Wednesday, June 4th, 2025. Apollo Theatre. Harlem, New York. — The Apollo Theatre held its 2025 Spring Benefit on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. The annual event began with a Red Carpet Walk at 4:30 pm at the Victoria Hotel.
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Vivien Killilea / Getty Images for Sony
R&B sensation Miguel is gearing up to unveil his latest musical endeavor, and he’s taking his artistry to electrifying heights–literally. On the exhilarating evening of August 25th, the soulful artist, renowned for hits like “Adorn,” orchestrated an exclusive sneak peek of his upcoming album, Viscera, at the illustrious Sony Studios. What unfolded left fans both amazed and slightly unnerved, as Miguel delivered a performance that crawled under the skin–in the best possible way.
As the stage came alive, Miguel stood shirtless, flanked by a team of experts who fearlessly pierced his back with metal hooks, fastening him securely to hanging wires descending from the studio’s ceiling. A daring spectacle, no doubt. Upon closer inspection, those metal hooks delicately tugged at his bare skin, all while he floated mid-air. In this breathtaking suspension, he debuted a new song, his voice resonating with lyrics that echoed the gravity-defying act he embodied: “I’m hanging onto nothing / I’m hanging from the ceiling.” The very essence of his artistry pulsed with an electrifying intensity.
Vivien Killilea / Getty Images for Sony
In a candid conversation with the Los Angeles Times, Miguel peeled back the layers of his audacious performance. “If you’re only here for the predictable version of me, then you’re not truly here for me,” he candidly remarked. The body suspension, as he revealed, was a bold endeavor to transcend his boundaries. He reflected, “At the outset, it was pushing far beyond expectations. How could I showcase the extent to which I’d go for art, for dialogue? ‘Til hooks pierced my flesh, I couldn’t truly fathom my dedication to the essence of this endeavor.”
Yet, Viscera isn’t confined to jaw-dropping theatrics alone. Miguel emphasized it encapsulates the tumultuous essence of growth itself. His words held a raw honesty: “Let’s not dance around it. I’m laying it bare,” he shared. The trajectory of his career initially clashed with the music industry of yore, with labels stuck in bygone ways. Miguel’s artistic identity seemed like an enigma at that juncture. Yet, as the industry’s horizons expanded, creating room for audacious exploits like his aerial suspension, Miguel is unapologetically grasping the opportunity.
Prepare to be captivated, as Miguel readies to unleash not just an album, but a sonic journey that mirrors the relentless, often wild nature of personal evolution. In a world where the ceiling is no longer the limit, Miguel’s artistic bravery and genre-defying energy propel him to new heights–hooks and all.
On July 7, Nisha Asnani released her new album, The Pursuit of Happiness. The rap and electronic album discussed immigration, feminity, joy, and hard work. Her previous tracks have similar styles.
In 2019, she put out “Figures” and “Parade” as singles. In 2020, she published tracks such as “My Bad” and “Heaven.” She appeared on Michael Calfan and Harber’s single “Feelings After Dark.” The new record showcases Asnani’s progression as a musician.
To learn more about the album, please read the interview transcript with Asnani and the production team below.
The Knockturnal: Please describe this album’s production process.
Nisha Asnani: They made the album over the course of 5 years with Alex Tirheimer (Bumbasee,) and Yash Vaid. I started it in 2018, chasing a specific feeling I had found in songs like Midas, Bad Sandy, and Figures. I wanted to understand my drive; my fight, and where that came from.
When I started making this album, I was fresh off a publishing deal and a hit record with money in the bank and so many opportunities. Over the next few years, as I faced the inevitable dip and the challenges of being an independent artist, the album became a lesson in survival. The records were made with my friends Alex and Yash. I slept on floors and air mattresses and recorded in closets. I spent my rent on mixes and flights to LA.
The album is about the pursuit of happiness, my immigrant journey, being a woman and a hustler, realizing the purpose of my masculinity was to empower and protect my femininity and that freedom is an uncontrollable force that moves us whether we are ready or not.
Alex Tirheimer: There’s nothing better than developing a musical shorthand with an artist. Together, we managed to create a space where every idea was worth chasing and creative risks were encouraged. This body of work spans multiple chapters of our lives, but we stayed on the same page the whole process. Nisha is extremely talented and such an inspiration to work with. I am so proud of us!
The Knockturnal: What does the album cover represent?
Nisha Asnani: In 2019 I was on a writing trip to Mumbai which happened to fall during the festival of Holi. This joyous celebration of colors and chaos was one of my favorite memories as a kid: everyone getting together and letting loose on a totally different level than any other time in the year. And you get to throw paint on your aunties! It’s a playfully rebellious holiday, and this is a playfully rebellious album. As always I want my art to be a safe place to let loose. I wanted to recreate that feeling of freedom on the album cover, to connect my immigrant journey and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness to my roots. I brought back bottles of Holi powder and kept them safe for 3 years until we shot the album cover in 2022.
The Knockturnal: Why did you choose “Keep Running” as the first track?
Nisha Asnani: Honestly, I have a great deal of respect for people’s time, and I asked myself if they heard one song on this album, one message – which would be the most important. The answer was Keep Running, because I wanted to prepare people for the infinite nature of desire and pursuit. There is no end to life, to consciousness. It’s constantly evolving, and so are we. Everything is evolving, so if you’re in life, you have to find the ability, the will, and the source in yourself to stay connected and stay evolving. It’s on one hand an encouragement and another a direction – it’s not safe to get stuck. It was like my higher self whispering to me as I came into the physical realm – don’t stop.
The Knockturnal: The backing track for “To The Top Freestyle” features many noises and chimes. How did you create it?
Nisha Asnani: I’m going to pass this question along to producer Dave Berg because this track was his fully formed genius.
Dave Berg: The beat for “The Top” was made in the depths of the pandemic. I was flipping lots of samples because I was isolated from sessions and working with my regular collaborators.
The Knockturnal: What does the beginning of “DAAL” represent?
Nisha Asnani: I’ve definitely come up with 100 possible meanings for this fun song but the truth is its just a vignette that played out in my house so many times growing up: the kids coming home hungry and my mom (who happened to be an amazing cook who made us the best Indian food all the time,) trying to get us to eat leftovers instead of bully her into cooking. I also wanted to honor the home kitchens that have made us so resilient. Beyond food being a pillar of pride in our own culture, Indian food has become a representation of comfort, flavor, and care throughout the world.
The Knockturnal: The vocals on “DAAL” involve some pitch-shifting. Could you let me know why you chose that effect?
Nisha Asnani: That was all Yash – I sent him a voice memo of my mom and brother jamming out and DAAL is the genius he sent back.
Yash: DAAL was not a project – it was me having fun with voice memos of NISHA’s family talking about Indian dishes, haha. Having Indian origin has been something both of us have bonded over since the beginning. I’m glad I was able to be a part of a tune that brings family and culture together!
The Knockturnal: In the first verse of “Freedom,” you mention a “spyglass.” How did you come up with this image?
Nisha Asnani: Honestly, when I am flowing, images like that come to me. This one is about the haters who I felt so far enough from me that they had to pull out telescopes and spy instruments to see what I was up to.
The Knockturnal: Please talk about your collaborations with Kumar, Sunita, and PAV4N.
Nisha Asnani: My brother has always wanted to make music, and I was over at his house one day and he started spitting this really funny boppy melody, and my mom jumped in. I think music is all around us, and the best music comes from that stuff you just sing to yourself in the car or the kitchen – the things that make you happy.
PAV4N and I met in 2019 in Mumbai and I ended up performing with him during the Bud X Festival. We remained friends, and he has been a mentor to me while working on this album. This voicemail is one of many notes of encouragement, and I just love him and his voice and wanted to use something personal and unscripted in this song.
The Knockturnal: Why did you choose “Found You” as the last track?
Nisha Asnani: I wrote Found You during my first official queership, a few years after I came out. It was the first time I had experienced acceptance and emotional support as non-binary in a romantic partnership. I think it’s important for us to define an endpoint for ourselves (because wanting things is infinite) and for me, that love was it. Unfortunately, although the relationship did not last or even end particularly well, it showed me what was possible, and I never forgot or let go of that feeling. Found You ultimately is not saying you’ll get what you want and stop wanting anything. It just means when you find the things you really want, you’ll circle them, protect them, and surrender to them.
Grammy award- winning and Academy award nominated artist, actress, producer and entrepreneur Mary J Blige celebrated her life and music in New York City for a Live Concert Series with Apple Music on July 13th. Grateful to be back home, the artist performed some of her most memorable records many of us still enjoy today. Taking over the United Palace, in Washington Heights, banners with her name and beautiful photos were hanging from wall to wall throughout the theater. To our surprise, Fat Joe and Remy Ma were spotted in the audience present to witness the icon herself.
“The last year of my career in particular has been an exciting ride,” said Mary J. Blige. “From continuing to act, to recording and releasing my 15th studio album, growing and expanding different businesses like Sun Goddess and Sister Love Jewelry, to performing at the Super Bowl, launching my Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit and now getting ready to go back on tour, it feels amazing to take this opportunity to celebrate, reflect and have an intimate night with my fans through this platform Apple Music is providing me.”
As she danced and shared her talent with us all, the band played interludes that referenced the likes of fellow icons such as Barry White. As the Queen of Hip Hop Soul and rightfully the recent recipient of the Billboard Icon Award, Mary J. Blige decided to pay homage to some of the most brilliant artists of our time while still celebrating her artistry and the sounds of true R&B and Soul!
Be sure to catch the Live Concert Series available to stream exclusively on Apple Music in over 165 countries on July 27th at 7:00 PM PST!
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