LP
Ryan JayMusician LP will be happy if they never have to play another drive-in show. The 40-year-old singer has performed for a lot of audiences all over the world, but couldn’t get used to car horns instead of applause at the multiple drive-in shows they did over the pandemic.
“We’re not meant to sing to f—ing cars,” LP tells Billboard. “But I feel like people enjoyed it and they got to feel like they were doing something again.”
Throughout the fall, LP has been touring their latest album Churches – out now via SOTA Records – to growing audiences across the globe including Hungary, France and England. In 2022, the artist will spend more than six months touring the world with their most uptempo album to date.
The music video for “The One That You Love” — the first single from Churches – has already generated more than 25 million YouTube views for the Western-inspired track. LP released an additional four tracks from their sixth studio album for more than 27 million more YouTube views and, on Friday (Dec. 3), debuts a video for “Conversation” in conjunction with the album’s release.
The “Conversation” video features two versions of LP attempting to communicate, to no avail. LP describes the video as, “Me being in two different outfits and one of me was not hearing, or not understanding, and beating their head against the wall.” Check out the new video below.
They hope the new album translates better to their fans who had to wait 14 extra months from when Churches was originally scheduled to come out. According to LP, the wait generated four additional songs and has come to “incorporate feelings people felt before and after the pandemic.”
“If you’re already a fan of mine, you’re going to dig this album. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel. I’m trying to chronicle my own life and my story,” LP says, adding that they believe they’ve found a tribe out there and it’s about making them happy.
The 15-track album fits seamlessly into LP’s canon – both sonically and thematically. Churches’ production is lush with handclapping beats and LP’s powerful vocals. The album’s executive producer Mike Del Rio says, “We imagined this music being experienced as some sort of sweet release after a dark time.” He adds, “As fluid and as genre-less as LP is, the music we make is always a pursuit of reflecting their philosophy with a message of love and connection at its center.”
For LP, finally getting to release the aptly named album is cathartic. “Church, for me, is what everybody finds sacred in their life, in their heart,” they tell Billboard. “These songs are my way of expressing my love and the depth of my connection to people.”
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
