Why master a song

Swift’s early doubters should feel especially silly now that they know that the outtakes from her second album, first written before she turned 20, can stand up to the songs that did make the final cut. Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic It’s easy to construe Taylor Swift’s latest project, of rerecording her first six albums to regain ownership of the songs’ masters , as self-centered. In messages to fans about the rerecordings, Swift has particularly focused on how the process has impacted her. “It has already proven to be both exciting and creatively fulfilling,” she wrote in November, shortly after her masters were sold again . Swift echoed those sentiments in a note announcing Fearless (Taylor’s Version) , writing about how she could now “fully appreciate” her Grammy-winning 2008 sophomore album “in its whimsical, effervescent, chaotic entirety.” But look at it another way, and Fearless (Taylor’s Version) — especially taken with the five more rerecorded albums to come … [Read more...] about ‘Mr. Perfectly Fine’ Is a Perfect Specimen of the Old Taylor

Jason Concepcion. Photo: Felisha Tolentino for Crooked Media To be a close follower of Jason Concepcion’s work — whether it’s the beloved pop culture deep-dive podcast Binge Mode , the Emmy award-winning NBA Desktop , his integral role on The Hottest Take , or simply the five-alarm takes published under his Twitter moniker, netw3rk — is to appreciate a kind of balance. There’s an electricity to his voluminous output, equal parts chaos, anarchy, and sheer energy. But his work is also grounded by a distinct thoughtfulness that shines through even as a take or a discussion goes off the rails, generally cut with a genuine sense of hope and appreciation. You get the sense that he just wants things to be better than they are. Last fall, Concepcion announced that, after almost a decade working under Bill Simmons (first at Grantland, then at the Ringer), he was leaving to join Crooked Media, the political podcast powerhouse. At his new home, he’ll be working on an … [Read more...] about Jason Concepcion’s Takes on the World

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy You held out and held on, God knows too long, but Taylor Swift ’s “You All Over Me” has finally arrived. Initially written for the three-time Grammy Album of the Year winner’s 2008 album Fearless , the previously-unreleased song finally dropped on all streaming platforms at midnight. The track, which features vocals by Maren Morris and was co-written by songwriter Scooter Carusoe, giving it a distinctly country flavor, is part of Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) , the first album in the singer’s plan to rerecord her catalog after the masters of her first six albums were sold by Scooter Braun and Big Machine Records last fall. “You All Over Me” is reportedly one of six B-sides that were cut from the original Fearless that will now see the light of day as singles. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) itself will be out April 9. As a bonus, for your years of dedication, Swift also dropped a new remix of her … [Read more...] about Taylor Swift Brings Previously-Unreleased ‘You All Over Me’ Out of the Vault

January 12, 2013 - 14:54 GMT hellomagazine.com Golden Globes 2013: Nominees including Jennifer Lawrence, Sienna Miller, Amy Adams, Jack Black and Bradley Cooper attend pre-award party If Jennifer Lawrence , Amy Adams and Sienna Miller were feeling any pre Golden Globe nerves on Friday they certainly didn't show it. The three ladies, who are all nominated for awards, all looked glamorous at an event hosted by W Magazine and Dom Perignon Champagne. nominated in the Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical category for her role in Silver Linings Playbook , chose a cornflower blue dress for the occasion and wore her honey-coloured hair in a ponytail. Amy chose a similarly bold coloured dress. The Italian-born actress, who is up for the title of best Supporting Actress In A Film having starred in The Master , teamed a deep green with gold strappy heels. VIEW GALLERY CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR FULL GALLERY The … [Read more...] about Golden Globes 2013: Jennifer Lawrence, Sienna Miller and Amy Adams join fellow nominees at party

Stephen Colbert’s Late Show performances have been stellar so far: Just this week, we saw Chance the Rapper debut a new song with a glorious display of footwork, sheer joy, and a halo for Colbert. But the best yet? That high praise goes to Alabama Shakes, who Wednesday night performed “Joe,” a bonus track from this year’s out-of-this-world Sound & Colo r. Led by one of music’s most powerful voices in recent memory, Brittany Howard, they delivered a master class of soul, a bit of classic rock injected with gospel. Late-night TV rarely takes you to church in this way, but Alabama Shakes do it effortlessly. … [Read more...] about Alabama Shakes Gave Colbert His Best