Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Wrabel has dropped his 5 song We Could Be Beautiful EP, which includes the title track as well as “11 Blocks” (one of my favorite tracks for 2016) and “Bloodstain.”
The five songs feel like a journey through his personal diary. From the awareness of proximity to a former love (“11 Blocks”), to love coming around again (“We Could Be Beautiful”) to contentment (“Poetry”).
Wrabel’s writing presents a window into how he handles dating life:
“I tend to be silent when I need to talk the most,” Wrabel told Out.com in April. “I push people away when I need them the most. I break my own heart to save another’s, but I would rather love truly, wholly and completely, and hurt, than not love at all.”
Check out “We Could Be Beautiful” below, and head over to iTunes to check out the rest of the EP.
Back from a year-long trek around the world (I actually caught him in concert in Puerto Vallarta last month), uber-talented Jeb Havens was quick to start recording new music.
And here’s his first new track – a cover of Lorde’s “Liability.”
I’m sooooo excited that Lorde has new music coming out! I absolutely adore her and can’t wait to hear the rest of this album in a few weeks. I heard this beautiful, dark, and emotional pre-released single and it immediately resonated with me, and I couldn’t get it out of my head until I recorded it in my closet.
Listen to the powerful yet sensitive reading of “Liability” below. You can find Haven’s music on iTunes here.
On the latest The Randy Report podcast, Tony and Grammy Award winner Billy Porter talks about his new album – Billy Porter presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers.
The collection features new, soulful takes on classic Richard Rodgers songs from Broadway musicals including Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, Babes in Arms, South Pacific, and The King and I, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and Lorenz Hart.
Billy is the very picture of a passionate Renaissance man – actor, recording artist, director, playwright and activist.
Broadway credits include Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe, Grease, and Smokey Joe’s Cafe. He won the Tony Award, as well as the Grammy, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his groundbreaking performance of “Lola” in Kinky Boots. That was followed by joining the all-star line up for Shuffle Along.
Film and television credits include Barry Levinson’s “The Humbling” opposite Al Pacino, Sundance Film Festival features “The Broken Hearts Club” and “Intern,” “Noel” (with Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams), “Shake Rattle & Roll” as Little Richard, “Another World,” “Twisted,” “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “The Tonight Show” and more.
In 2014, Primary Stages presented the highly successful World Premiere of While I Yet Live, Porter’s autobiographical play at off Broadway’s Duke Theater.
Hit play below to listen as Billy explains the inspiration for the new album and much, much more 🙂
As regular Randy Report readers know, Billy originated the role of ‘Lola’ in the Broadway hit Kinky Boots, to widespread acclaim winning the 2013 Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.
On this project, Billy is not only the artist but serves as “Producer/Content Curator” on the album.
The album, which features new, soulful takes on classic Richard Rodgers songs, includes solos and duets featuring some of today’s most compelling artists.
The complete track listing for Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers is as follows:
1. Oh, What a Beautiful Morning (Pentatonix & Billy Porter)
2. My Romance (Leslie Odom Jr.)
3. If I Loved You (Renée Elise Goldsberry & Christopher Jackson)
4. With a Song in My Heart (Brandon Victor Dixon & Joshua Henry)
5. I Have Dreamed (Patina Miller)
6. My Funny Valentine (Cynthia Erivo)
7. I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair (Todrick Hall & Billy Porter)
8. This Nearly was Mine (Deborah Cox)
9. Bewitched (Ledisi featuring Zaire Park)
10. Carefully Taught (India.Arie & Billy Porter)
11. Lady is a Tramp (Billy Porter featuring Zaire Park)
12. Edelweiss (Billy Porter)
“I like to think of this as the Richard Rodgers version of the Hamilton Mixtapes,” Porter said. “These are classic songs that everybody knows and loves, and I’m so excited for people to hear them in a brand new way.”
Other theatre appearances include Shuffle Along, Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Mo, Grease, Smokey Joe’s Cafe all on Broadway; plus Dreamgirls, Angels in America, The Merchant of Venice, Radiant Baby, Birdie Blue, Songs for a New World, Ghetto Superstar (one-man show), Topdog/Underdog, King Lear.
Check out a few tracks from Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgersbelow, including Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo’s luscious take on “My Funny Valentine” and Billy dueting with 4-time Grammy Award winner India.Arie on “Carefully Taught.”
If you’re in the New York City area, Billy and India.Arie will be doing a CD signing at the Barnes & Noble on the Upper East Side in Manhattan on Monday. Details below.
Out musician Wrabel shares his newest music video, “Bloodstain,” calling the track metaphorically autobiographical.
Been in and out of love since I was nineteen, Opening my heart has left a bloodstain. And I don’t know how to make a man stay, Maybe I been putting my heart out in the wrong way…
“In relationships, I tend to be silent when I need to talk the most,” Wrabel recently told OUT. “I push people away when I need them the most. I break my own heart to save another’s, but I would rather love truly, wholly and completely, and hurt, than not love at all.”
Via press release:
Wrabel calls it his favorite feeling in the world: that moment just before a song comes into being. “When the Rubik’s Cube of the song hasn’t quite clicked, and it’s about to,” he says. “You can feel it —everything turning to lock this thing in.” It’s a feeling he’s chased for years, since he began writing songs as a teenager. Songs of his —like “Ten Feet Tall,” recorded by Afrojack—have been heard by millions of people around the world. But that feeling of fresh discovery remains.
Wrabel specializes in music that telescopes small moments into songs with big impact. On tracks like “11 Blocks” the drums may get huge, but the feelings are deeply personal. This is pop music rooted in the singer-songwriter tradition, and it all starts with Wrabel sitting at a piano, fighting for self-expression and survival.
I’ve featured Wrabel’s music in the past on The Randy Reporthere and here.
International Transgender Day of Visibility is honored every year on March 31, and is a time to celebrate transgender people around the globe and the courage it takes to live openly and authentically, while also raising awareness around the discrimination trans people still face.
In observing the annual celebration, New York-based trans singer-songwriter Mila Jam shares a new video for her uplifting LGBT anthem, “Faces.”
Laverne Cox, Candis Cayne, Tituss Burgess, Ari Gold, Sense8’s Jamie Clayton, supermodel Geena Rocero, Drag Race’s Peppermint, Transparent’s Zackary Drucker, Lina Bradford and Jai Rodriguez are just some of the famous faces lip-syncing along in the clip.
Mila shares about the new song (via press release):
“Faces” is about looking in that mirror and hearing do I belong, am I enough, will someone love me for who I really am? We wear smiles all the time but hide in fear and loathing because we feel different. The journey is universal no matter who you are. And, working through the dark uncertainties is all about learning to radiate your own light. Bravely. Unapologetically. Authentically. Happily.
Jam told OUT, “Everyone needs to see a reflection of themselves. Trans people are no different and completely worthy—beyond worthy. Trans Day of Visibility is a way to say, ’We belong here, just like you.’”
Proceeds from the sale of the single on iTunes will be go to the ONEPULSE Foundation, which aids the victims of the Pulse massacre.
Award-winning out singer/songwriter Matt Zarley talks about his new album, The Estrogen Sessions, featuring his covers of his favorite music divas.
A Broadway veteran (A Chorus Line, Tommy, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Billboard charting recording artist AND People Magazine‘s first out “Hottest Bachelor,” Zarley recorded this collection of songs as a tribute to the divas who have influenced his recording career.
The hunky singer was honored with “Best Album” and “Best Single” accolades for his album, Change Begins With Me, at the 2012 OutMusic Awards.
I often hear folks in the LGBT community say, “Why aren’t there more out pop music artists? More really good out pop music artists?”
Well, here he is. Terrific voice, great acoustic arrangements of songs you know and love. What’s not to like?
If you like pure, mainstream pop music, hit the play button below.
Listen in as Matt shares his covers of hits by Whitney Houston, Sara Bareilles, Celine Dion, Dolly Parton, Pink and more.
If you want to skip right to the music, the first song, “Gravity,” starts around the 12:30 mark.
For more info about Matt, check out his official website at mattzarley.com.
Featuring members and allies of the LGBTQ community, the video takes viewers on a journey of discovery and realization as she sings, “Be who you wanna be, love who you wanna love, change if you wanna change.”
You can check out my interview with JoLivi from last month by clicking here.
In an interview with ARTISTdirect, JoLivi shared, “I am so unbelievably proud of the message this song and video express.” The native Hawaiian continued, “I truly believe that LOVE is so important to spread. Especially with what we are going through right now with a divide in our societies.”
While JoLivi has always been comfortable in her own skin and a proud supporter of the LGBTQ community, “Love Who You Wanna Love” helped serve as a coming out for her last year as bisexual.
“Love Who You Wanna Love” follows her 2016 EP, Just For You.
Just in time for International Women’s Day, award-winning out singer/songwriter Matt Zarley releases his latest album, The Estrogen Sessions, in honor of the female pop divas most influential in his career.
The project, his first as producer, was born out of his web series, UnCOVERED, which features Matt reimagining popular songs, as well as filming a music video of each tune. Like many, Matt noticed he was not only drawn to, but relished, singing the hits of our female musical royalty.
“When it came to selecting the songs, it wasn’t easy,” admits Zarley. “I began choosing songs that had an impact on my life at some point, and artists that have either influenced or inspired me over the years.”
Stripped down and primarily acoustic, Zarley’s production work showcases the strength of the songwriting and his own effortless vocals. “As I began to arrange these tunes, I made a conscience decision to strip the songs down and reinterpret them with all live music, nothing programmed – real piano, organ, guitar, drums, bass and strings,” says Zarley.
The collection includes two duets: Tony Award winner Billy Porter (Kinky Boots) partners on the Des’ree hit, “You Gotta Be;” and YouTube sensation Jeb Havens joins Zarley for Pink’s “F**kin’ Perfect.”
“Billy and I have wanted to record together for years and we wanted to do a song with a powerful message, a message that felt relevant, and we did not want to do a ballad,” explains Zarley. “This was the perfect fit and it’s definitely one of my favorite songs on the album because I feel the 28 years of friendship between Billy and me in this song. I’m so thrilled that we have this moment forever.”
The entire album is imminently listenable. The emotional landscape is soulful and wide, with each track showcasing Zarley’s rich, fluid voice. He shifts from plaintive, affecting intimacy to expansive vocal brawn with equal ease.
Highlights include the Porter partnership, “You Gotta Be,” wherein the duo hold court firmly at the intersection of sass and soul; “I Look To You,” originally the lead single from Whitney Houston’s final album, finds it’s destiny in Zarley’s powerfully inspiring rendition; and the spare but expressive “Gravity” is it’s own quiet force of nature. Additionally, I love the harmonies throughout – check out “The Heart of the Matter” for an example of expert sonic backup.
Now, about that title. As offbeat as it may sound to some, according to Zarley, it just felt right. “At the very least, I think it will spark some curiosity and it’s 100% my sense of humor – as is the album’s cover art,” admits Matt. (Check the shadow behind Zarley in the cover photo.)
Track list for The Estrogen Sessions:
1. “I Will Always Love You” (Dolly Parton) 2. “That’s the Way It Is” (Celine Dion) 3. “Gravity” (Sara Bareilles) 4. “You Gotta Be” with Billy Porter (Des’Ree) 5. “He Used to Be Mine” (Sara Bareilles) 6. “Together Again” (Janet Jackson) 7. “Take A Bow” (Rihanna) 8. “Always On Your Side” (Sheryl Crow) 9. “F**kin’ Perfect” with Jeb Havens (Pink) 10. “I Just Had to Hear Your Voice” (Oleta Adams) 11. “Angel of Mine” (Monica) 12. “The Heart of the Matter” (India.Arie) 13. “I Look to You” (Whitney Houston)
Matt Zarley’s The Estrogen Sessions is available on iTunes and other digital outlets.
Kiyoko, who also directed the video, says the inspiration for the vid came from her personal experience of being attracted to girls and not knowing if they liked her back.
“I’ve never truly believed that sexuality defines who you are. I do believe, though, that sexuality helps shape and build who you become. How you act, what you pursue, who you surround yourself with.
“This music video for “Sleepover” is not a concept or an idea for me. It is my life. It defines a part of who I am today.
“I grew up a dreamer and found comfort through a safe haven in my head. It’s where I was able to find self-love and feel validated.
“This music video validates those feelings for me, even if in those moments the girl I fell for was unavailable. I made this video to help validate those fantasies. To create a space for the lovers, dreamers and seekers.
“Falling in love can be a bittersweet feeling, especially if you know it’ll never be reciprocated. I think we can all relate to that.”
