Cliche Magazine Dec 2017/Jan 2018 | Page 106

music
in
T
he past year has been a whirl-
wind of news, both good and
bad. We’ve seen career-launching
debuts, established artists moving
in completely new directions, and artists
stepping in and speaking out to make a
difference. Unfortunately, we have also
suffered the losses of truly influential artists
who helped shape the music world that we
know today. It’s hard to keep up with so
much going on all the time, so Cliché is here
to help you out. We’ve compiled a list of all
the most important events of the year.
BY LILLY MILMAN writers Hall of Fame. This marks a transition
for rap, as it becomes more accepted as part
of the popular music scene.
JANUARY MARCH 7: SXSW CHANGES ARTIST
CONTRACT
SXSW releases a public apology and prom-
ises not to escalate issues of safety at the
festival past local authorities. The festival
had been experiencing extreme backlash
regarding an artist contract that stated the
festival reserves the right to contact im-
migration authorities about foreign artists
who may or may not be legally attending the
showcases.
JANUARY 19: PLANNED
PARENTHOOD BENEFIT
Common and The National co-headline the
Planned Parenthood Benefit called Show
Up! It was intentionally planned to take
place the night before the presidential inau-
guration. The stars choose to take a stand for
reproductive rights and justice for women.
JANUARY 25: BIG SEAN RAISES $100K
FOR FLINT
In an appearance on the The Daily Show
With Trevor Noah, Big Sean announces that
his foundation raised over $100,000 for
Flint, Michigan in an attempt to help the city
during its water crisis. He also reveals that
the Flint Chosen Choir will appear on his
upcoming album, I Decided.
FEBRUARY 28: ACADEMY AWARDS
Justin Hurwitz takes home the award for
best original score for La La Land, and the
motion picture’s original song “City Of
Stars” takes home best original song as well.
Justin Timberlake kicked off the night with
a performance of “Can’t Stop The Feeling,”
which was also nominated for an award.
MARCH
MARCH 10: EITHER/OR IS REISSUED
In honor of its 20th anniversary, the legend-
ary lo-fi album Either/Or by the late song-
writer Elliott Smith is reissued. This deluxe
set includes rare tracks, live performances,
and a never before heard song.
FEBRUARY
◄ FEBRUARY 12: GRAMMY AWARDS
Adele breaks her Grammy award for Album
of the Year, which she won with 25, and
hands it over to Beyoncé, citing Lemonade
as a dominant force of cultural change.
THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE:
Grammy's photo courtesy of
©Christopher Polk/Getty Images,
Allan Holdsworth photo courtesy of
©Michael Putland/Getty Images,
Billboard Music Awards photo courtesy
of ©Ethan Miller/BBMA17, One Love
Manchester photo courtesy of ©Kevin
Mazur/One Love Manchester/Getty
Images, Chester Bennington photo
courtesy of ©Walter Bieri/LA Times
106
FEBRUARY 15: MUSICIANS COME
TOGETHER TO OPPOSE TEXAS
BATHROOM BILL
Dozens of musicians, including Jack An-
tonoff, Wilco, and Lady Gaga come together
to co-sign a letter addressed to state senators
that opposes a bathroom bill in Texas, which
would ban transgender people from using the
restroom of their choice.
FEBRUARY 22: JAY-Z IS ELECTED FOR
SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
Among other inductees, Jay-Z stands out as
the first rapper to be elected into the Song-
www.clichemag.com
APRIL
▲ APRIL 16: ALLAN HOLDSWORTH
PASSES AWAY
The revered guitarist was found unexpect-
edly dead at age 70. Cited as being as
influential as other legends like Chuck Berry,
Holdsworth never stopped touring. Some of
his musical projects include Soft Machine
and U.K.