Tag Archives: Maxwell

Maxwell Among the Headlining Acts for 2024’s Cincinnati Music Festival 

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Maxwell is bringing sumthin’ sumthin’ to Ohio…

The Cincinnati Music Festival has announced the lineup for its 2024 edition, with the 50-year-old half-Puerto Rican artist among the headlining acts.

MaxwellMaxwell, a three-time Grammy winner, is part of a list of headlining acts that includes New Edition, Ne-Yo and Kem.

The annual celebration of classic and contemporary R&B legends and hip-hop superstars will once again take over the home of the Cincinnati Bengals, Paycor Stadium, for two nights next summer.

The first night, July 26, will be headlined by “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” neo soul legend Maxwell, with support from Ne-Yo, Fantasia, October London and Lakeside.

Night two, July 27, will be toplined by New Jack Swing supergroup New Edition — Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe and Johnny Gill — as well as Kem, SWV, Stokley and another artist to be announced.

In keeping with recent tradition, the jam-packed weekend will kick off with a night (July 25) celebrating hip-hop at the adjacent Andrew J. Brady Music Center, with a lineup to be announced soon.

“We are thrilled with this year’s lineup for the Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G,” festival producer Joe Santangelo said in a press release. “This year’s lineup is the most jam-packed R&B lineup we’ve ever had, representing fan favorites across the decades from New Edition to Maxwell to Fantasia, and so many more.”

Tickets for this year’s event are on sale now through the festival office (call (513) 924-0900), and will be available through Ticketmaster beginning Saturday (December 16) at 10:00 am ET.

CMF launched as the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival in 1962 as an all-jazz event and evolved over the year to embrace a wide variety of R&B, soul and pop acts, from Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington to Luther Vandross, New Edition, Whitney Houston, Earth Wind and Fire and many others.

Anitta to Perform During Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Vol. 4 Fashion Show

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Anitta is preparing for a Savage moment…

The 29-year-old Brazilian singer, songwriter, actress and dancer will perform as part of the fourth installment of Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty fashion show.

AnittaThe “Envolver” singer joins a star-studded lineup for the event that includes Burna Boy, Don Toliver and Maxwell.

In addition, there’ll be special appearances by Ángela Aguilar, Avani Gregg, Bella Poarch, Cara Delevingne, Damson Idris, Irina Shayk, Joan Smalls, Kornbread, Lara Stone, Lilly Singh, Marsai Martin, Precious Lee, Rickey Thompson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Simu Liu, Taraji P. Henson, Taylour Paige, Winston Duke, Zach Miko and more.

The annual fashion experience will air on November 9 via Prime Video.

The follow-up to the Emmy-winning Vol. 3 iteration of the fashion show will feature the latest Savage X Fenty styles from the music icon, and will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories.

In addition to the show airing on Prime Video, the entire Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 4 collection, which pays tribute to self-expression and personal empowerment, will also be available to shop in the Amazon store and at Savage X Fenty’s website on November 9.

Bruno Mars’ Silk Sonic-Single “Love’s Train” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay Chart

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Bruno Mars has choo-choo’ed his to the top of the R&B charts…

The 36-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer/songwriter and Anderson .Paak’s duo Silk Sonic has earned another No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart with their single “Love’s Train” on the chart dated April 23.

Bruno Mars, Silk Sonic, Anderson .Paak

The track advances after a strong 31% gain in plays to become the most-played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B stations in the week ending April 17, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data.

The new champ, released earlier this year on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14), is a cover of a 1983 tune by Con Funk Shun, who racked up 26 hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart from 1977-97. Eight of them reached the top 10, with “Ffun” topping the list for two weeks in 1978.

“Love’s Train” gives Silk Sonic its third No. 1 among four career appearances.

The duo’s first offering, “Leave the Door Open,” topped the list for 13 weeks in 2021, while third single “Smokin’ out the Window” ruled for one week in January.

Between the champs, second release “Skate” peaked at No. 4.

All four tracks are on the duo’s An Evening With Silk Sonic album; “Love’s Train” was added to the digital and streaming editions of the set in February.

As Silk Sonic achievements also contribute to the individual ledgers for Mars and .Paak, “Love’s Train” yields a third Adult R&B Airplay for .Paak – all from Silk Sonic hits. Outside the group, his best result was a No. 2 peak for “Make It Better,” featuring Smokey Robinson, in 2019.

Mars, meanwhile, collects his seventh No. 1 and moves to within one more chart-topper for the most among male artists in Adult R&B Airplay chart history. Kem, Maxwell and Charlie Wilson each own eight No. 1s, with Mars and R. Kelly – both with seven – just below.

Elsewhere, “Love’s Train” keeps rolling on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which measures songs’ audience reach among U.S. monitored adult R&B and mainstream R&B/hip-hop radio stations. There, “Love’s Train” speeds 15-9 after it gained 54% in weekly audience to 10.6 million in the week ending April 17. The improvement of 3.7 million gives the song Greatest Gainer honors for the biggest increase among the chart’s 50 titles.

The “Love’s Train” gains just add to Silk Sonic’s recent spell of good fortune.

Earlier this month, the duo, as .Paak informed viewers, completed “a clean sweep” at the Grammy Awards by winning all four of its nominations – record of the year, song of the year, best R&B song, and – in a tie – best R&B performance, all for “Leave the Door Open.”

The pair also opened the ceremony with a performance of “777.”

Maxwell Makes History While Earning 8th No. 1 Single on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay Chart with “Off”

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Maxwell has earned a spot in R&B chart history…

The 48-year-old half-Puerto Rican artist’s current single “Off” has risen to the top spot om Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart dates April 2, making Maxwell only the second man to land eight No. 1s in the 29-year history of Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart.

MaxwellThe track advances from No. 3 after it saw a 10% improvement in plays to become the most played song on U.S. monitored adult R&B radio stations in the week ending March 27, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data.

Eight No. 1s ties Maxwell with Charlie Wilson for the most among any male act since the list began in 1993.

On the overall count, the pair trail only Alicia Keys (12) and Toni Braxton (11).

As “Off” joins the chart-toppers club, here’s a recap at Maxwell’s eight champs:

  • “Fortunate,” No. 1 for 18 weeks, beginning May 22, 1999
  • “Lifetime,” 15, Sept. 29, 2001
  • “Pretty Wings,” 12, July 4, 2009
  • “Bad Habits,” nine, Oct. 10, 2009
  • “Fistful of Tears,” two, April 17, 2010
  • “Fire We Make,” with Alicia Keys, June 22, 2013
  • “Lake by the Ocean,” 10, June 18, 2016
  • “Off,” one (to date), April 2, 2022

With “Off,” Maxwell also becomes the first man to log No. 1s on Adult R&B Airplay in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. Fellow R&B legends Toni Braxton and Mary J. Blige also have achieved the feat, with Braxton inaugurating the group in 2020 and Blige attaining membership in February.

In addition to its Adult R&B Airplay coronation, “Off” holds at No. 22 of the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which ranks by audience listenership across both adult and mainstream R&B/hip-hop stations.

There, the single repeats in rank but adds 3% in audience to reach 5.7 million in the week ending March 27. “Off” previously had climbed to No. 20 to clinch Maxwell’s 12th top 10 on the list. The stretch began with his breakout hit, “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder),” which soared to No. 7 in 1996, and includes two No. 1s, “Fortunate” and “Pretty Wings.”

“Off” is expected to appear on Maxwell’s forthcoming album, blacksummers’NIGHT, the third and final installment of his album trilogy.

The first chapter, BLACKsummers’night, premiered in 2009, while the follow-up, blackSUMMERS’night, arrived in 2016. Both projects debuted at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with the former ruling for four weeks and the latter on top for two frames.

Ashanti to Receive Lady of Soul Honor at This Month’s Soul Train Awards

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Ashanti is the (Soul) Lady of the moment…

The 41-year-old half-Afro-Dominican singer/actress will receive the Lady of Soul honor at this year’s Soul Train Awards.

Ashanti

“I’m honored to be recognized as this year’s Lady of Soul honoree,” Ashanti said. “This is a full circle moment for me because I received the Aretha Franklin entertainer of the year award at the Lady of Soul Awards in 2002. As we commemorate 50 years of Soul Train, I’m proud to be a part of this legacy and to return to the Apollo to celebrate.”

Previous Lady of Soul honorees include Jill Scott (2015), Brandy (2016), SWV (2017), Faith Evans (2018), Yolanda Adams (2019) and Monica (2020).

Maxwell will receive the Legend award, which has gone in recent years to Babyface (2015), Teddy Riley (2016), Toni Braxton (2017), Erykah Badu (2018) and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (2019).

“It’s an honor to be presented with the Legend award by a community that’s been growing with me throughout my career,” said the half-Puerto Rican R&B singer in a statement. “I’m so grateful to be sharing this moment with everyone and returning to the Apollo for an evening of excellence.”

BET Soul plans to dedicate a full hour to music videos by Maxwell and Ashanti, starting Wednesday (Nov. 3) at 10:00 a.m. ET. Check local listings.

The Soul Train Awards, which recognizes the best in soul and R&B, will be taped at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem on November 20. It will premiere on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and BET Her. As previously announced, Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold will co-host the show for the fourth consecutive year.

Maxwell Releases “Gods” Remix Video, “More Gods”

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Maxwell is ready to bring more (gods)…

The 44-year-old half-Puerto Rican R&B singer, currently on tour, is releasing a remix video for his R&B smash single “Gods.”

Maxwell

Maxwell fans can get their first look at “More Gods”– the Grammy winner’s upbeat, stylish revamp centered around DJ Kapiro’s remix of the song — on Billboard.

Motivated after listening to DJ Kapiro’s remix, Maxwell tells Billboard that he “was inspired to add an extra visual element to the video, something different. I’m looking forward to hearing it on the radio.”

Brandon Carter directed the “More Gods” video remix. The original neon pink “Gods” video, released in March by Maxwell and Tidal, was directed by Philip Andelman.

Aside from the remix’s beat-heavy rhythms and Maxwell’s mesmerizing refrain “do what you want” (also written out in various languages onscreen), the video finds the singer also teasing his next album. It’s the anticipated final chapter in an album trilogy that began with 2009’s BLACKsummers’night and 2016’s second installment blackSUMMERS’night, which features “Gods.”

Asked about the arrival date for his next album, Maxwell offers only a cryptic reply: “Be prepared to be surprised. Night is coming.”

Maxwell will perform at the UNITAS Gala “Against Human Trafficking” on Sept. 12. Upcoming stops on his national tour include Los Angeles (Hollywood Bowl, Oct. 6), Las Vegas (The Cosmopolitan, Oct. 7) and Concord, Calif. (Concord Pavilion, Oct. 8).

Maxwell Leads Congregation in Song at Cornerstone Baptist Church on Easter Sunday

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Maxwell is celebrating Easter in big way…

The 43-year-old half-Puerto Rican R&B crooner surprised members of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Bed-Stuy, New York with an extra special Easter celebration on Sunday.

Maxwell

Maxwell, a Brooklyn native, lead the congregation with a passionate performance of Andraé Crouch’s “Let the Church Say Amen.”

In a video posted to Maxwell’s Twitter account, the singer, who was raised a devout Christian, can be heard preaching, “No matter where we go, whatever songs we write, it always comes back to God.”

Maxwell & Tidal Release Video for His Latest Single “Gods”

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Maxwell is offering a gift from the Gods…

The 43-year-old half-Puerto Rican R&B singer has released the video for his latest single “Gods” via Tidal.

Maxwell

Filmed at various locations in Los Angeles, including the downtown area, the Philip Andelman-directed video uses pink neon to accent a lit-up City of Angels as Maxwell tools around in a 1982 white Lamborghini.

Explaining the video’s concept, Maxwell tells Billboard, “Inspiration stemmed from having an experience of sort of seeing the spiritual parallel universe — that which can’t be seen. Art is subjective, visions evolve and I want fans to interpret the video on their own. I hope they enjoy it.”

Now in its third week on Billboard’s Adult R&B Songs, “Gods” rises 23-18 as of the week ending April 1.

The mid-tempo track is the follow-up to earlier singles “1990x” and “Lake by the Ocean” — the latter of which earned Maxwell a Grammy for best R&B song in February.

All three songs are featured on the singer/songwriter’s 2016 album, blackSUMMERS’night, which bowed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

Click here to see the video.

Maxwell to Perform at the Women’s March on Washington

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Maxwell is lending his voice to the latest women’s movement…

The 43-year-old half-Puerto Rican R&B singer will perform at the Women’s March on Washington this weekend.

Maxwell

Organizers of the event announced its performance lineup on Wednesday. Janelle Monae, Angelique Kidjo, Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Indigo Girls, MC Lyte, Samantha Ronson, Toshi Reagon and Emily Wells are also set to perform at Saturday’s march.

“I am honored to join this critical movement to bring justice and equality to all,” Monae said in a statement. “Music has always been a powerful tool for galvanizing unity and I believe that singing and standing together, our voices will be stronger than any force that tries to repress us.”

Organizers say entertainers including Questlove, Grimes, Neko Case, Rakim and Lila Downs are joining the march’s “artist table” to support the event in the U.S. capital and the 200 planned “sister marches” around the country.

Actress America Ferrera was previously announced as the chair of the artists’ group.

Fat Joe Earns His First-Ever Soul Train Music Award Nominations

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Fat Joe has some new Soul to celebrate…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American rapper has earned his first-ever Soul Train Music Award nominations.

Fat Joe

Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, is nominated in the Best Collaboration category for his single “All the Way Up,” featuring Remy Ma, French Montana and Infared.

Fat Joe’s second nomination comes in the Rhythm & Bars Award category, which was formerly known as the Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year, for the infectious track, which has been certified platinum.

But Fat Joe isn’t the only Latino nominee…

Maxwell, who was named Best New Artist at the Soul Train Music Awards nearly 20 years ago, has picked up a nod in the Best R&B/Soul Male Artist.

The 43-year-old half-Puerto Rican R&B singer, a five-time STMA winner, last picked up the Best R&B/Soul Male Artist award in 2009.

Meanwhile, Mariah Carey picked up a nod in The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award category for co-writing the single, “Don’t,” performed by Bryson Tiller.

Erykah Badu will return as host for the 2016 Soul Train Music Awards, landing at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena next month.

2016 hip-hop MVP Drake leads the pack with 12 nominations, including a pair of nods for the Video of the Year Award for his viral smash “Hotline Bling” and his guest spot on Rihanna‘s earworm “Work.” Beyonce follows with eight nominations for her work on the visual album Lemonade.

Filming for the Soul Train Music Awards will take place on November 6 before it airs on Centric and BET at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 27.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Best New Artist
Anderson .Paak
Andra Day
Bryson Tiller
Chance The Rapper
Ro James
Tory Lanez

Best R&B/Soul Male Artist
Anthony Hamilton
Bryson Tiller
Maxwell
The Weeknd
Usher

Centric Certified Award
After 7
Anderson .Paak
Bilal
Lalah Hathaway
Musiq Soulchild

Video Of The Year
Beyoncé – Formation
Beyoncé – Sorry
Drake – Hotline Bling
Kanye West – Fade
Rihanna Ft. Drake – Work

Best Gospel/ Inspirational Song
Donnie Mcclurkin – I Need You
Hezekiah Walker – Better
Kirk Franklin – 123 Victory
Tamela Mann – God Provides
Travis Greene – Made A Way

Album/Mixtape of the Year
Beyoncé – Lemonade
Bryson Tiller – T R A P S O U L
Dj Khaled – Major Key
Drake – Views
Kanye West – The Life Of Pablo
Rihanna – Anti

Rhythm & Bars Award (Formerly Best Hip-Hop Song of the Year)
Chance The Rapper Ft. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz – No Problem
Dj Khaled Ft. Drake – For Free
Drake – Controlla
Drake Ft. Wizkid & Kyla – One Dance
Fat Joe & Remy Ma Ft. French Montana & Infared – All The Way Up

Best R&B/Soul Female Artist
Alicia Keys
Beyoncé
Fantasia
Jill Scott
Rihanna

Song of the Year
Adele – Hello
Beyoncé – Formation
Bryson Tiller – Don’t
Drake – Controlla
Rihanna Ft. Drake – Work

The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award
Hello – Written By: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, Gregory Allen Kurstin (Adele)
Rise Up – Written By: Andra Day, Jennifer Decilveo (Andra Day)
Formation – Written By: Michael L. Williams Ii, Beyoncé Knowles, Khalif Brown, Aaquil Brown, Asheton Hogan, (Beyoncé)
Don’t – Written By: Johntá M. Austin, Mariah Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Tavoris Javon Hollins, Isom Brandon Stewart, Bryson Dejuan Tiller (Bryson Tiller)
Needed Me – Written By: Nicholas Valentino Audino, Rachel Derrus, Adam King Feeney, Robyn R. Fenty, Brittany Talia Hazzard, Charles Hinshaw Jr., Lewis Beresford Hughes, Dijon Isaiah Mcfarlane, Khaled Rohaim, Te Whiti Te Rangitepaia Mataa Warbick (Rihanna)

Best Dance Performance
Beyoncé – Formation
Drake – Hotline Bling
Kanye West (Dance Performance Ft. Teyana Taylor) – Fade
Rihanna Ft. Drake – Work
Usher Ft. Young Thug – No Limit

Best Collaboration 
Beyoncé Ft. Kendrick Lamar – Freedom
Chance The Rapper Ft. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz – No Problem
Dj Khaled Ft. Drake – For Free
Fat Joe & Remy Ma Ft. French Montana & Infared – All The Way Up
Rihanna Ft. Drake – Work