Tag: Michael Jackson

Viral Football Sensation Aidan Hutchinson Reveals the Songs That Inspire Him

September 15, 2022

Image of Aidan Hutchinson

Before he ever played a second of pro football, rookie Aidan Hutchinson found himself in the headlines. As part of a training camp tradition earlier this summer, Aidan was called on to serenade his teammates with an acapella performance, and he chose to go with Michael Jackson’s 1983 hit “Billie Jean.” Little did he know at the time, but he was about to go viral as his teammates joined in on the fun and turned a silly moment at practice into a cultural sensation.

Now with training camp out of the way and his first game under his belt, Aidan is officially a pro. To celebrate the start of the football season, and the start of Aidan’s career, we spoke with the defensive lineman as he created a Spotify playlist full of his favorite songs that he listens to at home and in the locker room. 

An eclectic, laid-back mix of hits from past and present, Aidan’s playlist features the country vibes of RADAR artist Zach Bryan, thoughtful rhymes of J. Cole, iconic glam rock of David Bowie, and even orchestral compositions of Hans Zimmer. “Billie Jean” also made the cut, of course. 

But to learn more about his big viral moment, the start of his rookie season, and the inspiration behind his playlist, For the Record took a few minutes to catch up with Aidan.

What was the inspiration behind the songs you picked for this playlist?

I have very diverse taste in music and I was looking to include every kind of different genre that I listen to. I got just about a little bit of everything on there, and it reminds me of all the different moods that you could be in. I look at that playlist and you can listen to it when you’re happy, sad, chilling, in the car jamming out . . . you know, whatever you really want going. So yeah, I just have a lot of variety in there. That’s what I like. 

Is there a song on your playlist that might surprise your friends or teammates?

So I got a couple instrumental and orchestral songs in there. I don’t think many of my teammates know that’s the kind of stuff I listen to in my pregame playlist. And so for this playlist, I added the Hans Zimmer track “S.T.A.Y.” from Interstellar (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).  

As much as I love music, I don’t need someone talking in my ear in those big moments. I kind of like to talk to myself through some kind of instrumental music. I got some inspirational ones in my pregame playlist, and I think that would be something that would surprise some people who don’t know about my own little routine.

How did you end up singing “Billie Jean” in front of your entire team during training camp? 

That’s a team tradition. I was told in April that I should have a song in mind and I couldn’t think of a song for months. I was like, “I don’t wanna go up there and get booed by singing some stupid song. I want to go up there and make a show.”

So it kind of hit me a couple days before I was asked to go up there and sing the song. I woke up at like 7 a.m., had a little epiphany, and I found “Billie Jean.” 

I just started studying it cuz the lyrics are a little hard to learn. I realized I never really knew what he was saying besides “Billie Jean is not my lover.” It actually took some concentration trying to study that song. I’m just glad I had that realization because if you had asked me a couple days before that, I don’t know what I would’ve sang.  

What was it like to go viral before the season even started? Were you expecting that response from your teammates?

Yeah, it was crazy to have all this buzz in the preseason. I knew it was a good song, but I wasn’t sure how they’d react. I was praying that my teammates would buy into the song while I was singing it. In my head I kind of had this visualization of what actually happened, before it all happened, and the best-case scenario was that they’d all jump in—we’d all be singing. But it went even better than I could ever imagine. So that’s props to them for buying into my song. 

I just tried to go in there and give it my all because that’s the only thing anybody cares about. If you go up there and half-ass it, guys are gonna boo you.

Do you have any favorite Spotify playlists that you follow?

I like Discover Weekly and the other personalized playlists. I usually listen to those when I see them in the app, and I think it’s kind of cool how they create them based on your tastes. I was also listening to a Spotify playlist today called Country Heartache. So yeah, I dive into those a little bit. 

What are you most excited about as you get ready for your first professional season?

Hmm, let me think about this. I would say I’m just most excited about just getting to play against that NFL competition and getting to play very talented linemen. I’ve always been a very competitive person and just being able to go out there, go against the best in the world, gets me excited because I want to prove that I’m one of the best.

For the latest updates on pro football’s top players, hit play and start streaming the latest  episode of The Fantasy Footballers podcast below:

 

Why the Boy Band Phenomenon Lives On

February 13, 2019

The Backstreet Boys just scored a number-one album—and no, you weren’t accidentally transported back to 1999. Even twenty years later, with the crooning quintet decades removed from actually being boys, their new album, DNA, has topped the charts. Backstreet isn’t just back, though. Boy bands in general never left.

Sure, it felt like the phenomenon exploded two decades ago, thanks to bands like Backstreet Boys (BSB), NSYNC, 98 Degrees, and O-Town. But groups of young men have been hitting high notes together since the earliest days of pop music. Then, as now, superstar boy bands inspire a new generation of devotion to near-perfect harmonies, lovelorn lyrics, and coordinated dance moves.

Think of it this way: Early twentieth-century barbershop quartets and doo-wop groups led to rock bands like The Beatles. Then, in the 1970s, kids went crazy for glitzy sibling boy bands like The Osmonds and The Jackson 5 (the latter of which launched the iconic career of Michael Jackson). The 1980s saw the rise of New Edition, New Kids on the Block, and Menudo, (whose hits went international well before the Latin Invasion) and the seeming rise of boy bands in the late ’90s.

The general story of boy-band immortality, however, can be told by BSB’s streaming data. In 2018, the band averaged almost forty-one million monthly streams; most of those listeners were under age forty-four, with more than a quarter of them under twenty-four. In other words, whether you were a toddler, starting your career, or somewhere in between when the Backstreet Boys first blew up, you’re still blasting the hits, and likely feeling nostalgic when you do.

Other boy bands, including superstar K-Pop groups like BTS and SEVENTEEN, clock monthly streams on Spotify in the millions, with the majority of those loyal listeners under age twenty-four. It’s the same for English-Irish group One Direction, British quartet The Vamps, and Australia’s 5 Seconds of Summer, whose hit “Youngblood” racked up a whopping sixty million average monthly streams in 2018. Nearly all these bands are quickly attracting listeners across continents, thanks to streaming, so you probably needn’t fast-forward a full two decades to see signs that all these groups’ fan bases will eventually resemble BSB’s today.

And, already, another new crop of boy bands is on the rise. In 2019, keep an eye on upstarts Prettymuch (U.S.-Canada), Why Don’t We (U.S.), In Real Life (U.S.), and CNCO (Latin America). No matter where they’re from, however, or which clothing or hairstyle trends they set, the speed at which new boy bands are building a global listenership suggests that the phenomenon will never age out.

Relive the music of the best boy bands of the ’90s with our All Out 90s playlist.

Ashlee Simpson Ross and Evan Ross Share the Love and Inspiration Behind Their New Music and TV Show

October 12, 2018

You could definitely call Ashlee Simpson Ross and Evan Ross a Hollywood power couple. Ashlee, who began her career in 2004 with the mega-popular Ashlee Simpson Show and debut record Autobiography, and Evan, a musician and actor known for his roles in the blockbuster Hunger Games series and 90210, can surely navigate the spotlight on their own. But now they’re doing it together as husband and wife, with a brand new duets album and accompanying docu series. Add their two young kids and famous families to the mix (Ashlee is sister to Jessica, while Evan’s mom is music legend Diana Ross), and life in front of the cameras can be pretty hectic.

Their new E! docu-drama show, Ashlee + Evan (airing Sundays at 10 p.m. ET), offers fans an inside glimpse into the glamorous, yet ultimately relatable lives of the superstar couple. The series details the creative process behind their upcoming record, showcasing the passion they share not just for music, but for their kids and each other. “This record is about love,” Ashlee says.

To help spread that love, Ashlee and Evan visited Spotify to create a playlist of their favorite songs and influences. In addition their own new music–like the soulful, romantic single “I Do”– the couple highlighted artists that inspire them like Michael Jackson, Leon Bridges, Marvin Gaye, and of course, Evan’s mom’s legendary group The Supremes.

While they picked out the perfect tunes, Ashlee and Evan opened up about their own new music, their talented kids, and what it’s like to share their lives on camera. Read what they had to say and stream their playlist below.

Ashlee and Evan share a moment

What first inspired you to start making music together?

Ashlee: When we first started dating, we’d have late nights until 3:00 in the morning singing together. But we didn’t really plan to do it. I think it was when Evan was working on an album, and I came into the studio to visit. We recorded a song, “Permission to Love.” That’s when I knew we worked well together. It’s something we’ve been wanting to do for the past three years. But then I had our daughter, Jagger, so it didn’t feel like the right time until now.

Evan: It also helped that we did the show, because it put a time limit on things. Otherwise we’d probably be making music forever. Though I’m sure we’ll still be making music together forever. It’s been a really fun process.

Do you have a favorite famous music duet?

Evan: You know I’ve got to say “Endless Love.”

Ashlee: I definitely love a good Peaches & Herb. Or Sonny & Cher.

Evan: You love that Peaches & Herb.

Ashlee: I do! My grandparents shared them with me when I was younger.

Evan: We danced to “Love Is Strange” at our wedding.

Evan, has your mom, Diana Ross, mentored you during this process?

Evan: I wouldn’t say she’s mentored us, but she’s so supportive and has been so helpful. She came up with a melody for one of the songs, and it was incredible. She always gives good advice. She’s so happy we’re finally putting music out. Both our parents have really been part of the process.

Have your kids shown any interest in music?

Evan: 100%, yes.

Ashlee: Jagger calls Evan’s mom “Ami.” So she loves an Ami concert. She sings all the words.

Evan: And Bronx definitely knows every song on the radio.

Would you encourage them to pursue music careers?

Ashlee: My son never got to see a huge part of me and what I am, and how I am when I’m performing, and I’m so happy to be back at it. To share that with him is really cool. I want them both to follow their dreams, whatever they may be.

Ashlee, you were just a teen when you first started your career. What has changed now that you’re a wife and mother making music with your husband?

Ashlee: There’s definitely a different approach. What’s so nice about looking back on my albums is that it actually feels like a walk down memory lane. I was growing up and going through a lot of different things, like first breakups. I’m very proud of all that. But this time around with my husband, this record is about love.

Evan: It’s its own thing.

Ashlee: Totally. We never said that it had to be pop rock, or had to sound like me. People don’t know, but I’m super inspired by soul music, and Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill, and Sade. I think that when you listen to our music, you’ll hear a lot of different influences.

Evan: Not all the songs are exactly alike. They have different vibes.

Ashlee: We worked with so many amazing people, like Verdine White from Earth, Wind & Fire.

Evan: He played on six of our songs. The idea that we got to work with Earth, Wind & Fire is just …

Ashlee: … It was like, “Is this really happening?” You could feel the love. It really felt like something special was happening.

What do you hope fans take away from the show?

Ashlee: I hope that people will see something positive. We executive-produced the show because we want to share that, and share where we are in life. We wanted it to feel real.

Evan: We want people get to know us, and see the real, authentic truth to who we are, and the love we share. We hope that inspires them.

Ashlee, you experienced some very public highs and lows in the beginning of your career. Looking back on that period, what advice would you give to your daughter or other young women about fame?

Ashlee: I definitely had highs and lows in the beginning. Regardless of whether or not you’re in the public eye, people go through their own journey. It’s important to remember who you are as an artist. For me, I would remember why I made an album, and that helped me stand up for it and carry on. You have to believe in yourself.

Ashlee and Evan make their playlist

Watch Ashlee + Evan Sunday nights at 10:00 pm E.T. on E!, and stream the couple’s Spotify playlist below.

Quincy Jones to Receive “Legendary Genius Honor” at Spotify’s Secret Genius Awards

October 5, 2018

Awards Set for November 16 in Downtown Los Angeles

Quincy Jones’ influence and legacy in the music industry is nothing shy of profound with a seven-decade-long career producing hits for legendary artists such as Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Céline Dion and Aretha Franklin. Mr. Jones has received countless accolades and now will be awarded with the “Legendary Genius Honor” at Spotify’s Secret Genius Awards on November 16 at The Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, hosted by Grammy-Award winner NE-YO.

The second annual Secret Genius Awards will celebrate the masterminds—songwriters, producers, engineers and mixers—behind the music that fans are streaming the most on Spotify this year. Spotify founded the Secret Genius program in 2017 as part of its mission to remain dedicated in supporting creators in the music industry. As a special tribute to Jones, 2X Grammy Award Winning artist, and Jones-protégé, Jacob Collier will perform with world-renowned trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf.

Big-time love and props to Spotify for taking an important step in the industry by spotlighting the many geniuses behind the scenes. It has been absolutely incredible to have collaborated with so many different artists throughout the last seven decades and it is an absolute honor to have been chosen as a recipient of the Legendary Genius Honor. Thank-Q Spotify, and I hope my work will serve as an inspiration to the next generation of creators.

– Quincy Jones

Jones gained prominence in the 1960s composing film scores and working with some of the era’s top artists. He then went on to produce three of Michael Jackson’s hit albums: Off the Wall, Thriller, which is the best-selling record of all time globally, and Bad. These albums spawned many top songs including “Rock With You,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” “Man in the Mirror” and more. Jones has a record 79 Grammy nominations, was honored with the Grammy Legend Award in 1991, John F. Kennedy Center Honors in 2001 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In addition to his contributions to the music industry, Jones is a social activist dedicated to supporting the arts, education and underprivileged youth.

The Secret Genius Awards are made up of 14 categories and include Songwriter of the Year, Producer of the Year, Breakthrough of the Year, Social Message and more. A complete list of Secret Genius Awards nominees can be found here. Additional presenters and performers will be announced at a later date.