Adam Lambert Turns Cher’s ‘Believe’ into a Soaring Power Ballad: LISTEN
Adam Lambert has released an official cover of Cher’s “Believe” which he performed for the icon a year ago at Kennedy Center Honors.
Wrote Lambert on Instagram: “It’s been a year since I performed this cover live for @cher at the #kennedycenterhonors. A lot of you have mentioned wanting a studio recording- so here’s a little holiday gift from me to you. Thank you for being the most loyal and dedicated fans this queen could ask for! ”
George Michael’s sister slams Elton John’s claim that George was uncomfortable being gay
The sister of singer George Michael has spoken out against Michael’s longtime friend and fellow out gay singer Elton John after remarks John made suggesting George Michael was never comfortable with his sexuality.
Appearing on the TV show The Talk, John spoke out about his late friend, noting he was “so uncomfortable in his skin about being gay even though he said he wasn’t.” Michael had come out to friends as bisexual at age 19 and came out publicly in 1999.
Now George Michael’s sister Melanie Panayiotou, 55, tells The Big Issue that George Michael had no problem with his sexuality, referring to him as “my ‘very-proud-to-be-gay’ brother, contrary to what you may have read recently.”
In interviews following his coming out, George Michael admitted that he dated both men and women and struggled with his sexuality while part of the pop group Wham! in the 1980s. He also feared that with AIDS rampant at the time, and with his mother still living, that he would bring disgrace to his career if he ever came out. Following his 1998 arrest for propositioning a man in a public bathroom, and his subsequent coming out a year later, George Michael confessed to suffering from depression after leaving Wham! over fears that he may be outed. That said, in the years that followed, Michael never shied away from discussing his love life or sexuality in interviews.
A previously unreleased track by the late singer George Michael was released today, alongside a lyric video.
“This Is How (We Want You To Get High)” is the first original track from the much-missed British singer since 2012.
As his musical output was relatively sparse in the last few years of his life – 2004’s Patience was his last album of original material – fans are over the moon to hear a track they’ve heard before (the 2017 release, “Fantasy” was a re-recording and re-working of an old 80s track).
The upbeat “This Is How (We Want You To Get High)” was recorded during Michael’s final studio sessions, according to a press release from Universal Music Group (UMG) / Virgin EMI.
In a statement about the release, Michael’s sisters, dad, and longtime-manager David Austin said: “We hope fans and lovelies! [the name adopted by his most devoted fans] everywhere rejoice in hearing this great new song written as ever with Yog‘s immense passion and pride.
“This new track we proudly send as his gift to you this season to bring you all love and festive joy….. Whoever you worship… Whoever you love….”
The track features on the forthcoming movie, Last Christmas. Like Mamma Mia and the music of Abba, the movie is ‘inspired’ by the music of Wham! and George Michael.
The seasonal romantic comedy has been co-written by Oscar-winner Emma Thompson, who also appears in the movie, and hits theaters in the US later this week. You can watch the trailer below.
George Michael, who shot to fame in the early 80s with his band Wham!, died on Christmas Day 2016. He became a global megastar in the late 80s with the release of his solo debut album, Faith.
He was outed as gay when he was arrested by a cop in a public bathroom in Los Angeles in 1998. His later years were marked by personal problems, including substance abuse and erratic behavior. This included a short stint in jail in the UK in 2010 for driving under the influence of drugs.
However, his death – ruled to be due to ‘natural causes’ by a coroner – shocked the world and he remains a much-missed figure.
After being outed, he was unapologetically upfront about his sexuality and remains an iconic figure for many in the LGBTQ community.
LISTEN: Sam Smith releases a cover of ‘I Feel Love’
Singer Sam Smith has surprised fans by releasing a version of the Donna Summer classic, “I Feel Love”.
The singer has spent 2019 living their best queer life. Besides enjoying global hits with the likes of “Dancing With A Stranger” and “How Do You Sleep”, they revealed themselves as non-binary and genderqueer earlier in the year and asked people to use they/them pronouns in reference to them.
Recent social media posts have shown Smith in the studio working on their next album. They teased fans yesterday that something big was due to happen today.
“As a queer person ‘I feel love’ has followed me to every dance floor in every queer space from the minute I started clubbing,” they said on Instagram.
“This song to me is an anthem of our community and it was an honour and most importantly so much fun to have a go at it. Highest song I’ve ever fucking sang. But a joy. I hope you all like it xx”
Click the link to hear a snippet of the track. The whole song is streaming now on Spotify, iTunes Music, and other streaming services.
“I Feel Love”, sung by Donna Summer and produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, was originally released in 1977. The track went top ten in the US and hit number one in the UK, Australia, and other countries. It is regarded as a disco classic and electronic dance music’s first smash hit. It’s not hyperbole to say it changed dance music forever.
LISTEN: Cece Peniston accuses Lizzo of ripping off her ’90s hit ‘Finally’
Cece Peniston, whose 1992 club hit “Finally” reserves her a place on any gay dance floor in perpetuity, has accused Lizzo of ripping off the song.
Peniston says a portion of “Finally” is too close for comfort to part of Lizzo’s 2019 song “Juice,” and our close analysis (aka playing it 5 times and conducting an office poll) yields polarized results.
Some think the sections are closely related, while others have a reaction that is best expressed by this commenter:
“Did [Peniston] become an astronaut after [she] stopped singing? Cause the reach on this post is astronomical.”
The referenced post comes directly from Peniston’s official Instagram account.
Peniston wrote:
this video and this is a clear example of #copyrightinfringement Cece Peniston versus @lizzobeeating y’all check this out and btw I love her music
This marks the second time this month Lizzo has been on the receiving end of plagiarism accusations.
Producer Justin Raisen recently accused Lizzo of using a line that he, Lizzo, Jeremiah Raisen, songwriter Jesse Saint John, and producer/songwriter Yves Rothman wrote for a demo titled “Healthy” on “Truth Hurts” without properly giving credit.
The line — “I just took a DNA test, turns out I’m 100 percent that bitch” — wound up being something of a calling card for Lizzo, so we can understand why the stakes are so high.
