On June 30 the 2018 installment of Concert For America will take place at The Cooper Union's Great Hall in New York. This year's focus will be raising funds for organizations that "protect the human and civil rights of families at our southern border."

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This year's lineup will unite Broadway stars Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Mandy Gonzalez, Jeremy Jordan, Olga Merediz, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Andrew Rannells, and Chita Rivera, violinist Jorge Ávila, comedian Tina Fey, and more. The evening will be hosted by SiriusXM's Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley.

All proceeds raised from the live event and in conjunction with the Facebook livestream will benefit four organizations working at the U.S. border: Al Otro Lado, Texas Civil Rights Project, the ACLU Foundation of Texas, and the Florence Project.

Artists have historically used their platform to advocate for others and speak out against injustices. In today's political climate, we can't afford to be silent on continued human rights abuses, discrimination and oppression, especially when they're happening within our own country and organizations.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bear witness. Keep fighting. Keep making noise.<br>This isn&#39;t over by a long shot.<a href="https://t.co/EK9BufBsZL">https://t.co/EK9BufBsZL</a></p>&mdash; Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lin_Manuel/status/1009810554012090368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2018</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"While some are inclined to dismiss or ridicule musicians when they speak out regarding anything other than music ('Shut up and just entertain us!'), the fact is, musicians often serve as our society's conscience," writes activist/author/speaker Dr. John Gerdy on his blog. "And in times of social and political strife a musician's role in this regard becomes particularly important."

Through events such as Concert For America, their own music and the organizations they support, artists are using their platforms to speak out in powerful ways that can have a major impact. Here's one chance to join them to make a difference. Tickets for Concert For America are available via Eventbrite, and additional details will be announced in the coming days.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

It’s not my fault you’re, like, in love with Mean Girls or something. Twenty years after its wildly popular debut, Tina Fey’s brain child — based on Rosalind Wiseman’s self-help book Queen Bees and Wannabees — remains a beloved staple of pop culture. So much so that the movie is getting a musical reboot.

In the 2004 teen comedy, Lindsay Lohan plays the new girl at school, a naïve 16-year-old transfer student Cady Heron who has yet to experience the ups and downs of the high school hierarchy. Miraculously, she lands herself a spot with "the Plastics," the popular but cruel clique helmed by Regina George (Rachel McAdams), and the group quickly kickstarts Cady’s journey of self-discovery.

The 2024 Mean Girls Musical Movie stars singer-actor Reneé Rapp as Regina George and Australian actress Angourie Rice (Spider-Man, "Black Mirror" and "Mare of Easttown") as Cady. The 12-song soundtrack is led by "Not My Fault," a midtempo dance pop bop performed by Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion; its title, of course, is inspired around an iconic line from Regina George ("It's not my fault you're, like, in love with me or something").

Regina's message is updated for 2024. Rapp, who is openly bisexual, encourages her listeners to "Kiss a blonde, kiss a friend! Can a gay girl get an amen?" on the track. Knowing its place in pop culture, Mean Girls metamorphoses as a sign of the times, and a queer Regina George is just what 2024 needed (and hoped for).

Keeping in mind its $17 million budget, it’s easy to point to Mean Girls’ $129 million box office gross as a quantifiable measure of the movie’s achievements. Or its sweep at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards. Or the 2005 MTV Movie Awards. But the film earned so much more than these material accolades — from style to memes to music videos, Mean Girls became a cultural touchstone with life long beyond the early aughts.

The movie inspired countless memes, GIFs and merch, and it’s quoted by everyone from your average fan to Mariah Carey to Wet Leg to even the White House. Fans declared Oct. 3 as "Mean Girls Day" in reference to one of Cady’s lines. The iconic music video for Ariana Grande’s No. 1 hit "thank u, next" was Mean Girls themed and starred original cast members. And Wednesdays are for wearing pink, of course.

Mean Girls also helped establish 2000s "It Girl" starpower: Lindsay Lohan became a household name; Amanda Seyfried, a future Oscar nominee, made her film debut; and McAdams starred opposite Ryan Gosling in The Notebook later that same year. Even Fey, who was already a popular "SNL" regular, found herself climbing to a new level of fame.

Internet culture helped Mean Girls find a second life — and music importantly helped it find a third. The 2004 film’s comedic timelessness earned a musical stage adaptation of the same name, which debuted in Washington D.C. in 2017 and ran on Broadway from April 2018 to March 2020.

A film adaptation of the musical (also of the same name) is hitting theaters on Jan. 12, in which Rapp reprises her Broadway role of Regina George. (Rapp played the blonde queen bee as a 2019-2020 replacement for Taylor Louderman.)

"As Regina, Reneé has this quality that Regina has to have, which is you're scared of her, but you also really want her to like you," Fey, who returned to write the Mean Girls (2024) screenplay, told Screen Rant. "You want her to notice you. You want her to approve of you. You want her to shine her light on you."

In addition to Rapp as the Plastics’ reigning leader, the Mean Girls musical has quite the roster. The film stars Christopher Briney  as her love interest Aaron Samuels, Bebe Wood as Plastics’ member Gretchen Wieners, and Busy Phillips as Regina's mom (a character originally portrayed by Amy Poheler).

Fey knew that a brilliant cast was only one step toward making the 2024 musical film a success. Alongside directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., Fey was tasked with crafting something modern and innovative that still maintained the magic of the original.

"I think the key goals for this version were for it to be fun, fresh, and surprising," Fey told Screen Rant. "Most people who will see this movie have seen the original; a fair chunk of them have seen the musical, but how can we delight and surprise them? What can we give them that they didn't expect while still bringing them these characters that they have affection for?"

Perfect surprises can take a long time to craft. The stage musical took years to put together, for instance; the creative process began in 2013, and it debuted on stage four years later. But it was all worth the wait — the show was refreshing and nuanced, constructed carefully for its eager and often young audiences.

"I really love that we’re bringing young people out, especially young women," Broadway performer Louderman told Cosmopolitan. "I want [young people women] to feel more empowered to say how they feel and to deal with their emotions in a very straightforward and respectful manner."

For the sake of time and tonality, not all 14 songs from the original Broadway musical made the cut in the 2024 film adaptation. Each song was reworked by lyricist Jeff Richmond and composer Neil Benjamin. Taking the essence of the 2004 film, Richmond and Benjamin’s lyrics transformed Mean Girls into a new theatrical form. From Regina’s hair-raising anthem "World Burn" to ex-Plastic Janis Ian’s cathartic "I’d Rather Be Me," music breathed new life into the movie’s classic genius.

From the screen to the stage to, well, the screen again, Mean Girls has stood the test of time for good reason. Beyond its enduring cultural relevance and musical revitalization, its classic comedy makes it stand out — whether a laugh is conveyed through a perfectly delivered line on screen, or a witty lyric belted out on stage.

"It makes you laugh rather than depicting [adolescence] as solely being a drag," director Mark Waters said of the original Mean Girls to Cosmopolitan. "It also makes you realize you’re going to survive, make it out of this phase and be a better person for it."

Waters’ comment sheds light on a critical, though often painful lesson from Mean Girls: accepting change. Though it was predominantly written for female adolescents in mind as a target audience, the film smartly speaks to more than female politics: it encapsulates the human experience. Nearly everyone knows what it’s like wanting to desperately fit in, what it’s like to want to skip your awkward teenage years full of crushes and acne and jealousy. When an originally homeschooled Cady finds herself in high school for the first time, she learns to adapt — and most importantly, learns how to stay true to herself.

"It seems to be a rite of passage for high school girls to see the movie," Waters continued. "Beyond all the gags, there's something that's really authentic and timeless about how much of a struggle it is to be that age."

While some may superficially disregard Mean Girls as a silly chick flick or throwaway teen comedy, its modern revamps through music speak to the film's timelessness. Beyond being a stellar candidate for reinvention over a generation, Mean Girls meets audiences where they're at.  

"​​It has this little net that catches girls as they pass through preteen and high school age," Fey told the New York Times. "Girls will come up to me and say it helped them get through a terrible year."

Whether it’s 2004 or 2024, Mean Girls is one of those films that’s comfortable knowing exactly what it is. It’s okay with being silly, and it still has more than enough heart. Like its protagonist Cady, Mean Girls isn’t supposed to be perfect; it’s just meant to be relatable. And that’s what makes it so fetch.

Reneé Rapp On Debut Album 'Snow Angel,' Her Musical Community & Being Honest "To A Fault"

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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Idina Menzel can’t be put into a box. 

On the Broadway stage she originated iconic roles like Maureen in "Rent" and Elphaba in "Wicked," the latter of which earned her a Tony Award. Her reputation for musicals continued to the silver screen with the juggernaut success of the ongoing Frozen franchise, which Menzel leads as Elsa. But despite that remarkable track record, musicals (on and off the stage) are only one facet of Menzel’s eclectic and expansive career. 

In between creating those tentpole roles, she’s starred in television and film projects like Glee, Enchanted, and Uncut Gems, all the while consistently writing and releasing her own original music — a notoriously tricky leap for Broadway stars to make. It was her 1998 debut pop-rock album Still I Can’t Be Still, released after the success of "Rent," that first demonstrated the challenge of being accepted in the mainstream music industry as a performer synonymous with theater. After its poor commercial performance, she was dropped by her first label. 

Nevertheless, she stayed the course, finding more success with pop offerings like I Stand (2008) and Idina (2016), and hit Christmas albums like 2014’s Holiday Wishes — refusing to ever just be one thing or restricted to any one lane.

That versatility has been both a blessing and a curse. "So many people in the music industry wanna put people in a box because it makes their life easier if you’re just one way," Menzel tells GRAMMY.com.

Menzel is again breaking new ground, sonically and otherwise, on her disco-inspired seventh album Drama Queen. Out Aug. 18, Drama Queen — featuring singles like "Move" and "Beast" — is a showcase for Menzel's powerhouse vocals. 

The album is the latest entry in that genre’s resurgence, fitting right in amongst new offerings from Kylie Minogue and Jessie Ware, and sees Menzel collaborating with GRAMMY-winning songwriter and disco legend Nile Rodgers. Though a new genre for Menzel, the songwriting is a seamless continuation of the personal storytelling that’s forever been a trademark of her original discography.   

"The music comes from stuff that I feel I need to write for myself as an artist and a woman, a lot about really owning who I am," Menzel says, adding that she hopes her personal message will prove universal — particularly for her devoted LGBTQ+ audience. It’s a community that’s not only been with her since the beginning, but one that she’s already gotten to share this new music with at recent Pride celebrations. 

"It's a wonderful opportunity to express my gratitude to the LGBTQ+ community. They've always accepted me, but more than that it's what they taught me through their courage to live their lives authentically," she continues.

Ahead of Drama Queen’s release, Menzel spoke to GRAMMY.com about this latest genre-shift, what she credits for her versatility, and the challenges that come with breaking out of the Broadway box that people continually try, and fail, to put her in.

This is now your seventh album, but the first time you’re exploring this new genre. What drew you to making a disco-inspired dance record?

I really wanted to make music that grooved and got people up to dance, and not overthink what I was doing or what was expected of me. But also make music that would still be a good foundation for a big voice. So many of my favorite singers, like Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Gloria Gaynor, they had this disco moment that was incredible. They could still sing really big and yet get people moving, so I felt like that was an organic transition for me.  

It feels like this kind of disco-inspired music is really having a resurgence right now, what do you attribute to the timelessness of this genre? 

I think because they're just real songs, as far as the structure of songwriting. They're not as linear as everything is today. They'll go through a verse, a pre-chorus, a chorus, and then a bridge. They might even have a modulation, so for singers it's exciting because it allows us so many places to go and ways to be expressive with our voices. I think that probably resonates with people.

What’s it been like performing these new songs live? I’d imagine it’s a very different vibe than your usual setlists.

I'm having a blast. I have dancers, I have amazing background singers, we're just like throwing down up there. The bass and the grooves are so loud that I feel that vibration from the floor all the way through my solar plexus. 

I used to be worried that I had different genres that I explored in my career, and would that confuse people? I thought that maybe it was going to be incohesive in some way. But as I've gotten older, I realized that my common denominator is less about the music style and more about the storytelling and my life through the music. So I can get on stage and do this disco music, and then do "Defying Gravity" and something from "Rent" and it’s actually pretty seamless.  

**In your documentary that came out last year, Which Way To The Stage, you talk a lot about the challenges that you’ve had releasing original music as someone known for Broadway. Why do you think it’s so difficult to make that jump?** 

Versatility has often been my curse. If you’re an artist that wants to explore different avenues, you often get people saying, "Oh I don’t know if you should do that," or [they] assume that people from theater are going to be overly expressive. The truth is, you can always figure out what medium you’re in. In the theater world, people want you to be a little bit more perfected, and in the pop world they want you to be more raw. But I feel that the commonality is the ability for a performer to make themselves vulnerable and take that risk and allow people to see inside you — in whichever medium, that’s the thing that resonates with people. 

I also remind myself that there's a lot of really theatrical artists in the pop and rock and hip-hop world. I love Annie Lennox, she's completely theatrical. David Bowie is theatrical, even Mick Jagger. And so, I think it's just the context people get in their head about.

You grew up performing at weddings and bar mitzvahs. What role do you think that had in fostering this versatility and equipping you to bounce around these different genres?

That was everything! To me, the wedding and bar mitzvah circuit was my education. It was sort of my laboratory for experimenting with all kinds of music. You have to emulate different artists all the time and do covers, so I'm learning how to hit the songs in the right range and use my voice in all these ways. 

But also then you start to realize, okay, what am I bringing to this as a vocalist? What's me now, being informed by all of these influences? But people aren’t listening most of the time, let's just be honest, so you really build a thick skin. And you have to fly by the seat of your pants when people request stuff, so I think my ability to be spontaneous and improvise was fostered in that setting. I owe all of it to those jobs, I really do. 

When it comes to Broadway, you have a history of originating iconic characters. Is the creative process of developing a new story why you tend to favor original musicals over revivals?

Yeah, I got my start in original musicals and the process of standing at the piano with a young composer like Jonathan Larson, let's say, and having them bring a new song that they've written for you, your character, your voice, your inflections, and impulses…there's just nothing like that. It's also a little selfish because my life's actually easier when a character's written with me in mind. 

I'd rather not do a revival where I'm walking in the footsteps of legendary other women, it makes it a lot harder. But I just really love creating new stuff that gives young composers an opportunity to share their work.

Speaking of which, one of those original shows was "Wicked," which is of course now being turned into a film. What’s it been like seeing its longevity and now handing over the baton (or broomstick) for the movie?  

Well, there's a tremendous amount of pride that comes with the fact that it's going onto its next incarnation, having been a part of originating it and seeing it come to life. For me and Kristin [Chenoweth]  to hand it off to such capable hands and see what they do with it is a beautiful thing, and Cynthia [Erivo] and Ariana [Grande] are perfect for it. 

The bittersweet part for me is the aging thing. As a woman, to not be able to play your role because you're aging out of it is what makes it hard, and I've just been trying to be honest about that. But if anyone's gonna do it, I mean, Cynthia's gonna knock it outta the park. They're not gonna remember me after she does it! 

The story is timeless and to have another generation enjoy and be changed by this musical is just what we hoped for back in the beginning. 

We talked a lot about versatility and genre-hopping, is there any box left for you to tick? Anything that you haven’t done yet that you still want to explore?

Well, you mean in my career, right? Because personally, I enjoy being a basketball mom and I wanna have a farm and rescue racehorses one day. That's really where my focus has been lately. 

But honestly, just to keep working with really incredible creatives. You know, people that are much better than me so that I can get better and keep learning and evolving as an artist. Nile Rodgers was my mentor on this album, and there's Justin Tranter, and Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters, who’s someone I worked with on this that really helped guide me. 

I just hope people can listen with an open heart and fresh ears and hear the music for what it is and feel the joy that was intended with it. 

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Jeff Goldblum has enjoyed a prolific (and massive) career as one of Hollywood's most beloved actors. But long before making it as a film and television star, he enjoyed an entirely different passion: American standards and jazz.

Now, as Goldblum says, he's "a humble student" of the genres. Four years after releasing his first jazz album with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (2018's The Capitol Studios Sessions), the actor-turned-musician unveiled his third project, Plays Well With Others, on March 24. 

Across the EP's six tracks, Goldblum and the orchestra deliver inventive renditions of songs like the Frank Sinatra standard "In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning" and Irving Berlin's "Don't Fence Me In." Though he's already proven that he plays well with others — his previous two releases have featured the likes of Miley Cyrus, Fiona Apple and Hailey Reinhart — Goldblum recruited a disparate list of guest stars including pop star Kelly Clarkson and Brazilian singer/songwriter Rodrigo Amarante for his latest set.

In celebration of the EP's release, Goldbum took GRAMMY.com inside the songs, artists and albums that made the biggest impact on him — and ultimately lead to a whole new career. 

Erroll Garner

My dad was a fan of his, and he's one of the first pianists I heard. He used to sit on a telephone book to play piano. What a genius he is. I've been listening to his recording of "Eldorado" from his 1972 album Gemini. Ooh, how about that one?

Henry Mancini's "Moon River"

That was one of the first songs my first piano teacher, Tommy Emmel, gave me the sheet music for. I really sat and worked on that, and I started to get better at playing by playing that song.

When it comes to Henry Mancini, I saw the first run of The Pink Panther with my sister and it made a big impact on me. [*Sings* The Pink Panther theme]. That killed me. 

Frank Sinatra

I have always loved Frank Sinatra. It was in his swimming pool at his former home in Palm Springs where we shot a photograph for the cover of my second album. We put a piano in the middle of his pool!

He's such a good actor, and the gift of his voice. He acts all of these songs so deeply, originally and spontaneously.

Sinatra at the Sands

I've been listening to Sinatra at the Sands a lot lately. What an album. He's with the Count Basie Orchestra, conducted by a very young Quincy Jones. It has all sorts of amazing moments: "Shadow of Your Smile," which he introduces by saying 'Here's a brand new song,' which is amazing. "One for My Baby" is another one, the way he does it on that record is unbelievable with his spoken introduction kills me.

This version of "You Make Me Feel So Young" is one I've listened to several times while I was filming the upcoming Wicked movie with Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Michele Yeoh. I was listening to a lot of music to stimulate me even more, and this album and that song was one of them. 

Jennifer Warnes' "It Goes Like It Goes"

It's originally from the movie Norma Rae from 1979 that Sally Field won the Oscar for. The title song is sung by Jennifer Warnes. It knocks me out. I get weepy, rich tears of delicious joy and sorrow.

Thelonis Monk

Right around the time I was taking piano lessons, Thelonis Monk was on the cover of TIME magazine. I checked him out, and developed a lifelong love of what he did and what a genius he is. 

Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald's "Wheels of a Dream"

This is from the musical Ragtime, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. When I hear this song lately, it reminds me of the time I worked with Brian Stokes Mitchell [on Fox's hit TV series "Glee"]. We actually played a married couple who was raising our child, played by Lea Michele. As a matter of fact, the week we did that show, we went to the Capitol Records building to record a duet of "You're the Top."

Peggy Lee's "Is That all There Is?"

That song kills me. I first heard it in 1969 when it first came out. Randy Newman actually did the orchestral arrangement.

Glenn Gould

My bandmate and coach, Alex Frank, who plays the bass in our band, turned me on to Glenn Gould, who is from Toronto where my wife is actually from. I've been watching some documentaries on him that I've been eating up. What a great guy he was; a masterful, interesting and original artist. 

Alex's dad was involved in music prominently, so when he was a kid, he once went to a rehearsal of Glenn Gould's because his father had some relationship with the orchestra leader. It was a rehearsal and in the middle of it Glenn Gould said, "Stop, stop, I can't continue. I need a paper bag." 

So Alex, who was 10 at the time, went around the corner to get a paper bag. When he came back with it, Glenn Gould took off his shoes and socks and put his bare feet in this paper bag and said, "Now I'm ready" and continued his rehearsal. Why did he do that? I don't know. 

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