on Popdust. The track releases tomorrow, so you get to listen to it before anyone else.

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