Force Of July: Get Your Independence Day Playlist Sorted
Oh, you think Independence Day is far off, but there's gonna be hot dogs, fireworks and drunken indiscretions before you know it. So don't delay in lining up your tunes for summer's best holiday.
In honor of our nation's birthday, MTV is launching Music Independence Day (#MusicIndependenceDay) on the Fourth of July. with MTV proper, CMT and VH1 combining forces to showcase artists on all three networks. From 6am to 6pm, you'll find maxed-out playlists with new voices and beloved artists in a wide variety of genres—pop, hip-hop, bluegrass, EDM. Basically the works.
Emerging artists who want to get in on the action just need to claim or create their page on MTV's Artist Platform, artists.CMT.com or artists.VH1.com and opt in to “Music Independence Day.” Whether they get the nod from the on-air channels or not, all the artists who are part of the day will be able to drive audiences to their pages via social networks and #MusicIndependenceDay, where they can invite listeners to purchase music, leave tips or just give some props. “We want to let fans discover and really love up musicians, give a tip, buy them a beer or simply send a message of support,” says Viacom Music Group prez Van Toffler. (We'd love to buy Frank Ocean a brewski.)
On MTV: The network looks at its own past, with music moments through MTV history—as well as themed video hours and intimate performances by top acts.
On CMT: MTV's country cousin hosts its annual “BBQ Week” with established, emerging and indie artists like Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, The Avett Brothers and Punch Brothers. Perfect for playing while the burgers are on the grill.
On VH1: Jim Shearer heads to Philadelphia for a day of music and a special Philly 4th of July Jam from 8pm-11pm, with performances by The Roots, John Mayer, Jill Scott, Demi Lovato and others. The network is also debuting Stop/Watch, a new series that lets a band or solo artist perform a complete song in just sixty seconds.
Here at NewNowNext, we're compiling our own bitchin' playlist featuring classic tracks and new tunes you can't get out of your head.
