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Music News: Coachella names first solo female headliner in 10 years

Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, La.
Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, La.Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

by Jay Gabler

January 03, 2017

The 2017 Coachella lineup was announced on Tuesday, with headliners Radiohead, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar. (Rolling Stone) The announcement makes Beyoncé the festival's first female solo headliner in ten years — since Björk headlined Coachella in 2007. (Vice) The lineup is also notable for including Lorde’s first official performance in three years.

Bon Iver cancel European shows

Bon Iver have cancelled their forthcoming European tour "for personal reasons." The band apologize to fans and say "we will be back." The cancellation also includes Justin Vernon’s planned Prairie Home Companion appearance on Jan. 14, but announced festival dates including Coachella, Primavera, and Rock the Garden are not affected. (Pitchfork)

Sleater-Kinney announce live album

Sleater-Kinney have announced their first-ever live album. Live in Paris, a set recorded at La Cigale on March 20, 2015, is out Jan. 27. (Pitchfork)

Kim Burrell castigated for anti-gay sermon

Gospel singer Kim Burrell is facing widespread censure after a video clip surfaced showing Burrell preaching a sermon in which she calls homosexuality "perverted." Burrell is unapologetic, and a planned appearance on Ellen has now been canceled. (Billboard) In response to Burrell's remarks, Frank Ocean’s mother Katonya Breaux has asked him to take Burrell's vocals off his song "Godspeed." (Pitchfork)

Remembering Allan Williams

Allan Williams, the Beatles’ first manager, has died of undisclosed causes at age 86. Williams founded a Liverpool coffeehouse where John Lennon used to hang out; Williams later drove the Beatles to Hamburg for their fabled residency there, and ultimately salvaged the tapes that were released as Live! at the Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962. Williams broke with the band after a dispute over his 10% manager's fee, and he later reportedly told Brian Epstein "Don't touch them with a f---ing bargepole." (Rolling Stone)

People are paying for streaming

76% of all music streaming in the U.S. in 2016 happened through paid subscriptions, according to a new report. That's a huge leap from 2015, when only 38% of streams were paid. Album sales, meanwhile, continued to fall: a 26% jump in vinyl sales couldn't entirely offset substantial drops in CD and digital download sales. (Pitchfork)

Careygate continues

Another day, and we're still no closer to knowing what actually happened with Mariah Carey’s New Year's Eve performance. Carey tells Entertainment Weekly she was "mortified," as she and her representatives continue to insist that her in-ear monitors weren't working. The show's producers, meanwhile, are sticking to their claim that everything was working just fine.

Congrats to Janet Jackson

A year and a half after postponing the remainder of her Unbreakable world tour, Janet Jackson has given birth to her first child: a baby boy named Eissa. "Janet had a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting comfortably," says a statement from the star's representative. (Pitchfork)

Simpsons go hip-hop (or is that Fitz-hop?)

The Jan. 15 episode of The Simpsons will be a hip-hop take on The Great Gatsby, with guest appearances by Snoop Dogg, Common, and RZA. A teaser clip featuring Keegan-Michael Key has just been released. (Pitchfork)