May 16, 2022 - Music Observer

The Social Media Agency, Clonefluence, Aims to Create Successful Music Artists

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

The agency is helping music artists create their own distinct identities via their marketing strategies.

Music is a powerful medium that unites people from diverse backgrounds and has a strong presence globally. The music industry has been one of the fastest-growing industries the world has ever seen, with hordes of talented artists trying to make their mark in a bid to attain the top position. However, owing to the lack of appropriate resources that can help market themselves to a wide audience base, a majority of them fail to make it to the limelight. In situations like these, they need a proper backing or a strong entity that can push and showcase the skills that can help them grow as an artist. This is where Justin Grome’s Social Media Agency, Clonefluence comes into the picture as they are well-equipped to handle the artist’s affairs, right from managing their work to publicity to marketing and everything in between that can help them gain a strong foothold in this fiercely competitive industry.

Clonefluence was established in New Jersey in 2017 and has since helped many artists establish their careers, which were on the verge of getting wiped out owing to lack of proper exposure. Speaking about his agency. Justin says, “social media is an extremely powerful tool which if used rightly can work wonders. It has the potential to reach a global audience which can help catapult an artist’s career to dizzying heights owing to wide exposure. The basic objective of Clonefluence is to help these aspiring artists establish themselves and showcase their work widely so that their career gets the right push.” Today, the agency is known to put one’s career right on track by implementing its marketing strategies which help the music artists establish a base.

Justin expresses that his agency implements perfect strategies when it comes to social media growth, Spotify growth, public relations, and any other marketing campaigns that help in getting the music artist’s career on a fast track. The impact that Clonefluence has created is evident by the fact that it is regarded as the most efficient and effective social media agency of present times, which has helped many artists establish their presence amongst a sea of talents who occupy the music space. The agency is rated as the #1 social media agency in the music industry speaks volumes about its success. Justin states, “… As a brand, we always want to continue to grow and help countless artists achieve their dreams.”

To know more, follow Clonefluence on Instagram – @Clonefluence.

Top Gun Sequel Top Gun: Maverick to Feature New Lady Gaga Song “Hold My Hand”

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

Photo: Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Lady Gaga has been confirmed to release a new song this Tuesday, May 3, titled “Hold My Hand” for the new Tom Cruise movie Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to 1986’s Top Gun.

“Hold My Hand” is produced by Gaga and BloodPop®, with additional production from Benjamin Rice.

The movie version will also feature additional production and score music by Harold Faltermeyer and Hans Zimmer.

On social media, Lady Gaga wrote:

“When I wrote this song for Top Gun: Maverick, I didn’t even realize the multiple layers it spanned across the film’s heart, my own psyche, and the nature of the world we’ve been living in. I’ve been working on it for years, perfecting it, trying to make it ours. I wanted to make music into a song where we share our deep need to both be understood and try to understand each other—a longing to be close when we feel so far away and an ability to celebrate life’s heroes. I’m so grateful to Tom and Hans and [director Joseph Kosinski] for this opportunity—and it’s been a beautiful experience working with them. Me, BloodPop, Ben Rice and everyone else who worked on it with us are so excited to share it with you. This song is a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time. I’ve wanted you to hear it for so long. And I’m so excited to give it to you on May 3. ‘Hold My Hand.’

🎶 But if you decide to

I’ll ride in this life with you

I won’t let go till the end 🎶”

Lady Gaga’s has previously won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Shallow” in A Star is Born and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 2016 Oscars for “Til It Happens to You.”

Lady Gaga collaborated with Tony Bennett last year in Love for Sale, the Chromatica remix album Dawn of Chromatic, and a 10th anniversary edition of Born This Way. She also recently performed Love for Sale songs at the 2022 Grammy Awards.

She will finally go on tour for Chromatica starting July.

Top Gun: Maverick hits theaters on Friday, May 27.

Louis Leterrier to Replace Justin Lin as Director of Fast X

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

Photo: EW

Louis Leterrier is on standby to drive Fast X to completion.

Only a week following Justin Lin’s resignation as director of the Fast & Furious’ 10th main installment, Universal Pictures pointed out that Leterrier was the replacement, according to EW.

Although no formal contract has been signed yet, the 48-year-old French filmmaker would contribute much action experience to the franchise.

Among the films he directed are two Transporter movies (with Jason Statham, a Fast family member), The Incredible Hulk, and Clash of the Titans. In addition, he worked on Netflix’s Lupin and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance in a more recent direction.

Last Tuesday, an announcement from Lin and Universal said that he had made the “difficult decision” to step down as a director of Fast X, which had merely begun shooting. But he is still part of the film as a producer.

“Over ten years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases,” stated Lin.

“On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew, and studio for their support and for welcoming me into the Fast family.”

Fast X is set to show in theaters on May 19, 2023, with the several of the most prominent personalities in show business: Statham, Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Nathalie Emmanuel, Brie Larson, Jason Momoa, and Charlize Theron.

In 2014, it was announced that the franchise would have around three more films after Furious 7. And in 2020, they revealed that the main series, The Fast Saga, would end with a tenth and eleventh installment.

Travis Scott to Headline Three Primavera Sound Festivals

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

Photo: Getty Images for Coachella

Travis Scott will be marking his first public performance at three Primavera Sound festivals since the Astroworld 2021 music festival that left ten dead and countless injured. This public performance follows the two private performances earlier this year.

The rapper is slated to headline three Primavera Sound festivals in South America, performing in São Paulo, Brazil on November 6; Bueno Aires, Argentina on November 12; and Santiago, Chile on November 13.

TMZ also reports that Scott is slated to appear at Miami’s E11even nightclub on May 7 as a host and not a performer, a source told Pitchfork.

Scott also performed a short set at a private pre-Oscars house party in Bel Air, California in late March, TMZ reported. Videos of Scott performing “Sicko Mode” circulated online that following morning. He also appeared at a Coachella afterparty, where he performed five of his own songs during a short DJ set in a La Quinta venue.

Last week, Scott joined Future and 808 Mafia producer Southside on the new song “Hold That Heat,” marking Scott’s first widely available single since Astroworld 2021.

Will Smith’s Friends and Family Remain Strong in Their Support for the Actor After Jada Pinkett’s Controversial Statements

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

Photo: Yahoo

Will Smith made headlines at the Academy Awards after slapping Chris Rock for poking fun at his wife’s alopecia. Unfortunately, the Best Actor Oscar winner is still receiving a lot of backlash for his actions.

Understandably, Smith must support and protect his wife, Jada Pinkett. However, after a few days, the actress created controversy after releasing statements that seemed to indicate that she left her partner alone.

Even so, Will still receives support from his family and his close friends, including renowned celebrities in show business—actors with whom Smith has worked before and has formed intimate bonds of friendship that have lasted over time.

Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, Jordyn Woods, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Martin Lawrence are among those personalities.

Washington and Tyler comforted the actor following the incident with Rock on March 27.

Smith mentioned the 67-year-old during his acceptance speech, acknowledging that “Denzel said to me a few minutes ago, he said, ‘At your highest moment, be careful. That’s when the devil comes for you.’ It’s like, I want to be a vessel for love.”

After a few days, Washington publicly declared his support for Will once again.

Meanwhile, DJ Jazzy has been friends with Smith since the two formed a rap duo, DJ Jazzy and the Fresh Prince.

“Me and DJ Jazzy Jeff got started in Philly over 30 years ago,” Smith said in 2019. “There has never been a time in my life when I didn’t look to the side and have a great friend, and it is important who your friends are. And DJ Jazzy Jeff, for more than half of my life, has been one of the best friends I’ve ever had in this world.”

According to both Smith and Lawrence, they have been friends since the first part of the Bad Boys saga production together. “I love this guy. I don’t get to see him much because he’s working all the time, but I love him. We’re the best of friends,” said Lawrence on Sway’s Universe.

“Our Flag Means Death” Trailer Released with Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby as Lead Actors

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

Photo: Nerdist

Two personalities from New Zealand are about to set their ships afloat.

The new trailer for HBO Max’s comedy series has the two actors riding a pirate ship and following their story “Our Flag Means Death.”

Set in the 18th century, this story follows Stede Bonnet – a real-life nobleman who left his wife and children for piracy but later saw that running a ship was not as easy.

The new trailer teases “Our Flag Means Death” as the type of comical duo Darby and Waititi are distinguished: they are friends and associates for a long time now, teaming up on several shows, including “Flight of the Conchords,” and movies such as “What We Do in the Shadows.”

“They are like an old married couple in certain ways,” said filmmaker David Jenkins in an interview. “If a scene isn’t quite working, Taika will be able to grumble about Rhys, and vice versa, in the way that only friends can. And then, when it is popping, they know how to get the best out of each other. There’s a generosity and a real sweetness between them that you wouldn’t get if you weren’t using those two friends.”

This new series, “Our Flag Means Death” will pilot on March 3rd. The show features a diverse cast of actors, including Jones, Nathan Foad, Samson Kayo, Vico Ortiz, Ewen Bremner, Joel Fry, Matt Maher, Kristian Nairn, Con O’Neill, Guz Khan, David Fane, Rory Kinnear, Samba Schutte, Nat Faxon, and Fred Armisen.

“Dune: Part Two” Is Ready for Production, Set at the End of the Summer

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

Photo: IGN

French Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has announced that writers are already deep into writing the script for “Dune: Part Two,” and production will begin by this summer’s end.

The director spoke about the progression of the sequel. “Dune: Part Two” is Villeneuve’s adaptation of the sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert. He revealed that the sequel’s script is set, and the project is in the process of filming later this summer, one year before its scheduled premiere.

Villeneuve said they are supposed to film by the end of the summer. Adding that, “I will say it is mostly designed. The thing that helps us right now is that it’s the first time I’ve revisited a universe. So, I’m working with the same crew; everybody knows what to do, we know what it will look like. The movie will be more challenging, but we know where we are stepping. And the screenplay is written. So, I feel confident. Frankly, the only big unknown for me right now is the pandemic.”

There were concerns that a sci-fi movie containing high concepts such as Dune might not acquire the audiences required for numerous movies.

But the box office ratings of this movie say differently. There was, in fact, an audience for it and, by extension, allowed Villeneuve to broaden his franchise even more with another installment further down the line.

“I want to have more flexibility, and it will be possible to go a little bit deeper into some of these details. It’s like a chess game. Dune: Part 2 will introduce some new characters in the second part, and a decision I made very early on was that this first part would be more about Paul Atreides and Bene Gesserit and his experience of being in contact for the first time with a different culture,” explained Villeneuve. “Second part, there will be much more Harkonnen stuff.”

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine Partner with Adidas and PENSOLE to Establish a New High School

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

Photo: Billboard

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine are looking into aiding LA high schoolers in creating their blueprint to success through a new collaboration with Adidas and PENSOLE, as well as a broadened multi-faceted disciplinary curriculum for LA high schools.

The “Wood U” workshops, held by Adidas, PENSOLE in partnership with Iovine and Young Academy at USC, helped Inglewood students create sneakers inspired by ambition, power and love. The Iovine and Young Academy was founded in 2013 at the University of Southern California by the Beats co-founders dedicated to college students looking for integrated design, business, and technology degrees.

Dr. Edwards fostered the students from various “Wood U” design brackets to see for themselves what their shoes looked like – including black Superstar sneakers with green and red tongues developed by this year’s power cohort. It was displayed in LA Adidas stores on February 7th.

One student from the crowd said, “I felt very proud when I first saw the shoes.” While one stated, “When I first saw the shoes, I was impressed because I didn’t expect them to turn out as good as they were.”

“We’d put a core value up on the board, and a kid would associate a color with it. And the way he described it, you could kind of see it,” Grammy-nominated rapper and Inglewood local D Smoke told a media outlet recounting his observation with a student associating color with each attribute.

He continued, “So, if it’s like, let’s say, strength, he would be like, ‘I believe strength is purple.’ And if we’re talking about designing shoes or designing anything, how to utilize colors to make people feel a certain way – he’s so far ahead. I’m 36 years old, and I’m blown away by this kid.”

In the “Wood U” campaign video, the rapper, who teaches at Inglewood High School, his alma mater, named his first EP after it, says, “Imagine if creativity was actually taught. Because up until now, it hasn’t. The old-school mentality doesn’t fit today’s curriculum. Kids can’t explore creative careers today because the system needs to be reimagined.”

This September, Dre and Iovine will open Regional High School No. 1 with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

The new school is expected to be similar to Audubon Middle School. It will offer 120 spots for 9th and 10th graders in the 2022-2023 academic year. Regional High School No. 1 will follow under the Iovine and Young Academy’s rare, innovative approach to design education – via hands-on, real-world training, in addition, offering a cutting-edge college-prep curriculum.

Oscar Isaac and Zoë Kravitz Will Host SNL This March

Music Observer Staff on May 16, 2022

Photo: Vanity Fair

Two high-profile celebrities will appear on “Saturday Night Live” on NBC this coming month. The network has announced Thursday that Oscar Isaac and Zoë Kravitz will be hosting consecutive episodes.

Isaac and Kravitz, first-time hosts, will anchor after John Mulaney. He will mark his start at the highly esteemed SNL Five-Timers Club when he hosts on February 26 at the first post-winter Olympics episode with LCD Soundsystem.

Isaac has been on the show before. The actor, who is known for his roles in films like “Dune” and “Ex Machina,” showed up dressed with a pirate hat wearing a hook on his hand during the Halloween episode of “What Up With That” with Jason Sudeiki as host at the time.

Now, he’ll not come as a guest but officially as a host, taking over on March 5, with Charli XCX as his musical guest. Last December, Charli XCX was supposed to join the episode hosted by Paul Rudd; her appearance, however, was set aside due to COVID restrictions.

Kravitz will follow Isaac hosting on March 12. And Rosalía will appear as her musical guest. “The Batman” lead actress has made an appearance on SNL before. She appeared in the Donald Glover episode and performed in 2018. She promoted her song “Saturday,” carrying a red Solo cup in her hand.

SNL is broadcasted on NBC on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT.