Apple Music – TWFLD

H.E.R. chats with Apple Music about early blues influences & more

Thabiso Moloi — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 09:49:55 +0000

We might not feature it regularly but music is something we heavily enjoy here, and in R&B artist, H.E.R., we have an affinity to and a lot of love for. Apple Music’s Ebro Darden hosted a special presentation highlighting the genesis of popular music and the artists who are keeping us connected to those roots today.

‘At Home With Apple Music: A Black Music Mont Celebration’ welcomed Grammy Award-winning R&B singer, songwriter, and guitarist H.E.R. who spoke about first getting into music by learning Blues scales and listening to Blues greats Buddy Guy, B.B. King, and Albert King.

She also tells Apple Music about the magic of the guitar and its ability to channel emotions, the genesis of her popular Girls With Guitars series on Instagram, how she’s navigating the current climate as an artist, and the importance of educating yourself and being connected to your history.

You can check that out here, and for Apple Music’s Black Music Month content, see here.

Apple Music’s Come Together is here to ease the isolation jitters

Papi Mabele — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 00:37:23 +0000

Building on the AI-generated Get Up! Mix unveiled last week, Apple is now adding a new section to Apple Music called Come Together that features a variety of playlists designed to help you get through long days stuck inside. In all, there are seven new playlists to check out. And as you might imagine, they cover a complete range of genres and moods.

For instance, the Isolation Icebreakers playlist embedded below features songs from R&B artists like Daniel Caesar and Snoh Aalegra. The Home-School-Strumentals mix, meanwhile, will appeal to lo-fi fans with tunes from Kaytranada, J-Dilla, Nujabes and more. Some of the other artists who make appearances across the space include the Jonas Brothers, Drake and Kanye West, so there should be something for every musical taste. And with clever titles like Social Distancing Social Club, some you may end up checking out most based on their names alone.

Apple says all the new playlists are available to listen to in Mzansi as of yesterday, and will be available in other countries by the end of the week. As with the Get Up! Mix, Apple plans to update the playlists over time to add new material to keep them fresh. Besides the new playlists, the company has, for the most part, tried to keep things business as usual at Apple Music. The platform’s Beats 1 station continues to broadcast, even if the hosts are doing so from home.

Apple Music Song Stories Series Shines Light On SA’s Top Music Artists

Thabiso Moloi — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 06:23:24 +0000

Here’s something cool and a bit different from what we usually do here. It’s based on Apple Music’s “Song Stories”, a new short form video series that deep dives into the creative process, inspirations and challenges faced by some of the country’s leading artists – Amanda Black, Ami Faku, Elaine, Nasty C and Sha Sha.

The Apple Music Song Stories offer a glimpse into what it takes to be the artists they are today and include them sharing specific tales behind their latest tracks.

With songs ranging from the melancholic and introspective, to the more upbeat and celebratory, first up is Amanda Black. We take dive and find out more about what has made her such a creative force and sought-after multi-nominated platinum vocalist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXsAbT9vdmc&list=UUhUCqdQhknYz9qn8f1id7_Q

Her most recent track is“Afrika”, featuring Nigerian artist Adekunle Gold. Since the release of her well-acclaimed first single titled “Amazulu”, she has gone from strength to strength, and with “Afrika” she expresses her pride in being an African woman.

In the past she has spoken about how so much of her creative process was linked to her insecurities regarding her Xhosa heritage and growing up feeling uncomfortable in her own skin. This insecurity initially drove her to predominantly speak in English rather than her home-language, IsiXhosa. Discovering poetry led her to an immense appreciation of her roots.

The track “Afrika” reveals the extent of her pride in her culture and speaks about the importance and relevance of racial diversity. This is the reason behind her choice of “Black” as a stage name.

Her mother played a hugely influential role in her life, teaching her a sense of dignity in her land, her people and her gifts as a musician. In “Afrika” she refers to her with great pride as an “African queen like no other”. “Afrika” is an ode to “respect”, “power and grace”, the future and her motherland.

This interesting series is set to continue for the next couple of weeks with Apple Music Song Stories also set to explore the work of Nasty C, Ami Faku, ShaSha and Elaine. Keep it locked here as we’ll bring all of that to you.