Beyoncé's chart success is also a win for Canadian songwriters
This week, Beyoncé became the first black woman to reach the top Advertising signHot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold 'Em”.
There are some amazing Canadian connections. The song is co-written and co-produced by Ontario-born writer/producer Nathan Ferraro, who co-produced the track with Killah B and Beyoncé. Two other Canadian songwriters also contributed to the runaway hit: Megan Bülow (who records and performs as bülow) and Elizabeth “Lowell” Boland (aka Lowell).
Ferraro was in an alt-rock band called The Midway State that had some success in Canada in the late 2000s. Signing to Interscope as a teenager brought him to Los Angeles, where he splits time with Toronto (his signing with the label also led to a collaboration with a then-rising Lady Gaga).
After writing for mostly Canadian artists including Carly Rae Jepsen and Jessie Reyez, Ferraro had a modest hit with bülow on “Not A Love Song,” which began their songwriting partnership. He also wrote with Lowell (signed to Canadian label Arts & Crafts), with the two forming a songwriting team that gained steam in 2022 when they collaborated on the Charli XCX song “Yuck.”
“[The collaboration] it works well for us,” says Ferraro Billboard Canada. “We are such good friends and know each other's strengths and weaknesses. I think we all have a lot of mutual respect, so we have a lot of confidence together and that allows us to take risks. We've probably written 100 songs together.”
But none of their titles were as big as “Texas Hold 'Em,” which could be a breakthrough for Ferraro and his partners.
“Honestly, since I was 14, I had a vision that I would write songs that could have a big impact,” he says. “And it's quite delusional because it's so, so far away. I grew up in Collingwood, Ontario. But you put one foot in front of the other and write lots and lots of songs and don't give up.” – Richard Trapunsky
Neil Young's new album FU##IN' UP Featuring live recordings from Intimate Toronto Venue The Rivoli
Canadian icon Neil Young adds to his massive discography with a new release this spring: a live album titled FU##IN UP. The album, which features his longtime band Young Crazy Horse, consists of nine live recordings from 2023 and is set to be released as a limited edition two LP this April in conjunction with Record Store Day.
According to the album's credits, it was recorded at Toronto's Rivoli club, which means it probably captures Neil Young & Crazy Horse's secret show at the venue last November.
In that report — it was supposed to be a private birthday party for the CEO of Canada Goose Danny Rice — the band performed most of the 1990 album Ragged Glory, aaccording to reports that caused quite a stir when they surfaced online days later. FU##IN' UP mainly includes songs from Ragged Glory, with new titles taken from lyrical pieces. (“Over and Over”, shared as a single, is now “Broken Circle.”)
The album features performances by Crazy Horse members Billy Talbot on bass, Ralph Molina on drums, and Nils Lofgren and Micah Nelson on guitar and piano, with Reiss credited as emcee.
To tease the album's announcement, Young previously shared a version of “Cinnamon Girl” recorded at the Rivoli on his site, Neil Young Archives. “This version of Cinnamon Girl is an example of the energy captured at the racetrack through the RIVOLI club in Toronto, November 4, 2023,” the post reads.
Neil Young and Crazy Horse will return to Toronto to tour the new album, though this time in a bigger capacity venue: They'll play the Budweiser Stage on May 20 as part of their Love Earth 2024 tour — the first their biggest tour in a decade. – Rosie Long Decter
Tanya Tagaq plays a pivotal role in True detective Season finale
Its new season True detective HBO came to a close this past weekend, and with its tense final episode, it also released the show's haunting soundtrack. Inuk artist Tanya Tagaq, one of Canada's most celebrated contemporary musicians, contributed seven songs to the soundtrack and performed in the performance itself.
Subtitles Night Country, the fourth season of the HBO detective series is set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. Jodie Foster and Kali Reis star as Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro, two police officers trying to figure out how the recent strange deaths of six scientists are connected to the murder of Iñupiaq activist Annie Kowtok. Through its mystery, the series explores themes such as colonial violence, environmental destruction and missing and murdered indigenous women.
While the music was primarily composed by British composer Vince Pope, Tagaq's vocal work and singing add strength to his compositions. Tagaq is featured as a featured artist on six tracks on the soundtrack and is the only artist credited on “Tanya's Lullaby”, a beautiful composition where Tagaq's voice is layered to fantastic effect.
Tagaq had an impact on the series in more ways than one. She appears as an actress on the show, playing a doula, and her family's names also provided inspiration for two of the show's characters: Danvers and Navarro visit a fisherman named Oliver Tagaq in one episode, while Navarro also periodically passes by night with a sweet bartender named Qavvik, a version of Tagaq's daughter's name. Tagaq thanked season four host Issa López for including the names on the show.
“Oliver Tagak and Cavvik. Cavvik is the name of my youngest daughter. Thank you @IssitaLopez for including our names in #TrueDetective,” he tweeted. – Rosie Long Decter
