Backstage Pass
Music, concerts, musicians and more.
Glenn Gamboa
Glenn Gamboa is Newsday's chief pop music critic and has been writing about music for more than 20 years.
A winner of several national awards, he headed the paper's team chronicling the impact of hip-hop in America, a project that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005.
He has appeared as a music industry expert on the BBC, NPR, MSG Network and several other radio and TV stations, as well as numerous newspapers and magazines.
A native of Cleveland, Gamboa currently lives in Brooklyn.
Hear Beyonce's new song 'Grown Woman'
Photo credit: AP
Beyonce has gotten pretty good at keeping her still-untitled album project from springing any leaks. Today, however, “Grown Woman,” the song from her Pepsi commercial that debuted last month, has emerged in full, though, as usual, there aren’t many details available.
No confirmation on whether the song will be on the new album or if it’s her new single. It’s a catchy track, reportedly produced...
Read more »'The Voice' recap: Michelle Chamuel rules Top 10 power rankings
Photo credit: Tyler Golden / NBC
It was an off night for “The Voice.”
Maybe it was the news of the deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma, home to coach Blake Shelton and contestants The Swon Brothers, that set the show on edge. Maybe it was the insistence of Adam Levine that Judith Hill pay homage to her mentor Michael Jackson, even though it clearly still makes her uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. Or maybe after a season of...
Read more »'Yeezus': Kanye West's controversial new songs
Photo credit: Getty Images
Um, Yeezus.
Kanye West unveiled a new rebellious, political side with the two new songs from his upcoming “Yeezus” album on “Saturday Night Live” that have already guaranteed that ‘Ye will have controversy on his hands when it arrives on June 18.
He actually debuted the video for “New Slaves” Friday night when it was shown on the sides of buildings around the world – from the Prada store...
Read more »Intro 5.20.13: Videos from Tom Petty, Laura Mvula, Bayside and more
Photo credit: Getty Images
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers take over the Beacon Theatre this week with a string of shows that feature their greatest hits, rarities and some choice covers.
Intro brings you the week’s hottest videos and shows every Monday. To catch up on all the Intros and watch classic Long Island music scene videos, check out Newsday Music’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/newsdaymusic.
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Read more »Backstreet Boys set for Jones Beach
Photo credit: AP video
Backstreet’s back, all right.
The Backstreet Boys – featuring all five original members, including Kevin Richardson who officially returned to the fold last month – have finished a new album “In a World Like This,” due out July 30, and will start a tour Aug. 2 to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The tour, featuring Jesse McCartney and DJ Pauly D as openers, will stop at Nikon at Jones Beach...
Read more »Frank Ocean, Beck lead O Music Awards nominations
Photo credit: Getty Images
Beck and Frank Ocean lead the pack with two nominations in the O Music Awards, which award the best in the intersection between music and technology.
Beck got nominations for best interactive music video and analog genius, while Ocean was nominated as “Must Follow Artist on Twitter” and in the “Too Much Ass for TV” category, which celebrates NSFW music videos. (Does anyone really stand a chance...
Read more »'American Idol' finale: Candice Glover should win, but...
Photo credit: Fox
Hey, “American Idol” had a good finale!
Both Candice Glover and Kree Harrison performed well and the choice is in the “Idol” voters’ hands now. (And the judges didn’t get to talk much, so it was even more enjoyable than usual.)
Who will win? Well, if this was purely a singing competition, it would be Candice, who was both bolder with her vocal choices and a stronger singer overall. But...
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