NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

This  year,   Hozier  pulled off an improbable feat. Ten years after the Irish singer’s hit “ Take Me to Church ” peaked at number 2 on  Billboard’s  Hot 100 , Hozier topped the chart with the single “ Too Sweet ,” making him a two-hit wonder. A few years ago,  Chris Molanphy  on the  Hit Parade   podcast examined just how rare the phenomenon is to have a second hit years after the momentum of the first hit. The bluesy track was released as an extension to Hozier’s third studio album,  Unreal Unearth , inspired by Dante’s  Inferno , particularly the sin of gluttony. I’m sure musicologists could explain why Hozier made a comeback ten years later. Was it the feature on a  remix  of  Noah Kahan ’s “ Northern Attitude ” last year? The folk rock singer’s breakthrough last year brought several charting songs, including the collaboration with Hozier, which scored a #37  Billboard  Hot 100 hit. There was certainly a...

Katie Gavin ’s solo debut album What a Relief is due out next week on October 25th. The MUNA singer showed a change in musical direction from her first single “ Aftertaste ,” which took the electric-pop singer into ‘90s country. The second single, “ Casual Drug Use ,” took a more acoustic folk sound than its predecessor. In August Gavin joined The Japanese House on stage at the Greek Theater to perform their collaboration “ Morning Papers ” from The Japanese House’s 2023 album In the End It Always Does . Then during the encore, Gavin premiered her latest single, “ Inconsolable ,” which The Japanese House’s Amber Bain praised as “the best song ever written” according to Bain and her girlfriend. According to MUNA’s podcast Gayotic , Gavin said that her new album was a collection of songs written since 2020. Most of the songs were produced by Phoebe Bridgers ’ producer Tony Berg , but between sessions with Berg, Gavin collaborated with Mitski and Amber Bain. FULL OF BEDS WHERE NOB...

At this point, we can’t really say what we can expect from Lady Gaga besides good music. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta has given us almost every major musical genre from Dance music to Country Western. Gaga is gearing up for her seventh studio album to be released next year. The count in the singer’s discography, however, is confusing with two collaborative albums with the late crooner Tony Bennett and the soundtrack of A Star Is Born and now Joker: Folie à Deux causing an album inspired by the film Harlequin . After several years busy with acting and touring Chromatica , Lady Gaga is almost ready to unveil her latest era, which she says will be nothing like her signature dance-pop. I JUST WOKE UP FROM A DREAM. Collaboration is key for Lady Gaga. Her debut hit featured singer Colby O'Donis . The lead single from her release of The Fame , The Fame Monster , “ Telephone ” featured Beyoncé . Having collaborated with everyone from Marilyn Manson to The Rolling Stones , the...

Earlier this year, I talked about an episode of Girls5eva in which the fictional girl group flew to Orlando to play for a morally compromising concert for a billionaire’s birthday party. This happens in the real world frequently and it’s not without backlash. Whether it’s a sensitive political affiliation like Elton John playing for one of Rush Limbaugh's weddings to performing from authoritarian leaders like Mariah Carey , Beyoncé , Usher , and Nelly Furtado performing for the Gaddafi family in 2011 to corrupt presidents or Russian oligarchs, less wealthy fans have certainly taken issue with some of these controversial patrons.  THE PASSION’S SO COMPLETE, IT’S NEVER ENDING. There is a growing list of recording artists threatening to sue or in the process of suing Donald Trump’s campaign for unauthorized use of their song at his rallies, from Céline Dion to The White Stripes . In contrast the Democratic Party’s playlist is extensive with many pop, rock, and hip-hop stars even...

  Did you have a good brat summer? This has been another incredible year for women in pop music, from Ariana Grande to Sabrina Carpenter , as women have dominated the pop charts. The competition for a number 1 album has been fierce with so many strong releases by Dua Lipa , Billie Eilish , and Chappell Roan so far failing to reach the summit of Billboard ’s 200 Albums Chart.  Besides the K-pop idol groups Twice and Stray Kids ; country singers Morgan Wallen and the late Toby Keith ; and rappers 21 Savage , ¥$ ( Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign ), Future and Metro Boomin , Eminem , and Post Malone ; female pop singers held the number one spot for 22 weeks so far this year. Only Taylor Swift , Ariana Grande, Beyoncé , and Sabrina Carpenter have occupied the top spot as female pop acts.  SHOCK YOU LIKE DEFIBRILLATORS. Of the 22 weeks that the female pop superstars spent atop Billboard’ s 200 Albums Chart, Taylor Swift has claimed 17 of those weeks, and her latest album...

It's pretty easy to think of only the frontman or front woman when thinking about bands like Coldplay . Chris Martin is featured prominently in the band's music videos. He is certainly the most charismatic during the band's live performances. He's kept himself in good shape and is arguably the best looking band dude in Coldplay. However, this didn't give the band's fearless leader complete creative reign for their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams . When Martin presented the idea for a late-night club hit "Drinks on Me," influenced by Flo Rida , the rest of the band shot Martin down. LIFE IS A DRINK AND LOVE'S A DRUG. Every February or March, the first full-moon day of spring according to the Hindu lunar calendar, cities and towns in India shutdown for a very colorful celebration that lasts two days. This festival is called Holi, or The Festival of Colors and this year it was celebrated on March 18 and 19. During this festival, everyone,...