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CARA Makes a Triumphant and Emotional Return to Music
Music

CARA Makes a Triumphant and Emotional Return to Music

by jummy84 October 9, 2025
written by jummy84

The music industry is a rapidly evolving sector. Over the past several years, its pace has only grown even more accelerated, as streaming sites and social media platforms have yielded instantaneous results for users, only increasing their appetite for new music tenfold. As a result, many modern artists feel the constant need to release new music to stay relevant, keeping pace with the cultural moment and maintaining their position in the industry. This is what makes CARA’s decision to step away from everything, just as her career was really starting to take off, all the bolder. When tragedy struck, rather than pushing forward and trying to ignore what was happening in her personal life, the artist opted to take a beat to really process her emotions, and is now returning to the music industry with a better understanding of herself and her artistic ambitions. 

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist CARA is returning with the emotionally charged single “Tears,” marking a pivotal moment in her career. This blend of personal grief and genre-crossing production resonates across mainstream and independent charts, solidifying her as a versatile, emotionally honest voice in modern pop and trap music.

Known for her genre-blending style and fearless storytelling, CARA has built a career that includes chart success, high-profile collaborations, and standout live performances. Her single “FIGHT,” a licensed and approved reimagining of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right to Party,” topped the independent artist charts on the National Mediabase Top 40 chart for several weeks running. More recently, her single “BLVD” reached the top of that same chart in 2024. Beyond these accomplishments, CARA’s resume reads like a lineup at a cross-genre festival. She’s opened for Lil Jon, Mike Jones, Soulja Boy, and SOMO, and even showcased her energy with a live appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

However, when she experienced personal tragedy in her own life, she felt the need to step away from her burgeoning career. While others might have been too afraid of losing traction in such a tumultuous industry, CARA knew what was right for her and dared to follow through on it. 

Now, after a notable hiatus, CARA is making a powerful return to the spotlight. Her latest single, “Tears,” has resonated with listeners worldwide, climbing two renowned charts. Written and executive produced by CARA herself, the track was accompanied by an official video, released on August 12.

“Tears” is dedicated to her late mother and brothers, infusing personal loss into her creative output. CARA frames her vulnerability as a strength, building authenticity with fans and resonating with listeners around the world.

Moving forward, she’s channeling her experiences into “THE KRONICLES”, her forthcoming debut album recorded at Orb Recording Studios. Set for release in 2026, the autobiographical record is a raw, multi-genre journey. “Tears,” the album’s deeply personal single, is both a cathartic release and an offering of solidarity. “I hope my song will help others experiencing severe loss in processing their grief and to know they are not alone,” CARA shares.

SPIN Magazine newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.

October 9, 2025 0 comments
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Brandy, Toni Braxton, JoJo And More
Music

Brandy, Toni Braxton, JoJo And More

by jummy84 October 9, 2025
written by jummy84

Kehlani‘s “Folded” is predicted to be a strong contender in the R&B categories at the 2026 Grammys— and for good reason. The Khris Riddick-Tynes, Andre Harris, Donovan Knight, and Don Mills production has become the biggest hit of her career.

Since its June 2025 release, it’s lived on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 16 weeks and recently peaked at No. 18, marking her first top 20 hit. Additionally, “Folded” is the No. 1 song on the Rhythmic chart, peaked No. 1 with Urban Mainstream Radio, and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart. She released the acoustic remix, “(un)Folded,” in July.

VIBE described “Folded” as a “multilayered, sensual ballad about love, lust, yearning, and seduction.” Of its meaning, Keh quipped, “I folded your clothes! Now come fold me up! and i’m folding! and i’m doing the folding! and coochies have folds… so many layers.”

It’s also took on a life of its own with fans and fellow singers.

When reflecting on the success of “Folded” last month, Kehlani shared on Instagram, “I’m here twiddling my thumbs wanting to drop what’s next but God saying watch me work. Looking like a ‘Folded‘ fall. I can’t thank you all enough. A song can change it all.”

Mario, Josh Levi, and Jai’Len Josey were among the first to put their own spin on “Folded.” However, the hypnotizing ballad has since reached GOAT status after the likes of Brandy, Toni Braxton, and JoJo remixed the record.

Kehlani has since confirmed via her Instagram Stories that a “Homage Pack [is] on the way,” supporting rumors and hopes that she should create a compilation EP of the covers. While we wait for a release date and for more information on her new album, relive the “Folded” era below with each cover that has just as much replay value as the original.

  • Brandy

    Brandy Folded Kehlani
    Image Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

    Brandy shook the R&B streets when she dropped her version of “Folded” in mid-September. Fans had already been comparing Kehlani‘s riffs and runs to the Vocal Bible, so this made perfect sense.

    “While I’m busy getting ready for the ALMOST SOLD OUT ‘THE BOY IS MINE TOUR,’ I took a little break from rehearsal to hop on the hottest song of the summer—my lil sis @kehlani ‘FOLDED.’ Adding some Brandy sauce to the mix feels so special because Kehlani is truly like my little sister, and I love her so much,” Brandy said about her cover.

    Keh replied, “MY MOTHERRRRRRRR MY QUEEEEEEEN MY EVERYTHING MY ORIGIN MY HEART THE BIGGEST THE BEST!!!!!!! I LOVE U AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST HONORRRRR.”

  • Toni Braxton

    Toni Braxton Kehlani Folded
    Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for dcp

    On Toni Braxton‘s birthday, she decided to gift fans a gift with her surprise cover.

    “When I sing ‘Folded’— it’s UNFOLDED!,” wrote the icon. On her version, she urged women to “not let his body decide,” adding, “It’s time to use your mind.”

    Kehlani‘s reaction summed up how we all felt. “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT,” she wrote with a series of crying emojis and heart eyes.

    Tamar Braxton even praised this version when commenting, “She always Toni Braxton a song. I’m here for it.”

  • JoJo

    JoJo Kehlani Folded
    Image Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Spotify

    JoJo knows how to body a record— just refer to her cover of “Marvin’s Room.” So when she dropped a “JO-LDED” remix, fans already knew it was going to be monumental.

    The songbird shared, “Love this song love this beautiful artist & human @kehlani— thanks for asking me to hop on and make a ‘JO-LDED’ remix. Here’s a lil somethin I wrote last night to theeeee song of the moment- straight from the studio. Thank you for always showing me love, standing up for what’s right, & fully embodying fearlessness. Xoxoxoxoxooxooxoxoxo.”

    Kehlani gave her an outpouring of flowers in the comments and added, “I LOVE YOU SO DEEPLY. FOREVER EMBEDDED IN MY DNA!”

  • Mario

    Mario Kehlani Folded
    Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

    Mario‘s rendition hit the streets in late August as a gift for Virgo season.

    “UNFOLDING VIRGO SEASON,” said the crooner. “You know if it’s real R&B #mariomonday gotta sliiiide!!! S/O to @kehlani for giving is this masterpiece!”

    Kehlani jokingly called it and him “my #1.”

  • Tank

    Tank Kehlani Folded
    Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

    Not long after Toni Braxton shared her “Folded” cover, Tank entered the chat.

    “Alright, Kehlani. Now, this ‘Folded’ s**t is crazy. It’s getting outta control. F**king smash record. Super smash,” he teased. As the self-proclaimed “challenge king,” he initially told fans he needed 24 hours before dropping his version.

    He ended up releasing his cover within a few hours. “Why wait?.. Come get ‘Folded’..,” he teased. In true Tank fashion, he made the record entirely his own with new musical arrangements and an original verse.

  • Honorable Mentions: Eric Bellinger, Jacquees, And More

    Kehlani Folded challenge
    Image Credit: Courtesy of Atlantic Records

    We couldn’t let the aforementioned GOATs have all the fun and neither could these artists because like we said, “Folded” is one of the greatest R&B records of 2025 and we collectively can’t get enough.

    Check out an extended list of other amazing covers from the likes of Eric Bellinger, Vedo, and Jacquees to Jai’Len Josey, Queen Naija, and Tiffany Evans.

    Eric Bellinger

    Vedo

    Jai’Len Josey

    Queen Naija

    Josh Levi

    Tiffany Evans

    Jacquees

    Trevor Jackson

    Sainted Trap Choir

    Kenyon Dixon

October 9, 2025 0 comments
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Malibu: Vanities Album Review | Pitchfork
Music

Malibu: Vanities Album Review | Pitchfork

by jummy84 October 9, 2025
written by jummy84

Vanities, the debut full-length by French producer Barbara Braccini, aka Malibu, is equal parts devotion and alienation. Her short, lush ambient compositions layer formless washes of synth with field recordings of city sounds; seamy and ominous, they evoke haunted industrial areas or images of abandoned business districts during Covid. At the same time, the songs on Vanities highlight Braccini’s clarion, wordless vocals—hymnlike passages that attempt to thaw the production’s frosty veneer. The feeling Vanities evokes has, in my mind, more in common with clinical, alienating, but ultimately invigorating films like Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans or Spring Breakers than it does any of Braccini’s contemporaries.

Vanities was made largely in Stockholm but finished in Los Angeles, and it feels unmistakably like a piece of California noir. From the sirens that drift through the thickly atmospheric opener “Nu” to the new-age wash of “The Hills” to the voice that whispers, “It’s our secret, you can’t tell anybody,” like a sample from some ’90s thriller, on closer “Watching People Die,” Vanities revels in the chilly contradictions of the City of Angels—its pervasive warmth and the way its layout forces a sense of atomization, the vague spirituality and the potent sense of moneyed privilege. At times, the album recalls the ambient-leaning back half of Chromatics’ Kill for Love, another serotonin-depleted record that feels like a strung-out drive through the city in the early morning hours.

This palette isn’t wholly dissimilar from Palaces of Pity, Braccini’s 2022 EP. The difference now is that everything feels crisper and more expansive: Braccini’s voice is clear and high in the mix, as opposed to a whisper beneath the shoegazey wash; individual samples, like the crashing waves on “Spicy City” and “What Is It That Breaks,” can be heard clearly amid the noise. Listening to Vanities after Palaces of Pity, it feels like a weight has been lifted; for every song on Vanities like “A World Beyond Lashes,” which feels like it’s collapsing in on itself beneath layers of noise, there’s one like “Lactonic Crush,” whose hard-won lightness and gently swelling synth recalls dream trance at its foggiest.

October 9, 2025 0 comments
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KISS' Gene Simmons recovering following Malibu car crash: "All is well"
Music

KISS’ Gene Simmons recovering following Malibu car crash: “All is well”

by jummy84 October 9, 2025
written by jummy84

KISS‘ Gene Simmons is recovering at home after crashing his car in Malibu – find out more below.

Per NBC 4 Los Angeles, the accident occured on Tuesday (October 7), around 1pm local time. While an exact cause has yet to deciphered, Simmons has reportedly told authorities that he had fainted or passed out while behind the wheel.

Simmons’ wife Shannon Tweed reportedly added that the car travelled through several lanes of traffic before crashing into a parked vehicle. Following the accident, Simmons was transported to a hospital for a check-up and brief hospitalisation, before being set home to recover.

Tweed also alleges that the accident could have been caused by a recent change in the KISS bassist and singer’s medication. Simmons has since taken to social media to share an update with fans: “Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes. I’m completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us who’re horrible drivers. And that’s me. All is well.”

Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes. I’m completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us were horrible drivers. And that’s me. All is well.

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) October 8, 2025

Gene Simmons isn’t the only KISS member to face a medical setback in recent times. Guitarist Ace Frehley has cancelled his remaining solo dates for 2025 due to “some onging medical issues,” he confirmed earlier this week.

In other news, KISS have confirmed plans for an “unmasked” show in Las Vegas later this November. It will mark the band’s first performance since their 2023 farewell tour. According to an email sent out to fans, the concert also promises “a special live performance from former KISS member Bruce Kulick, along with other special guests, activities, exclusive experiences and more.”

Then in December, the rock band will accept the Kennedy Centre Honor from President Donald Trump. KISS are among the list of honorees selected by the Trump administration this year, with others including Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, country star George Strait and stage and sitcom actor Michael Crawford.

The prize is awarded to figures in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture, and Trump will personally host this year’s event on December 7.

October 9, 2025 0 comments
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Travis Kelce Reacts to Taylor Swift's Explicit 'Wood' Song
Music

Travis Kelce Reacts to Taylor Swift’s Explicit ‘Wood’ Song

by jummy84 October 9, 2025
written by jummy84

Jason Kelce grilled his brother on his feelings about the singer’s The Life of a Showgirl track

Leave it to Jason Kelce to ask the hard questions that all Taylor Swift fans want to know.

On the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Jason asked his brother Travis Kelce what he thought of Taylor Swift’s song “Wood” off her record-breaking album, The Life of a Showgirl, which declares in the lyrics: “He ah-matized me and opened my еyes/Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see/His love was thе key that opened my thighs.”

After taking a few moments to find the perfect word, Jason asked the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, “Do you feel cocky?” When Travis tried to insist that he’d love any song his fiancée writes, Jason remarked, “It’s not just any song,” adding, “This is a very specific you. … Well, it’s not just you, though. It’s an appendage.”

“I think you’re not understanding the song,” replied Travis, causing his brother to exasperatedly exclaim, “Jesus Christ, Travis! Come on!” The former Philadelphia Eagles player also teased, “I thought Redwood was a little bit… that’s a generous word.”

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Earlier this week, Swift gave fans a bit more insight into the meaning behind “Wood” during an appearance on SiriusXM Hits 1. The singer shared that she played the highly suggestive track for her mother. “I think that she thinks that that song is about superstitions, popular superstitions, which it absolutely is,” Swift said. “That’s the joy of the double entendre. You could read that song for people and it just goes right over their head. You see in that song what you wanna see in that song.”

The star also raved about her muse, Travis. “He’s one of those people where as soon as you meet him, you kind of know he’s the best,” she said. “And you kind of know there’s no one else on the planet that’s ever been even remotely similar to him. He’s like one of one.”

October 9, 2025 0 comments
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Music Festival Brand Breakaway Adds Two Executives to Ownership Group
Music

Music Festival Brand Breakaway Adds Two Executives to Ownership Group

by jummy84 October 9, 2025
written by jummy84

Independent live entertainment brand Breakaway is expanding its leadership team with two new partners: Cultural entrepreneur Shaun Neff and entertainment executive Nick Gross, who have officially joined Breakaway’s ownership group, it was announced Wednesday (Oct. 8). It’s a move that underscores the company’s ambition to scale beyond festivals into music, media and lifestyle ventures.

The announcement follows a milestone year for Breakaway, which in 2025 staged its largest festival season yet: With events across 12 U.S. cities, it became the nation’s largest multi-city touring festival. Earlier this year, the company launched Breakaway Projects, a record label and artist management arm dedicated to nurturing emerging talent aligned with the brand’s creative DNA.

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“Bringing Shaun and Nick into the Breakaway family is like adding rocket fuel to everything we’ve been building,” said Adam Lynn, Breakaway’s co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “They understand Breakaway’s broader strategic vision — evolving beyond live events by developing new formats and engaging audiences across multiple platforms. As Breakaway evolves, we’re building a team that reflects that direction.”

Breakaway chief revenue officer William Van Orsdel added, “Breakaway isn’t just a festival anymore — it’s a movement. We’re proud of the culture we’re building and even more proud of the ownership group we’ve assembled to take us to the next level.”

Neff and Gross bring a blend of creative entrepreneurship and industry experience that mirrors Breakaway’s cross-platform ambitions.

Neff, best known as the founder of Neff Headwear, built his reputation through collaborations with icons like Snoop Dogg, Kevin Durant and Wiz Khalifa before co-founding Beach House Group, the brand incubator behind celebrity ventureslike Moon Oral Care with Kendall Jenner, Pattern with Tracee Ellis Ross, BÉIS with Shay Mitchell and Florence by Mills with Millie Bobby Brown. He was also part-owner of Sun Bum, which was acquired by SC Johnson in 2019, and now sits in the ownership groups of both X Games and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC).

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Breakaway Minnesota 2024

“Breakaway has already built something powerful — a national platform that resonates with Gen Z culture,” said Neff. “Our goal now is to scale that foundation intentionally, and expand in a way that deepens cultural relevance and community connection.”

For his part, Gross — through his Gross Labs umbrella — operates Big Noise, the record label he co-founded with producer John Feldmann; Find Your Grind, an edtech and career discovery platform for K-12 students; and Noise Nest Studios, his content and recording facility in Los Angeles. Gross’ portfolio spans investments across sports, entertainment and lifestyle ventures, including Tiger Woods’ TGL Golf League, X Games and Oklahoma City’s professional soccer franchise. As a musician himself, Gross has toured globally with Avril Lavigne and Machine Gun Kelly.

“The mission is clear: amplify artists, empower fans, and break the mold,” Gross said in a statement. “That’s what drew me to Breakaway.”

Lynn added that expanding ownership to include creative entrepreneurs like Neff and Gross is a deliberate move to strengthen Breakaway’s foundation for the future. “We’re not just building festivals,” he said. “We’re building a brand that can live across every medium — from stages to screens to the products people use every day.”

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October 9, 2025 0 comments
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Doja Cat 2025
Music

Doja Cat’s 1980s Extravagance Is Remarkable on ‘Vie’ » PopMatters

by jummy84 October 9, 2025
written by jummy84

Doja Cat is an all-or-nothing pop star. In 2023, the rapper tweeted to fans, “I don’t love y’all cos I don’t know y’all.” Extremes are her medium. When Doja Cat, whose real name is Amala Dlamini, attended Schiaparelli’s Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show, she wore a red body paint look covered in head-to-toe crystals. With her song “Paint the Town Red”, the absurd look captured Doja’s refined brand of camp. At that show, when the singer crossed paths with beauty mogul Kylie Jenner, who wore a lion’s head on her chest, the pair exchanged a cursory ‘Good to see you’ with each other. Their outlandish costumes were not acknowledged. 

Doja’s fifth album, Vie, French for “live”, is an about-face from its predecessor, 2023’s Scarlet. On that record, Doja sought to prove herself as a rapper, perhaps in response to a 2022 comment from Remy Ma on the podcast Drink Champs: “I don’t think [Doja Cat] is a rapper,” Remy said. While Doja did not respond directly, she tweeted, “The truth is I do tell stories, use punchlines regularly, and prioritize world play frequently. This is what rapping is by definition.”

In response, Scarlet crusaded for rap dominance, but critics said it lost the charm of Doja’s pop-infused early hits. This criticism became the jumping-off point for Vie, which rejects the notion that a need for rap credentials is the singer’s primary motive and establishes Doja as the type of star whose credibility as an artist does not rely on album-by-album critiques. Mixing 1980s pop and R&B on Vie, Doja remains an elusive, genre-bending savant. 

The record’s standout tracks fully embrace 1980s synthpop. The lead single “Jealous Type” bears no trace of another genre, giving Doja room to experiment on the other tracks, while proving the album’s thesis about versatility. The familiarity of 1980s pop brings Doja dangerously close to validating the criticism that she’s not a real rapper. However, by repackaging a maximalist genre in her seductive image, Doja turns herself into an enigma, immune to accusations of pastiche. 

A modern pop star paying homage to the 1980s is not a new idea. Taylor Swift received a synthpop makeover with 1989, and Dua Lipa tried disco on Future Nostalgia. Why does pop keep going back to that decade? During that time, the genre became glamorous. The rock stars of the 1960s were larger than life, and the singer-songwriters of the 1970s were open-hearted and intriguing, but the 1980s made music opulent. As a result, modern celebrities are cartoonish fashion muses. At the 2023 Met Gala, in honor of Karl Lagerfeld, Doja dressed as a cat and “Meow” -ed during interviews. 

While Vie’s main throughline is the 1980s, other elements surface. In “Acts of Service”, Doja Cat’s sultry vocals glide over a laconic R&B soundscape, while dreamy synths allude to the album’s central motif. A psychedelic guitar riff opens “Make It Up”, a trap-inspired plea for forgiveness where indifference becomes a means of seduction. In the irreverent “AAAH MEN!”, Doja recounts a litany of lovers’ shortcomings, but does not wallow. The ease of her delivery over a rapid bassline suggests that any former pain is no longer worth considering. 

The rap verses and catchy chorus of “Gorgeous” tie the album together, reconciling Doja’s nature as a hip-hop provocateur and pop hitmaker. The song’s music video is a parody of a cosmetics commercial, starring Doja alongside models Alex Consani and Anok Yai. The video is sumptuous and luxurious, featuring panoramic shots of glistening bottles of product and close-ups of the stars’ faces.  

The video accomplishes several purposes. Firstly, it continues the album’s 1980s references by depicting the over-the-top beauty trends of that decade. Secondly, it examines Doja’s place in pop. A frequent front-row presence at fashion shows, Doja Cat embodies the marriage of fashion and pop culture. Similarly, her celebrity stemmed from the union of music and the internet. By satirizing commercialized beauty, Doja Cat portrays herself as glamorous while upholding the cultural change that produced her: beauty must be contextualized to have meaning. 

Unlike other celebrities, Doja does not set boundaries with the public to create a mystique. Instead, she critiques the absurdity of her platform. “I got surgery ’cause of the scrutiny,” she admits in “Gorgeous”. “Vegas”, a song Doja recorded for the 2022 biopic Elvis, embodies the main accomplishment of Vie by interpolating the melody of Elvis’ “Hound Dog” over a trap beat. By referencing pop so overtly, Doja finds her own place within the genre. 

At the 2024 Met Gala, Doja Cat and Kylie Jenner crossed paths again, this time in a not-so-polite manner. Instead of a courtesy greeting, red-carpet footage showed Jenner cast a judgmental up-and-down glance in Doja’s direction. Pop culture is like an arena where celebrities utilize various creative media to further their self-expression. As a title, Vie does not have a clear thematic connection to the album’s contents. Is it meant to imply that Doja Cat is living her best life? Given the star’s inscrutable persona, pulling off an extravagant album is a remarkable accomplishment. No matter what criticism she is responding to, Doja Cat lands on all fours. 

October 9, 2025 0 comments
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Post-Civil War Assassin's Creed Game Was Canceled for Being "Too Political": Report
Music

Post-Civil War Assassin’s Creed Game Was Canceled for Being “Too Political”: Report

by jummy84 October 8, 2025
written by jummy84

Following reports last July that Ubisoft had canceled an upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, industry insider Stephen Totilo has revealed details of the shelved project.

According to his Game Files newsletter, the title was set in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. It was reportedly scrapped due to concerns over the political climate in the United States and online backlash to a Black samurai protagonist in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

The canceled project, which was in development at Ubisoft Quebec, would have reportedly featured a formerly enslaved Black man recruited by the Brotherhood of Assassins after moving West “to start a new life.” His return to the South would have involved a “fight for justice in a conflict that would, among other things, see him confront the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan.”

“Too political in a country too unstable, to make it short,” one of Totilo’s sources said of the decision.

The timing of this cancellation was well before Donald Trump’s election to a second term, but it may have occurred around the time of the first assassination attempt against the sitting US president.

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For context, when Ubisoft released a trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows in May 2024, some fans, conservative critics, and Elon Musk himself unfairly labeled the game as “woke.” The criticism centered around the character Yasuke, who was based on a real-life African slave brought to Japan by Jesuit missionaries.

Thomas Lockley, a professor and author of African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, pushed back against the criticism. “There’s no piece of paper that says Yasuke was a samurai,” he told The Japan Times. “But then there’s no piece of paper that says anybody else was a samurai.”

Despite the backlash, Shadows surpassed five million players by July 2025 — just three months after its release.

October 8, 2025 0 comments
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Exploring GPM Music Group’s Approach to Music Promotion
Music

Exploring GPM Music Group’s Approach to Music Promotion

by jummy84 October 8, 2025
written by jummy84

Independent artists often spend countless hours trying to “crack the Spotify code.” Many experiment with the DIY route, plead with curators for playlist placements, or turn to third-party promotion services, only to end up with inflated numbers and little real engagement. In such a crowded space, skepticism toward music marketing services is understandable. The industry has no shortage of companies promising streams, exposure, and growth, but few deliver meaningful results.

Against this backdrop, GPM Music Group has attracted attention from some indie musicians. The company presents itself as focusing less on chasing raw streaming numbers and more on building longer-term listener engagement. Artists who have worked with the team describe a shift from temporary spikes in plays toward audiences that continue to interact with their songs over time. Feedback shared by some musicians highlights that playlist placements were paired with activity such as song saves, user-generated playlist additions, and new followers, signals that can indicate a deeper level of listener interest.

According to the company, its system draws on Spotify’s existing ecosystem and combines this with paid advertising. Rather than using random playlists or follower farms, placements are reportedly tied to playlists curated around genre and mood. The stated goal is to guide potential listeners who are already interested in similar music toward new tracks. Some artists have noted that this approach appeared to improve visibility within Spotify’s recommendation features, with their songs showing up on functions like Discover Weekly or Radio after a period of consistent activity.

The team also makes use of targeted advertising on platforms such as Meta and TikTok. These campaigns, the company explains, are designed to reflect genre, listener habits, and other behavioral cues rather than broad or generic promotion. While no marketing service can guarantee outcomes, artists who have collaborated with GPM describe the experience as more data-driven than some alternatives they had tried in the past.

Reports from the field are not uniform; results will vary depending on genre, catalog, and timing. But GPM Music Group is seen by some in the independent artist community as one of several available services attempting to address the challenges of standing out on streaming platforms. Ultimately, the question for artists is whether the approach aligns with their goals of reaching listeners sustainably.

For independent musicians, services like GPM highlight both the opportunities and the uncertainties of modern music marketing. Streaming has created unprecedented access to global audiences, but it has also raised the stakes in terms of visibility and competition. Whether through GPM or other providers, the challenge remains the same: finding strategies that move beyond inflated numbers to create authentic connections with listeners. Artists considering such services may benefit from weighing different options carefully, comparing approaches, and keeping expectations realistic about what any single platform can deliver.

SPIN Magazine newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.

October 8, 2025 0 comments
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Cliff Vmir Debuts ATL FEMMÈ Flagship With Star-Studded Opening
Music

Cliff Vmir Debuts ATL FEMMÈ Flagship With Star-Studded Opening

by jummy84 October 8, 2025
written by jummy84

Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood just got a new beauty destination in town. International celebrity hairstylist, Cliff Vmir, celebrated the grand opening of his new FEMMÈ Flagship Destination this past Saturday (Oct. 4) with many familiar faces in attendance.

The star-studded celebration, hosted by V103’s Tori Starr, welcomed over 100 guests, including famous faces: Jesseca “Judy” & Da Brat Harris-Dupart, Saucy Santana, Sukihana, Tammy Rivera, Karlie Redd, Big Sexy, Shekinah, Terrence Davidson, Shod Santiago, Leticia Gardner, Brii Renee, and more. Guests were also treated to musical vibes curated by DJ Steff, FEMMÈ-branded bites from Feed the Streetz and signature slushies from Slushy Box ATL.

Attendees gathered to experience the new space, which was designed by iElevated Images that features a modern industrial aesthetic. Adding to its uniqueness, the salon is staffed entirely by the FEMMÈ Boys, a team of prominent male hairstylists dedicated to breaking barriers and redefining beauty norms.

Aside from the excitement of his newest establishment, the highlight of the evening came when State Representative Eric Bell II presented Vmir with a Resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives, honoring his contributions to Atlanta’s beauty and business communities.

“I am so excited for the expansion of FEMMÈ,” Vmir said inn a statement. “I have been a hairstylist for over 20 years, so this has been a long time coming. Opening my FEMMÈ storefront and expanding our products into over 250 stores throughout the country means the world to me. I will forever be grateful to my FEMMÈ haircare supporters that I was able to make this happen.”

The 3,000-square-foot space combines a haircare storefront, salon, and warehouse, marking the next phase of the 28-year-old’s growing beauty empire.

Check out the three-in-one FEMMÉ beauty salon and also see who pulled up for its grand opening below.

October 8, 2025 0 comments
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