Music news

• Lana Del Rey Criticized for Posting Video of Looting During Protests: ‘Do Not Endanger People’

  31-05-2020 23:22
  
  Lana Del Rey has found herself in controversy once again. The singer-songwriter shared two videos on Sunday (May 31) of protesters calling for justice for George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nine minutes.
  The first video she shared showed a man standing on a burned-out car while holding a sign that read “no justice no peace.” The second showed multiple people breaking into businesses and running out with arms full as alarms blared. Del Re
  
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• Simon Bird says he wasn’t a “poster boy” for misogynist comedy when in ‘The Inbetweeners’

  31-05-2020 23:19 via nme.com
  
  Simon Bird has denied being a “poster boy” for misogynist comedy during his time starring in The Inbetweeners.
  Read more: The Inbetweeners at 10: A love letter to the TV show that was like looking in a mirror
  In a new interview, the actor, who starred as Will MacKenzie in the Channel 4 comedy series, discussed whether or not he thinks the show could make a return, especially in the #MeToo era.
  “There have been other shows where they’ve had those reunions much later,
  
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• Jay-Z: ‘I Am More Determined to Fight for Justice Than any Fight My Would-be Oppressors May Have’

  31-05-2020 23:14 via rollingstone.com
  
  "I prevail on every politician, prosecutor and officer in the country to have the courage to do what is right," rapper says. "Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain and look at yourselves"
  
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• Watch Blossoms and Liam Fray’s isolation performance of The Courteeners’ ‘Please Don’t’

  31-05-2020 22:30 via nme.com
  
  Blossoms have recruited Liam Fray for a performance of his band’s 2008 song ‘Please Don’t’ – you watch it below.
  Read more: Blossoms: “We might be uncool, but so are ABBA and everyone loves them”
  The Stockport band and The Courteeners frontman shared their rendition of the ‘St. Jude’ album cut early this evening (May 31) with an accompanying video showing them performing their individual parts from their res
  
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• Lizzo Sends Heartfelt Message to Minneapolis Protestors: ‘I Love You, I See You, I Hear You’

  31-05-2020 22:13
  
  Lizzo has shared a heartfelt message with protestors in Minneapolis, who have taken to the city’s streets over the death of George Floyd.
  The 32-year-old “Truth Hurts” rapper, who lived in Minneapolis early in her career, took to social media Saturday (May 30) to offer words of support and encouragement after some businesses in the south part of the city were damaged during protests.
  “Minneapolis, I love you. I see you. I hear you. I see your truth. I know your heart. You
  
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• Lin-Manuel Miranda and ‘Hamilton’ Producer Apologize for Silence on Protests

  31-05-2020 22:13
  
  Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda took to social media Saturday night to issue an apology for taking part in the “moral failure” of not speaking up amid the ongoing protests taking place across the nation over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
  “We spoke out on the day of the Pulse shooting. We spoke out when Vice President Mike Pence came to our show 10 days after the election. And that we have not yet firmly spoken inaugural truth of Black Lives Matter and denounced
  
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• Listen to Ada Rook’s new album ‘2​,​020 Knives’

  31-05-2020 21:31 via nme.com
  
  Ada Rook, formerly of Canadian duo Black Dresses, has released a new solo album, ‘2,020 Knives’ – listen to it below.
  Read more: The NME 100: Essential new artists for 2020
  Last week, Rook and bandmate Devi McCallion announced they had broken up after one of their tracks went viral on TikTok, citing the “extended harassment” one of its members has received from some fans.
  The duo released their latest album ‘Peaceful As Hell’ last month, following o
  
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• Halsey Details Police Encounter at Los Angeles George Floyd Protest

  31-05-2020 21:06 via rollingstone.com
  
  "A true patriot is someone who will rebel against the government if it becomes necessary, to protect the greater good of their fellow citizens. We are patriots"
  
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• ‘Wunna’ Wins: Gunna Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

  31-05-2020 21:00
  
  Gunna grabs his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as his latest release, Wunna, debuts atop the tally.
  The set, which was released via Young Stoner Life/300 on May 22, launches with 111,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 28, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
  Of Wunna’s first-week units, nearly all are from streaming activity.Elsewhere in the new top 10, The 1975’s Notes on a Conditional Form enters at No. 4, marking the band’s thi
  
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• How to Help Like Artists and the Music Industry Are Doing in the Wake of George Floyd’s Death

  31-05-2020 20:55
  
  While citizens nationwide are protesting the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis officer kneeled on his neck for nine minutes, musicians and others in the music industry are also speaking up and looking for ways to help end racism and bring about accountability.
  Here is how they are helping, and inviting you to do the same:
  Join “Blackout Tuesday”
  Music companies and musicians are calling for a day for everyone to “disconnect from work and reconnect with our com
  
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• Tekashi 6ix9ine prompts New York rappers to donate $100k to charity and says he will match it

  31-05-2020 20:12 via nme.com
  
  Tekashi 6ix9ine has urged New York rappers to donate $100,000 to charity – and if they do he will match it.
  Read more: The response to Tekashi 6ix9ine’s ‘snitching’ exposes some rap fans’ hypocrisy
  It comes after children’s charity No Kid Hungry reportedly declined a $200,000 donation from the rapper earlier this month.
  “We are grateful for Mr. Hernandez’s generous offer to donate to No Kid Hungry but we have informed his representatives that we ha
  
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• Chika Chronicles Her Detainment While Protesting George Floyd’s Death in L.A.: Watch

  31-05-2020 19:57
  
  Rising rapper Chika has chronicled her experience of being detained while protesting George Floyd’s death in Los Angeles.
  The 23-year-old artist took to social media early Sunday (May 31) to detail her whirlwind of an experience at Saturday’s protest, which resulted in her being handcuffed for seven hours after police officers declared an unlawful gathering at the scene, she explains in a lengthy video on Instagram.
  “Today was not a riot. Today was peaceful until police began b
  
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• Lady Gaga set for three Top 40 entries on UK singles chart

  31-05-2020 19:55 via music-news.com
  
  The Official Chart: First Look, which airs on BBC Radio 1 today between 6pm – 7pm, offers a first glance of the Top 20 ahead of Friday’s Official Singles Chart
  
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• Run the Jewels to Make New Album ‘Free for Anyone Who Wants Some Music’

  31-05-2020 19:35 via rollingstone.com
  
  "For me this is the only way I really know how to contribute to the human struggle and experience beyond just trying to be kind and aware and grow," El-P says of Run the Jewels 4
  
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• Halsey ‘Hit Twice’ With Rubber Bullets, Shrapnel While Protesting George Floyd’s Death

  31-05-2020 18:47
  
  Halsey was among the many who participated in the nationwide protests on Saturday (May 30) over the death of George Floyd. And like some protesters, she found herself in the line of fire while calling for justice and an end to racism.
  The biracial singer-songwriter — her mom is Irish, Italian and Hungarian, her dad African American — shared on her Instagram stories in a series of black-and-white photos Sunday that those who were marching in Los Angeles were not making trouble.“
  
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• Nick Cannon Shares Powerful George Floyd-Inspired ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Video: Watch

  31-05-2020 18:24
  
  Nick Cannon is channeling his frustration over George Floyd’s death through a powerful spoken word video.
  On Sunday (May 31), as protests broke out across the U.S. following the killing of the unarmed black man at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer, Cannon shared an intense black-and-white video featuring a strong message over recent footage of himself protesting in Minneapolis and other raw images of police brutality.
  “I Can’t Breathe… Again!” Cannon,
  
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• Nick Cannon, Machine Gun Kelly & More Musicians Join Protests Over George Floyd’s Death

  31-05-2020 17:41
  
  While many artists have shared their outrage over George Floyd’s death on social media by demanding justice against the police officers responsible, urging an end to racism, making donations and more, some are leaving their homes to speak out in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
  As protests spread across the country from Seattle to Los Angeles to Minneapolis to New York City to Atlanta and beyond, musicians are joining those who are gathering to call for an end to systemic racism and
  
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• Nick Cannon, Halsey & More Musicians Join Protests Over George Floyd’s Death

  31-05-2020 17:41
  
  While many artists have shared their outrage over George Floyd’s death on social media by demanding justice against the police officers responsible, urging an end to racism, making donations and more, some are leaving their homes to speak out in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
  As protests spread across the country from Seattle to Los Angeles to Minneapolis to New York City to Atlanta and beyond, musicians are joining those who are gathering to call for an end to systemic racism and
  
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• Lady Gaga: George Floyd’s Death ‘Is an Epic Tragedy That Defines Our Country’

  31-05-2020 17:32 via rollingstone.com
  
  "[Trump] is fueling a system that is already rooted in racism, and racist activity, and we can all see what is happening. It’s time for a change"
  
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• Lady Gaga Shares Inspiring Message as Tensions Build After George Floyd’s Death

  31-05-2020 17:12
  
  As tensions between protestors and law enforcement build in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Lady Gaga is offering some words of encouragement to those who remain angry and frustrated.
  Gaga, who recently dropped her new album, Chromatica, took to social media Saturday night (May 30) to share her thoughts about the death of Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. In her lengthy post, the singer encouraged support for the black community and criticized President Trump’s ha
  
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• John Legend insists Kanye West's support of President Trump wasn't behind fallout

  31-05-2020 16:30 via music-news.com
  
  The musicians used to be close friends and collaborators.
  
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• Elton John lays off staff and bandmates after cancelled tour knocks him for $75 million

  31-05-2020 16:30 via music-news.com
  
  Elton had to postpone or cancel 34 U.S. dates from his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
  
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• Halsey slams arrest reports

  31-05-2020 16:15 via music-news.com
  
  Many demonstrations have taken place across the U.S., sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
  
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• Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga & More Speak Out After George Floyd Death

  31-05-2020 16:00
  
  National outrage is growing after a video of a Minnesota officer allegedly suffocating a Black man by kneeling on his neck surfaced on the Internet Monday night (May 25).
  The unarmed man, named George Floyd, told officers repeatedly that he could not breathe, and was ignored. Floyd went to Hennepin County Medical Center after falling unconscious. He died shortly after. On Tuesday, the four officers involved in the incident were fired. “This is the right call,” twe
  
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• Bunbury Breaks Down 6 Essential Tracks on ‘Posible’: Exclusive

  31-05-2020 16:00
  
  Three years since his last collective set (Expectativas 2017), Bunbury unleashed his new album Posible on May 29.
  Originally slated to be released in April, the Spanish rockstar decided to hold on releasing any new music in the middle of a global pandemic. “In the very beginning of the lockdown, they told us this was going to be for a couple of weeks. We waited until we saw this was going to be around for a long time. So, we decided to release the album and continue having plans and a life
  
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• What’s Your Favorite Latin Collaboration of May 2020? Vote!

  31-05-2020 15:30
  
  Another month is wrapping up and Latin artists did not hold back from releasing new music for their fans. From album releases to first-ever collaborations, May was busy.
  With so much great music out, Billboard is curious to know: Which Latin collaboration released in the last 31 days is your favorite?
  Highlighting some of the collabs that were featured on this months’ First Stream Latin, the poll includes seven joints such as Rosalia and Travis Scott’s Spanglish jam “TKN,&rdquo
  
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• Beyonce demands justice for George Floyd

  31-05-2020 15:22 via music-news.com
  
  The 38-year-old singer has delivered a powerful message in an Instagram video, after Floyd died following his arrest by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  
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• Stormzy quits smoking marijuana in a bid to improve his mental health

  31-05-2020 15:13 via music-news.com
  
  The 26-year-old rap star has revealed he's decided to kick his unhealthy habit, admitting it used to make him feel "worse and worse and worse".
  
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• Pussy Riot team up with Argentinian artists for new protest song ‘1312’

  31-05-2020 15:02 via nme.com
  
  Pussy Riot have joined forces with Argentinian artists Parcas, Dillom, and Muerejoven for a new protest song titled ‘1312’.Read more: Who are Pussy Riot? A guide to the Russian activist group who crashed the World Cup FinalThe Russian art punkers shared an animated music video to accompany the heavy song. The song is a critique of femicides (sex-based hate crimes) in Latin America, as well as police violence. According to a press release, the song was inspired by Chile’s 2019 i
  
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• Dr. Dre on George Floyd’s Death: ‘It Felt Like That Cop Had His Knee on All of Our Necks’

  31-05-2020 15:01 via rollingstone.com
  
  The Chronic rapper and Lil Wayne discuss Floyd's death and protests on Young Money Radio
  
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• Watch Hurts’ arty first performance of comeback single ‘Voices’

  31-05-2020 13:28 via nme.com
  
  Hurts have shared their first live performance of comeback single ‘Voices’ – watch it below.
  The pop duo – Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson – returned earlier this month with the new single, their first since 2017.Read more: Hurts tell us about dark new single ‘Voices’: “We’ve gone back to the essence of who we are”The new single followed the pair’s 2017’s “personal pop record” ‘Desire’, and they&rsq
  
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• Sinéad O’Connor plans to become a healthcare assistant: “The COVID thing gave me more impetus”

  31-05-2020 12:51 via nme.com
  
  Sinéad O’Connor has revealed that she is planning to study to become a healthcare worker.
  Appearing on Irish TV show The Late Late Show on Friday (May 29), O’Connor said she’s been accepted onto a new college programme.
  Speaking to host Ryan Tubridy, O’Connor was asked about her previous comments about wanting to work in hospice care.
  “We spoke before about hospice [care] and what you wanted to do with people – kind of befriend them and guide them,&rdqu
  
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• Miguel sings tribute to George Floyd while emulating his handcuffed position

  31-05-2020 11:45 via nme.com
  
  Miguel has performed a moving tribute to George Floyd by singing a song while copying the arrested position Floyd was seen to be held in on camera.
  The pop star performed ‘Candles In The Sun’ from his 2012 album ‘Kaleidoscope Dream’, which speaks out on the injustice experienced by minorities.
  Towards the end of the song, which was hosted by BeApp for #CokeStudioSessions, Miguel drops onto his front and hold his hands behind his back as if to mimic being in handcuffs.View
  
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• Grimes nicknames her son with Elon Musk ‘Little X’

  31-05-2020 11:03 via nme.com
  
  Grimes has revealed that she calls her newborn son ‘Little X’ for short.
  The musician, who had her first child last month, had announced her son’s name is X Æ A-12 (pronounced ‘Ex Ash A Twelve’). However, the baby’s name is now written X Æ A-Xii, substituting in the Roman numerals signifying ’12’ so as to comply with Californian law.Read more: Grimes – ‘Miss_Anthropocene’ reviewNow, in a new interview with Bloomberg, t
  
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• Rihanna, Dr Dre, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Cardi B and more demand justice for George Floyd

  31-05-2020 10:34 via nme.com
  
  Musicians have called for justice for George Floyd and given their support to Black Lives Matter as protests rage across the US.
  Rihanna has spoken of the “devastation, anger, sadness” she’s felt since Floyd was killed last week. “Watching my people get murdered and lynched day after day pushed me to a heavy place in my heart,” she wrote on Instagram yesterday (May 30).View this post on InstagramFor the last few days, the magnitude of devastation, anger, sadness I&r
  
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• Killer Mike and El-P to share ‘Run The Jewels 4’ for free following George Floyd protests

  31-05-2020 10:33 via nme.com
  
  Run The Jewels‘ Killer Mike and El-P have announced that they plan to release their new album ‘Run The Jewels 4’ for free.
  The long-awaited record lands on June 5. El-P discussed the new plan on social media, linking it to the high-profile death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd this week.Read more: Run The Jewels – the heroes we need in Trump’s America“I don’t have shit left to say right now that me and my brother Killer Mike don’t express on t
  
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• JARV IS… share trippy, extended new version of ‘House Music All Night Long’ and green screen video

  31-05-2020 09:55 via nme.com
  
  Jarvis Cocker‘s new project JARV IS… have shared an extended version of their single ‘House Music All Night Long’, complete with its own green screen video.Read more: JARV IS… live in London: Pulp legend Jarvis Cocker puts on a rave reinvention for the end of daysLast night (May 30), Cocker and co. announced that they would perform a virtual gig with green screen technology.
  The Pulp frontman and his new outfit were due to be on tour this month but due to the coro
  
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• Brockhampton share new JPEGMAFIA collaboration, ‘chain on / hold me’

  31-05-2020 09:45 via nme.com
  
  Brockhampton have shared another weekly drop of new music.
  Since last month, the LA-based boyband have been releasing new material via their Technical Difficulties livestream radio show.Read more: The Big Read – Brockhampton: “Shia LaBeouf is our idol and inspiration”So far, they’ve shared a number of double releases, including ‘N.S.T.’ and ‘Things Can’t Stay The Same’, ‘M.O.B’ and ‘Twisted’, and most recently a three-
  
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• Selena Gomez can't 'sit in silence' following the death of George Floyd

  31-05-2020 09:09 via music-news.com
  
  The 27-year-old pop star has taken to social media to speak out about social injustice amid protests across cities in the US over Floyd's recent death on the streets of Minneapolis.
  
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• Janelle Monae suffering 'high anxiety' and 'abandonment issues' due to father

  31-05-2020 09:02 via music-news.com
  
  The 34-year-old singer and actress is close to her dad now, but when she was growing up he battled an addiction to crack cocaine and spent time in prison
  
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• NPR shares over 100 archival live performances from 9:30 Club

  31-05-2020 07:06 via nme.com
  
  Between 2005 and 2017, NPR regularly broadcast live performances from the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.
  Now, the public radio organisation has shared over 100 archival recordings from the series’ run, available for streaming over at their website. The recordings are predominantly audio, but some include video footage too. Each individual instalment features the original write-up that accompanied the original stream.
  The series kicks off with a performance by Bright Eyes in 2005. The show to
  
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• Leif Vollebekk shares an unreleased song and acoustic re-work in ‘Rest’ double package

  31-05-2020 06:29 via nme.com
  
  Canadian singer-songwriter Leif Vollebekk has shared a double package of songs, linking back to his 2017 album ‘Twin Solitude’.The two-part release highlights the beginning and end of the album, starting with a never before heard number titled ‘Intro’. The sparse acoustic track was written in a heavily jet-lagged state and was originally intended to open and ease into ‘Twin Solitude’. Instead, the album opens with a bang as he croons “West London alleywa
  
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• Beyoncé demands justice for George Floyd in new video

  31-05-2020 04:58 via nme.com
  
  Beyoncé has spoken out in regards to the killing of George Floyd in an impassioned video posted to her Instagram account yesterday (May 30).
  “We need justice for George Floyd. We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight,” Beyoncé says in the video.
  “We’re broken and we’re disgusted. We cannot normalise this pain. I’m not only speaking to people of colour. If you’re white, black, brown or anything in between, I’m sure you feel hopele
  
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• Ricky Martin planning initiatives to help deal with Covid-19 'aftershock'

  31-05-2020 02:15 via music-news.com
  
  The star has been working with the team at his Ricky Martin Foundation to give personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers in hospitals amid the ongoing pandemic.
  
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• Mel C: 'Spice Girls wouldn't have coped with scrutiny of social media'

  31-05-2020 02:15 via music-news.com
  
  The singer released new single Blame It On Me on Wednesday.
  
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• Chrissy Teigen Vows to Donate $200K Toward Bailing Out Protesters in Light of ‘MAGA Night’

  31-05-2020 01:57
  
  Chrissy Teigen announced her own weekend plans as Donald Trump’s “MAGA Night” trended on Twitter Saturday (May 30).
  Following Trump’s tweet — “The professionally managed so-called ‘protesters’ at the White House had little to do with the memory of George Floyd. They were just there to cause trouble. The @SecretService handled them easily. Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE??? — and the hashtag that resulted, Teigen said s
  
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• Dan + Shay Reemerge on Social Media to Denounce Racism After George Floyd’s Death: ‘Please Use Your Voice’

  31-05-2020 01:28
  
  Country duo Dan + Shay returned to social media after a two-month break to urge others to join them in fighting racism following the death of George Floyd, the unarmed Minneapolis resident killed by a police officer who kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.
  On Saturday afternoon (May 30) — after spending the last few months social distancing and quietly working on new music, with their last public update posted on March 13 — Dan + Shay broke their silence with a call to ac
  
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• Music Industry Calling for a ‘Blackout’ in Response to George Floyd’s Death

  31-05-2020 00:14
  
  The music industry is calling for a “Blackout Tuesday” in response to the death of George Floyd.
  On Friday (May 29), less than a week after Floyd was suffocated by a Minneapolis police officer during an arrest, numerous music companies and artists began spreading a message on social media calling for “a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with out community” and “an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change.”
  “As gatekeepers of the
  
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