Jennifer Hudson delivered a striking performance of the aria “Nessun Dorma” at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert.
Joined by the New York Philharmonic, the Respect star belted the Giacomo Puccini opera tune to an audience of 60,000 people in Central Park. It was notably the same classical piece Aretha Franklin had performed at the Grammys in 1998.
On August 19th, Franklin performed the track as an encore at a special show at The Apollo in New York City. The concert came days after the release of the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, which she currently stars in as the Queen of Soul.
Hudson’s performance at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert is just one of many. The evening’s star-studded lineup includes Paul Simon, The Killers, Polo G, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, Wyclef Jean, Kane Brown, Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, Elvis Costello, LL Cool J, Jon Batiste, Andrea Bocelli, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lucky Daye, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Barry Manilow, the New York Philharmonic, and Carlos Santana, who will be reuniting onstage with Rob Thomas.
In a press conference on July 27th, Mayor Bill de Blasio, music industry executive Clive Davis, and Live Nation and NYCEDC chair Danny Meyer announced the lineup at Central Parks Great Lawn. The announcement for the show, which de Blasio claimed would be “one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history,” came alongside a tweet from de Blasio requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination would be necessary to attend the concert.
To create “an all-time New York state of mind,” Davis told Rolling Stone that he “wanted every genre of music represented, so I reached out to artists across rock, rap, pop, Broadway, classical music.”
Hit-Boy stepped into a more energetic and party driven sound on his latest single "Franchise Boy," released exclusively through YouTube. The record leans on a smooth and stripped back soul sample while also nodding to Dem Franchise Boyz and their classic track "White Tee." Hit-Boy rides the production effortlessly, delivering confident bars packed with flexes about his success and high end lifestyle. The song blends hints of Jersey club rhythms with touches of Miami bass influence, giving the track an addictive and upbeat feel. "Franchise Boy" feels like a strong preview of what could be another exciting run of music from Hit-Boy.
Release Date: Monday, May 18
Genre: Hip-Hop
Album: N/A
N***as had said it was love,
But it wasn't love, I'm really above
The s**t you be talking, I'm floating and walking
In Margiela runners, you won't see them often
