#iVoted Festival 2022 Reveals Initial Lineup: Run the Jewels, Lake Street Dive, CNCO, More

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMyke Towers. Camilo and Sony Discos are among the big winners at the ASCAP “El Premio” Latin Music Awards, which take place virtually through Tuesday.

Kristen Stewart keeps it casual while leaving her hotel for an interview appearance in Cannes, France on Monday (May 23).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment has announced the full slate of programming for the fifth annual New York Music Month, to run throughout the month of June 2022 in New York City.This year’s NYMM will feature a combination of in-person and virtual programming, with more than 20 events, including an all-day industry conference on the future of NYC’s music industry, skill-building workshops, free rehearsal space, songwriting camp, and showcases of emerging NYC artists. This month-long series aims to support songwriters, established musicians, emerging artists, and NYC’s entire musical community, many of whom were severely impacted by the pandemic.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDoja Cat has pulled out of her opening slot on the Weeknd’s summer stadium tour and all forthcoming festival dates due tonsil surgery, she announced on Friday.More to come… 

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAt the first UJA-New York ceremony in three years, LL Cool J, Gayle King and Andy Cohen paid tribute and Maneskin played an acoustic set for Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s influential president and chief content officer, before an audience packed with music-industry brass on Wednesday.Greenstein’s impact and influence was amply demonstrated not only by Maneskin — who flew in specifically for the event from Europe, where they performed on the Eurovision Song Contest over the weekend — but by a tribute video that featured personal messages from Bruce Springsteen, Drake, Jimmy Buffett, Howard Stern, Megyn Kelly, Kevin Hart, Sway, Little Steven and others.Most importantly, the event raised a record $2 million-plus for the United Jewish Appeal, which provides assistance to people in need everywhere from Ukraine and the Middle East to New York and more than 70 countries around the world. Every year, UJA allocates approximately $150 million in grants — and to date has allocated more than $13 million in emergency funds for Ukraine.

Sam Fender, Dave and Little Simz were among the winners at The Ivors 2022, which took place at London’s Grovesnor House tonight (May 19).The annual award ceremony celebrates songwriting and composing in both popular music and in film, TV and video game scores.Fender took him the trophy for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for ‘Seventeen Going Under’, the title track from his second album, which was released last year. The win marks his first Ivors victory.Dave was named Songwriter of the Year for his work on the Top 10 single ‘Titanium’ and his chart-topping second album ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’, as well as collaborations with Fredo.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLil Nas X will be honored at the long-awaited 51 st annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala next month with the Hal David Starlight Award, which recognizes “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs.”Nas, a Sony Music Publishing writer, joins previous honorees Drake, Taylor Swift, Halsey, Sara Bareilles, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Benny Blanco, John Mayer and others. The award, created in 2004, was named in honor of SHOF chairman emeritus Hal David for his support of young songwriters.The ceremony, the first since 2019, is slated for Thursday, June 16 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMy Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Future, and Jack White will headline the 2022 edition of Music Midtown, which will also feature performances from Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, Phoenix, Turnstile, Louis The Child, A Day To Remember, 2 Chainz, Quinn XCII, Conan Gray, Denzel Curry and many more. The full lineup appears below.Over 30 artists, four stages and two full days of music will take place September 17-18 at Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta. Two-day tickets go on sale Friday, May 20 at 10am ET via www.musicmidtown.com, with Layaway Plans starting at $19 down.“Over twenty-five years strong, Music Midtown remains a monumental music festival that brings a diverse lineup of the biggest names in music year-after-year, while giving back to the city that I proudly call home.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorKendrick Lamar’s fifth solo album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” finally arrived on Thursday night — his first full-length in five years.

increasingly murky and perplexing defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, questions around the couple’s age gap are repeatedly surfacing. The couple’s age gap was raised by the media well before Depp announced he was suing HeardReports describing their connection as occurring “despite their 22-year age difference” are commonplace in the frenzy of analysis about the Depp-Heard story. Everything from the gossip columns to the dailies are commenting on the pair’s age gap, seemingly insinuating that their 22-year difference is likely to have exacerbated, if not caused, the problems in their relationship.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRed Hot Chili Peppers, P!nk, the Chicks, Kacey Musgraves, SZA, Flume, Paramore, and Lil Nas X are the headliners for the 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival, along with performances from Phoenix (weekend two only), PinkPanthress, Wet Leg (weekend two only), Diplo, Zhu, Lil Durk (weekend one only), Billy Strings, James Blake (weekend one only), Jazmine Sullivan, the War on Drugs, Spoon, Sabrina Claudio and many more. The nine-stage, two-weekend event will take place October 7-9 and October 14-16, 2022, at Zilker Park in Austin.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSean “Diddy” Combs has announced the launch of a new R&B label called Love Records via a deal with Motown Records. According to the announcement, the new label “will be dedicated to R&B music and will release singles and collaborative projects from a collective of world-class artists, producers and songwriters.” Also according to the announcement, today’s news marks Combs’ official return to music.An album by Diddy himself will be Love Records’ first project, set to be released this summer.“Music has always been my first love, Love Records is the next chapter is about getting back to the love and making the best music of my life,” said Combs (pictured above, left). “For the label I’m focused on creating timeless R&B music with the next generation of artists and producers.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA series of wildly colorful posters with an unusual collection of artists have appeared in London in recent days, listing Diana Ross and Tame Impala across the top, along with Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, Thundercat, Brockhampton, Caroline Polacheck, RZA, Brittany Howard, Bleachers, Tierra Whack, Weyes Blood, Kali Uchis, H.E.R.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLive Nation Entertainment posted the best first quarter in its history this year, according to financial results released Thursday for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.“Momentum has picked up for all of our businesses over the course of the first quarter, and as a result, we delivered financial performance that greatly surpassed our previous expectations, with operating income of $27 million and [adjusted operating income] of $209 million,” CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement accompanying the results. “Artists are back on the road and fan demand has never been stronger, a reflection that live events remain a clear priority for consumers as our social lives restart.”The company’s AOI of $209 million topped the previous record, Q1 of 2019, by $94 million, and was $361 million better than 2021 — when the industry had not yet begun to emerge from the pandemic — with a boost of $269 million in ticketing, $66 million in sponsorship and $26 million in concerts.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJust two weeks before the release of his “Harry’s House” third solo album, Harry Styles has announced the dates for “Love on Tour 2022.”Coming off of a sold out 42-date arena tour in 2021 and two special “One Night Only” shows in New York and London, the 2022 tour works the “Harry’s House” theme by turning arenas in New York, Los Angeles (10 nights each), Chicago, Austin (5 nights each) and Toronto (2 nights) into Harry’s de facto house.Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on Monday, August 15th and Tuesday, August 16th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. Styles will continue his residencies in New York City for ten nights at Madison Square Garden, Austin for five nights at Moody Center, and Chicago for five nights at United Center, before wrapping up at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum for 10 night run concluding on Tuesday, November 15th.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorPearl Jam paid tribute to the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins on the opening night of their “Gigaton” tour in singer Eddie Vedder’s hometown of San Diego on Tuesday night.Before performing “Quick Escape” at the city’s Viejas Arena Vedder paid homage to drummer Matt Cameron’s friendship with Hawkins, who died in Columbia while the Foos were on tour, and added a personal touch as well.“[Hawkins] emitted something very incredible and very special,” Vedder said to the audience, before turning to Cameron and saying, “We’re all missing him, and so, Matt, I’m sorry again for your loss. But it just gives us another chance to say how much we appreciate you as well.” Cameron and Hawkins formed a side ban called the Nighttime Boogie Association in 2020 after both took part in a tribute concert for the late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell in 2019.On Sunday night, the  Red Hot Chili Peppers honored Hawkins as well, at Jazz Fest in New Orleans on Sunday while frontman Dave Grohl, Hawkins’ widow Alison, and other members of the Foo Fighters looked on from the wings.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Red Hot Chili Peppers paid tribute to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins at Jazz Fest in New Orleans on Sunday while frontman Dave Grohl, Hawkins’ widow Alison, and other members of the Foo Fighters looked on from the wings, according to reports in nola.com and on social media.Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, a close friend of Hawkins, had “Taylor” spelled out on his bass drum, emblazoned with a hawk silhouette, similar to one on Hawkins’ arm.Foo Fighters were originally scheduled to headline Jazz Fest but canceled all tour dates in the wake of Hawkins’ death on March 25. Grohl’s presence in town sparked unfounded rumors that he might perform.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorHit Songs Deconstructed, which analyzes pop songs more deeply than anyone we’ve ever witnessed, and the AI song search and analysis platform MyPart have partnered to launch ChartCipher, a platform that takes both companies’ analysis to new levels. The service is launching in beta in the coming weeks, and the companieswill be delivering their inaugural presentation at Music Biz 2022 in Nashville on May 11th at 12:30 PM.ChartCipher leverages MyPart’s award-winning AI-powered analysis of the compositional, lyrical, and sonic qualities of songs and combines it with Hit Songs Deconstructed’s song analysis methodologies and analytics delivery platform to deliver insights into the characteristics driving today’s most successful songs.

EXCLUSIVE: Harry Connick Jr. (Dolphin Tale) and Mira Sorvino (Shining Vale) are set to star in the romantic comedy The Islander, from Cyprus-based filmmaker Stelana Kliris, which has also cast newcomer Ali Fumiko Whitney (The Road Dance).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTravis Scott has announced his first festival appearances since the Astroworld tragedy, appearing at three installments of the Primavera Festival in South America this fall. The long-running festival, which launched in Spain but has since expanded to Southern California and South America, is being held in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Santiago, Chile and also features Bjork, Lorde and Arctic Monkeys (see the full lineup below).Sources tell Variety that he will be performing at “major” summer festivals in the summer, presumably in the U.S., but these are the first announced appearances.